R.I.P. The World

The apologist Ravi Zacharias died less than two weeks ago,
The world has been hit by COVID-19,
And if not that, then all the repercussions from that.
And now, there are riots and looting.

My own city has been hit, as has been the case across the States.
This is the first time I remember the National Guard being called in.
The racial injustice is real - but the looting and rioting?
That has been mostly instigated by white people, from what I have seen and heard.

Peaceful protesting is one thing; rioting and looting another.
I remain silent on the ever present facebook,
Though I comment sometimes on other platforms.
Most of the time, it's not worth it to say anything.

I have family where this all started,
And the destruction is unjustified -
It only dismantles the real victims' voices,
And drowns out the cries of those who are wronged.

The only hope I know in this world, is that of the Creator -
Who said such prophetic words in Habakkuk 1:5.
Is this the beginning of the end?
Only God knows, and only God saves.

The Illusion of Control

It's something we all want,
And something we all try to get,
But in this world, who has it?
Most of the time, it is only an illusion.

People have stayed home so that they don't get sick,
Given up freedoms, in order to control their health.
People wear masks to make them feel better,
So there's less of a chance they will get sick.

I know it's technically so people don't get others sick,
But in reality, it's that it makes people
Themselves feel better too,
Like they have control over something.

For some, the reality of how little control we have
Has hit extremely hard,
And mental health issues have increased dramatically
Since the lock downs began.

And then there are the protestors,
Who go out to gain some control over their lives,
And those who believe they have all the right answers,
In any of the many conspiracy theories out there.

I have a friend whose husband had it,
And another friend who was recently exposed.
The threat is real - but what do we do with it?
Do we cower and hide or find a balance?

My overly cautious, anxious new coworker
Even said that she doesn't condemn her adult daughter
For going out with friends as she has,
Because there's a balance between physical and mental health.

Let's all find that balance.
We don't have control over as much as we think,
But we need to be able to live.
The God who is in control is the same One who gave us life in the first place.

A Week Ago Today

A week ago today I woke up to a message
That someone I had known had passed away.
It was Tuesday, but he had really passed on Saturday,
And my 'dinner with a friend' acquaintance friend was the one who told me.

I only met him three times in my life,
So this should not impact me like it has.
But he always texted me on my birthday,
And he died on my grandmother's birthday.

I'm learning way more about him,
And the tragedy is that I did not know him better before.
We would talk about getting together,
But I was not really friends anymore with the ones he met me with.

I'm sure he texted others every year on their birthday too -
But here's the thing, it doesn't matter.
No one can take away the special feeling he laid upon each of us.
And there are stories upon stories of him doing these kind acts.

He leaves behind a teenage daughter, who I met the second time I saw him.
He was a caring and involved father, evidenced in their interactions.
And I found out last week that he had a steady girlfriend,
Which I should have known.

I should have known a lot of things.
I wish I knew how he died.
He was young and healthy,
But they said he died from a medical condition.

Take care, my friend, who I should have known better.
I remember the impact last year had,
When I got the text and realized you had not missed a single one,
Since the night we met at your Halloween party in 2014.

I don't know what he believed -
I know he claimed Christian on social media -
And he better be in heaven,
And I better see him again.

God Is In Control

This is the song (the chorus) that was in my mind the day of 9/11, when I was 14:

This is no time for fear
This is a time for faith and determination
Don't lose the vision here
Carried away by the motion
Hold on to all that you hide in your heart
There is one thing that has always been true
It holds the world together

God is in control
We believe that His children will not be forsaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside Him, we know
God is in control

History marches on
There is a bottom line drawn across the ages
Culture can make its plan
Oh, but the line never changes
No matter how the deception may fly
There is one thing that has always been true
It will be true forever

He has never let you down
Why start to worry now? (2x)
He is still the Lord of all we see
And He is still the loving Father
Watching over you and me

God Is In Control by: Twila Paris https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H9JHdsn-EQ

It is now very much true, and came to my mind even today, a little over 18 years later.