It was a beautiful day and we made the most of it, completing medical appointments, having a nice lunch and picking up a few things at the store. My wife wanted to look around the department store on Fort Sam and I took a quick nap in the car. I got a call to pick her up at the front of the store, because her knee was hurting. I looked around and finally saw her in the mirror. She was gesturing for me to come get her near the bubble tea vender.
I could see she was upset and limping and she asked, “Why did you drive past me without stopping, didn’t you see me on the ground?” she asked. Susan said she fell when she didn’t notice the curb. She said she was more embarrassed than hurt, but I noticed her elbow was bleeding. She said a lot of people rushed over to see if she was hurt and tried to help her up, but she told them to let her rest there for a minute. She said her ankle was hurting, and wondered if she broke it. Since she was able to walk on it, I guessed she had sprained or bruised it. We thanked GOD for protecting her as we drove home.
After we got home, Susan was able to get cleaned up and settle on the couch to rest. I applied medicine on her ankle and elbow, which seemed to help. She kept talking about the people trying to help her, but it didn’t seem that unusual to me since we were on the military base. That is when she said “I have joy in my heart that people stopped to help an Asian woman.” Her statement took me by surprise. I hadn’t realized the reports of Asian hatred in the news had bothered her. Many of the reports I saw were hyped up for political reasons. Yes, some were obviously racial attacks, but others seemed like regular crimes and hatred. My wife has experienced racial hatred, but that was in Russia and Europe, not in America. My wife is very shy and rarely gets close enough to people to see what they really think of her.
That could be why people don’t open themselves up to GOD? They have heard all the stories about GOD’s anger and wrath, and they want no part of that. Religion tells them they aren’t good enough, so they have to get cleaned up and do a lot of good to make up for their failures. And then they have to get past the gauntlet of judgmental religious people. Even if they are good enough, they will have to guard against failure and being kicked out of the fellowship and rejected by GOD. The one bright spot is Heaven, where somehow everything will be wonderful and we can find peace and rest. Sadly much of what we hear about GOD comes from the thief who “cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10 KJV).
The GOD I know “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17 KJV) and “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8 KJV). If we accept His sacrifice, it frees us from our sins and made us the righteousness of GOD. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1 KJV) and “perfect love casts out fear” (1John 4:18 KJV). In JESUS we are “good enough” right now and we don’t have to walk in fear! I have joy in my heart knowing that GOD loves me so much!
Wayne Lance