I still trust in God’s protection but my understanding about God’s care has grown. In the early 70’s, I lived with my parents while they served for three years as missionaries in Uganda during the evil regime of Idi Amin. Saudis liberally funded Amin’s attempt to make the nation Muslim. I was there as people lived and died for Jesus Christ.
Our family repeatedly was supernaturally protected while thousands and thousands of other faith-filled believers were being killed. When I was five and six years old, I thought it was normal to be stopped at roadblocks. It wasn’t strange to have heavily armed Ugandan militia surround my parents. I remember seeing machetes waved in my Dad’s face while AK-47s were pressed to the back of his neck. But, God intervened time and again.
It is paradoxical that twenty years later, a small caliber pistol would be used to kill my Dad just outside the Valley Fellowship Church offices – right here in the United States of America. On that hot August afternoon, the Lord’s hand of protection was obvious as other church staff, volunteers, and school students were safely shielded during the shooting.
Because Dad was a righteous pastor, he was targeted by a skinny lady with the malicious idea of pleasing satan. The Bible indicates some believers will be martyrs, and I believe that my dad died a martyr’s death. Dad was certainly not the last martyr to be targeted for loving Jesus Christ.
I still trust that God’s plans and purposes are good. As long as I live on earth there will be things that I do not fully understand about what God allows or commands, but I trust in God’s protection more now than I did before my father’s death.
With life getting in the way you can place an order for your order viagra generico cipla you can try these out. It is available in convenient plastic sachets, which allows for a much sildenafil levitra http://secretworldchronicle.com/tag/lily/ faster absorption rate of the active ingredient, Sildenafil, as does the trademark version. With online availability and FDA approval, it is made easy to consume for restricting ED issues in men. cialis stores But is it economically viable to afford using these medications online cialis so frequently. For the five years before my dad’s death, my wife Patti and I served on the pastoral staff of Valley Fellowship with Dad as senior pastor. I genuinely treasure the time I was able to minister with Dad and learn from Dad. I was only 26 years old when Dad died, and Patti and I transitioned into senior leadership of the church, co-pastoring with my mother.
Perhaps the most common question I asked myself following Dad’s death was, “God, are you sure I learned all I was suppose to learn from my dad?” I frequently reminded myself that his death was not a surprise to God. I was surprised, but his death was no surprise to my Heavenly Father.
I found great encouragement and strength from God’s Word and from spending time in private worship. I had to personally deal with many questions following my dad’s death. Recognizing Dad was a Godly man, faithful husband, loving father and integral shepherd of our church, I knew there were no “open doors” for such an attack. I had to deal with the dilemma of how someone who is really righteous could be shot and killed by someone trying to please satan. I was forced to grapple with the reality that God’s plans may not always be my “preferred” plans.
My experience definitely changed the way I minister to suffering people. Yes, I grieved – all humans grieve when we miss something that we hold as valuable – but God comforted me in my grieving. Heavenly Father provided me with the grace and comfort I needed to go forward. My experience has given me a much deeper well of compassion for hurting individuals, and the comfort I received from the Lord has allowed me to minister to suffering people. I regularly sense a supernatural release of God’s comfort as I pray, releasing the comfort that I myself have received from the Lord, for other grieving individuals. I draw from the compassion and grace I needed in 1993 to minister God’s concern and care in 2013. The comfort I received, I pass along when praying–in congregational services, in hospital rooms, in funerals and memorials, in any situation where someone is in pain or sickness.
Today, April 24, is Jerry Simon’s birthday. I bet he’s celebrating it with friends in heaven. I remember Dad. I honor him. I miss him.
