I heard one of the most beautiful songs the other day, and I would like to share some of the lyrics with you.

               "I close my eyes and I can see a world that's waiting up for me. They can say it all sounds crazy. I don't care. We can live in a world that we design, cause every night I lie in bed, the brightest colors fill my head. I think of what the world could be. A vision of the one I see. However big, however small, let me be part of it all. Share your dreams with me. A million dreams is all it's gonna take for the world we're gonna make."

               And then I wake up to reality. It is impossible to watch televised news or read the paper without being made aware of some horrendous tragedy. It's all around me and those I love and I keep praying that we will be spared and not mentioned as one of the unfortunates. Then, as the news unfolds, I find myself thinking about those who have lost so much, how they must suffer, and I hurt for them and wish I could be there and in some way give them hope and help them deal with their pain.

               I ask, "Aren't there people who check the safety of the bridges, buildings, airplanes? Aren't there appropriate background investigations for those who are in positions of security, inspection and are responsible to make certain that possible accidents can be avoided or at least minimalized? I just don't like to hear many of those in charge say we must accept the realities of business, travel, politics, human error and chance when very lengthy studies prove that a lot of repair, replacement or oversight was considered too expensive and could be put off for a later and more convenient time.

               Let me focus on another reality.

               At birth, we did not have a certificate outlining the course of our life, a guarantee of good happenings or assurance that we would never experience sadness in any form or fashion. If we had that certificate, we would hope it eliminated politics, racial inequality, religious hatred, war, disease, old age, poverty, okra and well, the list can go on as long as you wish.

               We are now at that moment in time when we must quit finding fault, placing blame on God, giving credit to some evil force and face the facts. We can take charge!

               We can choose to live where there are earthquakes, floods, mud slides, hurricanes, and cross bridges, work at dangerous jobs or find a cave to live in and try to stay safe. Let's choose wisely!

               Let's keep living to the best of our ability trusting in God for the final conclusion. We can do that! And let's close our eyes tonight with a prayer. How about the Aaronic prayer? "May the Lord bless us and keep us. May the Lord make His face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. May the Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon us and give us peace, both now and forever more."

               We can live with that.

               Thanks, God!