We’re still in the process of recovering as a family and as the entire congregation that calls themselves Good News Community Church, now that Ma’am Suzette has passed away.
Indeed, we’ve seen how one person could leave such a huge impact to the community through everyone that spoke, but we’ve also seen how the world can have a huge impact to our physical bodies, through the affliction she had.
Pastor Poppo said it best: We recognize that this is the end of an era, but we move on in appreciation of the legacy that was left behind.
Good News Community Church needs each other more than ever. We need to continue to call out to the Lord and we need to continue to pray for each other in support, as we heal, and as we move on.
For indeed, much as we covet the opportunity to rest – seen in Ma’am Suzette’s passing, and also seen in the fact that, simply, this is December where everyone is in the mood of winding down – The fact of the matter is that this world owes us nothing, and things will just continue to happen, even in our vulnerable states.
I had a conversation with someone online, particularly on the topic of Godly sorrow (mentioned in 2 Corinthians 7:10), and I did tell her what was on my mind at the time – that it is realizing how hopeless we are, and how we are in need of a Savior. Godly sorrow is realizing how we are ultimately creations inferior to Creator.
But here we see another definition of Godly sorrow: It’s bad enough for us to realize how insignificant we are compared to an infinite and eternal God, but how much more are we brought low, when we realize that even within the confines of creation, we are so vulnerable, and that the rest of creation really doesn’t care whether we’ve had a bad day or not? How much more are we humbled when we realize that the world owes us nothing?
I say all this only because while news of Ma’am Suzette’s passing was bad enough, a couple of days later we received news of another auntie of ours passing away. And this time, sure, she was sick, and her affliction took a huge toll on her health, but we found out that what did her in wasn’t the sickness, primarily – she fell and fractured her skull. And when she was in the hospital, she fell and fractured her skull, again.
It was funny because throughout this week I’ve had the morbid task of telling my team that my Mom didn’t join me in this meeting, or that I’ve had to part ways with them, because during these separate times, I’ve had to pick my mom up at the wake of this auntie of mine.
And it was all over yesterday. Her body was brought into the Cathedral of the Resurrection for one last time, before cremation.
It was bad enough for us to have to attend back-to-back memorial services, wakes, and so on – But then we hear about another member of the Cathedral of the Resurrection passing away from what we hear was a cardiac arrest. What’s even worse about this is that his daughter was in the hospital for something else, but even so, he still passed away.
…the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
Psalm 74:20
So I’m just… thinking about all of this and realizing, again, as I’ve said before – this world owes us nothing. It wouldn’t stop coming at us no matter how we think we’re already overwhelmed by what’s already going on, and no matter how we think that we have too much on our plate.
Bad news after bad news can just continue to come… But we give God the glory, because look, we ARE a congregation, a chapter of the body of Christ that likes to call themselves, ‘GOOD NEWS’.
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
2 Corinthians 7:10
And the Good News is this – Godly sorrow produces repentance.
It’s been in our prayers, or in mine at least, where we go ahead and declare, as we close, that the Lord be glorified to the maximum in everything, for the purpose of His goodness being put on display, that those who would behold said goodness would be led to repentance…
…but, here, in all that’s been going on, and in this series of unfortunate events, we find we are at the end of ourselves, realizing that this world will not stop, that this world is relentless is trying to steal, kill and destroy.
This world owes us nothing… But, as Don Moen was seemingly led by the Spirit to compose, ‘This world has nothing for me’ in the first place.
Yes, our response as this world just comes against us in wave after wave of trouble, is: ‘I need You, Jesus! Come to my rescue!‘
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
Matthew 1:21-23
Now all I know is God’s forgiveness and embrace!
God bless you!
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