Time

Last night, Barack Obama called a dramatic, late-night press conference to make an announcement. Special U.S. forces had located and killed Osama Bin Laden. It's been nearly 10 years since Bin Laden's terrorist agenda brought down the twin towers.

This is incredible. It's justice done, at long last. Yes, I feel a little bit like the Munchkins dancing around Oz, singing, "The witch is dead!" But this seems to be everyone's reaction. This man was our Hitler, and the people he hated was us.

I thought about how history will look back on this. In the schoolbooks, the passage on Bin Laden will note that he was the supreme terrorist leader behind the 9/11 attacks. And the next sentence will say, "Ten years later, U.S. troops hunted him down and killed him." It will read as if it all happened so quickly, when in actuality, it was a long ten years in between--during which most of us stopped thinking about Bin Laden at all. (Except for comedians, who poked fun at Bush at his letting the guy escape.)

Then I thought about how God views history, how with Him one year is like a thousand human ones. He knew that Bin Laden would be killed, that this would be the very next sentence in the history books.

Lord, I'm so restless these days. When it comes to You and how I view my faith, I'm anxious. Rob Bell opened my eyes and gave me some peace. Then at Easter, Lee's parents disputed his claims, dismissively. I'm angry at Janet and at myself for being so... wobbly. I know I don't want to be like her, but I am confused about what angle to take. And I want to stop being angry.


When it comes to how I'm living my life, I'm comfortable in my daily routine, and I'm uneasy about being comfortable.  I don't know which way to go next. I want to do right by my children, and they're growing up so fast. (Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives. As a child myself, I used to tense up when I heard that line from the soap opera's opening credits. And now even "Days of our Lives" has been cancelled, the sands have already gone out!) 


I feel so scheduled, and also like I'm not getting anything of value done. Or rather, I'm getting some things done, but not as well as I'd like to do them. 


I've run out of time to write this post. I pray that You would help me to look outside of myself. Concentrate on others. How can I be of help?


In Your son's name I pray.
Amen