Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday January 9, 2007

Sunday past I was blessed by the congregational singing of two special songs, "How Firm A Foundation" and the comforting '"Til The Storm Passes By." With storms in my life and in the lives of many congregants, we need to know that "He will keep us safe til the storm is over." And the sure foundation of Gods word, when adhered to will keep us out of many storms.

Thing about storms is you never know just when they're going to hit, or just how intense.

For instance, my long time friends in the Lord's work, Mike and Ruth Greene are going through a season of storms. I will share a little of their trials with you in the hopes that you will find courage as you face many unexpected troubles in 2007.

Back in November, Lindsey, the five year old granddaughter collapsed at a children's birthday party and went to be with Jesus. Boom! Out of nowhere and now a child's empty bed, memories and looking forward to a meeting just inside the Eastern Gate. I wept when I read this.

And then.

And then just a few weeks later Mike is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Talk about another 'BOOM.'

I called Mike and talked with him for while. He is fighting, and with pancreatic cancer you had better be fighter if you want you beat it. Of course Mike and Ruth know the first line of defense is prayer and they are enlisting the prayers of God's people all over the world.

For many years Mike and Ruth conducted mission trips to Mexico with teens and had a fruitful ministry. This in addition to pastoring and doing the work of an evangelist.

Mike's doctor is a former teen missionary and is working hard to be used of Jesus to bring about a miracle. During the evaluation, Mike remarked that he felt tired, and the whippersnapper of a doctor, said, "Mike, you're sixty five, you're supposed to feel tired." I guess a little humor helps cure cancer. Mike, like most of us who have reached 'that age' does not accept feeling tired.

I have taken this space to tell you of my friend.

When I spoke with him, he was joyful in that he knows the Lord and that the Lord is good and with us in His goodness! While he talked, Ruth was driving the truck to get a load of feed for the horses. Mike kept giving her instructions. I suppose a little pay back for all the back seat driving over the years they traveled as evangelists.

I found comfort in the following verses as I prayed and thought of these two gems who have served the Lord faithfully over forty some years. Mike seems to be applying the old Latin proverb to this episode, "In time of sickness the soul collects itself anew."

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

Larry Lilly Copyright 2007 Use with credit.

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