Sufficient grace

Whatever else happens this year, we already know 2010 will be remembered for the earthquakes that devastated Haiti. The raw suffering and unimaginable scope of this tragedy have grieved our hearts. Of course, we do not know the outcome—the extent of the loss of life, the impact upon the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, the outcome of the devastation. But we pray for the people of Haiti, and for relief to their anguish. As we support relief ministries in Haiti, we pray that the food and water and medical goods we send, as well as the Christian sisters and brothers who go to help, will deliver a strong message of Christ's love, and that lives will be drawn to God, even through tragedy.

(For a comprehensive story that lists the ways you can support  Baptists' ministry in Haiti, click here.)

Tragedy nearby

Tragedy also has struck closer to home in this young year.

On Jan. 19, fire destroyed the sanctuary and, most likely, the the  office building of First Baptist Church in Temple. Aged  church buildings—especially auditoriums with vaulted ceilings and wooden beams—burn rapidly. Of course, flames in a church do not merely destroy wood, brick and mortar. They engulf memories. Baptisms. Weddings. Funerals. Spiritual renewal. Christmas Eves with family and friends. Children's choirs and youth musicals. Generations of personal faith history took place in that room. It was a repository of sacred memory.

This tragedy took on personal dimensions, because my brother, Martin, is pastor of that dear church.  He now ministers to people who share a unique loss—not of a loved one, but of a loved place. And as the pastor who worked from there, he also and his staff colleagues suffered a special loss of their ministry libraries.

Even more personally,  the Knox family experienced deep grief when our oldest daughter, Lindsay, and her husband, Aaron, lost their baby to a miscarriage. We know miscarriages are not rare. In fact, we've heard from numerous friends and loved ones who have walked the path that Lindsay and Aaron, or Joanna and I, are walking these days. And still, the grief is profound and absorbing. We are sustained by the prayers of people who love us.

Sufficient grace

Still, in face of fresh tragedies in a new year, we do not lose heart . Our hope is in God, who abides with us through the dark valleys of life. 

•  We know God is our refuge and strength, and we will not fear.

•  God is the great Comforter, even when we are tempted to feel disconsolate.

•  We trust Jesus for all of life, time and eternity, not merely what we see now.

•  While we do not believe God caused these tragedies, we believe God will bring blessings out of each of them.  This confidence does not negate the tragedies, nor does it diminish the sorry. But it makes them bearable, for we believe God walks with us through them, endures them beside us, and grieves even more deeply than we are capable.

•  We do not know what the rest of this year will bring. But we face each new day confident that God's grace is sufficient for us. Even when our hearts break.