ODE TO SAMMY

The last couple of weeks have been difficult ones. I have seen people make judgments on issues that they know nothing of. All these things came out over a young man’s death. Sammy was loved by many. We raised him from a child to a man. Nobody knows him better than myself. The time came when it was necessary to return Sammy to his family. Sammy’s death has brought out feelings of hatred and scorn from some people. Emails of hatred were written to me by a person who did not use their real name. They were meant to hurt. On another organization’s website an individual has posted a comment encouraging members of their organization to “Please care enough about Sammy to support and pray for the work of” their organization, yet this individual never made any efforts to enquire about Sammy or help him. Sammy’s family sent word to us that he wasn’t doing well. Now his family is being judged by others who don’t even know them or anything about the family’s situation. Sammy is at peace now and in heaven where God wants him to be. I forgive them, the person who wrote the emails and the other organization.
I have taken the time the last couple of weeks to think about all these things. God has a plan for all of our lives. Which organization is better than another? God calls us all to do different things. He equips us to do the task he wants us to do. Is one persons’ task and calling better than another? The answer is no. There are many organizations and missionaries working here in Haiti. All are striving to help the Haitian people in many ways. Remembering Sammy I ask you to pray for all missions and missionaries working here in Haiti.

I am reading a book called “If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat”. The first chapter talks of active faith and “water walking”. There is a quotation from a wise man. His name was Theodore Roosevelt. This is what he says:

“It’s not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…. Who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of great achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. So that his place will never be with those cold timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

Let us all make efforts wherever we are to “get out of the boat” and serve the Lord!
Karen Bultje, Coram Deo