Vantage point

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Facing tragedy

 

Tragedy is no respecter of persons. Our first two Surviving Tragedy issues made that patently clear. In this third edition focusing on crisis survivors, it is once again evident all sorts of people face life-changing circumstances. Their responses are as varied as the individuals.

One thing that clearly makes a difference: While no one who faces tragedy is a superman or superwoman, Christians have a resource others do not have to help them make it through. Repeatedly we have heard these words: “I don’t know what people do who don’t know Jesus.” Knowing Christ as your Savior gives you a Champion to walk with through “the valley of the shadow of death.”

I know two of the individuals whose stories of triumph over tragedy follow.

Mark Thallander is the cousin of my wife’s best friend, Joyce Pryor. Because their families were together often, Peggy knew Mark well. So the news of the accident that took the left arm of this gifted musician deeply saddened her.

As I write this, I have known the second individual, Al David, for less than a week. Yet I have felt my life enriched through the time I spent with this man of faith and his devoted wife, Shirley. I was in Arizona on other business and arranged to meet them to do a photo shoot for the article Kirk Noonan wrote. Their testimony blessed me.

You will meet these two remarkable individuals, as well as “Sarge,” Sandra Meade, a high-energy Women’s Ministries director whose life was endangered when she struck her head in a serious fall.

Finally, Lucas McCloud’s story shares that, with God’s help, even a child can be a living miracle.

I hope by the time you finish this issue you will know that God is big enough for anything you might face.

Ken Horn

E-mail your comments to tpe@ag.org.