Ministering to the hurting flock
A husband and wife were looking forward to the birth of their first child. The birth of the baby was a joyful event, but that joy evaporated quickly. A few days later, the father, mother, a few close relatives, and I were standing in a cemetery, looking at a tiny casket. Their baby had died. All were grief-stricken.
What was I to say to the parents? “Trust God, everything will be all right”? I read Scripture, prayed, and stood with the parents. What would you have said? What would you have done?
And then there was the student from England who came to the United States to pursue graduate studies. During the Christmas break, she came to New York City to spend the school break with some of the youth from our church. One Saturday night, she, along with church youth, was collecting funds for community projects. She started crossing a street and was hit by a car. A few hours later, she died. We knew what happened. In England, vehicles travel on the l