Technical Note.
Each sketch that is shown is a quick drawing using eyes or optical instruments during short observing periods. They are not pictures or classic art. They are records of actual observations. As I observe, I prayerfully consider what I have learned. In this series, the learning was heavily affected by surrounding events–bad events or events that people would consider hard. As we teach others to observe, we encourage some serious thinking and comment about the observations. The series of sketches and words are an example from us.
The Story.
What happens inside you when something bad happens? What happens when something bad happens to good people, or does it even matter whether they are good or not? These classic questions are posed by most people at one time or another, but usually after an event of hardship. Consider a few sketches and the attendant story:
We recently attended a get-together of 150 observers of the night skies. The sketch above was done the first morning of the occasion, when everything was quiet and peaceful. I was the only person awake on the hill that was filled with scopes and tents and observatories. Within 300 miles during the surrounding 48 hours, tornadoes touched down and destroyed several towns and killed over 300 people. The hill, where we were located, only endured the edge of one or two thunderstorms and some gusts of wind over 50 miles per hour.
While the Midsouth Star Gaze in French Camp, Mississippi continued with talks during the day and observing at night, more details of the catastrophe in the southeast continued to accumulate. It continued to affect my observing. I heard of one event from the news that affected the following sketch and observing report:
At the point this sketch was made, the death toll that was reported was low. Some of the towns that had been completely destroyed had not yet been investigated because of no access and a shortage of ‘first responders’ that were already too busy. But the turmoil in several counties was hitting the news. The story that I referenced spoke to my heart. The man gave everything to save his daughter. But no one reported whether the man was good or bad, or that the daughter was worthy of saving. Of course not! It did not matter. Nor did it matter to Christ, who gave himself for unworthy, unrepentant, messed up people through the ages–including me.
We continued our observing. A friend sent a message. His sister worked in a Teen Challenge center in Arkansas. It was destroyed; 60 were instantly homeless, including many who were in the middle of serious treatment for drug addiction. Counselor and counselees were rendered homeless alike.
At the end of the star/heaven observing period, with details of the tornado swarm still emerging, I finished with this sketch and scripture:
With the storm effects in my mind and prayer for those affected, I was reminded of God’s mercy and power together. The scripture speaks of his power. The fact that he is aware of every circumstance we have and extends his loving kindness through the worst of ordeals was my thought. The storm could as easily killed us. Our little van bounced up and down when the microburst from one thunderstorm hit. It toppled one observing stucture that had not been moved before. It was 40 feet away.
How does one make any sense of severe life events outside of knowing God’s mercy and power? I still remember before I believed; I could not make sense of things. But the touch of His love altered my view. As events (some good and some ‘bad’) have occurred since then, I am all the more convinced: He knows; He loves me still; He has made a way for me and anyone else to know Him. We may perish here on earth, but we really do not perish if we put our trust in Him, because He has secured our eternity in Himself. It does not matter whether our circumstance is peaceful and easy or filled with strife and hard.
If the reader does not have this confidence, consider Jesus Christ.
