“O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.”
– Psalm 88:1
Hi James and Ellen,
Have you ever visited a kid who is in a hospital because he or she is gravely ill with a terminal illness? Have you ever met a kid who is in an orphanage because no one in his family can care for him or her? Have you ever seen a kid who lives on the streets because his or her dad and/or ma does not want him or her around? What do you think that it is like for a kid who has an incurable sickness? What do you think that it is like for a kid who has to grow up without a ma and/or dad? What do you think that it is like for a kid who has to survive by his or her own wits? The only kid that your grandmaa and grandpaa know who has had a life threatening ailment is Barry Baas. Barry is one of your dad’s cousins. Barry had leukemia when he was a young kid. Your dad’s Uncle Jerry and Aunt Peg stayed in a Ronald McDonald House when Barry had radiation treatments. Barry’s cancer has remained in remission. When Barry got married several years ago, Barry asked your grandpaa to be the emcee for the wedding reception for him and Amy. Even though your grandmaa and grandpaa have never visited an orphanage, your grandpaa knows several couples who have adopted a kid from an orphanage. Mark and Alison Stevens is a couple who your grandmaa and grandpaa know. Mark and Alison adopted a little boy from a Guatemalan Catholic orphanage. Alison was a teacher at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center when your grandmaa and grandpaa were living in Santa Cruz while on the South America Mission field missionary team. Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center is the missionary kids’ school in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Your dad went to Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center for his 8th grade. Your Aunt Lynn went to Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center for three years – from 1st grade through 3rd grade. Mark and Alison adopted a boy from a Guatemalan Catholic orphanage who had been found – along with several other babies, by Guatemalan police when he was a baby. It is believed that all the babies who were found by Guatemalan police with the boy who Mark and Alison adopted had been stolen – some if not all from other Central America countries, for the purpose of being sold to anyone or to any couple who would be willing to pay an exorbitant amount of money to buy a baby through Guatemalan’s underground black market. When your grandmaa and grandpaa were living in Guatemala City as missionaries on OC International’s field missionary team, your grandpaa would at times drive to Guatemala City’s post office to mail a bulk mailing or package to the United States. Guatemala City’s post office is in the middle of Guatemala City. When you grandpaa went to Guatemala City’s post office, he would almost always see street kids sprawled out sleeping on and alongside sidewalks. International cities throughout the world – such as Guatemala City, invariably have roaming gangs of abandoned or dispossessed young guys and gals doing whatever they have to do to survive from one day to the next day.
Psalm 88 was scribed by Heman the Ezrahite as a prayer psalm song. Heman’s prayer psalm song is a cry to God for His help. Heman may have been mortally ill – which may have led him to write his prayer psalm song. Heman may have lived a troubled life – which may have led him to write his prayer psalm song. Heman may have lost all his friends because of possibly having an infectious skin disease – such as leprosy, – which may have led him to write his prayer psalm song. Heman used his prayer psalm song to wrestle with God about whatever his helplessness was. Heman reminds God in his prayer psalm song that He – God, was Who had put him in the lowest pit of the darkest depths. Heman pleads his case in his prayer psalm song – really wanting to know from God why He chose him to vent out His wrath – as Heman knows that he has done nothing to incur God’s wrath. Heman tells God in his prayer psalm song that he has had it with feelings of grief, rejection, despair and terror.
Have you ever felt like a Heman? Have you ever felt friendless? Have you ever felt hopeless? Have you ever felt unloved? Incurable, orphaned and homeless kids have something in common; they deal with the feeling of being punished for having been born. To be ostracized or abandoned can lead a kid to feel devalued for the rest of his or her life. How often do you thank God for being able to live in a home that has a dad and a ma? How often do you thank God that your dad and ma are able to put food on the table every day for you to eat? How often do you thank God that you – and your dad and ma, have not had to suffer through a debilitating illness. How often do you thank God that He has not had you pull a Heman? In the prayer psalm song that he scribed, Heman starts out telling God in verse 1 that He will always be his one and only hope, “O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.” Heman’s prayer psalm song is a tough love reminder for Christ-follower guys, gals and kids that no matter how hard, difficult and/or untenable a life situation is, it is essential to remember that God is Who is behind the scenes pulling the strings that result in some guys, gals and kids receiving from God perceived life blessings while other guys, gals and kids are receiving from God perceived life trials. Heman’s prayer psalm song is a candid, straightforward reality reminder that even though darkness will at times become a friend of a guy, gal or kid, there is never a reason to stop talking with God. AND – do not ever forget that God always knows what your thoughts are.
Psalm 88 (1018)