"A stronghold in the day of trouble"

As a compassionate person, and a man who knows the pain of loss, I admit that it is difficult to hear about all this death on the news every day.  However, not every instance is a result of the coronavirus.  For example, actor Logan Williams passed away on Friday, April 3rd.  Williams was best known for playing young Barry Allen on the CW TV show “The Flash”; he was only 16.  The cause of death is unknown at this point.  Tributes from the cast are touching, but John Wesley Shipp (the man who played Barry’s father on the show) put it in such a poignant way.  He wrote, “Heartsick to learn of Logan Williams death at 16.  He was 100% committed to playing young Barry Allen, and we missed him once we moved past that part of the story.”

(Source: https://variety.com/2020/tv/people-news/logan-williams-dead-dies-the-flash-1234570933/)

This news hit me hard because I have seen every episode of “The Flash” since its premiere in 2014.  I have seen Logan’s impressive work on it.  His talent was evident.  My heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to Logan’s family and friends.  To use John Wesley Shipp’s word, this makes me “heartsick”.  The road of unexpected loss is a hard one to walk (once again, I know a little something about that); all of his loved ones are undoubtedly experiencing deep shock and intense grief right now.  Perhaps they will experience a degree of solace when they realize that many who knew him from his work will mourn his loss as well.

And then, I heard the sad news that former NFL kicker Tom Dempsey passed away, over the weekend, from the coronavirus.  He was 73.  Dempsey was an incredible talent; he held the record for the longest field goal in NFL history (63 yards) for a whopping 43 years!  Not many records remain for four decades.  Amazingly, Tom was born without toes on his right foot and fingers on his right hand, and yet he still played in the NFL for 11 years.  A few other kickers may have tied his extraordinary kick – until it was ultimately broken by Matt Prater in 2013 – but Dempsey will never be forgotten (information from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/05/obituaries/tom-dempsey-dead.html).

Furthermore, to be candid with you, in addition to feeling the sadness from all of the losses, I am feeling the added strain of living in these tough days of uncertainty and pandemonium.  You may be asking, “Okay, then how do you find the strength to keep going in the midst of all of this?”  The truth is God is my anchor and strength in the fierce storm.  Without Him, I am nothing.  This is not just a pious answer that looks good for a blog; I am sharing the sincere cry of my heart.  I'm not saying that I’m sinless or that I follow the Lord perfectly.  I make mistakes.  But God is faithful, no matter what.

The Bible says in Nahum 1:7: “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him” (italics added for emphasis).  Proverbs 18:10 declares, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”  Yes and amen!  I love the song “Follow You Anywhere” from the group Passion.  They declare, “You are the refuge I run to; You are the fire that leads me through the night.  I’ll follow You anywhere.  There’s a million reasons to trust You, nothing to fear, for You are by my side.”

Kevin