P Squad has been shaken up during the month of April, most recently thanks to the ground shaking in Nepal. We were supposed to have traveled to Nepal on April 26th to spend a few days at debrief and then head to our ministry sites for the month of May. The devastating earthquake that struck there last week, though, has made that impossible.
The earthquake came right on the heels of a terrible car accident that injured several people on our squad, one of them quite severely. She is still hospitalized in Bangalore and will not be able to travel with us for the rest of the Race.
In talking to people on the squad, we all agree that it’s been an incredibly draining couple of weeks. Most of us have experienced pretty much the full spectrum of emotions, sometimes all at once. We feel shaken, sifted, stretched, poured out, and really tired.
Through everything, though, we have one unshakable thing to hold onto: God is good. He has proven that to us over and over these past weeks. For instance, the two places that we were supposed to be ministering in Nepal are the two places that were hardest hit by the earthquake. If the timing had been just a little bit different, P Squad could have been part of the death toll. As for the car accident, looking at photos of the aftermath it doesn’t seem like anyone should have lived through it. Not only did everyone survive, all but one of the people involved are recovering well and staying with us on the Race.
Mostly, however, God has shown me his goodness in less tangible ways. I can’t understand everything that’s happening, but I can always know that he’s good. God doesn’t mind if I ask him all my questions – how, why, where were you, what are you doing – but he just keeps reminding me that he is good, he is faithful, and I can always trust him whether I can understand what he’s doing or not.
A beautiful thing can happen when you’re shaken: you can remember that you have an unshakable foundation and stand firm even while everything around you quakes and falls. It’s been amazing to see our squad unite together in prayer and worship and rejoicing during this time. We could have reacted with anger and bitterness and despair in the face of this kind of pain and suffering, but we have chosen to remember that God is good and to praise him for the miracles and healing and yet unknown awesome things that he’s working through all of this.
“God only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” Psalm 62.6
