God has certainly used me in many ways since my entering the ministry in 1994. Last night was another “first” in that I was scheduled to preach at my home church, First Baptist of Lake Butler, Florida, and then I learned of the tragic accident that occurred earlier in the afternoon. A Union County school bus, semi-truck and a car were involved in a crash on SR121. Seven children were killed and several others were taken to area hospitals, some by helicopter. I was told that none of the people involved are members of our church; however, with this being a small, close-knit community, the impact is still great.
Our service last night consisted of a lot of prayer and a message of “hope” from God’s Word. I have never led a service in the wake of such a tragedy that has hit so close to home. A reporter and photographer from the Gainesville Sun newspaper were also present preparing a story about local churches dealing with the tragedy. You can read the story at: http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060126/LOCAL/201260355/1078.
I praise the Lord for giving me the words needed for this service. We serve an awesome God!
I ask that you please be in prayer for everyone involved in this accident and for the healing, physically, emotionally & spiritually, that is needed.