When I Fall, I Shall Rise (Micah 7:8)

...But to effect such a change, you cannot ONLY pray. Prayer is a commitment and a call to action on our part. Much like love, which the Word of God, uh, promotes, also, prayer is a commitment to action, a confession of your faith that -- to put it in more pedestrian terms -- God helps those who help themselves. First, check out the link that set me off this morning:

http://www.bruneinews.net/story/526141

So what went wrong here? Lord knows, faith can move mountains, and faith as small as a mustard seed, at that. But the Lord asks that we act; almost all of the verbs in both the Old and New Testaments are action verbs, whether it is a command from God to us, or a teaching of Peter or Paul. Our faith must be action, not mere feeling. Our faith must actually move those mountains before us, and God expects us to do the pushing; as a matter of fact, God expects us to find a creative way to move that proverbial mountain that is better than pushing it.

We are meant to use our God-given minds and our resources, and Mr. and Mrs. Neumann failed to do that. Separate juries of their peers found them guilty of both the same charge, which in Wisconsin is called Second Degree Reckless Homicide.

The fact that the homicide was deemed "reckless" rather than Wisconsin's other "choices" of Felony Murder, First and Second Degree Intentional Homicide, and Negligent Homicide (a lesser charge than what they got) seems to be the appropriate charge. I am deeply sorry for any parents who have lost a child to illness or in any other manner. But the court found that they were complicit in their daughter's death; doctors testified that she could, and most likely, would, have been saved if they had only acted on their faith. Reckless Homicide in Wisconsin (and it's similar in most of the 50 states) means that one has caused the death of another human being under "circumstances that show utter disregard for human life." And that is exactly how it went down.

I've been told the story of the man whose house was in great danger; a great flood was about to hit his town, but he felt safe and certain due to his faith in the Lord. So when the floods came to his town, and his house was in danger, and others were drowning in the vast waters, the man climbed onto his roof and waited. He waited for the Lord to save him. He told all who would listen that he had no fear; the Lord would save him. Meanwhile, some rescue workers paddled by the quickly-sinking house with a boat. "Come on down," they said, "We're here to take you to safety!" But the man shook his head and replied that he was waiting for the Lord to save him. Yet again, hours later, more rescuers passed through in their life boats, yelling emphatically to the man that he must come down and be rowed to safety. And once again, the man stayed on his roof, shouting back that he was waiting for the Lord, who undoubtedly would save him...

...Eventually, the waters rose too high even for the house and its roof top. The man perished, drowning like so many others in the rising tides. When he got to Heaven, he asked his Lord, "Lord, why did you not save me?" And the Lord replied, "I sent you two boats in which to ride to your safety."

So we must use our resources, as great or as little as they may be. We have to rise up against any challenge like David against Goliath, and not lose faith but rather let it open our great God-given minds and hearts. It is a great tragedy that this family did not heed the word of that same Lord and use their resources. A quick call to 911 would have saved their daughter's life and spared them all the heartache that has followed.

My prayers go out to the family, each and every one involved, and for the soul of that little girl who passed too soon.