Psalm 92:2 "To declare Your lovingingkindness in the morning and your faithfulness every night."
This is the view from my dear friends home, Phil and Becky Butler. Oh to have the opportunity to watch Him paint the sky on a daily basis....glorious, right? I have been blessed by so many of my friends here in Alabama who have opened their homes, hearts and lives to me over the past months. I am a blessed woman and I serve a faithful God!
Something that came across my path over the past month or so was an article about a man named Rick Rescola. You may have heard of him. He has been termed the 'prophet' because he was convinced for years that the World Trade Center would be the target of terrorists, even prior to the first bombing of the parking garage in 1993. Though he and a Vietnam vet buddy of his had approached the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey about his concerns, he was always instructed to only focus on the evacuation/safety of the floors of the company he worked for. Rick remained undaunted and remained vigilant with regard to the security of not only of his firm but the Towers safety through the years. Despite the flack he would catch for disrupting business days, Rick insisted that the employees of his company practice their evacuation drills. All 22 floors would practice exiting down the stairs, 2 at a time, twice a year.
The morning of 9/11 Rick disobeyed the general call that went out at 8:46 a.m. to not evacuate. He immediately sent his 22 floors of employees into their drill. Rick would occasionally call his Vietnam friend, Dan Hill, to get news updates as he continued to direct folks with his bullhorn. Dan reported that Rick was "calm, collected and never raising his voice...." And then Dan heard him break into song, something that had been his trait during the war that bolstered and calmed his fellow soldiers. It was reported that Rick also made a call to his wife, and this is what caught my spirit. Rick told his wife, "If something should happen to me, I want you to know that I have never been happier." Needless to say, Rick never made it out of the building himself. He was last seen on the 10th floor heading upstairs.
So what could make Rick, in such a dire situation, be able to exclaim that he couldn't be happier? How puzzling is that until you begin to see the glory in it. This man knew that there was great need to prepare for this danger for more than a decade prior to the event. With that knowledge, he applied diligence...over the long haul. How many people in the Bible did God inform of coming events and then it took decades for those events to actually happen? What if Noah had decided he would just wait it out 50 or 60 years before he completed the ark....because after all...what rain? And when the day of terror arrived, where was Rick? Right where he had prepared his heart and those under his care to be....steady, unmovable and with contentment and dare I say joy? My heart took courage. And because Rick was in his God ordained place on 9/11, having fully prepared and walking in the confidence that only 'prepared' can bring, Rick was responsible for over 2,500 people walking out of the South Tower alive that day! Wow! This is absolutely stunning.
So what is the take away from this story? We know that the end of the Bible is true and that Jesus really is coming back. The Bible talks of many dire circumstances that will be on the earth as this age comes to it's culmination and Jesus establishes His government/kingdom on the earth. What is our heart and position to be during this time? Oh dear friends, what opportunity we have before us! If we will dig into the Word of God, settle the issues in our hearts and allow Him to fill and prepare us, we too, like Rick can be found in the right places, at the right times full of His grace, peace and knowledge that can bring light, salvation and safety to thousands! I love this! May we take heed to Rick Rescola's example and pay attention to the warnings we have of trouble in the days ahead and apply diligence in this day of preparation....and we too will see and be a part of the glory of God being seen in the earth!
My time here in Alabama has been such a sweet season of fellowship and blessed with friendship. As I continue to develop the team of partners I will need in order to continue as a full time intercessory missionary at IHOP-KC...for the long haul, I am beginning to set my sights on heading out of Alabama sometime in November. I am eager to get established in what He has for me! I will keep you posted. Know that each of you add so much to my life and I am so grateful for brothers and sisters who are striving after His kingdom, the knowledge of God and to see His purposes established in the earth. Much love.....
