Change of Plans

I was going to talk about fitness goals today.

Friday night changed that.

As I was watching the Dallas Stars' penultimate game of the 2017-18 season, I was devastated to hear the news from Kathryn Tappen (sports hostess on NBCSN) that a semitruck and a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos, a Junior A hockey team, had crashed into one another in Saskatchewan, Canada. My immediate thoughts of shock turned into instant prayers for comfort and peace for the families of everyone involved.

The next day, I found out that fifteen people had lost their lives: ten players, the bus driver, the head coach, an assistant coach, a volunteer statistician, and a play-by-play broadcaster, all with the Humboldt Broncos.

My heart is broken for the lives lost, even as I wonder if they knew my Jesus.

I pray they did.

I pray that their souls were saved.

Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke

Continuing the WWII reading journey I've been on lately, I'm currently reading Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke. I'm halfway through it and really enjoying it, heartbreaking as it is. Since my review for that one isn't ready for you yet (I have to finish the book first!), I want to share my review of another of Ms. Gohlke's WWII novels. She is quickly becoming a new favorite author of mine for gut-wrenching historical fiction stories. I hope you'll give her a try next time you're in the mood for some wonderful WWII fiction.

Compassion in Nazi Germany

"I would rather die for something than live for nothing."
~ Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke

Sacrifice. Selflessness. Compassion.

Do you see these things played out in today's society? They are difficult to find, I'll admit, but they are still there.

But were they around in Hitler's Germany?

Compassion on the Court

by Andrea Renee Cox

Compassion on the Court

June 1, 2017

There was a moment this morning at the French Open (otherwise known as Roland Garros) that had tears pouring down my face. It was a moment in which tennis, competition, winning, losing, the seeding chart… all of that faded away and failed to matter. In this moment, one man’s heart appeared to be breaking, and the other man offered unparalleled compassion (which is understandable considering that he had been through injuries himself many times before).

Both Juan Martin Del Potro and Nicolas Alamagro were dealing with some discomfort and injuries cropping up in their second-round match today, but then things took a sudden turn. Juan Martin served, but Nicolas found himself unable to move to strike the ball. He then broke down in tears of apparent frustration. I won’t presume to know what was coursing through his mind, but I know playing in the Grand Slams is huge for any tennis player. Having to retire from a match is never easy, I would imagine, especially after pouring so much time and effort into training and fighting for each round of every tournament one competes in.

 

Nicolas Almagro (left) and Juan Martin Del Potro (right)