Troubled Times

Lincoln watched the shadows flicker on his bedroom ceiling. He could hear his younger brothers snoring down the hall. But he lay wide awake, his heart as heavy and cold as a stone. His parents usually turned off the news when he came into the room, but tonight they let him watch. Now he wished he hadn't. He couldn't forget the faces of the people called refugees who had fled their homes to avoid war. Some were kids his own age or even younger. Some had lost their families. They looked scared, and that made Lincoln scared. And sad. He wanted to help, but what could he do? He was just a kid on the other side of the world. Lincoln was still awake when Dad came in to check on him. "Trouble sleeping?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed."I can't stop thinking about the refugees," Lincoln said, swallowing back tears. "Why would God let something like that happen? Why doesn't He do something?"Dad's warm hand rested on Lincoln's shoulder. "Those are big questions, buddy. Part of the answer is that even though we can't see what God is doing, it doesn't mean He doesn't care or that He isn't at work. We can trust that God, who sent His own Son to die for us so we could be saved, loves us all very much.""And what's the rest of the answer?" Lincoln asked, eager to hear how God was going to fix everything for the refugees right away.Dad thought for a moment. "Let's pray together. Let's ask God to show us if there's a way we can help the refugees. And let's ask Him to act on their behalf, to protect them and use the situation to bring about something good in His Kingdom.""That's it?" Lincoln asked, disappointed. It didn't seem like enough.Dad nodded. "Prayer is powerful, Lincoln. God works through the prayers of His people to help those in need, heal the hurting, and bring people to Jesus."As Dad prayed for the refugees, Lincoln listened. The anxiousness in his heart was slowly replaced with something calmer. He didn't want to forget about the refugees, but he knew that feeling afraid and worrying wouldn't help them. Instead, he thanked God for his family and his safe home, and he prayed that God would find the refugees safe homes too. – Christa Hogan