Where To Run
Dear Champions,The short excerpt was sent to me by Elise Glasser and is from the August 21st edition of The Tennessean in Nashville, TN, and the Scripture is in the excerpt.
19 year old Josiah Berger was driving along Del Rio Pike on Aug. 11 when police say he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree. He was taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where he would spend the next four days on life support. While Berger s family stayed around the clock, prayer warriors, as they are now being called, also stood by. Despite their prayers for a miracle, Berger did not recover. He passed away Aug. 14, 2009 on his 19th birthday. His organs and tissues were donated to 77 people. Five of them had been on their deathbed before receiving the transplants.
Berger s father, Steve Berger, senior pastor of Grace Chapel, will tell you he has laid out on the floor many times shedding uncontrollable tears and has had sleepless nights since Josiah s death. He will tell you how his family has joined hands, prayed together and wept together behind the private walls of their home in one of the darkest moments of their lives. But then he will also tell you about the inexplicable joy and peace that has settled in and has turned their grief into a testimony and opportunity to help others.
The specific miracle that we were praying for was not answered, but other miracles were answered and they continue to be answered. Those five families one man was praying for a heart and another vital organ to sustain his life. That prayer was answered that day. Can you imagine the prayers that those families were praying for that day? Those miracles came that day.
Berger continued, There were times in the first few days where you cannot imagine that this is happening; but I have 25 years of passionately following Christ in my heart, so I know where to go and who to cry out to and where to run. I know He is my strong tower, my shepherd, my banner of hope, my strength, my deliverer, and my healer. So because I know Him, when I need what I need, I know where to go.
Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Champions, have a great week!-David Vining
P.S. During Josiah s memorial service Berger asked those in the crowd wanting to turn their lives over to Christ to stand. Nearly 100 people stood up and answered the altar call. You can read the whole article at http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200908210210/COUNTY090101/908210320
Posts
