To Infinity and beyond!

            To infinity and beyond..

           

            So I’ve decided to keep this blog going. Yes I know that the website says Bailey in Belgium..and the title is Brussels and Beyond…but hey, this is the beyond section I guess. My blog helped me think about things that were happening in my life every single day..it made me realize what I really did want to share with people, and it helped me apply the things that were happening to me in a “big picture sense”. So, if you don’t mind…I may continue to do this for a little while. Don't feel obligated to read these, just still writing them for myself to remind myself to keep growing and learning..adn to look back on someday...  I can’t promise these entries will be near as frequent, and I can absolutely promise that I won’t be going to Venice or London or Barcelona, and I will try to keep the jumping out of windows to a minimum…but here’s a little bit more about what’s going on in “Bailey’s world”…which is a scary statement by itself.

            Last week, I found out that one of my friends at Evangel University, that graduated last May, was killed in Afghanistan. This man was named David Johnson, and he was an ROTC student here at school, so when he graduated he was commissioned as an officer in the army. David was also in the social science department a lot (where I work) because he was a government major. He always came by the department to check on things, he made a point to get to know me and ask how I was doing everytime he stopped by. One of the professors here, in reminiscing about his wonderful life here at school, said that David was one of the few people that he had never heard one bad word about. And that I will agree with. He was a student leader on campus, helping with everything from intramurals, student ministries, and overseas missions trips. He was constantly giving of himself and had a passion for serving the Lord with all he had.

            I was shocked to hear of his death. I was sitting in my room when I got the email from our Dean of Students Dr. David Bundrick; immediately my roommate and I (Alyssa) held hands and prayed for his family, not really knowing what else to do. I suddenly realized that his younger brother was still on campus, Michael Johnson. I didn’t know him very well, but I remembering sitting with him at dinner randomly a few nights ago, where he was very kind and wanted to get to know the name of everyone at our table.

            The next morning I knew would be a hard one, we had class (which was taught by one of the social sciences professors who was thoroughly distraught by the news), and then chapel…where we were told TAPS would be played and prayer time would be had. I thought I was doing fine and could handle the service just fine…but the second TAPS started I lost it. I sobbed loudly as the ROTC students in uniform marched orderly to present arms and salute our beloved soldier who now is watching over us. I watched tears slip down one of their faces and heard loud sobs coming from most of the audience. I had never seen so many faculty in a chapel service with us. This kid had affected so many. So many teachers from so many departments, so many administrators from different areas of the school showed up to pay their respects.

            After taps we had a time where people could come for prayer or just pray at their seats for comfort, healing, help, etc. Many of the faculty came to the front of the chapel, lined the alter and offered themselves to anyone who was grieving. What blessed/and broke me so much was seeing these members of my faculty break down with each other. Many of my favorite teachers here at EU were close to David, and needed prayer themselves that morning to make sense of it all. It was so heart wrenching but comforting to see these people that I hold on such a high pedestal to come forward and openly ask the Lord for help and seek his guidance.

            I watched strong boys from Krause hall, Scott hall and Lewis hall who had known David or Michael, weep with sadness.

            That moment was one of those that you realize that only the Lord can get you through. I still can’t make sense of David’s death. I don’t why he died only one month after leaving the states; I don’t know why even after all the prayers that were lifted up for David while he was gone that he stepped on that IED. I don’t know. I really don’t know. I don’t know my dad got sick with cancer three years ago. I don’t know why bad people prosper in the world. Shoot I don’t even know why good people prosper in the world, because we are all sinners at the heart of it.

            But I think that’s the point. I don’t know. And if I truly did know why everything has happened…I wouldn’t be so quick to fall on my knees and seek the guidance of my heavenly father who actually can make sense of this chaos.

            I don’t know why these things happen. But for one thing, I know for a fact that if some of the “bad” things in my life didn’t happen, I would have never known the true power, grace and brute strength of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who has taught me what cancer can do to a family, has taught me what rebellion can do to a life, and who has taught me how mistakes can turn into testimonies. All through the grace of Jesus Christ, who for the joy set before him ENDURED the cross scorning its shame…and sat down at the right hand of God.  I know I don’t get everything…but I am sure glad that I serve  a God who does, and who doesn’t fit in my finite minds view of Him. Remember that He’s standing right beside you today, admist the storm, admist the death, pain, hurt, confusion…He’s got a bigger picture that will ALWAYS be worth it. 


Heres a good clip from a local newstation about that chapel that happened the day after David's death at Evangel... http://www.ky3.com/videogallery/67662861/News/Video:-Soldier's-brother-attends-Evangel-University-now