Sunday, October 17, 1999
Sunday, October 17, 1999 |
I found this account of how God turned tragedy into Godly triumph! By now almost everyone has heard of the tragedy that took place on Sept.15, when a gunman entered Wedgwood Baptist Church and killed seven people and injured seven others before taking his own life. That morning had been the day of “See You at the Pole,” when students gather around their flagpoles in the morning to pray for their schools and nation. What the media hasn't reported, however, is how God has been so evident, both during and after the shooting. He has done amazing works! “Evidence of God before the shooting: Our pastor, Brother Al, had prayed that God would do whatever it took to expand the ministry of Wedgwood Baptist Church. Our church is one that is used as a model of how NOT to pick a location, because no one in the world can find it. Now almost everyone in the world knows exactly where it is. “Evidence of God's control during the shooting: To enter the church, the gunman walked past our children's playground, which should have been full of kids, but for some reason every single child's and preschool class was running late. No one had made it to the playground yet. He fired over 100 bullets into a crowd of over 400 but only 14 people were hit. He did not shoot the over 60 bullets he still had with him. The bottom fell off of the pipe bomb he threw, and the bomb landed without ever exploding. One of the youth that was wounded (she was shielding a disabled friend with her body) has scoliosis. The curve in her spine directed the bullet away from major organs, saving her from serious injury. “Because the first 911 call came in on a police radio, emergency vehicles were dispatched immediately, without spending precious time to verify that call was real. One of the people in the church at the time was a paramedic, and he was able to stop bleeding and stabilize injured people before the emergency crews arrived. Leaders were able to get the children out of the building without the kids having to see any victims or any of the mess. Each children's worker stayed with his/her class even though they all had children elsewhere in the building, and some had teens in the sanctuary. Not one worker left his or her post. None of the adults who died have children. All seven victims were not just Christians, but bold Christians who were passionate about their faith. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is not being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20) “What God has done since the shooting: “Many denominations have pulled together to offer help and support. One example is the United Methodist Church who sent 15 people the following Sunday to cover our childcare. They didn't want any church members to have to miss the service because they were taking care of the children. “A church in Tulsa, Okla., drove over five hours just so they could march around our church and pray during our Sunday morning services. “The Fort Worth Police Department planted flowers in the flower beds before we reentered the sanctuary to worship. “We have received over 10,000 e-mails, 5,000 cards, and $60,000 from all over the world. Al Meredith, our pastor, has had the microphone in his face continually and has over and over given an outstanding answer to the reason for our hope. He presented the gospel beautifully on Larry King
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