The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 4:15-18, “For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading

to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man

is being renewed day by day.

17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all

comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not

seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

“Why on Earth did this have to happen to me?” Did you ever think about something like that?

Everything was going well, when all of a sudden there was a turn for the worse. You had a

good job, making a good salary, and were up for a promotion when – your were told you were

not longer needed. You were driving along on a warm, summer day, when another car came

out of nowhere and you awoke injured in a hospital bed. Why?

When tragedy strikes, it’s hard to understand Paul’s meaning, “For all things are for your

sakes…” Still, it’s true. The lives of others around us –the first responders, the nurses, doctors,

lost and saved friends – their lives are touched by our tragedies and in the apparent mix of

things, the LORD is glorified as we give thanks that things aren’t worse.

Don’t lose heart, Paul says. Boy, that’s tough! It’s hard not to affix blame on the boss who

let you go or that driver who wasn’t paying attention when he hit you. It’s only the outer man,

Paul says. Only the outer man? That’s the only part of me that matters! No, you have an

Inner man beyond what is visible. What’s more, it’s far more valuable than the outer man, the

part you can see. And if we take good care of our inner self, we will understand the lesser

value of the outer self. Read and study God’s Word daily. Spend time in earnest prayer. You

may not avert every tragedy that comes your way, but you will understand that it was for the better.

Our thoughts and prayers are offered to Christ for you every day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”