What's Your Plan?

Yesterday afternoon everyone in my office received the County emergency message that there was a gunman in our regional office and the building has been put on lockdown. Now, friends, this is the building that I travel to work in at least once per month. Immediately our office was in a scurry, thinking of our co-worker who was covering that office at the time. About an hour later we receive an updated message stating the gunman has been apprehended safely and there were no injuries.

Naturally, this caused quite the stir in our office. Finally we were able to talk to our co-worker who, after 1 hour, was still outside the now-evacuated building, waiting for the police to let them back inside. She said the "word" was that the gunman was fleeing the police and ran into the building to disappear. He ran into a government building. Bad situation just made worse. They were informed by overhead intercom to lock their office suite doors and stay put. Our co-worker fidgeted with the door and could not get it to lock. While deliberating over that, they were told by intercom to evacuate.

Friends, as I thought on this last night and this morning, I, of course, thought what would my plan be if someone came into this government building? There is the physical reality of knowing that I would follow whatever prompts I was given by the authorities in charge. But the spiritual reality is what matters to me more. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that when in trouble and in times of fear I turn to God first.

I can tell you from my own previous experiences that when I have been faced with seriously troubling issues and circumstances I have prayed first. That, to me, is the benefit, and evidence, of having Jesus in my life. I don't want to just talk about Him, or learn about Him, but I want to know that when the situation is bad...really bad, I turn to Him first. I might still have the panic and anxiety related to the severity of what I'm facing. But I want to know that I know what I know, you know?

They say that you really see what a person is about when the going gets tough. When you have been faced with a serious situation (and I mean serious, as in car accident, death of a loved one, bankruptcy, foreclosure, gunman in the building, you know...that kind of stuff) what is your instinct? My instinct is to pray first. Because I know Him personally, and I have a conversation with Him quite often, it's natural at that moment to start talking to Him as if He was right beside me. Because really people, I believe He is right beside me.

I hope that for you, you have a rescue plan too. I hope that, like me, you know that in those moments the best remedy is to call on the power of God to move. It's that power that brings miracles. I heard someone once say that 99% of people call on the name of God when facing death and trauma. They don't call on the universe, Allah, Buddha or even mom. What do we say in that moment of complete desperation. "Oh, my God."

I'll leave you with that thought, and one more. Last night, our "incident" didn't even make the evening news. What does that matter? It tells me that a potentially dangerous situation like this is no longer news. He didn't kill anyone, was apprehended without incident, therefore, nothing to report. I'm amazed that in our society a person with a gunman out, having the ability to shoot, injure and kill, is no longer so unusual that it's considered "news".