It's a Small World After All

Good Morning,

I hope you all slept well last night. April and I were blessed to spend the evening with the Powers family as well as a few members of the Flint family eating pizza and watching movies. I am still so overwhelmed at the outpouring of love and acceptance from our family here at Woodward Park.

This morning I would like to share with you a story of how small our world really can be sometimes. When I was a sophomore at Harding I lived in Allen Dorm down the hall from a good friend of mine. This friend of mine was asked by another friend to house a visitor. This visitor was Ben Powell from Louisiana who came to Harding for a weekend visit. What Ben did not know was that weekend would change his life because he gave his life to Christ and he enrolled in Harding for the next semester.
By coincidence Ben and I ended up sitting next to one another in chapel and got to be good friends. We would talk about life and the Lord and our love for teenagers. Ben was a good guy and I am glad to say that I knew him.
Now I want you to fast forward a few years and several states to this past Sunday at Woodward Park. April attended the college class and tells me that Ben is now a father and has a son. While this would usually be such happy news the next part of the story is sad. Ben's little boy who is named Ethan has Leukemia. Strange how one minute you can be so happy hearing about an old friend and then so sad finding out that your friend and his child are in such dire straights.
You may be upset with me for relaying such sad news but there is a reason for all of this. Ethan needs our prayers for healing so I encourage you to offer prayers on behalf of the family. There is also a website where you can go to learn more about Ethan and his story as well as help the family out financially. (www.ethanpowell.com)
It is a small world and getting smaller all the time. Psalm 133:1 says "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity." Let's all attempt to live together in unity and give Ethan a helping hand.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul