SENTINEL WATCH July 19, 2004 Issue

God is with the hostages

By Rosalie E. Dunbar

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE anyone watching reports of the hostages in the Middle East and being unmoved by their condition or by concern for their loved ones. As I read about one of the recent hostage-takings, I just had to stop and pray.

As I did, I remembered an experience that, while vastly different in scope, seemed helpful. I had gone to the airport late one night to pick up a friend. When the plane arrived, she wasn't on it. The airport personnel said their records showed that she had boarded, but they could not explain her absence.

I had been praying for the safety of that flight, and now I knew I had to pray some more. For me, this meant requiring myself to be quiet. To simply shut down the fear, the questions, the anger—and listen. The message I received was very simple: "God is here, and God is with her, also. That's all you need to know."