God At Work

I need to share a letter with you and let it be the blog this week. Tom Langley is one of the best men I know. He and his lovely wife, Angie, have served as missionaries in Romania for two different stints (I believe it was about five years each time). His heart for God and missions overwhelms me and humbles me. He is now one of the leaders of World English Institute (WEI) a worldwide evangelistic effort of the churches of Christ. That is one of the two mission works my wife and I are leading a cruise to support next January. I consider Tom's life to be a blessing to many thousands all over the globe and that is why this letter this morning shocked me and drove me to my knees to thank the Father for being at work in this world. Here is the email forwarded to me by Tom's friends.

"In case anyone is wondering, I was in London the morning of the terrorist attacks. I spent the night of the 6th in a hotel in Central London. The city was crazy with celebration after winning the 2012 Olympics. The next morning I had to get back to Heathrow to catch my plane home. That very morning I was two steps down into the subway when I looked at my watch and sudenly had a strong impulse to go shopping instead of traveling to the airport early. So, I backed out of the subway and started looking for a shop to buy a shirt to wear home. All of my clothes were dirty and needed washing. Thirty minutes later when I finally decided to take the subway to the airport, everyone was coming out of the Underground and the Tube workers were saying that there was a computer problem and all the lines were closed. There were thousands of people on the streets and sirens were going off everywhere. I ran from one Tube station to the next hoping for a working line out of the city headed to Heathrow. Still unaware that there was a terrorist attack, I saw a man laying on the ground and being attended to by several medical and emergency personnel. I then frantically jumped on a bus to Paddington station in hopes of getting the overland train express to Heathrow.

"People on the street were saying the overland trains were still running. While I was on that bus, passengers on their cell phones starting telling everyone that a city bus had exploded near us. Many people got off the bus at the next stop. I decided to take my chances with several others and stay on the bus. I finally made it to the above ground Paddington train station only to discover that ALL transportation out of London was closed. Unbelievably, in the midst of hundreds of people trying to get a taxi, I was able to get in a taxi with 4 others also wanting to go to Heathrow. It was on this taxi ride that we started hearing news reports on the radio that this was indeed a massive terrorist attack and that many had been killed and hundreds wounded. I got to the airport just before boarding and was able to catch my flight to Chicago. It was really strange watching the news reports at the airport in Chicago that evening, and knowing just hours earlier I was in the middle of all that chaos.

"As it turns out, the deadliest explosion occured on the very line I was to take to Heathrow that morning. According to the time of the explosion, I would likely have beenon that train had I not impulsively decided to buy a new shirt for my trip home. I didn't find a new shirt, but I think I'll keep the old sloppy one I had to wear home, and, of course, I am grateful to God for for His protection. "

And I am thankful, too, Tom, that a great servant of God was spared. My heart goes out to those who lost family and friends to the islamofascists, but it is amazing to me to hear the stories of survival and notice how many of those who DIDN'T die are the very people who will give their lives in service to the lost and hurting.