Boyie and Lynette lived in Brooklyn with their two children, who were in their
early twenties. Every day, Boyie went off to work in downtown Manhattan. The
view of the city was breathtaking from the ninety-third floor of Tower One of
the World Trade Center, where he worked. He was there on September 11, 2001,
when both towers collapsed from a terrorist attack.
Both Boyie and Lynette were dedicated followers of Christ and members of the
Brooklyn Tabernacle. I spoke to Lynette two days after the attack, searching for
the right words with which to comfort her. Although Mayor Rudolf Giuliani still
held out hope for possible survivors, things looked pretty grim. Lynette had
already accepted the fact that her husband would never come home again. She had
lost her best friend.
One Sunday Lynette and her daughter stood on the platform together as the entire
Brooklyn Tabernacle called on "the God of all comfort" to help our sister and
give her consolation. I can still see her with hands lifted and tears running
down her cheeks.
Lynette struggled most at night when she was alone in her bedroom. Without
Boyie, the house seemed strange, and it was filled with painful reminders. I
spoke almost daily with Lynette, and one day I called to find out how she was
doing.
"Pastor, thanks for calling," she replied. "The Lord has been so good to me."
Her voice and spirit seemed strong and vibrant.
"The other night the most wonderful thing happened. I couldn't sleep, so I went
into the living room to spend time with the Lord. I sat in his presence and told
him how hard it was to carry on without my husband. Oh Pastor, his Spirit came
to me as I was sitting there, and he flooded me with not only peace, but his joy
also. I began singing and worshiping God there in my living room as if I was in
a sanctuary filled with other Christians. Oh Pastor, God has been so good to
me!"
I was stunned. I was the one who had called to encourage Lynette, and here she
was, lifting my spirits. The fullness of her joy flooded over into my life, and
I praised God for his faithfulness and tender care. Lynette needed all that
comfort and more in the months that followed.
Just as she was healing from the tragic loss of 9/11, Lynette was contacted by
the city with news that her husband's "body" had been found. This news took
Lynette back to a painful time, but she carried on with stamina and a cheerful
heart.
To make matters worse, Lynette's grown son had been troubled by deep emotional
problems for several years. Though I knew the family was gravely concerned for
him, no one anticipated that y he would commit suicide only months after his
father's tragic death. Once again Lynette's heart was shattered. But the same
God who comforted her after the loss of her husband consoled her again at the
loss of her son.
If you visit the Brooklyn Tabernacle, you will find Lynette serving in the
hospitality ministry. She is one of the folks who makes the long Sunday schedule
easier on the pastoral staff, the musicians, and any special guests present.
Though she has an attractive, youthful appearance, her smile is what stands out.
Whether serving food or greeting guests, she fulfills, through supernatural
grace, the wise word spoken by Moses long ago: "You are to rejoice before the
LORD your God in everything you put your hand to" (Deuteronomy 12:18).
We need to follow Lynette's example so that we, too, follow the counsel of
Scripture. It is not enough to rejoice once a week in church or when our
circumstances seem rosy. Like Lynette, we must rejoice in the Lord in everything
we put our hands to.
Cymbala, Jim. Break Through Prayer. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2003, p.
222-225.
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