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April 18, 2005

Note: The following text (minus the graphics) is an exact quote (except for reformatting for clickable links):
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Jeremy Reynalds
P O Box 27693
Alb., NM 87125-7693
Tel: (505) 400-7145
www.joyjunction.org

LOSING, FINDING AND FLYING
To Fly Again: The Next Chapter of the Gracia Burnham Story

A local Christian radio station is running a promotional announcement stating that while other stations tell you what people have lost, this station will tell you what they have found.

On the losing side, I figured that the announcement was probably referring to country music's frequent references to lost jobs, depleted finances and broken relationships. On the winning side, the announcer was talking about Jesus Christ, and the joy that people experience when they accept Him as their Lord and Savior.

Now while I appreciate the ministry of this station and recognize that of necessity a commercial has to be simplistic, this one seems to miss the boat. How about Christians who lose their job, are afflicted with a terminal disease, suffer divorce or maybe lose a spouse in death?

The "losings and findings" of life (or the valleys and the mountaintops) that we experience as we travel along life's journey are not compartmentalized. They are two different sides of the same coin.

The most important issue is whether what you find makes a difference in coping with what you have lost. It certainly did for one couple.

MARTIN AND GRACIA BURNHAM: THE STORY

Cover of "In the Presence of My Enemies."

Take former Kansas missionaries to the Philippines Martin and Gracia Burnham. (www.beliefnet.com/story/126/story_12660_1.html). On May 27 2001, the Burnhams were vacationing at a resort in the Philippines, when along with a number of other people they were kidnaped by a Muslim terrorist group called the Abu Sayyaf.

As the story in Beliefnet read, while the Burnhams were well used to life in the Philippines they were unprepared for the year of suffering that lay ahead. "Moving constantly, eating little and falling sick often, they dreaded beheading by their captors and the random strikes of their would-be rescuers."

On June 7 2002, Martin was fatally shot during a raid by the Philippine army. Gracia, wounded in the leg, was freed.

Burnham and President George W. Bush

In her first book "In the Presence of My Enemies" (Tyndale), Burnham recounted what happened while admitting she remembered little of what she felt during her captivity. "My job was rather to put one foot in front of the other, to stay alive one more day," she told Beliefnet.

TO FLY AGAIN

Cover of "To Fly Again."

Now in a sequel, "To Fly Again," (Tyndale) Burnham has written another compelling story – but this one is about change. "I'm much more relaxed and able to forgive others when they fail," Burnham told MSNBC (www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7430629).

In a recent interview, Burnham told me how the sequel came about.

"Tyndale, who helped me with both my books, called and said, ‘How about another book?' I said, ‘I don't think of myself as an author.' They asked me twice and I said no twice."

However, Tyndale was not prepared to take no for an answer. Company officials, Burnham said, asked her to consider a new book based around the lessons she learned while in captivity in the jungle that affect her life today.

As a result, Burnham started to write down what she was saying to the many groups to whom she was constantly being asked to speak, and the result was "To Fly Again. Surviving the Tailspins of Life."

As the book summary says on Burnham's web site, "The world learned the horrendous details of Martin and Gracia Burnham's yearlong captivity in Gracia's ... book, ‘In the Presence of My Enemies.' In this follow-up, Gracia reflects on the lessons and spiritual truths she learned in the jungle and how they apply to anyone's life. Twenty-one brief, theme-based chapters squarely address the challenges each of us face as we pass through difficult times to take to the skies again. This book offers no pat answers or easy solutions, just the battle-tested wisdom of a woman who lived her greatest nightmare and came through it more convinced of God's grace than ever before."

While the entire book both captivated and challenged me, as a cell phone and Blackberry (wireless e-mail) addict, I was particularly struck by one chapter. Burnham's narrative read in part.

"I was coming home from Wichita late one morning and stopped for a red light at (an) intersection ... A woman in her midthirties rolled up beside me in a silver-colored car. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that she was talking on a cell phone. Her wrist jewelry was beautiful; her dark hair looked great; her outfit was ‘power red.' Clearly a working professional, she was the picture of power and competence. I thought, ‘She's on her way somewhere to do something really important' ... Then an odd thought crossed my mind. ‘What if her cell phone was taken away?' She wouldn't be able to communicate on the road. Her ability to ‘network' would be severely hampered. ‘What if she didn't have that nice car?' She would have a much harder time keeping her appointments. In fact, she might find it impossible to do her present work and have to change jobs.

"I wasn't meaning to criticize her in any way. In one sense, I actually admired her. I was just musing about the things that support us in our choices. Who would she be without them? Who are any of us deep down inside, minus the accessories of modern life? If some force vacuumed away our many possessions, who would we be then?"

It wasn't until her captivity that Burnham began to think like this.

"I realized that ... all those props that hold us up, and what we are in the eyes of others were gone and we were let with what we are," she said. "I didn't like what I saw. I realized that I was seeing hatred toward those guys who were holding us hostage. I was discontented with my situation. All of the evil things in my heart started racing to the top, and I began asking God for the things I needed at the moment."

Burnham said, "I needed joy, peace and contentment (in the midst of) my enemies, (but) I couldn't find them. (However), as I started asking God for them He started giving them to me."

A number of their captors weren't "bent on jihad or aggressive holy war," Burnham said. They had made bad choices out of what they felt was an economic necessity. For example. The young men planning to be married had to come up with enough funds for a dowry payment for their future bride, she said.

"They would join the Abu Sayaff hoping one of the ransom payments would come in. They could go home and buy a bride. But they got sucked in," Burnham said..

Burnham said as her time in captivity continued, the Lord began to give her a real concern for her captors and a desire to share the gospel with them.

SPENDING TIME WITH GOD AND OTHERS

Another valuable lesson Burnham learned in captivity was the need to slow down.

"Americans are always so busy and seem (unable to have) relationships with each other," she said. " (Even when we do) spend time with people we're always trying to get to the next (place). We don't stop and listen to one another, and one of the people (who) gets left out is God."

Burnham said that spending time with God is essential if the speaking ministry the Lord has given her is to really meet people where they're at.

"I really want to meet the needs of the audience and not give the canned thing," she said. "If I spend time with the Lord, He will give me what that audience needs."

Burnham's experiences and compassionate, listening ear is evident to others in need. "The other day I had to make some phone calls to parents and (they) asked for prayer for their kids," she said. "The reason people were willing to talk to me about their problems is that I have written books (admitting) I have problems.

Almost as an afterthought, Burnham added, "We (usually) don't tell others how we are struggling because that would defeat our image."

WHY DID GOD ALLOW MARTIN BURNHAM TO DIE?

We read the story of Gracia Burnham and wonder, "Why did God allow her to suffer such agonizing captivity and her husband of nineteen years to die?" "Why would He allow three teenagers to lose a loving father?"

When asked that and similar questions, Burnham had a Biblical and carefully thought out answer.

"The Scripture said we will have tribulation and the servant is not greater than his master. Trials and tribulations are a part of life," she said. "You can go through life facing your trials on your own and grit your teeth and clench your fist, or you can turn toward God and let Him guide you through them."

Burnham added, "God walks through life with you making sure everything that happens to you happens for good. (However) the bottom line is that things work out for His glory. We have been accustomed to wanting things to go well for us, and we work really hard to not experience discomfort and pain. (But) I think we lose sight that we are here to glorify God, and that may come in the midst of our trials."

THE BURNHAM FAMILY

Burnham said both she and her children are doing "incredibly well."

She added, "I can't believe how well we're doing. People will say ‘how happy she looks.' I guess it's because I am doing so well. I sleep in a bed, have a hot shower, give my kids a hug and send them off to school. We can even have a pretty crummy day, but at the end of the day one of the kids will say ‘even though it wasn't a good day, it beats you and dad being in the jungle and not knowing where you are.' Real joy characterizes our family."

According to Burnham's website (www.graciaburnham.org/index.asp), son Jeff will be graduating high school in May and is planning to get involved with some aspect of aviation. He has his private pilot's license, and is flying the Super Cub which Martin Burnham once flew in the Philippines. Mindy and Zach Burnham are very involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club and their church youth ministry."

Burnham and her children have been back to the Philippines twice. As she wrote on her web site, "In Aug. 2004, I made a trip back there when I was asked to testify ... On another occasion, my kids and I snuck back into the country without telling anyone so we could visit their beloved homeland again without a lot of media attention. We love the Philippines with all our hearts!"

The trip, Burnham said, provided the closure for her family that councilors had said they needed. They visited the town Aritao, a town about a seven hour ride north from Manila, where they used to live.

Burnham said she was touched by the reaction of people she and her children met there. "People said in the market place said, ‘We have prayed for you, and we are so sorry about what happened to Martin. I saw that others needed closure as well."

"We went to the New Tribes Mission conference as well," Burnham said, "and we got to see everyone who we used to fly for and work with. I think it was really good for them to see us and the kids and see that they are happy and normal. (Also) they needed to hear the stories of God's goodness to us in the jungle."

MARTIN AND GRACIA BURNHAM FOUNDATION

The Burnham story has touched the hearts and pocketbooks of many.

"So many people were praying for us and sending us money–lots of money– I had some (people) help me start a foundation (www.graciaburnham.org/index.asp?sec=4_1). (The money I get sent) goes in the Foundation, and we funnel it to four (missions) areas: Muslim evangelism, reaching unreached people groups, missionary aviation and the persecuted church.

"We ask God to show us people where we can give money to (who work) in those areas," Burnham said.

Burnham said she is very grateful to Christians everywhere. She said, "Thank the people who are reading the article who prayed for us. I believe it is the prayers of God's people who got me home. We need each other and we need to be praying for each other, and I never want to pass up an opportunity to thank them."

MY COMMENT

If you are not yet familiar with the Burnham story, please buy both of her books (co-authored with Dean Merrill). If you have read the first book, make sure you purchase "To Fly Again." It is a challenging, but thoughtfully presented, look at some of the important issues which we as American Christians many times don't want to think about or deal with, but need to nonetheless.

Burnham's books are available at http://www.graciaburnham.org/index.asp?sec=2_2 or http://www.ntmbooks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=catalog.shop&shopAction=itemDetail&INVENTORYID=13&categoryID=1