Rejoice in your hope, be patient in your troubles, and continue steadfastly in prayer. Romans 12:12 (CJV)
Summer 2022
This is more a personal letter than a ministry letter. And it will be longer than what we usually send but we want to be honest here and share some of what we have been going through personally, because all that we go through personally affects this ministry publicly.
At this point in time - I find myself having to ask, what is our response supposed to be when God does NOT deliver us as we have hoped and prayed that he would? I mean this truthfully. How do we hold on to hope and faith when we have done everything right and the results are still so very wrong?
It is in times like this where we have to make the decision, to either walk away, or say “God, I choose to trust you!”
We have been in an extended season where I find that I have had to make this decision again and again. And I find myself quoting Peter when Yeshua asked the disciples if they would leave him as others had, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68) Truthfully, if we can't turn to God in these times of pain and struggle, where can we go? I have not found any other place of peace. It is only when I remind myself that God is still God, and He is still good, and He is still with us, that I can rest.
The last several years have presented multiple challenges. The list of crises we have personally lived through is staggering, and yet here we stand. At this point in time, the Spring festivals are past, and the deliverance we prayed for and hoped for this last Pesach/Passover did not come, and here we are, looking at the end of an almost two year battle and feeling like we have lost.
For the past two years we have had to be careful with what we have shared because there has been a legal battle in this process and the attorney advised extreme caution in what was shared publicly. We hope you understand why we have not made all this “public” before now.
In June of 2020 – just as we were adjusting to disappointments as our plans for a change in our housing situation fell apart, and just as we were all negotiating the struggles of the lock-downs from COVID restrictions and its impact in the continuing medical care for Craig and the lung disease he fights, we found ourselves facing another major battle. A young man, whose family we have supported and helped over the last several years, accused Craig of serious misconduct. We still do not understand where it all came from, or why he did this, but Craig was arrested and charged with multiple counts of felony child abuse.
We have always trusted our criminal justice system to be fair and just. We have always believed that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty. But, we have learned that this is not true. While it is true that many abusers are never charged, we have learned that there are many who are falsely accused who end up serving time for crimes they have not committed. And, we learned that once criminal charges are filed, it is very difficult to prove one's innocence. And, unfortunately, years of a good reputation do not seem to count for anything against a “plausible” story. And, that story is the only evidence needed to bring a conviction in our local court system. Even when there is evidence showing that at least part of the story is not physically possible.
During this whole process, we held on to the hope that the accusations would fall and that they would be shown to be false. But the hands of justice moved slowly – and when it came down to it, without a solid alibi, the word of a single alleged victim held more sway than the reputation of years of honesty and integrity.
Luke 12:58 says “When someone accuses you of something, try to settle things before you are taken to court. If you don't, you will be dragged before the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to the jailer, and you will be locked up.” (CEV.) This verse was in the scheduled readings the week we met with the attorney to go over the choices and consider whether or not to go to trial.
With the threat of a “guilty” judgment resulting in a sentence of over 20 years in the state prison system, and our attorney telling us we would be foolish not to accept it, we agreed to the plea deal that was offered. It is a very hard situation to be in, believing a promise of vindication and yet being told there is no way to win the argument in court. It is hard finding out that NO evidence is needed to get a conviction. It is hard learning that it only takes the testimony of ONE to send a person to LIFE in prison on these types of charges. The pain of feeling the need to make this choice is impossible to explain to people who have not been through it.
Today, Craig is at the Oregon State Correctional Facility just outside of Salem, where he will spend the estimated 18 to 24 months minimum time that is required for the 30 month sentence of the plea deal. (The total time served is calculated against time given for good behavior and various other things.) It has been a long time coming to this place and we had hoped for a better outcome. At the same time, it is better than it could have been. But it is certainly not what we had hoped and believed for.
We thank you all for all your prayers, especially for those of you who have prayed not knowing the situation, and we continue to need your prayers as we walk through the rest of this journey. None of this is easy, but with God's help, we will make it.
ברוך אתה ה‘ אלוהינו מלך העולם, דיין האמת
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam, dayan ha-emet
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, the Judge of Truth.
This is the traditional prayer for when “bad” news is received and it has become our response.
“God, You are the righteous and true Judge. In the midst of our sorrow and heartache, we remember YOUR GLORY and that ultimately you are in control of all that happens in our lives.” As it is written in Job 1:21, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” and as we are told in Romans 8:28, “all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”
Do we understand it? NO!!! We do not!! Do we trust God? YES!!! YES we do.
And in the middle of all of this, the ministry of Sabbath Streams continues. We are currently in the summer months. The fasts of the fifth and sixth months are upon us (Tammuz and Tish'B'Av) Soon we will be meeting for the daily sounding of the shofar in the month of Elul preparing us for the next Hebraic year.
Watch for the Fall newsletter soon, as we push ahead with what we have been called to do. Many blessings to you all
Elizabeth Bass
Sabbath Streams Ministries
