When I find myself so overwhelmed, resistant, and unable to ask for help, I take solace in the fact that through Christ, somewhere in all my relationships God will seek me out – a letter or a phone call. No matter how far I feel lost or separated from God, my burdens only have the power that I give them. I know that God is greater than them all.
And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those who are lost. Luke 19:10
Many of us are familiar with the phrase “agree to disagree.” However, in matters such as human dignity it doesn’t apply so well. The phrase allows us to make an excuse to do nothing about unjust behavior towards race, poverty, and gender that is experienced everyday. We turn deaf to the truth of our inability to hear and listen to the pain of others. Seek to find a way towards understanding and make that which seems disagreeable a pathway to break down barriers and build mutual acts of equality, justice and peace.
When do we stop over complicating our journey with heavy loads? Life is complicated enough. One good thing about baggage fees on airlines is that it forces us to focus only the things we really need. Make room for the unexpected. Travel light. So what if we forget something. We should be focusing on the journey – not the stuff. Trust that provision will be made by the grace of God along the way. Travel with faith and leave what’s unnecessary behind.
Luke 9:3 Take nothing for the journey ,no staff, nor bag, not bread, nor money – not even an extra tunic.
Love is an act of kindness, generosity, compassion, and openness. Action that is controlling, selfish, arrogant and deceitful is not love. Who among us has not been guilty of what love is and what love is not? Both consciously or unconsciously we make the choice. It’s okay that we are imperfect, if within our heart we believe that God is in us, we consciously and willingly repent. Love graciously acknowledges our shortsightedness and we live to tell the story of God’s glory and how we’ve overcome.
One rather self-important individual was getting impatient. Unwilling to wait any longer, decided to barge in and demanded to be seen by the doctor. “Don’t you know who I am?” shouted the individual. The secretary calmly asked the waiting patients; “I have a someone here who doesn’t know who he is. Can anybody please assist him in finding out?” We often find ourselves in social systems like a hospital, and quickly become one of many in need of attention. In God’s vision we’re all important. We forget that God shows no impartiality, and fall victim to self-importance, selfishness, jealousy, and begrudgement, believing that no one is paying attention to us. But rest assured, God is paying attention! Do you know who you are?
When you think about it, there really is no time when God is not to be praised. I realize in difficult circumstances, this is not the easiest thing to do. However, you may remember the prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel and Mary in Luke’s Gospel which assures us that in due season God lifts up those low in circumstances but remain faithful in spirit. We often co-mingle the physical with the spiritual and by doing so we risk losing hope in God’s plan for us and begin to look for answers in the world rather than in God’s word. Eventually, like the prodigal child, we find that the answer cannot be found in the world.
As we draw closer to the end of the Easter season, let us remember Christ’s own circumstance and not allow the emotion of our own circumstance either excellent or unpleasant, take precedence over our love for God or more importantly cloud our assurance of God’s love for us.
crustybread 