Perspective

Our plan of loading most everything we own into the moving truck today was postponed due to the 8-10 inches of snow we've had dumped on us the last day. No biggie. We load it tomorrow. Sometimes life throws these sort of curve balls at you and you have to decide how you're going to react or respond. And don't get me wrong - I've been tempted to be quite frazzled by this unexpected turn of events. But a little perspective goes a long way.

If you're paying attention you probably know that our neighbors up north in Fargo (and surrounding areas) are pulling together to try and sandbag their way to safety. They are literally watching the surplus of snow they've received this winter melt and turn into a raging, frozen, angry river - destroying everything in it's path. I first of all can't even imagine going through a flood. But imagine a flood that's just a few degrees north of freezing. Breath-taking pain.

So again, I'll take my extra night of sleep in my own bed, my day of staying inside by the fire, and I will gratefully, thankfully, joyfully and heartily load my truck tomorrow. And I will pray for those who don't have that fortune. Join me.

The Waiting Place

I've walked through these last 2 weeks feeling void of anything profound - or even interesting - to say. As I'm preparing to walk through the end of one season of ministry & life and enter into another it feels much like the "waiting" that Dr. Seuss describes in "Oh the Places You'll Go!". It has felt at times like riding some sort of warp-speed merry-go-round, experiencing Groundhog Day. For someone like me it can make you want to scream!

Today I felt like God affirmed to me that during periods of life - like this one I'm in - you may just have to live with the fact that you actually are completely empty of anything enlightening or mind-boggling to share with anyone else. It's OK to not have something to say. The important thing is that you're listening and watching - that during these times we're paying attention. Because it's later that the Lord will reveal exactly what it is He's teaching us in the now.

So if you're on the merry-go-round or stuck in "transition" like me, don't worry, don't panic, and don't think it's pointless. You're learning something right now that you won't actually know about until later. Dr. Seuss didn't like this idea. He said this place of waiting is useless. He encourages us to "escape all that waiting and staying". I say hogwash! The Lord led you there and He will walk you through it in His time. 

Wait. Listen. Pay attention. Pray.

Don't run from the Waiting Place.

Sometimes that's where He teaches us the most beautiful things!

So That

Today's a great day to think about the New Covenant - to reflect on the fact that God took the old way (which ended in death) and up-ended it. Everything the Law said and did was to point toward what Christ would do. And now...He's done it! "God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

This letter to the Corinthian church is not only laced with Christology - who He is, what He came to do, how He accomplished it - it is also filled with instruction and guidance as to what all of it means for us. WHO have I become, WHAT am I to do, HOW should I be living in response to what Christ has done? We could go in several directions here, but I simply want to point out a couple of my favorite words in scripture that help us in this exploration: SO THAT.

Go back and check out 2 Corinthians 5:21. Why did Christ offer himself up in this way for us? "...so that we could be made right with God." This is huge, is it not? We were dead, we were lost, we were hopeless & guilty. But in Christ, not anymore! This should compel us to live differently. This news should transform our hearts and change the way we look, talk, act, think, drive, and live. Right? In chapter 3, Paul begins talking about the veil that is lifted when we believe in Christ. The Old Covenant put the veil there and it must be lifted so that we can see that Christ died for our freedom. He plainly tells us that "wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom." I like that idea. But don't miss the kicker - don't let the purpose & point of this slip past you. 2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us that "all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord." Are you in need of some purpose for your life? Have you been wondering, "Lord, what did you put me here for?" You now have your answer!

Ladies & Gentlemen, we are here to be a light in the darkness - a mirror that reflects the character and person of Jesus Christ. The more He works within us, the more we become like Him (Paul's words, not mine). And this is for HIS glory, not ours. HIS glory. OUR lives. HIS glory. Repeat it. Chant it. Meditate on it. YOUR life. HIS glory! He came, He lived, He healed, He died, He rose again, He sent His Spirit so that........!