Sometimes the best thing to do is remember "I only have today." Instead of thinking about the myriad of possibilities the future holds, hold steady both mind and heart and contemplate the reality that the essence of life is summed up in the moment.
"I only have today."
I can and will make plans for tomorrow but there are no guarantees. I can reminisce about the good old days or mourn the pain of the past, but at some point it's fruitless since I can't change a bit of it. This is the moment that counts.
As a Christ follower, my soul is strengthened by the truth that God will never leave my side. As I consider that I only have today, I realize that no matter what I feel or think, He is complete in mercy, love, power and strength so that all of who He is becomes available to me since He is by my side. He is faithful as the sun that rises in the morning and He will never give up on me. Today He is with me to call me into more of His ways and less of my own. Every day He waits to shower fresh perspective and understanding on my soul so that I'll shed my own. These are the attributes of His character that I lean into and they are more than enough FOR TODAY. What I need tomorrow will be provided.
I'm in the mix of some very exciting changes! Getting married, moving back to Reno, changing jobs, taking classes.....All of it is good. All of it is exciting. I'm blessed and holding these moments close. And this perspective that I only have today ultimately leads me to the promise God made when I was just a crazy teenager! It's about every day but it's also about all my life. God wants to be with me until my last day, my dying day, through good and bad days, through dark and bright days. So that all the days of my life are summed up in Him. But all the days must start with today.
A friend ends her voicemail recording with "Make it a great day!" I absolutely love that! Can we stop long enough in the busy lives we live to realize we just have today and we can make it a great day? Hug a little longer, read a few more nuggets for the soul from the good book, do a few things you wouldn't normally do for someone else. Love with His love. Make it a great day!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Celebrate it all!
This month our family is celebrating it all! From Jeremy's high school graduation to more than one birthday (Emma, Chloe, Jeremy, Izzy, Savvy), an anniversary (Scofields), a wedding (soon to be Simmons), it's hard to stay on top of it all!
In the midst of these wonderful life moments, the kind of moments you look back on in years to come, I'm also experiencing some other celebrations. There is the grand move from Carson City to Reno and all the transitions surrounding the move as my stuff is officially at my soon to be residence :). No longer will I commute to Minden and live in Carson City and drive to Reno to be with James.... the transition of starting a life in Reno has begun!
I've officially moved stuff over. Now I'm getting familiar with the neighborhood. I'm super excited to discover all the running/cycling trails in the Northwest.
Wow. It's been almost a decade since I lived in Reno. And things have changed! I have changed. This month I'm celebrating and thankful for all the people who have been a part of my life from the beginning of my faith walk in Christ. I'm celebrating how Christ has brought me to this place and excited to see what God has for James and me in the future. I'm blessed. I'm celebrating!!
In the midst of these wonderful life moments, the kind of moments you look back on in years to come, I'm also experiencing some other celebrations. There is the grand move from Carson City to Reno and all the transitions surrounding the move as my stuff is officially at my soon to be residence :). No longer will I commute to Minden and live in Carson City and drive to Reno to be with James.... the transition of starting a life in Reno has begun!
I've officially moved stuff over. Now I'm getting familiar with the neighborhood. I'm super excited to discover all the running/cycling trails in the Northwest.
Wow. It's been almost a decade since I lived in Reno. And things have changed! I have changed. This month I'm celebrating and thankful for all the people who have been a part of my life from the beginning of my faith walk in Christ. I'm celebrating how Christ has brought me to this place and excited to see what God has for James and me in the future. I'm blessed. I'm celebrating!!
Monday, May 9, 2011
And this is why I love Jesus....Thanks John Piper for breaking it down!
In Awe of Jesus Christ
by John Piper
"One reason to admire and trust Jesus above all other persons is that he knows more than anyone else. He knows all people thoroughly, their hearts and their thoughts. "He knew all men" (John 2:24). "You, Lord, . . . know the hearts of all men" (Acts 1:24). "And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, 'Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?'" (Matthew 9:4). There is no one who perplexes Jesus. No thought or action is unintelligible to him. He knows its origin and end. The most convoluted psychotic and the most abstruse genius are open and laid bare to his understanding. He understands every motion of their minds.
Jesus not only knows all people thoroughly as they were and are today, he also knows what people will think and do tomorrow. He knows all things that will come to pass. "Jesus, [knew] all the things that were coming upon Him" (John 18:4). On the basis of this knowledge, he foretold numerous things that his friends and enemies would do. "[Jesus said] 'There are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him" (John 6:64). "From now on," he said, "I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am" (John 13:19). The reason he foretold these things, he explains, is so that we might know that "he is" - is what? That he is the divine Son of God. "I am" is the name for God in Exodus 3:14 and the designation of deity in Isaiah 43:10. Jesus knows all that will come to pass, and, to help our faith, he says, "Behold, I have told you in advance" (Matthew 24:25).
Jesus simply knows all things. Thus his disciples said, truly, "Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God" (John 16:30). The extent of Jesus' knowledge was a compelling warrant for faith in his divine origin. At the end of his time on earth Jesus pressed Peter, "'Simon, son of John, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You' (John 21:17). Peter did not conclude from Jesus' knowledge of his heart that he knew all things; rather he concluded from the omniscience of Jesus that he knew his heart. "You know all things," is a general and unqualified statement that John's gospel presses on our minds.
The greatest thing that can be said of Jesus' knowledge is that he knows God perfectly. We know God partially and imperfectly. Jesus knows him like no other being knows him. He knows him the way an omniscient Person knows himself. "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him" (Matthew 11:27). No one but Jesus knows the Father immediately, completely and perfectly. Our knowledge of the Father depends wholly on Jesus' gracious revelation; it is derivative and partial and imperfect.
Nothing greater can be said about the knowledge of Jesus than that he knows God perfectly. All reality outside God is parochial compared to the infinite Reality that God is. What God has made is like a toy compared to the complexity and depth of what God is. All the sciences that scratch the surface of the created universe are the mere ABCs compared to Christ's exhaustive knowledge of the created universe. And this knowledge of the created universe is as a dewdrop on a blade of grass compared to the ocean of knowledge that Jesus has of the Being of God himself. God is infinite. The universe is finite. Knowledge of the infinite is infinite. Therefore to know God, as Jesus knows God, is to have infinite knowledge.
Therefore let us bow down and worship Jesus Christ. If we are impressed with the scholarship of man and the achievements of scientific knowledge, then let us not play the fool by trumpeting a tiny chirp and ignoring the thunder clap of omniscience. Jesus alone is worthy of our highest admiration. Jesus alone is worthy of our trust. He can show us the Father (Matthew 11:27). He can give us irresistible wisdom (Luke 21:15). He can see how to make all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28). None of his judgments about anything is ever mistaken (John 8:16). He teaches the way of God with infallible truthfulness (Matthew 22:16). Trust him. Admire him. Follow him.
In awe of Jesus,
Pastor John"
by John Piper
"One reason to admire and trust Jesus above all other persons is that he knows more than anyone else. He knows all people thoroughly, their hearts and their thoughts. "He knew all men" (John 2:24). "You, Lord, . . . know the hearts of all men" (Acts 1:24). "And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, 'Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?'" (Matthew 9:4). There is no one who perplexes Jesus. No thought or action is unintelligible to him. He knows its origin and end. The most convoluted psychotic and the most abstruse genius are open and laid bare to his understanding. He understands every motion of their minds.
Jesus not only knows all people thoroughly as they were and are today, he also knows what people will think and do tomorrow. He knows all things that will come to pass. "Jesus, [knew] all the things that were coming upon Him" (John 18:4). On the basis of this knowledge, he foretold numerous things that his friends and enemies would do. "[Jesus said] 'There are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him" (John 6:64). "From now on," he said, "I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am" (John 13:19). The reason he foretold these things, he explains, is so that we might know that "he is" - is what? That he is the divine Son of God. "I am" is the name for God in Exodus 3:14 and the designation of deity in Isaiah 43:10. Jesus knows all that will come to pass, and, to help our faith, he says, "Behold, I have told you in advance" (Matthew 24:25).
Jesus simply knows all things. Thus his disciples said, truly, "Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God" (John 16:30). The extent of Jesus' knowledge was a compelling warrant for faith in his divine origin. At the end of his time on earth Jesus pressed Peter, "'Simon, son of John, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You' (John 21:17). Peter did not conclude from Jesus' knowledge of his heart that he knew all things; rather he concluded from the omniscience of Jesus that he knew his heart. "You know all things," is a general and unqualified statement that John's gospel presses on our minds.
The greatest thing that can be said of Jesus' knowledge is that he knows God perfectly. We know God partially and imperfectly. Jesus knows him like no other being knows him. He knows him the way an omniscient Person knows himself. "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him" (Matthew 11:27). No one but Jesus knows the Father immediately, completely and perfectly. Our knowledge of the Father depends wholly on Jesus' gracious revelation; it is derivative and partial and imperfect.
Nothing greater can be said about the knowledge of Jesus than that he knows God perfectly. All reality outside God is parochial compared to the infinite Reality that God is. What God has made is like a toy compared to the complexity and depth of what God is. All the sciences that scratch the surface of the created universe are the mere ABCs compared to Christ's exhaustive knowledge of the created universe. And this knowledge of the created universe is as a dewdrop on a blade of grass compared to the ocean of knowledge that Jesus has of the Being of God himself. God is infinite. The universe is finite. Knowledge of the infinite is infinite. Therefore to know God, as Jesus knows God, is to have infinite knowledge.
Therefore let us bow down and worship Jesus Christ. If we are impressed with the scholarship of man and the achievements of scientific knowledge, then let us not play the fool by trumpeting a tiny chirp and ignoring the thunder clap of omniscience. Jesus alone is worthy of our highest admiration. Jesus alone is worthy of our trust. He can show us the Father (Matthew 11:27). He can give us irresistible wisdom (Luke 21:15). He can see how to make all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28). None of his judgments about anything is ever mistaken (John 8:16). He teaches the way of God with infallible truthfulness (Matthew 22:16). Trust him. Admire him. Follow him.
In awe of Jesus,
Pastor John"
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Wendi's beautiful life
There's a lot that can be said about Wendi Lehman. And a lot was said this past Saturday in Grass Valley as we celebrated all the things we love and appreciate about this woman.
Wendi's laugh. So contagious. So unforgettable. And her passion. For people, for Christ. Some people just live their life in such a way that their solid, firm way of living just speaks. Wendi lived this way.
This past weekend we were all reminded that the passion and principle that lived inside of Wendi is living on well beyond her own life.
I think the most memorable moment for me as we celebrated her life this weekend was the story from the woman in Los Angeles. Wow! So powerful.
My friend Wendi worked tirelessly for the unborn. She was passionate about leading women to other options, even doing things that others might call radical to make a point. And this weekend, as we celebrated her life in Grass Valley with her parents and other friends/family who knew her, her passion was made crystal clear......
Sitting in the church building listening to words about a woman he hardly knew, a young man heard how his mother went to a clinic in Los Angeles and was going to abort him but was greeted by Wendi, who encouraged her to know that God loved her and the child in her womb, that there were options. Through a course of events, the woman kept the child - Wendi threw her a baby shower, loved this woman the best she could. The woman had her son and then years came between them until a few years ago when they reconnected through Facebook. Now, at Wendi's funeral, this woman and her son were there to pay tribute to a woman who God used to changed the course of their lives.
Wendi and I worked together in college campus ministry in Los Angeles. One thing that stands out to me most often is her authenticity and her love for God. She was a very real person, no pretense, no falsehood, and I loved that about Wendi. She was also a prayer warrior. She could pray for things with fervor and I appreciated that about her.
Over the last few years when she found out she was sick with cancer, she made the effort to connect with me since she moved back to Northern Cal and I was in Reno. James got to meet her at Shakespeare on the Lake as we met up with her and Adrea and the following year in Sacramento with another mutual friend, Lara. My final time to see her was in Genoa, Nevada, when she came to visit along with Leo, Pat and Julianne Lawson. A brief reunion in an ice cream shop and we talked about making it to Jeremy's wedding in October. It never happened, as I got busy and her health was still failing.
God, thank you for saving Wendi in High School. Thank you for placing her in my life and for her quiet, subtle but strong witness for you. I rejoice that she is with you today as to be absent from the body is to be in your presence. We will miss her life here on earth but will cherish the gift you gave us in her. Please comfort her family now and speak your words of comfort to them. Wendi, you lived a beautiful life. Thank you for being obedient to your creator, for caring for the things that he cared about. You are a gift, a blessing, a treasure. I celebrate your beautiful life.
Wendi's laugh. So contagious. So unforgettable. And her passion. For people, for Christ. Some people just live their life in such a way that their solid, firm way of living just speaks. Wendi lived this way.
This past weekend we were all reminded that the passion and principle that lived inside of Wendi is living on well beyond her own life.
I think the most memorable moment for me as we celebrated her life this weekend was the story from the woman in Los Angeles. Wow! So powerful.
My friend Wendi worked tirelessly for the unborn. She was passionate about leading women to other options, even doing things that others might call radical to make a point. And this weekend, as we celebrated her life in Grass Valley with her parents and other friends/family who knew her, her passion was made crystal clear......
Sitting in the church building listening to words about a woman he hardly knew, a young man heard how his mother went to a clinic in Los Angeles and was going to abort him but was greeted by Wendi, who encouraged her to know that God loved her and the child in her womb, that there were options. Through a course of events, the woman kept the child - Wendi threw her a baby shower, loved this woman the best she could. The woman had her son and then years came between them until a few years ago when they reconnected through Facebook. Now, at Wendi's funeral, this woman and her son were there to pay tribute to a woman who God used to changed the course of their lives.
Wendi and I worked together in college campus ministry in Los Angeles. One thing that stands out to me most often is her authenticity and her love for God. She was a very real person, no pretense, no falsehood, and I loved that about Wendi. She was also a prayer warrior. She could pray for things with fervor and I appreciated that about her.
Over the last few years when she found out she was sick with cancer, she made the effort to connect with me since she moved back to Northern Cal and I was in Reno. James got to meet her at Shakespeare on the Lake as we met up with her and Adrea and the following year in Sacramento with another mutual friend, Lara. My final time to see her was in Genoa, Nevada, when she came to visit along with Leo, Pat and Julianne Lawson. A brief reunion in an ice cream shop and we talked about making it to Jeremy's wedding in October. It never happened, as I got busy and her health was still failing.
God, thank you for saving Wendi in High School. Thank you for placing her in my life and for her quiet, subtle but strong witness for you. I rejoice that she is with you today as to be absent from the body is to be in your presence. We will miss her life here on earth but will cherish the gift you gave us in her. Please comfort her family now and speak your words of comfort to them. Wendi, you lived a beautiful life. Thank you for being obedient to your creator, for caring for the things that he cared about. You are a gift, a blessing, a treasure. I celebrate your beautiful life.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Stay with it....
In the morning, I've been listening to the Message Bible on my Ipod. It's a great way to multi-task.
This morning I listened to Matthew 24. In light of all that's going on in the world, I found this scripture as one to hold on to. The Best part??
"STAY WITH IT TO THE END. YOU WON'T BE SORRY AND YOU'LL BE SAVED." - Again, you earn your ending! (See my last entry!)
"...His disciples approached and asked him, "Tell us...What will be the sign of your coming, that the time's up?" Jesus said, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming....In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in—nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes. Staying with it—that's what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry, and you'll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come.....(v 32) Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer's just around the corner. So it is with you: When you see all these things, you'll know he's at the door. Don't take this lightly. I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't wear out. But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.
This morning I listened to Matthew 24. In light of all that's going on in the world, I found this scripture as one to hold on to. The Best part??
"STAY WITH IT TO THE END. YOU WON'T BE SORRY AND YOU'LL BE SAVED." - Again, you earn your ending! (See my last entry!)
"...His disciples approached and asked him, "Tell us...What will be the sign of your coming, that the time's up?" Jesus said, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming....In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in—nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes. Staying with it—that's what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry, and you'll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come.....(v 32) Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer's just around the corner. So it is with you: When you see all these things, you'll know he's at the door. Don't take this lightly. I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't wear out. But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Earn your ending....??
"You have to earn an ending. You don't just fall into one." John Irving
On Sunday James and I watched Anthony Robles wrestle for the NCAA championship. One of the commercials that played just before the match had John Irving comparing the art of wresting and writing - and it captured my thoughts.
How many times have I heard that saying, "It's not how well you start something. It's how you finish." As many times as I've heard it (often from individuals I loved and respected), is as many times I can count men and women who didn't finish as I would have expected.
This time the words brought a new spin, a fresh perspective on how we live life and how, at this juncture in my life, it's good to consider living life from the ending backwards.
What do I want my life to look like when I die?
Living a life of no regrets requires courage to face where you're at now and where you want to be and make the necessary changes in your heart, mind, and soul to get there.
I guess the point is you don't just emerge. A life well lived requires discipline, forethought, determination, and the ability to shed off and let go of things that entangle and keep you from a well-earned ending.
I think of bitterness. How many people do you know who have been destroyed by this cancer? Holding onto bitterness only rots and corrodes the insides. It doesn't benefit anyone, let alone yourself.
I think of unfaithfulness. How many lives have been cut into by the pain of this blind cancer? With no forethought for how things might be in a well-lived life, it's as if all the potential is cut short in a few foolish glances and acts.
I think of less obvious but just as debilitating ways to go. What about laziness? Without wrestling this flesh to the ground and beating my natural human emotions into the submission of my savior, it's easy to sink into the every day lazy fare life.
And that's where I consider God's grace. Sure, by God's rich and lavishing love, I've found a new way to live and have been given the ability to be free, to withstand temptations, to overcome my flesh and see internal challenges become victories.
But there's something to be said about choosing to look to Christ to do and be that every day to see that kind of ending take place in my soul. In some ways, yes, I've fallen into a grace that I absolutely don't understand. In other ways, I must be purposeful about how I'm living my life and what I'm doing to guard and protect this precious gift I've been given.
In the end I want to live a life that honors Christ, where His love shines through. So many times this doesn't happen. On a daily basis I'm reminded of just how janked up I am inside. And yet, I know there's more to the story if I'll continue to look to Him, to be swayed only by His working in me and not give into the flesh.
On Sunday James and I watched Anthony Robles wrestle for the NCAA championship. One of the commercials that played just before the match had John Irving comparing the art of wresting and writing - and it captured my thoughts.
How many times have I heard that saying, "It's not how well you start something. It's how you finish." As many times as I've heard it (often from individuals I loved and respected), is as many times I can count men and women who didn't finish as I would have expected.
This time the words brought a new spin, a fresh perspective on how we live life and how, at this juncture in my life, it's good to consider living life from the ending backwards.
What do I want my life to look like when I die?
Living a life of no regrets requires courage to face where you're at now and where you want to be and make the necessary changes in your heart, mind, and soul to get there.
I guess the point is you don't just emerge. A life well lived requires discipline, forethought, determination, and the ability to shed off and let go of things that entangle and keep you from a well-earned ending.
I think of bitterness. How many people do you know who have been destroyed by this cancer? Holding onto bitterness only rots and corrodes the insides. It doesn't benefit anyone, let alone yourself.
I think of unfaithfulness. How many lives have been cut into by the pain of this blind cancer? With no forethought for how things might be in a well-lived life, it's as if all the potential is cut short in a few foolish glances and acts.
I think of less obvious but just as debilitating ways to go. What about laziness? Without wrestling this flesh to the ground and beating my natural human emotions into the submission of my savior, it's easy to sink into the every day lazy fare life.
And that's where I consider God's grace. Sure, by God's rich and lavishing love, I've found a new way to live and have been given the ability to be free, to withstand temptations, to overcome my flesh and see internal challenges become victories.
But there's something to be said about choosing to look to Christ to do and be that every day to see that kind of ending take place in my soul. In some ways, yes, I've fallen into a grace that I absolutely don't understand. In other ways, I must be purposeful about how I'm living my life and what I'm doing to guard and protect this precious gift I've been given.
In the end I want to live a life that honors Christ, where His love shines through. So many times this doesn't happen. On a daily basis I'm reminded of just how janked up I am inside. And yet, I know there's more to the story if I'll continue to look to Him, to be swayed only by His working in me and not give into the flesh.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Just some early morning thoughts and reflections...
What's happening in Japan is hard to miss and has caused me to think about the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been forever changed. The events that happened in Egypt a few months ago and what's going on in Lybia are another reminder that this world is filled with unrest and it doesn't seem to want to go away. Even with all of man's progression and knowledge, you'd think we'd get a few things figured out. And then of course there's March Madness, which no one can quite figure out, but people will bet on it like crazy! Such an insignificant thing to keep track of in light of world events, really.
In my own soul I find myself longing for a time when all will be right in the world. From the inconsistencies in my own life to world events seen on the news these days, my heart and soul groan for relief! And then I have to wonder. Do natural things speak of the invisible? Natural events like earthquakes, tsunamis. Is this the earth groaning too in wait for a redeemer?
This morning I woke at 4 am thinking about way too much. And as I pulled out Max Lucado's Devotional Bible, I read this devotion on Heaven. I'll be chewing on this today.
"The only ultimate disaster that can befall us, I have come to realize, is to feel ourselves to be home on earth. As long as we are aliens, we cannot forget our true homeland. Unhappiness on earth cultivates a hunger for heaven. By gracing us with a deep dissatisfaction, God holds our attention. The only tragedy then, is to be satisfied prematurely. To settle for earth. To be content in a strange land....
We are not happy here because we are not at home here. We are not happy here because we are not supposed to be happy here. We are "foreigners and strangers in this world. (1 Peter 2:11) Take a fish and place him on the beach. Watch his gills gasp and scales dry. Is he happy? No! How do you make him happy? Do you cover him with a mountain of cash? Do you get a beach chair and sunglasses? Do you bring him a Playfish magazine and martini? Do you wardrobe him in double-breasted fins and people skinned shoes? Of course not. Then how do you make him happy? You put him back in his element. You put him back in the water. He will never be happy on the beach simply because he was not made for the beach. And you will never be completely happy on earth simply because you were not made for this earth. Oh, you will have moments of joy. You will catch glimpses of light. You will know moments or even days of peace, but they simply do not compare with the happiness that lies ahead."
In my own soul I find myself longing for a time when all will be right in the world. From the inconsistencies in my own life to world events seen on the news these days, my heart and soul groan for relief! And then I have to wonder. Do natural things speak of the invisible? Natural events like earthquakes, tsunamis. Is this the earth groaning too in wait for a redeemer?
This morning I woke at 4 am thinking about way too much. And as I pulled out Max Lucado's Devotional Bible, I read this devotion on Heaven. I'll be chewing on this today.
"The only ultimate disaster that can befall us, I have come to realize, is to feel ourselves to be home on earth. As long as we are aliens, we cannot forget our true homeland. Unhappiness on earth cultivates a hunger for heaven. By gracing us with a deep dissatisfaction, God holds our attention. The only tragedy then, is to be satisfied prematurely. To settle for earth. To be content in a strange land....
We are not happy here because we are not at home here. We are not happy here because we are not supposed to be happy here. We are "foreigners and strangers in this world. (1 Peter 2:11) Take a fish and place him on the beach. Watch his gills gasp and scales dry. Is he happy? No! How do you make him happy? Do you cover him with a mountain of cash? Do you get a beach chair and sunglasses? Do you bring him a Playfish magazine and martini? Do you wardrobe him in double-breasted fins and people skinned shoes? Of course not. Then how do you make him happy? You put him back in his element. You put him back in the water. He will never be happy on the beach simply because he was not made for the beach. And you will never be completely happy on earth simply because you were not made for this earth. Oh, you will have moments of joy. You will catch glimpses of light. You will know moments or even days of peace, but they simply do not compare with the happiness that lies ahead."
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