Change takes place
which changes the pace
that leads to change.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Home
A boy runs up the street tonight
Not sure where to go this time
Just like the night before
A mother weeps on the stairs alone
Holding a daughter who breathes
One last time, before she dies
Be patient, for the end is coming
Hold on, for the end is near
Night will become day again
A man can’t look in his family’s eyes
After finding paper made of pink
In an envelope with his name
A child glances back one more time
To see the house slowly vanish
No longer a room of her own
Be still, for peace is near you
Hold on for peace is here
The sun will shine again
The son looks down a winding road
He lived on so many years ago
Regretting choices he made
The daughter holds back saline tears
With sorrow from countless years
Of never letting the pain go
Look up, for grace is near you
Hold on to grace right here
Right where you fell down
A child sees up ahead of him
A Man standing further on
Eyes set ablaze like fire
The broken ones taken by a hand
Unseen by many mortal men
Rest easy the weary heart
For those choosing a different path
That is much narrow for a road
This journey has an end
For soon their soul will be whole
And sin will be here no more
For then they will be home
Not sure where to go this time
Just like the night before
A mother weeps on the stairs alone
Holding a daughter who breathes
One last time, before she dies
Be patient, for the end is coming
Hold on, for the end is near
Night will become day again
A man can’t look in his family’s eyes
After finding paper made of pink
In an envelope with his name
A child glances back one more time
To see the house slowly vanish
No longer a room of her own
Be still, for peace is near you
Hold on for peace is here
The sun will shine again
The son looks down a winding road
He lived on so many years ago
Regretting choices he made
The daughter holds back saline tears
With sorrow from countless years
Of never letting the pain go
Look up, for grace is near you
Hold on to grace right here
Right where you fell down
A child sees up ahead of him
A Man standing further on
Eyes set ablaze like fire
The broken ones taken by a hand
Unseen by many mortal men
Rest easy the weary heart
For those choosing a different path
That is much narrow for a road
This journey has an end
For soon their soul will be whole
And sin will be here no more
For then they will be home
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Resurrected
It is a two thousand year old story that never grows old. The story of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection; the redemption of all humanity. It is the central point to the message of the gospel, good news to all of us who receive this gift of redemption born of suffering. Christ willingly gives His life as a sacrifice for our sins, which we could not make amends for. He became the sacrifice for our crimes (sin) committed against God. This story of resurrection is not just that of Christ's, but just as beautiful, is story of the implications of the Resurrection and what it means to all of us.
On Sunday Morning, quite early, we read of visitors to the tomb, "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words." (Luke 24:1-8)
The story of the Resurrection is Christ's ultimate defeat of death, sin and separation. In His Resurrection we find that Christ conquers death, hell, and the grave. It isn't just a physical death, for which we all will still succomb to, until the return of Christ, but that of a death far greater than physical; it is a spirital death; hell; eternal separation outside of the presence, reality, and love of God. It is sentence forever found in void, loss, and hopelessness, complete seperation. It was not of His doing, but of our own. Our sin resulted in eventual death, and death resulted in eternal separation. Christ broke this on a cross up on a hill. The Cross of Christ sets the stage for our redemption, or salvation.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Christ's act of ultimate humility lays the ground work for all who chose, to find salvation. Tragedy comes when we choose to not accept this gift.
Because of Christ's resurrection, we are now given hope. We who were once dead to sin, can now become alive in Christ, we become "resurrected" to a life redeemed. His Resurrection brings about our resurrection. "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:1-4 We who where once dead in sin, now come alive in Christ. It is not a life of our own, but now to be lived in Christ. W find tat the power of the Spirit of God was present at the Resurrection of Jesus, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18)
The Spirit is also the power that brings us to life, as we are now called to live by the Spirit. We once lived in the flesh (spiritual death), but now are called to live in the Spirit (the regenerated life in Christ.) It is not on our abilities, talents, or merit. It is a life lived on grace, mercy, and God's goodness. Christ' blood shed laid the groundwork for our redemption, and His resurrection sealed the reality of our salvation that is drenched in grace. In his death we find new life, in His blood spilled we find living water.
However, every person who chooses to believe, and believe in action, not just in theory, must remember that this new life is not meant for selfish gain, it is not for our us. We now find this freedom of new life for the benefit of all humanity. We now because part of this Movement of Redemption, where we become a part of the Kingdom of God, who's ultimate purpose is to see all come to repentance, and find enternal life. We in our life reborn, must choose to give in back to God, laying it back down, to be used of Him, to bring Him glory, and to advance the Kingdom of God. Which is worth any momentary sacrifice! The irony of being reborn is that it is no our life to control, but to give back to God, and one to be lead by the Spirit of God. It is not our life to live, it is not our selfish desires to pursue, it is not our gains to be had. "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philipians 3:7-11) The true action of the resurrected life is that we give it away.
The final act of the Resurrection is not found in the here and now, but it found in eternity. "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthian 15:55) We who advance the Kingdom of God, not of force, but of love, to reveal to the world hope. Humanity hopes again, and though we still face physical death, we not longer live as ones who have no hope. Our "Blessed Hope" is in an eternity not separated from God, but is in the final redemptive act of God to humanity, eternal relationship with God.
So we live as aliens in a world that is going to pass away. We live as strangers in a place that is not our own, but is temporary both physically and spiritually. We know to not be too comfortable, for this is not where we belong, and this is not who we are. "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." 1 Peter 2:11) The spirit empowers us to live a life that does not pull us back in to the death we have been lifted out of. The Spirit enables us to live as we are called to live, and to speak and communicate the message of Hope we have discovered. We have been reborn to a new life that calls us to a different place, to be ultimately realized in a different time. We are pilgrims, in a strange land. We who have been reborn become the Redeemed, communicating the message of rescue and redemption, a way of escape from a world that ultimately has nothing and can offer no hope. We know this world is not the end. This is not it. We sense it, we feel it, we know it in our hearts. At the same time, as long as we are on this Earth, God has a purpose for us.
The tragedy that began in a Garden will find it's eventual reconciliation at the end of the age, when all will be judged, and we will ultimately be rejoined again in the the Presence of Him who walked with Adam in the cool of the day so long ago.
On Sunday Morning, quite early, we read of visitors to the tomb, "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words." (Luke 24:1-8)
The story of the Resurrection is Christ's ultimate defeat of death, sin and separation. In His Resurrection we find that Christ conquers death, hell, and the grave. It isn't just a physical death, for which we all will still succomb to, until the return of Christ, but that of a death far greater than physical; it is a spirital death; hell; eternal separation outside of the presence, reality, and love of God. It is sentence forever found in void, loss, and hopelessness, complete seperation. It was not of His doing, but of our own. Our sin resulted in eventual death, and death resulted in eternal separation. Christ broke this on a cross up on a hill. The Cross of Christ sets the stage for our redemption, or salvation.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Christ's act of ultimate humility lays the ground work for all who chose, to find salvation. Tragedy comes when we choose to not accept this gift.
Because of Christ's resurrection, we are now given hope. We who were once dead to sin, can now become alive in Christ, we become "resurrected" to a life redeemed. His Resurrection brings about our resurrection. "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:1-4 We who where once dead in sin, now come alive in Christ. It is not a life of our own, but now to be lived in Christ. W find tat the power of the Spirit of God was present at the Resurrection of Jesus, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18)
The Spirit is also the power that brings us to life, as we are now called to live by the Spirit. We once lived in the flesh (spiritual death), but now are called to live in the Spirit (the regenerated life in Christ.) It is not on our abilities, talents, or merit. It is a life lived on grace, mercy, and God's goodness. Christ' blood shed laid the groundwork for our redemption, and His resurrection sealed the reality of our salvation that is drenched in grace. In his death we find new life, in His blood spilled we find living water.
However, every person who chooses to believe, and believe in action, not just in theory, must remember that this new life is not meant for selfish gain, it is not for our us. We now find this freedom of new life for the benefit of all humanity. We now because part of this Movement of Redemption, where we become a part of the Kingdom of God, who's ultimate purpose is to see all come to repentance, and find enternal life. We in our life reborn, must choose to give in back to God, laying it back down, to be used of Him, to bring Him glory, and to advance the Kingdom of God. Which is worth any momentary sacrifice! The irony of being reborn is that it is no our life to control, but to give back to God, and one to be lead by the Spirit of God. It is not our life to live, it is not our selfish desires to pursue, it is not our gains to be had. "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philipians 3:7-11) The true action of the resurrected life is that we give it away.
The final act of the Resurrection is not found in the here and now, but it found in eternity. "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthian 15:55) We who advance the Kingdom of God, not of force, but of love, to reveal to the world hope. Humanity hopes again, and though we still face physical death, we not longer live as ones who have no hope. Our "Blessed Hope" is in an eternity not separated from God, but is in the final redemptive act of God to humanity, eternal relationship with God.
So we live as aliens in a world that is going to pass away. We live as strangers in a place that is not our own, but is temporary both physically and spiritually. We know to not be too comfortable, for this is not where we belong, and this is not who we are. "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." 1 Peter 2:11) The spirit empowers us to live a life that does not pull us back in to the death we have been lifted out of. The Spirit enables us to live as we are called to live, and to speak and communicate the message of Hope we have discovered. We have been reborn to a new life that calls us to a different place, to be ultimately realized in a different time. We are pilgrims, in a strange land. We who have been reborn become the Redeemed, communicating the message of rescue and redemption, a way of escape from a world that ultimately has nothing and can offer no hope. We know this world is not the end. This is not it. We sense it, we feel it, we know it in our hearts. At the same time, as long as we are on this Earth, God has a purpose for us.
The tragedy that began in a Garden will find it's eventual reconciliation at the end of the age, when all will be judged, and we will ultimately be rejoined again in the the Presence of Him who walked with Adam in the cool of the day so long ago.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Process of Perception
I do the same thing every tuesday morning. I slowly walk through the doors of the office, still caught between dreams and reality. I grabbed my coffee, open up the office, and headed to devotions.
Each tuesday we have devotions, with a rotation of people who lead. Today it was our assistant superintendent's turn, which I always enjoy. This time he had with him a pastor from a foreign country, who do not have the rights that we enjoy. Right away this caught my attention. The pastor began to talk about his experience here in the states, how he is enjoying it, and how much different our culture is from his.
He began to talk about the freedoms he didn't have, the things he could not enjoy. He spoke of struggles that people face in his country, and how the Church is under constant surveillance and scrutiny of the government. He reminded us of how grateful we should be for all that we have.
He continued to speak of the different things he saw in the American church and culture: closets filled with clothes, "giving up" our expensive coffee for a missions fundraiser, and churches with walls. He spoke of how in his country, people will travel in hurricane conditions to be at church. He explained the layers of government surveillance that comes through his church on a regular basis to make sure that the church is not stirring up people against the government. He spoke of a church of 650 people who meet in a building with no walls, and couldn't use their basement because of recent flooding issues.
When he first got to the states, he simply asked "I want chocolate." He was asked, "what kind of chocolate, milk chocolate, fudge, dutch, semi-sweet? What?" "No, I just want chocolate was his response." I looked down at my coffee, a mint mocha, and realized the simplest things I take for granted.
His comments and other recent events reminded me of what I have been pondering lately:
It's funny the things we consider suffering in America. It's even more peculiar the things we consider trials. I am not downplaying the serious issues many people face each day from abuse, tragedy, and such, but there is so much we look at as suffering, that simply is not.
I remember recently walking through the office, and the receptionist asked, "having a bad day?" My auto-response wanted to say, 'yes!' It was a busy day, a hectic day, things were not getting done as quickly as I would have liked, and people were not returning my calls. I would have thought it a bad day. However recent events caused me to pause for a moment and look at her and say, "no, its busy, but I'm not having a bad day. People in Haiti, they are having a bad day."
I've been contemplating perception, the way I look at life, my situations, what I struggle with. I hear stories like the pastor who spoke to us in devotions; I see the tragedies taking place in Haiti and Chile; I hear of families struggling with tragedy from death and disease. I realize that I have much to be grateful for.
When the 12 spies went in to the promised land, they all viewed the same thing. They saw the land, the people, the cities. 10 spies came back "seeing" what was in the way. 2 came back seeing all the God was ready to provide for them. Paul and Silas sat in a jail far worse than any dorm room I have seen at Bethany. With death potentially knocking at their door, they looked at their situation and began to sing.
Would I have sung a song? Would I have agreed with the ten spies. To often we forget that God is on our side. He goes before us. He guides our steps. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" The Pastor who spoke to us in devotions gets this. He knows circumstances and situations don't determine our perception. He doesn't see what is in his way, he remembers Who is with him; Who is on his side.
It seems so many of our problems we face are not due to what we lack, but what we have an excess of. An abundance of food has lead to health problems; an abundance of wealth has led to overwhelming debt; and abundance of knowledge had let to a lack of wisdom and dependence on God. a misuse of God's blessings are is tragedy.
All good things come from God. Let us remember that God remains so very good to us. Let us remember who has provided all these blessings. Let us remember that he has called us to be good stewards of all that he has blessed us with. Let us remember who God has called us to be. Let us be grateful, and let us never forget.
Each tuesday we have devotions, with a rotation of people who lead. Today it was our assistant superintendent's turn, which I always enjoy. This time he had with him a pastor from a foreign country, who do not have the rights that we enjoy. Right away this caught my attention. The pastor began to talk about his experience here in the states, how he is enjoying it, and how much different our culture is from his.
He began to talk about the freedoms he didn't have, the things he could not enjoy. He spoke of struggles that people face in his country, and how the Church is under constant surveillance and scrutiny of the government. He reminded us of how grateful we should be for all that we have.
He continued to speak of the different things he saw in the American church and culture: closets filled with clothes, "giving up" our expensive coffee for a missions fundraiser, and churches with walls. He spoke of how in his country, people will travel in hurricane conditions to be at church. He explained the layers of government surveillance that comes through his church on a regular basis to make sure that the church is not stirring up people against the government. He spoke of a church of 650 people who meet in a building with no walls, and couldn't use their basement because of recent flooding issues.
When he first got to the states, he simply asked "I want chocolate." He was asked, "what kind of chocolate, milk chocolate, fudge, dutch, semi-sweet? What?" "No, I just want chocolate was his response." I looked down at my coffee, a mint mocha, and realized the simplest things I take for granted.
His comments and other recent events reminded me of what I have been pondering lately:
It's funny the things we consider suffering in America. It's even more peculiar the things we consider trials. I am not downplaying the serious issues many people face each day from abuse, tragedy, and such, but there is so much we look at as suffering, that simply is not.
I remember recently walking through the office, and the receptionist asked, "having a bad day?" My auto-response wanted to say, 'yes!' It was a busy day, a hectic day, things were not getting done as quickly as I would have liked, and people were not returning my calls. I would have thought it a bad day. However recent events caused me to pause for a moment and look at her and say, "no, its busy, but I'm not having a bad day. People in Haiti, they are having a bad day."
I've been contemplating perception, the way I look at life, my situations, what I struggle with. I hear stories like the pastor who spoke to us in devotions; I see the tragedies taking place in Haiti and Chile; I hear of families struggling with tragedy from death and disease. I realize that I have much to be grateful for.
When the 12 spies went in to the promised land, they all viewed the same thing. They saw the land, the people, the cities. 10 spies came back "seeing" what was in the way. 2 came back seeing all the God was ready to provide for them. Paul and Silas sat in a jail far worse than any dorm room I have seen at Bethany. With death potentially knocking at their door, they looked at their situation and began to sing.
Would I have sung a song? Would I have agreed with the ten spies. To often we forget that God is on our side. He goes before us. He guides our steps. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" The Pastor who spoke to us in devotions gets this. He knows circumstances and situations don't determine our perception. He doesn't see what is in his way, he remembers Who is with him; Who is on his side.
It seems so many of our problems we face are not due to what we lack, but what we have an excess of. An abundance of food has lead to health problems; an abundance of wealth has led to overwhelming debt; and abundance of knowledge had let to a lack of wisdom and dependence on God. a misuse of God's blessings are is tragedy.
All good things come from God. Let us remember that God remains so very good to us. Let us remember who has provided all these blessings. Let us remember that he has called us to be good stewards of all that he has blessed us with. Let us remember who God has called us to be. Let us be grateful, and let us never forget.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Apparition of Man
Apparition of Man
What is it to have a dream?
Or has it been lost to shadows;
Or did I never have one?
If there really is a song
The music has stopped playing;
Or did I never hear one?
I have fought for a cause
That’s become delusion;
Or did I ever know it?
I chase a sort of living
That I have been told
I should desire to attain
[Why did I?]
I have bought in to this:
A dream that isn’t real,
A reason that isn’t true.
Choice without responsibility,
Luxury without consequence,
Selfishness without pain.
Salvation without repentance,
Peace without suffering,
Hope without longing.
Grace without forgiveness,
Faith without dependence,
Freedom without humility.
[It is a fable]
We open up our minds,
With no filter for our hearts,
To a world of noise and sound.
We responded in kind;
replacing truth and wisdom,
Defended with wit and reaction.
We pardon self-indulgence,
Protect our self-seeking life,
In fleeting acts of momentary justice.
Parade our mirage around,
Appearance of our own creation,
An eerie echo in our hollow soul.
[It was an apparition]
We have come to believe:
We’re the makers of our demise;
A false dream of no eternity.
Humanity's delusion, a nightmare
Exposing us to no peace,
No rest, if this all there is.
I have been with anger’s pain
I sip the outcome’s bitter cup
No one told me about this.
Don’t ask me these questions
I don’t need to look in a mirror to
See the truth of what I really am
[I Feel Naked Already]
This sober truth reveals tales;
Fiction we thought was certain.
Still, we hope to find Truth.
The Spirit calls us to come
To find rest from our weariness,
Rescue for the hurting soul.
The Cross remains before us,
Reaching for those left bare;
Love calling out in the echo.
The Father stands looking,
Extending arms of redemption,
Hope in eternity we long for.
[Rest]
What is it to have a dream?
Or has it been lost to shadows;
Or did I never have one?
If there really is a song
The music has stopped playing;
Or did I never hear one?
I have fought for a cause
That’s become delusion;
Or did I ever know it?
I chase a sort of living
That I have been told
I should desire to attain
[Why did I?]
I have bought in to this:
A dream that isn’t real,
A reason that isn’t true.
Choice without responsibility,
Luxury without consequence,
Selfishness without pain.
Salvation without repentance,
Peace without suffering,
Hope without longing.
Grace without forgiveness,
Faith without dependence,
Freedom without humility.
[It is a fable]
We open up our minds,
With no filter for our hearts,
To a world of noise and sound.
We responded in kind;
replacing truth and wisdom,
Defended with wit and reaction.
We pardon self-indulgence,
Protect our self-seeking life,
In fleeting acts of momentary justice.
Parade our mirage around,
Appearance of our own creation,
An eerie echo in our hollow soul.
[It was an apparition]
We have come to believe:
We’re the makers of our demise;
A false dream of no eternity.
Humanity's delusion, a nightmare
Exposing us to no peace,
No rest, if this all there is.
I have been with anger’s pain
I sip the outcome’s bitter cup
No one told me about this.
Don’t ask me these questions
I don’t need to look in a mirror to
See the truth of what I really am
[I Feel Naked Already]
This sober truth reveals tales;
Fiction we thought was certain.
Still, we hope to find Truth.
The Spirit calls us to come
To find rest from our weariness,
Rescue for the hurting soul.
The Cross remains before us,
Reaching for those left bare;
Love calling out in the echo.
The Father stands looking,
Extending arms of redemption,
Hope in eternity we long for.
[Rest]
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
As is common in the adventures of my life, I found myself again, along the rocky cliffs of Santa Cruz. The weather was stormy, windy, and cold. One step outside of my car, and I realized I had forgotten my jacket. So I ventured quickly to the edge of the sea to absorb for a few brief moments the violent beauty that I have grown to love. The oceans ripples were seen everywhere as the wind blew across the face of the sea. The waves crashed along the edge of the coast, creating a beautiful sound only heard in nature. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Not wanting to upset the masses, I quickly jumped back in my car, and headed to church. It was on this drive to church that I saw for a brief moment the vivid contrast to what I just experienced. Four children stood fighting the wind. It was picture perfect really. Now I am sure that they were having the time of their life, fighing the sea as they would throw pebbles at the ocean with everything they had. Keep in mind, they weren't just tossing them over the cliff with half efforts. No, they were heaving with everything they had, little rocks against the violent wind. It was an epic battle, with no hope of victory for the four valiant warriors.
It reminded me of a couple things. First, it seems like that is how we are with God sometimes. Our futile attempt to fight Him is liking throwing rocks at the wind. He comes to bring winds of change that will be to our benifit, and the first thing we do is pick up our rocks of tradition to fight this change. We pick up or pebbles of position becuase we don't like the winds of change that God is bringing. It may threaten our postions of power, or traditions, or current comforts. Yet, these are the very things that God wants to crash against. Its the very reason he is shaking us up.
I will be first to tell you I do not like change. I do like being thrown of the course that I have set in the sea of life, yet it seems so often that God brings along the winds to change my direction, because He knows I am needing to head a different direction. It is in these travailing winds that I find God moving me toward who he desires me to be and what he desires me to become
I guess what made the image of the kids fighting against the wind, is that I saw myself standing on those shores. I am spiritually, emotionally, and foolishly throughing rocks against the wind. I guess its time to stop, and stand with my face in the wind, and enjoy the ripples and tides that God has brought to me during this time.
It's time to embrace the wind.
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