Hi everyone,
So it has been an emotional week (if you are wondering why, you can read my sermon about it here). I think I am at peace with everything now (as I mentioned somewhat in the sermon), and I am prepared to be a support for those around me to find that same peace.
I mean, cognitively we know God is in control. Cognitively, we know that God saves us by grace through faith, and we can trust in that. Cognitively, we know that we really can’t do anything about a lot of our situations but trust, have faith, and believe that God is present in God’s own way.
But man that is easier said than done.
Especially as I type this out, sitting at my dad’s bedside. He is still hooked up in tubes and needles, and we are anticipating the medical staff to take out his respirator. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does sound scary. I feel so helpless in that all I can do is sit here and hope for the best.
Well, that and look for snippets of gospel and good news that God drops for us, encouraging us and strengthening us for what is to come. And what better place to look for that than in our readings for next week?
They are:
Jeremiah 20:7-13
Psalm 6:1-11
Romans 6:1-11
Matthew 10:24-39
At first glance, I admit I was more confused than encouraged. How is God speaking into my situation now? How is God speaking in the pain, suffering, and hardship? How is God helping God’s people through all the atrocities of the world and individual contexts?
Well, God is bigger than all of those things. All that God is about is stronger than the things that the world is about. God’s promises and gifts and grace is more powerful than the discouragement and disappointment and whatever other feelings we may have when we put our trust in the things that are fleeting.
My point is, the pain that I am going through now is temporary. My dad’s condition is temporary. The feelings that I dread feeling day in and day out for the past week are temporary. Because God is bigger than them, God is stronger, and God will help me and my dad feel better in God’s timing.
Still easier said than done, I know, but we need to be reminded constantly because man alive we have short attention spans. I personally blame TV.
Our trust doesn’t need to lie in what we want or how we think things should turn out. Rather, our trust in is the God that is bigger, stronger, and more powerful than us, in that whatever happens, we will get through it in community, in faith, and in the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s try to have a better week than last week, shall we?
Peace,
Pastor Nathan