Hi everyone,
So after a somewhat surprising afternoon (those of you who know what I’m talking about, know what I’m talking about), I came home to these kids who typically were feeling deprived from their screens although it has only been barely an hour since they were playing their games, AND the TV was currently on. Eventually we turned them off and told them that they can’t play any video games until their friends came over and only if their friends wanted to play too. They agreed to the very simple (and in my opinion, fair) terms and their friends finally came over.
As expected, they wanted to play video games (but I think it took a little convincing from my kids) and soon enough the TV was back on and they were playing. So you’d think they’d be happy now, right?
I now have a kid who is complaining about playing his video game because he is player 2 rather than player 1. What’s the difference between player 1 and player 2, you might ask? I just told you. I literally just told you. *sigh*
It’s times like these when I want to complain about my kids complaining but then I realise that my complaining is just as bad as their complaining and who knows? Maybe they’re complaining about me (because I usually win at these games heh heh).
Here are the readings for next week:
Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 3:14-21
Sometimes it is just easier to complain about stuff than realise just how good we have it. Because really, as good as we might have it, it could always be better. Our houses could be bigger, our food could be tastier, our pastor could be more insightful and entertaining.
Like the Israelites learned in the wilderness, the opposite is also true. As bad as they think they have it, it could always get worse. And as we read, worse it got. Really worse. Like, poisonous snakes worse. Then when they realised how bad things could get, God graciously saves them with the most ironic symbol ever. I guess God has a sense of humour as well.
The thing is, things sometimes are good, things sometimes are bad. Sometimes we’re content, often we complain anyway. But the one constant is God’s love for us and the whole world in that God saves us with the most ironic symbol ever: the cross. The cross is the symbol of everything evil, hateful, and sinful. It is the invention that brings the maximum amount of pain and suffering humanly possible. It is the epitome of human darkness and brokenness.
And it is what saves us. This symbol of painful death. This symbol of fear and judgement. This symbol of complete depravity and desperation.
But it is in our weakness where God is strong. It is in our lacking that God provides. It is in our brokenness that God heals. And it is in our annoying inability to see and appreciate all that God has done that God does more, gives more, and loves more than we ever thought possible.
Thanks be to God!
Have a great week everyone!