Post Sunday February 1 2009

Hello Everyone!

Great day yesterday! Seek that more excellent way this week and let it inspire you as you continue to pray for your 222!

1 John 4:8-9 “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

I was sitting staring out my office window here in the church this past Saturday and I saw a Robin sitting in the neighbor’s tree and it plucked something out of the tree and flew down to the ground and began to peck away at it. I first was surprised to see a Robin for there has been little sign of spring coming, but then I was glad it was there for it provided that much needed hope for spring’s coming. I struggle in the winter so I take solace in any sign of spring, even if you simply say the word may; I think month of May and warmer spring weather. Yes, I know, I’m desperate. Well anyway, watching that Robin peck away at a miniscule piece of tree in order to feed itself made me feel bad for it. I wondered if it was thinking, I should have stayed in Florida for another couple of months or why didn’t I take my cousin up on his offer to fly me to Jamaica for the winter. (Or if you’re a bird wouldn’t you have to fly yourself?) I wondered that until I saw it finish pecking at that decaying snack, fly back into the tree and grab something else. That bird by nature sees what God has put before it and takes hold of it, no matter how little or how great. I don’t know if the bird was thinking about Florida or Jamaica but I do know this it was thinking about what it had before him. What had been manifested (revealed) to it. What had been revealed was that this tree in which most would call dormant for the winter was to this bird a blessing, for it was his next meal and in a strange way, the love of God was revealed in the most humble of provisions.

It then made me think back to a simple moment in my life. Shortly after Nicole and I moved from Massachusetts to Missouri to begin my seminary education, I woke up early one morning and began to pray. It was one of those desperate prayers, questioning whether I’d done the right thing. Why did I leave my job? Why did I uproot my family? I’ve just messed up my life and everyone else’s at the same time. I felt disconnected, alone and I was hungry for something to happen and I felt like I had left my “meals” behind in New England. In other words what I saw was a collapsing life that was going to wither and die because I missed the plane south. I missed the right opportunity to go where I should have gone. As this prayer continued, instead of being encouraged or strengthened I felt weaker and even more foolish than when I started. But then the most meager of events would change all that. God would use the weakest thing at the time in my home to feed me and turn me around. You see as I prayed this quickly spiraling downward prayer, two small arms wrapped as far as they could around me and this small head laid itself on my back and did not utter a word. My 3 ½ year old daughter, Alex had woken up and choose to embrace her Dad.

In that moment as the seconds began to pass, I felt strength returning to my body, confidence filled my mind and I felt hope and joy re-enter my heart. I then slowly turned and in love and gratitude embraced the gift that God had placed before me all along. I can’t remember how long my daughter and I just sat and enjoyed each other’s company, but I do know that I was fed at that moment in the oddest of ways and God’s love was revealed once again.

It may seem foolish to say it this way, but I believe many of us forget this from time to time, if God is love then that means He loves you. He loves us with that agape love we talked about on Sunday. He loves us in an unselfish manner for our sake. Read John 15:9-17. In this passage Jesus speaks of love quite a bit and He characterizes our relationship with Him. It is not a relationship of master to servant, for in this type of relationship the master (employer) may show interest for our good for the sake of the good we (the employee) can do in return for him, but rather Jesus calls us friends. He loves us regardless of what we can provide for Him.

God’s love not only initiated the creation of our relationship with Him through creating us, uniquely in His image but then again through the sending of His Son Jesus. His love created us and His love also continually seeks us out. Read Luke 15 about the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. In each instance an aspect of God’s love is shown. That one sheep that was lost was not sought out for any other reason than the fact that it had left the fold. That lost sheep isn’t pointed out as having special features, looks or talents. It was sought after simply because God loved it. The lost coin was searched for diligently. This shows that God’s love will persevere no matter how poorly we feel or how hard we are trying to hide. Lastly, in the lost son we see that God’s love is willing to wait for us when we decide to rebel and will continue to watch out for our return and when we do His love runs to us.

God’s agape love is unselfish and wise enough to know when to seek, when to wait and when to run. It is unselfish and wise enough to know when to discipline, when to praise, when to draw in the reigns and when to loosen them. Each time we begin to doubt that love, I pray that we will see an image of the cross and in that image of the cross, God’s love, through His Son will be manifested (revealed) all over again to us.
May today you find the love of God in the smallest of things and through those small things be overwhelmed by the sheer vast nature of God’s love……for you.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. How has God revealed His love to you in your life?
2. What has His love inspired you to do with your life?

Pastor e

Postscript on the Post Sunday: That 3 ½ year old daughter from years ago is now 14. I watched her basketball game this afternoon with different eyes thanks to God’s reminder to me of that scene from June of 1998 of a young Dad and his young daughter. God’s handprints of agape love are all over our pasts, thank Him for those today.