Greetings in the name of the “High King of Heaven”, Jesus Christ – THE Crucified and Risen Saviour! What a beautiful Friday morning … as snowflakes drift along in a gentle breeze and the air is cool and the sky hovers over us like a warm blanket. I hope you have had a good week in the Kingdom and are excited about the weekend. I trust that you are expectant about gathering with your church family to launch into Advent 2014…and all the surprises that are going to come your way. I will be praying for you today, asking Father to enter into every open heart, open mind, and open spirit. May God give you a “vision” of his plans and purposes for you!
What should I put in my Advent 2014 journal today? I think it should be a ‘formula’ and it probably looks like this: ??? = faith + hope + courage + persistence + ________________ . Even though we know so much about Advent and Christmas, about God’s love and grace, about how life’s choices have brought us to this moment in our lives, and about life in general … we still don’t have all the answers. In fact, I believe we have more questions now than we have ever had! We don’t want to admit that but I think most of us go to bed at night with two questions in our mind … “what is the meaning behind all that happened in my life today?” and “what will tomorrow bring my way?”
The answer(s) to those questions will always require a unique combination of faith in a God I cannot see and doesn’t do things the way I would … hope in the leadership of a gentle Shepherd … courage to follow when things don’t make sense …persistence to keep putting my days into God’s hands … laughter, so I won’t take myself too seriously. I am sure that you could add a few words into the formula that will personalize it.
I know that you are surprised … stunned even, because “music” wasn’t in the formula. For me “music” is always there, the backdrop for life. Everybody has their own “theme music”, whether they realize it or not and just like watching a movie – the “music” moves us from one scene to another and we sense what is going on. This morning … right now, I can hear the music and words: Amazing love! How can it be that You, my KIng should die for me? … I’m alive and well, Your spirit is within me, because You died and rose again! Chris Tomlin.
Have a great weekend and be blessed!