Christian View of 2022 - #37
It gets messy, doesn’t it! Whether, it’s our feelings, our future; or yes, even our faith, life has it’s moments when it all collides, contradicts and compels us to ask the hard questions.
Is this all real? Where is God when it hurts? If all things work together for good, why is it all falling apart ?
What about the prodigals? Will they ever come home?
God’s got a plan? Really? Then, why do things seem like a mistake, a misstep, and a meaningless menu of disappointments and dead ends.
God never guaranteed days without night, gains without loss, advances without reverses or laughter without tears.
2022 has, so far, given us ten months mixed with emotions and events that have brought us to our knees in prayer and to our feet in praise.
We have witnessed the whole gamut of life’s celebrations and sorrows. Being a Christian has no exemption clause from the human experience. Such a Pollyanna perspective reduces Christianity to a weakened, watered down version of the original order of Christ and His kingdom.
Yes, it is messy! But this is where God writes His story, and sings His song. This is where He develops His poets, His pastors and prophets, His painters and people who dare to dream His dreams and do His Will.
Consider Thomas A. Dorsey's "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" was composed in 1932 shortly after his wife's death in childbirth followed by the death of the infant. Horatio G. Spafford wrote "It Is Well With My Soul" after his four daughters were tragically lost at sea in 1873.
No, God does not create the mess; however, The Master can use the pain and tears that mingle with our messy lives and create beauty and good out of its suffering and loss.
Birthing hymns out of our broken hearts, building lives from the broken pieces and bring hope out of our broken dreams.
This is where you’ll find Him…
At the tomb of Lazarus, weeping
With a adulteress woman, forgiving
With a blind man - giving sight
On a cross - bearing our sin and shame.
He is still the Good Samaritan in the ditch with a man on the Jericho road.
Neither the past ten months nor the two yet to come are too much for Him. He’s more than a match for the mess, more than enough for our deficits and inadequacies.
The words of a well worn chorus comes to my mind:
“He's More Than Enough - David Ingles
Chorus
He's more than enough, More than enough�He is El Shaddai, The God of plenty�The all sufficient one, God Almighty�He is more than enough
Let me invite you to sing it right now - in what ever your facing - He is forever and for you ...
El Shaddai
Randy B. Leavitt
Pastor