Life is a full slate of things happening to us, around us, in us and through us. There is seldom a dull moment!! For me this has been a very busy season of the year. Christmas blew through like a blustery winter wind, I traveled to Colorado to see some valued friends going through some profoundly difficult times, I attended the EFCA Theology Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, and then joined four other men from Quest for a trip to Haiti. It has been quite a ride. And now, this Sunday, we (as a congregation) will be voting on whether we are for or against purchasing the building and property near the intersection of Highway 109 and Old Manchester Road. In order to get to this vote, there has been a tremendous amount of work done by all sorts of people, but a large part of the work has been done by Brad Pinnell, who deserves a huge shout out of thanks by all of us. He has had his own adventures in the midst of all his investigations (trapped by the flood waters in his neighborhood, caring for employees whose lives can be full of turmoil, etc.).
Life is a full slate isn’t it! In the midst of it all, God is present and He is not hurried nor hassled by all of our activities. He understands the life of a 21st century person. He desires to accompany us on the rollercoaster of our lives and the busyness of our schedules. He wants to empower us and guide us through all the twists and turns. But I wonder if He would also enjoy a few quiet moments with us before our day begins or when it is winding down? In those moments, we may be less distracted and more apt to surrender to Him the events coming up or the events that have just transpired. More importantly, we would probably be more prepared to expose and surrender our troubled hearts in the midst of a troubled world. Who knows what our world will dish up for us on any given day, but we can rest assured that God will offer us exactly the same thing day in and day out. He offers us His forgiveness and He offers us renewing grace. He offers us His holiness to wash away our stains. He offers us stability in a world of constant shifting and shuffling of right and wrong, good and bad. He offers us strength when we feel weak. He offers us courage when we feel overwhelmed. He offers us humility when we become to full of ourselves. He offers us clarity when life seems fuzzy.
He does not promise to make our world easy and smooth. In fact, He convinces us that in this world we will have tribulations. But He also promises that He has overcome this world and is simply preparing us to His incredible return. In the mean time, we are promised His presence with us and in every travail of life. So, enjoy His presence in the busy times and in the quiet times of life.
–Kevin