Wednesday, December 31, 2008
2008
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!"
-- Luke 2:14 (ESV)
As the Christmas Sermon was droning on, I noticed this particular verse in the passage the preacher was preaching on. the word, "peace".
And it does make sense, why its so hard for us to be at peace with others. I mean a true, restful, trusting, sincere peace. Where we are at, when we are at, how we are at - we are always at some point in time when we have to look back and look ahead. When it will come to a time when we become tired to say "I missed.." or find it so difficult to say "I wish.." and when realise so uncertainly, how it has to go on.
A year doesn't just happen
to you like that.
The meaningfulness of all reflections and thankfulness of about everything is on the basis that as Christians, we have been granted that peace with God. A peace with the One who is real, unchanging, true... who gives us that peace, there at that point in time- whatever point in time it may be.
Labels: Life, muse
_____________Zoneseekers..::
by a perspective that relies on the author of Truth...
7:38 AM
Monday, December 15, 2008
I am - Sight
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
-- John 8:12
When I was back in BPT, a certain phrase that kept popping up in squad mates conversations soon turned into a catch phrase -
"What's going on?" And we ended up using that to amuse ourselves rather than actually finding out ("Hey Jared, whats going on?" "No idea.. James, whats going on?") We had a good reason in giving up anyway, because most of the time, we never did find out what was 'going on' until the very moment where the thing actually was 'on'.
I guess because its NS, which means you have another 40 equally clueless men stoning together with you at the moments of waiting, it doesn't make it that bad. However, not knowing something when you think you are supposed to, does inflict more than just an insanity to amuse the company your with with useless catch phrases in cases when its not NS.
What it inflicts, is probably related to man's inner capacity for detecting personal injustice. One of my pastor's illustrated this very simply through describing the need for him and his wife to have superb accuracy skills when cutting slices of cakes for each of their 4 children. Appeals and whines would otherwise arise.
A similar infliction would probably also be experienced when one is late for a costume party and is waiting with another friend at his place, unsure of when his friend's dad will be arriving to pick the both of them up. They both watch his television, wondering when they can go while attempting to ignore the people who tell them that everyone has already reached the place and are only waiting for them to cut the cake. ( lol:P)
As what NS men, children and a friend of mine have all shown - when something is unknown, unfair or uncertain, we are not at ease. Speaking more broadly, sight is something that is important to us. How things will be answered, what things will become, how will it all turn out.. The remedy of clarity is something pressing for us simply because of the immediacy of it. In this perspective, salvation is seen to be found in the discovery of a direction that is understood.
However, in ways other than the examples I gave, NS men, Children and friends of mine can show - not all questions can be answered.
A QT material I read recently contained a story about Mark, an Air Force Officer and Susan, his wife-
Mark loved Susan with all his heart. Due to a medical misdiagnosis, Susan had been rendered sightless, and was suddenly plunged into a world of darkness. When she first lost her sight, Mark heart-wrenchingly watched her sink into despair. He became determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again.
Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get to the city herself. Mark decided to drive her to work each day, despite the both of them working on opposite ends of town.
However, soon Mark begin to realise that the arrangement was not working. It was hectic and costly. Susan had to start taking the bus again.
But the thought of something like that made her cringe. She was horrified, "I'm blind!" She responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I'm going? I feel like your abandoning me."
Mark's heart broke when her heard her words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised to ride the bus with her, each morning and evening for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that was what he did.
For 2 solid weeks, Mark accompanied Susan to and fro from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, especially her hearing, to determine where she was. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her and save her a seat. He made her laugh, even on those not-so-good-days when she would trip while exiting the bus or drop her briefcase.
They journeyed together in the morning, and Mark would then cab to his office. Although the routine was more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Mark knew it was only a matter of time before Susan could ride alone. He believed in the Susan who wasn't afraid of any challenge and just wouldn't quit.
Finally, she decided that she was ready to try to trip on her own. The next monday morning, she threw her arms around him, remembering his loyalty, patience and love. She waved goodbye and for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... each day, she went on her own perfectly. Susan never felt better, she was doing it!
On Friday Morning, Susan took the bus as usual. As she was exiting the bus, the bus driver said, "Boy, I sure envy you." Susan wasn't certain if the bus driver was speaking to her or not - who would envy a blind women who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year?
"What do you mean?" she asked.
The driver responded, "It must feel good to be taken care of and protected as you are. You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman has been standing across the corner watching as you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches until you enter the office building. Then he blows you as kiss, gives you a little salute, and walks away. You are one lucky lady."
-----
(From Stories for a teen's heart, Book 2)
Sometimes... not having answers does not mean not being clear. While we might not have the answers to all of life's questions, God has granted us many things that we can be comforted by.
Things that can bring light where there have always been darkness.
"I say the gods deal very unrightly with us. For they will neither (which would be best of all) go away and leave us to live our own short days to ourselves, nor will they show themselves openly and tell us what they would have us do. For that too would be endurable. But to hint and hover, to draw near us in dreams and oracles, or in a waking vision that vanishes as soon as seen, to be dead silent when we question them and then glide back and whisper (words we cannot understand) in our ears when we most wish to be free of them, and to show to one what they hide from another; what is all this but cat-and-mouse play, blindman's bluff, and mere juglery? Why must holy places be dark places?"
-- Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis
Inscribed on the walls of a cellar in Cologne, Germany, where some Jews were hiding from Nazis:
I believe in the sun when it is not shining. I believe in love even when feeling it not. I believe in God even when He is silent.
Labels: I am, Life
_____________Zoneseekers..::
by a perspective that relies on the author of Truth...
12:30 AM
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