James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father
of the heavenly lights,
who does not change like shifting shadows.
What God gives us, we will do something with.
Perhaps the most original and organic response is Gratitude. And the next response we have to gratitude is our thoughts... how well we did with gratitude. We tire even ourselves. And God's Biblical response would be, have the faith of a child. And find comfort in His Steadfast Love! How refreshing. Delightful to find simple Love.
The Gates of Heaven are open, always, and the Pearl does not roll to shut the gate.
And Peter has the keys. God is Good. And has wit. When we consider the River of shining water rolls from His throne and cover Heaven with a path to His Throne lined with the Tree of Life. God has sent a statement. To hold on to. His Trees have healing leaves. And are available to ... the Nations.
The thing about Nations and Empires, they change. They have flaws.
And God says Nations will arrive at His Kingdom. And God will heal them.
We occupy about 2.5 feet of the earth. That's it.
And we will occupy this space for anywhere from today or eighty years. All the joy and happiness we have, comes from our soul, which we will take into Heaven and an organ called the brain. The brain covers a space of about eight inches. And from there ....we will leave a footprint. Our portion of this earth is eight inches and a few years. Surveying an earth we will never travel, completely. We will never know all the earth's history and, most days, we won't look to the blue or grey sky and realize the cap isn't the sky, the universe is so vast the Scriptures tell us we can't even comprehend what God has done.
When we suddenly ask for a friend, we divert to David.
David was extremely, and is, extremely useful to God. David's capacity to be useful comes from the faith God is the answer. The faith of a child. To be errant and believe the door is still open to God's heart. Children and puppies rarely look like their world has ended. They aren't the couple you saw at the grocery store with the most adorable children. The adults have either just lost a job or a beloved one. Children or puppies believe what... ever happens, will be interesting. Our dogs are frankly, a billion times more interesting, compelling, appealing, fascinating, captivating, intriguing than the cost to have a dog. The pup believes the ball is astonishing. If the other dog takes the ball, his interest is joy. Even if the sweet girl only is taking it to bother him, every single time. If the ball is under the sofa, time will tell who will get it to roll again. In the pool, well, well soggy is good and wets the whistle. Delightful. Catching the ball as it is thrown is sure to get a response. Having it zap right back and see the people dodge is earth changing. The ball never goes astray. Whatever happens will be fascinating, just as the ball bounces. The exact interest of young children. And David. David believed no matter if your entire family is kidnapped, and the neighbors want to kill you for the trauma that they have something of the same due to you, If you have an enemy king, you roll on the ground and eat grass as if crazy. David believes in renewal and diligence and reward. Faith.
David believes in the Constancy of God's Love and Mercy. Our David did not feel these things would defeat him or beat him.
Yesterday we saw the people attending the Dinner in White, Dine en Blanc, find this one of the most interesting and delightful thing they will do all year. Why? Fair question. They have to find new tablecloths, plates, clothing perhaps, bring the food. Cart the beverages. Put themselves into a Lottery to get a $55 ticket to have a mere table. And then wait to see if they are privileged to jam in with 5,000 people they don't know. And then this comes up in conversation for over a year. Why?
A glimpse of Heaven. The unity. To be chosen. In good weather. A new and entirely different experience. They get to go home pretty quickly. No guilt at the table. No repeat bad attitudes. Nothing lurking to be harmful, remembered for years. Relief. Joy. Life. To be graced with favor.
Thanksgiving is different. It's more like the trust to put the armor of ongoing discussions at the door. Willingness to wade through the comment. The forgiveness of the bounce of a future. The joy in finding the differences don't matter. The blessing of Love. And usually Thanksgiving is just a gift, or it is a small contribution with the benefit of the Glory of sharing.
Change.
We are all rolling on. Even if you only believe, or deal with the believers, only in time. We are all on the Great River of Time rolling to the place. And if we do what is hateful, we are guaranteed to find our hearts, and hands, have become very empty places.
This year, these incredible two years, I sat with someone a dear friend in heavy sadness. All the friends had grown older and jaded with the lure to travel places that would be wrong and change the family at home. The friends had been shown great loyalty and had waved that away to have their own opinions on what is fun. A bit of fun. Not so serious. Nope, this is the idea, but it's a lie. I was asked what should be done when a lot had been placed on these circle of friends. The answer is for all of us. People change. They cannot be what completes us. And if this wasn't about a circle of friends and was about a job, or finances or health. We have to have faith that the next step will have joy.
Life is complex. You'd think the answer to failing friends would be new friends. However, the family unit likes the friends. Remember Salome. You have to sometimes decide to swim for the other shore, where goodness is pointed to by Scripture.
Your 2.5 feet of space occupied by 8 inches of brain is blazing a path. Sure, sure, sure. Yes, your footprint of goodness and mercy David acknowledged in Psalm 23 is writing your story your great-grandchildren will put down as plumb line of go there or run. Always take the time to please God and make your mark be something someone can be bolstered by.
Fury.
We have seen unprecedented fury. And been moved to find as a nation, that fury isn't a good basis for making decisions to be relied upon. Steadfast Love is the best shelter.
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow”
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
-William Shakespeare, Macbeth
So much of our fury has one cause. We believe we can't handle what is in front of us. We believe life is relentlessly leaving our grasp and joy has fled. The counter measure usually isn't pretty. We were really wonderful friends with our Pastor Allan. And when the icemaker routinely broke, it would be a forty-five-minute screaming and cussing upset to figure out what to move to have ice and not flood. When Allan visited, we learned that the no cussing time period saw the icemaker repair in less than ten minutes and laughed to find the Joy.
Gratitude.
Even when something is temporary. Like standing behind the refrigerator. I know people who have died of Cancer, who thank God for the Cancer. Because the Cancer made them realize the more in-depth questions of life and understand God is real. Family trouble and divorce created more depth of character. Fear; the 1980s loved to say no fear. Instead, wisdom prevails. Our Gratitude for all aspects of life. Gratitude ancient old age is temporary. Gratitude forgiveness gives peace, even if the forgiveness is really a process like the years of having a Prodigal son or self. Gratitude we intend to forgive. Gratitude this will happen.
Thank You, Abba.
Thank You, Jesus Christ.
Thank You, Holy Spirit.
Thank You GOD. Amen.
♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †
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