Maintaining the balance between expecting a miracle and walking in the mundane:

A LITTLE AT A TIME

I appreciate taking giant leaps. I totally believe in the God of miracles. Even in the ordinary realm of getting from one place to another, as much as I dislike standing in line, being X-rayed, and asking myself a million times if I have my passport, I really like getting in a plane and getting out thousands of miles away a few hours later. Right now, my prayer list contains requests for a couple of things that fall in the shock and awe category. Yet, while I pray for, wait for, even expect--on my more faith-full days--the amazing, I need to not despise the mundane. Again, "Blessed are the Balanced."I (OK, the point could be made that people who have enough sense to not stand on beach balls, especially if they weigh a couple of tons are truly blessed, but cut me some slack.) I look at one of the times in Bible history that was weighted down with miracles, the months surrounding God's deliverance of his people from Egypt, yet in the midst of Divine plagues, paths through the sea, pillars of fire and bread from heaven there was the totally ordinary exercise of walking. How did the people of Israel get from Egypt to Canaan? On the one hand, the answer is, "It was through a series of miracles." In another way, though, it is entirely accurate to say, "They walked." I'm working to balance on those two realities, and I'm not doing it with nearly as much grace as a large pachyderm doing a circus trick. Here are some of the realities, as I see reality that I'm seeking to hold in the right tension. I can't turn loose of either end:   God expects me to do my very best today < > My best is insufficient. God generally uses human instruments < > All those human instruments, including me are terribly inadequate. The miraculous is not miraculous to God, and the mundane is full of God's hidden (to me) hand of providence. I ought to be properly concerned, but I should not worry. If you see me wobbling, you are seeing correctly. I identify with the man who proclaimed, "I do believe!" but before he drew another breath asked, "Help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). I don't know, but I figure some of you have the same struggles. It's not only something to think about; it's something to pray about. Let's work on it together. It's STTA (Something To Think About).  Here is a different presentation of the Good News in Christ. You can find several ways to explore the Message of Grace here.

Something to Think About for April 9, 2014:

Something To Think About, Spreading the Word, 4/8

We have We have been working with John's seven signs that he presents “so that [we] may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing [we] may have life in His name.” (John 20:31, NASB95)  These miraculous signs are prominent in the first half of John's Gospel. Turning water into wine, chapter 2; Healing the nobleman's son, 4; Healing of the paralyzed man at Bethesda, 5; The feeding of the 5,000, 6; Walking on water, 6; Giving sight to the man born blind, 9; and The raising of Lazarus, 11 are all very impressive actions.  They would have impressed no one, however, had not those who knew about them told someone--many someones. I just had a brief exchange with someone who is very aware of God has done for him.  He is eager to tell about it.  From the Apostle John to my friend, unless we tell what Christ has done others won't know what He can do. Go tell somebody!    It's Something to Think About. Explore the Good News here.  Its one of our attempts to tell somebody.