He Cares For You

There can be many thoughts when you look out on a fresh fallen snow. Some of us think about the work it takes to remove it. Others think about how wonderful and white and pure it looks. Children look out and see adventure and fun and all those things’ children think when they see something for the first time. For most of these feelings and thoughts I could become all spiritual but I won’t.
What I will get spiritual about is watching a dog. A number of years ago, we as a family had the opportunity to adopt a dog. She was nothing fancy, made mistakes like chewing things she shouldn’t and she didn’t cost us anything but the upkeep. Kala was a cross bred. Somewhere between a husky and a shepherd. You would know this dog was husky when the first snow fell. Today as I looked out over the freshly fallen snow, I envision in my mind’s eye watching this amazing dog. I’m not sure if she was part kangaroo, but she didn’t run much and almost always bound. She would bound out the door, like a kangaroo until she hit the snow. Then she would bury her face. Over and over she would try to get under the snow. It was fun to watch her.
Our yard was her domain and pity any slow unsuspecting animal who crossed through. She was known to go over, under and through fences chasing those grey squirrels and getting sprayed by skunks. In her early years she did catch a few squirrels and we buried them somewhere out back. As she grew older, just like us, she slowed down some. The squirrels must have known this because we could notice them getting closer to the house and further from the safety of the maple trees.
Everyone knew Kala. She would sit on the sidewalk at the end of the driveway. From there she would watch the world go by. No collar, no lead and only once did she wander away. She would sit quietly and quietly get up when people would walk by. She would greet them and look for a pat on the head. Kala especially enjoyed the children and they loved her.
Like most pets, she lived a pampered life here in our home. Always appearing out of nowhere when you inadvertently draped your hand over the arm of the chair. A wet nose would nudge your hand with expectantly. How could you not resist giving her a pat or a scratch behind the ears?
Our lives changed one day. For about six months, we noticed she no longer climbed the stairs each night at bed time. It was no big deal we thought until the day when she bound out after that intruding squirrel. With a yelp we had never heard before, and a limp back to the door we knew something was wrong.
The trip to the vet confirmed she was not well. We took her home so everyone could say their goodbyes and then she went for her last car ride. Like each of you who have had pets, these are not pleasant journeys. But neither is ours.
Just like Kala, all of us look for love and affections. We want someone to put their arm around us and hold us. Just like her, I am no blue blood, and I make mistakes for which everyone in my congregation can attest. Wonderfully, we have the love of Jesus. And I pray that each of us will feel His arm around our shoulder. To Christ, Especially I pray that each of us will have a love and devotion to Christ as Kala did to us. With love, when we are old and fragile, Jesus will accompany us on our last journey in this life, to take us home. We rest in His hands, He knows what is best for us and "He cares for you."
Rob

Who Is He To You?

Jesus asked the apostle Peter, "Who do you say that I am?". It was a significant question at the time. His answer changed their relationship. If we were to ask people today who Jesus is we would get all kinds of answers. Just the other day a friend, who I have known for about eight years answered this question for me even without me asking.
Something is going on in her life at this point. I was not able to find out as the situation did not allow us to pursue that line of conversation. Out of nowhere came this fastball. "I don’t believe there is a God." I could tell by the way she said it, this was not just a statement of fact but a statement with a question behind it. More like, "The way my life is going right now, I can’t see a God who cares." Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. We hear it more and more and I believe it is due to peoples concept of God.
Over the last thirty years or so, I have observed a new reality of how people think of God. Unlike Peter who answered, "You are the Son of the Living God," most people look to God as a benefactor. They come to Him with their ‘Christmas Wish List’ and expect instant results. They come to Him daily with a wish list. "Lord, give me a better boss, God, help me get out of this mess I got myself in, help my kids, straighten them out because I don’t know how." Unfortunately this is all they know of God. Don’t just come to visit only when you want something. People expect God to jump at the snap of the fingers. You get the idea. You may at some time voiced some of them yourself. I know I have.
But this is not what Peter is saying. I believe in this statement Peter is letting us know who deserves our time and our worship. At another point in time, Peter asks Jesus to leave him because he considers himself nothing in comparison to a holy Christ. "Leave me because I am a sinful man."
How does my friend see God? I believe she is blinded to the totality of God just because He has not been answering this prayer. She doesn’t see this as snapping her fingers, but a prayer from her hurting heart.
Let me ask you. Do you come to pray to God only when things are tough? Is the only time you come to Christ a time of pain and hurt? Don’t get me wrong, God is there and He hears the prayer of His child. But being a child involves walking daily with Him. When we were children, we had a very close relationship with our parents. We got to know them and became like them. We learned daily from them and they encouraged us to learn from their mistakes so we wouldn’t have to repeat them. It is the same with God.
He wants to have an ongoing relationship. He wants children who don’t just call Him up once a week or drops by a couple of times a year. We can and need to have a close relationship. It would be unfortunate if, when we stand before Him, we hear the words of Matthew 25:12, "I don’t know you." And so I will say to my friend and to you, "Who is Jesus to you?"
An older gentleman decided to give up the city life and become a gentleman farmer. In early fall he traveled around and found just the right place to buy. Wonderful home, great yards and an amazing crop in the field. It was the middle of winter when he moved in. He was so excited about all that would happen. He mowed the lawn, took wonderful care of the flower gardens and even put in a couple of tomato plants. By late summer he was wondering what was going on. As he stood beside the road one day, looking out over the hundred-acre farm an old farmer pulled up in his well worn blue Chevy pickup. "How’s it going," he asked? Turning to greet the neighbour he replied it wasn’t going well. "What’s the problem?" the old farmer asked. "Last year it was an amazing crop here, and I don’t know what happened." With a slight curl at the corners of his mouth the farmer said as he slowly pulled away, "You have to work the land and plant some seed to get a crop."
What’s coming up in your field?
Rob

Lean On Me

Have you ever tried to stand a stick on edge? Before you turn the page and wander off to see what everyone else did last Sunday, humour me. The other day I had the wonderful opportunity to do absolutely nothing. So, there I sat, letting my mind drift, while trying to stand up a pencil on end. Sort of like having one stick standing on edge. Years ago, when bored with the teacher, I used to try to stand a pencil up on the end. Most times, it can’t be done no matter what you do. Then I had opportunity to have a pen that became my favourite. This pen, even though it was heavy on one side due to the pocket clip, could stand if you held you mouth it in the right way.
Without driving it into the surface you have it on, it only works occasionally. Give it a try. By the way, pencils work better then pens. Got it? Now that you have conquered this, move onto two sticks or two pencils. This is exactly what we did while sitting around the campfire. We would even do it to start fires.
Start with a few sticks leaning on or over each other. Pour on some gasoline then light it up. Just kidding. You would never see that on Survivor. Hypnotized by the flame we would entertain ourselves by leaning two sticks together to see if they could stand on their own. Driving them into the dirt was cheating. When it failed, we threw them in the fire and picked up two more. This would go on for a while.
Again, bored with that we would add the third dimension or should I say the third stick. And so it went. We add one more and one more and one more. The more you added the easier it gets. After a while, a Bill Withers song would start traveling through our minds.
Sometimes in our lives we all have painWe all have sorrowBut if we are wiseWe know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don't let show

If there is a load you have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the roadI'll share your load
If you just call me

So just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on
Lean on me...
There will be times when it is difficult to go on our own. We need someone to lean on. How wonderful that God in His wisdom did not just give us each other to lean on but He became the third dimension when together, we lean on Him. Start a fire with Him and let His fire burn in us.
Rob