It was worth it

We live in an electronic age. The positives of the age we live in are too numerous to list. We have speed, convenience and communication capabilities that no other generation could even have hoped for.

 

I have just returned from a visit to Kansas City. It was a whirlwind trip, leaving Wednesday afternoon and returning Saturday night. I traveled the 640 miles (one way) with my immediate family for an unusual occasion; we wanted to actually be with family on Thanksgiving. With three out of four parents and in-laws in their 80′s, it just seemed like precious time was flying and it would be best for us all to be together on this wonderful holiday.

 

To keep from messing up anybody’s house, we used a room in my in-laws church and had our thanksgiving meal of turkey and ham and all the trimmings prepared by a local grocery store. The church had a gymnasium with plenty of room and basketball goals that allowed for the expenditure of exercise from our energy laden niece and nephews. Balls bounced and hula hoops spun most of the afternoon.

 

Throughout the day we had opportunity to do what we wanted; to play ball, play cards, eat plenty and of course to pray.

 

I reflected on the alternatives. Had we not made the trip, we would likely have had phone conversations with most of our family. We would have wished one another “Happy Thanksgiving” and talked for a few minutes. For the techie one’s, we might even have been able to hook up a web cam and see them.

 

But even in this fascinating fast paced world of electronics, there is still something special about personal touch and personal interaction. Real flesh touching real flesh.

 

You cannot given an electronic hug. What made this trip worthwhile was the fact that throughout the day, hugs were given, wrestling occurred, cards were played and food was both served and consumed. At one point I laid on the gymnasium floor and told a story to my niece and nephew, as they lay right next to me. The telling of stories by uncle Greg has become a ritual each time I see these two great kids. Later they sat on my lap as I read them stories. In each of these situations, human touch happens. It may not be much and it may not be intentional, but it happens.

 

We are told in the gospel of John that “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” One of the amazing truth’s of the Christmas story is that God took on human flesh in the form of Jesus and came to eat dinner with us, play games with us, and even hug us. God could have chosen some other form of communication. He could have simply “appeared” among us like an alien or a computer screen. But He chose instead to take on flesh and bone and really be here with us.

 

As I reflect on the cost of staying in a motel and buying gas for the 1300 plus miles of driving we did in a little over three days, I have to say it was worth every penny to be with my family “in the flesh.”

 

I have to wonder if God thought about the cost of sending His Son into the world. Was it going to be worth it to take on human flesh and to show people how to live, how to love, and how to “lay down one’s life for His friends?”

 

I’m glad I made the trip at Thanksgiving. It was worth it.

I’m also glad Jesus made the trip to earth to be present “in the flesh.”

It was worth it.

Long Germination

I’m not much for gardening and I’m sure not a farmer. Still, if I remember my middle and High School science days correctly, the time from when a seed is planted to when it begins to sprout is called germination.  During germination, all the planter can do is wait.

One of the wonderful things about our celebration of Easter happening in the spring is the idea that what has lay dormant (dead) over the winter comes back to life again in the Spring. It’s as if we wait all winter to see signs of new life in the spring. But wait we must.

From the time a child is conceived God is working to form the amazing being inside his or her mother’s womb. And we await, often time’s anxiously, the birth!

Experiencing new life often involves waiting. What must it have been like for the disciples to have seen the death of their friend and Savior Jesus, and then came those dark hours when they waited in grief. How glorious the surprise of new life must have been for those who had waited for God to make sense out of the death of Jesus.

Today, I was reminded of how long we sometimes must wait for spiritual seeds that have been planted to germinate and come to bloom. Approximately 5 years ago one of our youthworkers and I met with a very young teenager at the request of his parents. We tried to talk of spiritual things but the young person was resistant to say the least. In fact, he literally hid his face from us while we were talking.

Today, five years later, I met with the same young person at his request to talk over spiritual things. We talked for 1 ½ hours. In that time I answered questions, shared how a person becomes a Christian and asked if he would like to commit his life to Christ. The response?  “Not yet!” he said!  More waiting!

I am reminded that though I haven’t seen any results of our encounter in those intervening five years, GOD HAS STILL BEEN AT WORK!

I know a family who has prayed for their son to come to faith in Christ for nearly 50 years! Still waiting.

God’s timing is not ours. We live in a fast paced, instant gratification sort of a world. But the Bible talks of slower days; of sowers, and rain showers, and gardeners and those who eventually reap.

What spiritual seeds are you waiting on? What have you planted but have seen no results yet? The resurrection is a reminder that new life comes! It comes by God’s power and in God’s time. As you ponder the resurrection, talk to God about the seeds you have planted, and ask if in His graciousness, you could be blessed to see some of them come to full bloom!