December 31-Getting Up

Happy Sunday. I hope you are ready for a wonderful Lord’s Day and are meeting with fellow believers for a time of corporate worship. What a perfect way to end this year. 


Georgia and Oscar took their kids skiing this last week and they sent a video of little Ozzie coming down the mountain. At one point, he falls but pops right back up—I played it over and over again remembering times when I was skiing and fell. I didn’t ever pop up like that! It caused me to think, how very much skiing down that mountain is like our life. We all at some point are going to fall, but are we getting back up? And how adept are we at overcoming those falls? Ozzie didn’t hardly miss a beat which should be the goal for all of us I think. If we can get to the point where we quickly realize we are not standing, we can immediately jump back up with an “Oops, let’s fix that!” sort of reaction. 


““Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.” Matthew‬ ‭7:13-14‬ ‭MSG‬‬

 

The way to real life in Jesús is vigorous—it takes dedication, energy, and determination. Watching those skiers reminded me of the cold, the thin air, the equipment, and the stamina it takes to get down that mountain. Just like our life. Jesus himself tells us “How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” Matthew‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

I do so want to be one of those few who find it, don’t you? 


It is not the easy way, the wide way that most people take, but while we are coming down our mountain, we have to give total attention to what we are doing. Otherwise, you can end up in a big mess with skis tangled, off the path in deep powder, and/or causing others to fall. And all of that happens to us as we are navigating down, but when we slip and fall, we get up, fix our equipment, make corrections and keep going. And the longer we go, the better we get at that. 


I wish for you in 2018 that path—the hard one, the narrow one, the one few find—because my friend, that’s the one that leads to real life. 


Love you and have a Happy New Year,

Pam


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 17, 2020

Happy Friday. It’s the end of another week and we have had more opportunities to share the love of Christ with those around us and sometimes that takes quite a bit of effort. I don’t know about you, but I’m not always anxious to embrace others and really listen to them or share with them (especially those who I don’t know well). Sometimes, I just look at them and think “Are you for real?” I don’t always agree with people over politics, sports or of course, religion. And let’s face it, we’d rather spend time with people we like and mostly agree.  And then I read my Bible. God hasn’t called us to sit in our little groups with only those we naturally gravitate towards, but to love people—all people, even those who aren’t necessarily loveable. In this passage, Paul writing to the people of Colosse remarks on how wonderful it is that they truly love others. That love must have really been something over and above the normal and he tells them that it is evident that it comes from the Holy Sp
Read more

January 15, 2020

Happy Wednesday to you. I hope your week is going well. Yesterday, I went to Sams. I was out of things like trash bags, toilet paper, and chicken, so off I went. I like going to Sams because there is always lots to look at and the isles are nice and wide. Everytime I’m there, I am amazed at how much stuff and everything from diapers to TVs to mangos to beds. It just seems incredible that so many things in such quantities are all under one roof.  King David never saw a store with as much stuff aa Sams of course, but he did see countless miracles and understand that God has plans. He knew from creation and history that he was serving a God of miracles and he know that God loved him and his people and would take care of them. He was amazed and awe-struck by the fact that a God who had done such great and mighty things not only cared about his people but that He loved them with such a great love.  “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can co
Read more

January 9, 2020

It’s Thursday and I woke up to the blowing wind! Lots of it—I’m dreading Boomer waking up and having to go outside with him. That harsh, bitter wind seems cruel and almost evil. But I’ll wrap myself up with a fe layers and boots and brave it all.  Sometimes I think we try to do that with things we know aren’t right—things that are evil. We try to wrap ourselves up and just wade into it, but Paul tells us we should reject it—stay away from it. “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:20-24‬ NIV When he wrote this he’d been in Berea and the Christians there diligently searched the scriptures to make sure everything Paul said was in line. Paul here is encouraging the Thessalonians to
Read more