loving the complainer
What do you do when find yourself caught up on the unknown path of faith where there is no map? We find ourselves in this place today. Having tried a small home bible study and failed miserably in conventional measurements, we are still traveling down the path looking for the possibilities of growing new relationships. Surely the Great Map Maker hasn’t left us out here to wonder aimlessly and to shrivel up. Is this what it felt like for my ancient brothers and sisters who traveled in the wilderness for 40 years while Yahweh was molding them into a nation?
Wikipedia has some interesting commentary on the Exodus. Having done some study over the years on the people of the Exodus, I considered them to be a bunch of whiners. Now I find myself one of the chief whiners. This journey is so HARD! It’s like breaking a habit, one that on the surface seems harmless. After living on the accolades of man to sustain our soul, we are looking to the Trinity to affirm our being. I know God has heard our complaining, we are dying over here! We are walking the Exodus story, it’s their story, and it’s our story. The scriptures are not just a bunch of things that happened; it’s a bunch of things that are happening, and they are happening to us now!
What is the manna and quail? What has been the spiritual nourishment while we have been the desert of life? Anne, David & Melissa, Rob, Gaston, Karen, Jeff, Dustin, Rod, you have been the spiritual nourishment of Jesus people loving the complainers. Through your comments, calls, blogs, and IM, you have helped us wrestle with “what is it” questions. We deeply appreciate each one of you! If you could only know how each one of you have held us together, while it seemed like we were coming loose at the seams. We long to be with each of you face to face. You have truly embodied, as the zoo people say, “on earth as it is in Heaven.”
May we stand together on the Mount as the Lord of Heaven and Earth proclaims over us You Are My People! I AM your GOD!
5 comments:
Michael, you and Darla have been (and you continue to be) very important during this season of our lives...we're looking forward to (hopefully) seeing you in person this summer.
I definitely relate to feeling like a "whiner" :) (In my case, I'm tired of hearing myself complain so much...I wonder how He feels).
And amen to this: After living on the accolades of man to sustain our soul, we are looking to the Trinity to affirm our being.
For me, sometimes this feels the same as being completely lost and alone. The worst feeling I experience is just wanting to give up completely. It's not that I want to go back to Egypt (God forbid I should ever go that churchy route again). I just don't always want to keep looking for the Promised Land. I also don't want to remain in the wilderness. I just know there's Something Better, but I can't seem to find the mo-jo to even look for it.
It really helps to "listen in" to your journey here.
Each step of a difficult journey brings forth 10 stories that will each resonate with 100 people. The trick is in taking our gaze from the uncertainty of each step and looking upward to connect with the eyes and heart of those who see us walking -- those who long to hear our story.
I here you on the lack of "mo-jo!"
I wanted to call you last night, I just ran out of gas. Today is a new day. Looking forward to your trip in June!
Hey Rod, great perspective! We are going to be in Dallas the end of May. We may spend a day in Houston, if so we'll try to get together.
Michael, you and Darla are both such a gift, and your mutual passion for God so inspires me. Journeying together, even remotely, has been such a blessing in my life. Though there are many lovely women in my church and small group, Darla is the only one I've shared such a spiritual connection with, and who seems to be walking so closely in step on the same path.
This sentence -
"May we stand together on the Mount as the Lord of Heaven and Earth proclaims over us You Are My People! I AM your GOD!" - made me smile from ear to ear. What a glorious thought!
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