We are in the States for the holidays for the first time in 14 years. We feel joy to be with family for Thanksgiving - mixed with the pain of being away from friends and our "adopted family" and home in Russia.
The joy can't be separated from the pain - we embrace them together, knowing that love in a fallen world brings both. And we are thankful this Thanksgiving, so very thankful... ...for the love of family and the joy that we are able to be with them for Thanksgiving... ...for the love for our friends and "family" in Russia and other places around the world,
...yes, even thankful for the pain of being apart from them because it bears witness to the love... ...and for the love of God - who loves us all so much that He embraced - and embraces - the joy and pain of loving us. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
To our American friends who celebrate Thanksgiving on this day, and to all our friends who celebrate on other days and give thanks in other ways - Happy Thanksgiving!
Your family said You were out of Your mind and they came to take charge of You (Mark 3:20-21).
It's easy for me to dismiss them and their concerns because I know the whole story now. I know how the next chapters go.
I know they were mistaken in their concerns for You.
...Or were they?
There was much to be concerned about. You spent Yourself for people - for us - and then You suffered and died. Their concern was understandable in light of all that happened.
I can't dismiss them for their concerns.
Where they went wrong was not trusting You. You were fulfilling Your purpose,Your calling. You would die, but You would rise again - and all the people would be saved.
But I can't dismiss them for that, either, because I also know more than they did about who You are. They had small pieces of the puzzle - and not a larger part of the big picture as we do, today.
I know more than they did about Who You Are.
Jesus. The Son of God. God Incarnate. The one who died to save us. The one who rose again.
One of us, but not like us. Perfect, without sin. And with a purpose, a mission, that we still don't even fully "get" today - although we understand it a lot better than they did then.
No, I can't dismiss them.
If I follow You, there may be times that my family, relatives, friends think I'mout of my mind, and it would be easy to want to dismiss them like I want to dismiss Your family.
But when they think I'm crazy, I have to remember that:
1. My story isn't finished yet. There's a lot that remains to be seen. Not just for them to see, but for me to see as well.
2. My story is not like Yours. You are in me, and while it's true that You in me may look a bit different and crazy to those who are looking and expecting to see just me, I know too well how much of sinful, limited, mortal ME there is to be seen.
I - and they - know I can be mistaken.
You are in me, I am in You... but I am not You.
So when those who love me think I'm crazy, I need to take their worries and fears seriously. They may be wrong, but...they might be right. I could be wrong. I really could be crazy.
I need to examine myself. Carefully. And seek You.
And even when I'm not crazy, what You call me to may look crazy to those who love me - even to those who are themselves following You.
They don't want me to hurt, or suffer. They don't want life to be hard for me. They want me to be around. They want me to be home for dinner.
Their concerns, their fears? Those are real. And not necessarily unjustified.
Because following You does lead to hard places sometimes. Following You can lead to pouring oneself out for others. Following You has been known to lead to death.
It's not easy to watch loved ones walk down a hard road - even when it's the right road. It has it's own kind of pain.
So... Teach me to be discerning and understanding aware of my own ability to misunderstand aware of the very real pain of the right road for everyone affected... and somehow, still not waver or falter as I follow You. And if my friends and relatives sometimes think I'm out of my mind? Well. I'm in good company.
It's hard to examine when everything's been turned upside down when I'd rather not think about it but just retreat to that numb place where I can do what I need to do without feeling
but even that needs examining
has it been long since I felt joy in this place? in just being here tasting the air feeling Your breath Your pleasure
in this in me
and that, too needs examining
by numbing myself to the one (so I can function, of course) have I inadvertently numbed myself to the other?
We are not traveling this week but have arrived safely at our destination (for now). One of the kids came down with a 24 hour stomach bug the day after we arrived. We are all thankful that it did not happen while we were traveling. But..I'm not posting a new Mark post today. Instead, here are the seven "most read" Mark posts this week. Pray for us to recover from jet lag and illness.
We are traveling this week - en route - on the way from one side of the world to the other. I don't know when we will have access to internet. So, if you are looking for a new Mark post - check back next week. For today, I've got a list of the current top six Mark posts so far this year (just the ones I've posted since January 2015).