Thursday, November 22, 2007

Thanksgiving Ponderings

The day is said and done, the left over turkey and trimmings stored away in the fridge, the family gone their separate ways until the next holiday or celebration or nice meal brings them together again. And here I am, sitting in a big red chair, thinking many disjointed thoughts. Blame it on all the sweet tea, but my mind has been reeling non-stop for at least the past 4 hours. About what, you ask? Anything and everything from my aunt's vegetable casserole to my sweet lab Abby who experienced a hit and run from an unknown vehicle last night (don't worry, she only has a bruised back foot) to my quickly approaching wedding to all the songs I want to write in my lifetime and what they should say, to my family--albeit dysfunctional (aren't we all though?) to our morally declining society to early nineties windsuits and back to my aunt's vegetable casserole (just kidding about the windsuits). Told you they were disjointed. I can tell you right now that this won't be your typical Thanksgiving Day blog. Nope. I can't say that I'm really in the mood. Now please don't get me wrong here. I am exceedingly grateful for more than I could ever list--the people who love me and challenge me to live to the fullest, the trials that come as a result of living in this fallen world that only teach me to trust in my faithful God, the opportunity to grasp how high and wide and deep and long is the love of Christ and knowing that His loving sacrifice raised me to life, along with health and physical provisions and my amazing fiance and waterfalls and vegetable casserole. Among a host of other things. After all the ways I've been cared for, after all I have received, after all He has done...how can I not be thankful?

Perhaps it is this gratitude that moves us further. And here's what I mean. When we have received such abundant grace and been given the chance to commune daily with the God of all time, when we have been changed by such a love that knows no limits, what is our response? You'd think that our natural reaction would be to love as Jesus loves, to live as He lived. To extend ourselves to no end, to give when we have nothing, to love even when our hearts ache, to pour out when we're running on empty. When all is said and done, what else is there? I mean, let's face it. We only get one shot at this thing called life. And yet I often find myself acting out of selfish impulse rather than being sensitive to the voice of the Lord and the needs of others. I feel like Paul, doing what I don't want to do, not doing what I ought. Yet all the while something rises up within me, and I know it's the Holy Spirit inside, prompting me with such urgency and compassion to be the voice in the silence. And not just me. You too. While John Mayer and loads of others may be sitting around waiting on the world to change, we cannot shut our mouths another day. The situation is too desperate. Time is too short. People are too valuable. So here's the challenge: let's love like Jesus. I mean, REALLY love. Sacrificially. Whole-heartedly. No matter what it costs us in time or money or man's approval. Let's love them all. Rich, poor, black, white, American or not, young and old alike, for there is no favoritism in the Kingdom. Let us purpose in our hearts to be the very mouthpieces of God, to speak truth and love and be salt and light in a world whose eyes are veiled to The Way, even if they hate us. After all, they hated Jesus first. After all, we are the Church, the actual Bride of Christ, set apart as holy, joined together as one body with Jesus as our Head, called to be like one Man who was truly God. So what do you say?

2 comments:

BeckysueK said...

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Anonymous said...

I completely agree! It's a challenge to lay down our selfish desires and ultimately ourselves in order to Love as Christ. But it is challenge worth pursing... even if it takes a lifetime to get right. Afterall, how could we not love like Him when He gave so much to begin with?!