Sights and Insights
Devotion for Jan. 23, 2024
As long as I’m alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I had to choose right now, I hardly know which I’d choose. Hard choice! The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better. But most days, because of what you are going through, I am sure that it’s better for me to stick it out here. So I plan to be around awhile, companion to you as your growth and joy in this life of trusting God continues. You can start looking forward to a great reunion when I come visit you again. We’ll be praising Christ, enjoying each other. – Philippians 1:22-26 (The Message)
Did you enjoy our snowy week? A snow is a hassle, of course. Shoveling the sidewalks, worrying about ice, taking longer to get anywhere or do anything. At the same time, a snowstorm is beautiful. We filled our bird feeder before the snow on Friday, and the birds huddled densely around it. Cade got many incredible photos of nuthatches, cardinals, and woodpeckers – sometimes all in one shot. It was fabulously gorgeous and peaceful. Beyond that, snow can be fun! Perhaps we are not as excited for sled riding as we were when we were children, but a snowy day is still inherently playful. Whether snow angels, throwing snowballs, or just the joy of letting flakes fall on your skin, there are ways to have fun in the snow for every activity level.
We cannot control the weather. It is not up to us whether or when it snows. We do have some ability, though, to choose our response. In that way it is a microcosm of much of our lives. We have at most limited control over what happens to us each day. We can, however, do things that help us choose joy within the framework of what is given to us.
So too with our experience of God. We may more attuned some days than others, and we cannot control how clearly we perceive God’s grace on any given day. We can make some choices, though, that help us to see God more clearly. Going to church, praying, meditation, reading the bible. These can all help us be open to God’s presence. Even so, things will happen to us that are beyond our control. We cannot help that. But we have some ability to direct our focus on which parts of the events we cling on to. Do we focus on the worst, the best, the most fun? It is not that we must always cling to the positive and ignore the negative, but we are able to remain open to the idea of playing in the snow sometimes. We are able to recognize the incredible goodness of God’s grace and love that are there for us each and every day.