The WV Floods occurred June 23-24. It’s not New Orleans after Katrina, but it was pretty catastrophic for thousands upon thousands. While the world has moved on to the next headline, the people whose homes were flooded are still dealing with the reality of sleeping in campers in their front yard. For those of us who have been there, the people of south central WV are always on our minds. It is like when you have experienced the people of Haiti. I carry the people of Haiti with me always. I think of the people of Haiti sometimes when I am complaining about my McDonald’s french fries being cold, or when they put the wrong condiments on my sandwich. “Mustard? Really? I clearly said ketchup only.” Or when I think nothing in my refrigerator or freezer sounds good. Most of the people in our country have no idea how weird it is that we can have anything we want to eat.
We Americans are a fickle bunch, hopping from headline to headline. Things are so important until they are not. Does anyone remember deciding what color that dress was a year or two ago?
Eugene Peterson wrote a book titled, “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction”. He writes, “Society is a bored, gluttonous king employing a court jester to divert it after an overindulgent meal… The effects are extremely temporary–a few minutes, a few hours, a few days at most.” We do not know much about a long obedience in the same direction.
Jesus, when He walked on the earth, found that most people would listen for a bit, or follow for a while, and then walk away. Most did not have that experience with Jesus that would compel them to that “long obedience”. He made an indelible impression on a few, sent His Spirit to guide and reside, and that changed them forever. Things are not a lot different today. Most people want enough Jesus to get them to heaven, but not enough to change them forever.
What we fail to grasp is that the kind of change that Jesus brings about in us takes a lifetime. It is not a box we check off and then move on to something else. To follow Jesus is to keep being changed. Following Jesus is change that builds on change. It’s a change that changes you forever.
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Loved the post. You nailed it on those strong points about how we complain at the drive threw and how don’t havewhat we wa t in our freezer. Seriously no one really bothers to know about what we did the day before, when there are so many people with serious problems. We need to stop complaining about the minors and start thanking God for what we already have at this very moment. For the day is not promised to any man.
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond. Blessings.