October
Text Box: Pastor’s Thoughts Let me suggest that there are four aspects to each destination we encounter within our lives. Not to say that there are only four or that these four are the most significant but because these are my thoughts I get to choose. There is anticipation, the journey itself, what we do once we arrive and the memory of what we experienced. Now this can pertain to a vacation, surgery, a mission trip, your occupation, a holiday or special event, or even our eternal destiny. Again this is not a complete list but a variety to illustrate the many applications of subject at hand. While many seem to place importance on one aspect above the others I would like to suggest that with an awareness of Christ’s presence each can season our lives with special blessings and joy. That being said let me explain my train of thought. Anticipation has a huge impact on our lives. Whether it is going to the dentist to have a tooth extracted or purchasing a plane ticket for an upcoming trip to Hawaii. So how does our awareness of Christ affect anticipation? He provides comfort and assurance while we wait for that which is undesirable but inevitable. Then again we can talk and include Jesus in all of our plans, knowing that we can only reach our desired destinations through and by His will. (James 4:13-15) The journey itself can be a great adventure. I spoke this past Wednesday about Paul’s journey to Rome. When you read the account in the Book of Acts you can notice the many encounters and opportunities Paul experienced surrounding Jesus on his journey. With the awareness of Christ in our lives each step can hold an amazing adventure. How exciting it is to walk with Christ! The arrival at our destination all too often leaves us wondering why we got so excited to start with. How many times have you gone on vacation to wonder how it passed so quickly? Many get so busy trying to capture the event in photos to preserve the memory aspect they actually miss the real reason they chose to be there. Living is discovering the art of enjoying the day to day events. Take it all in, but mostly lay hold of the reality you can share all of your todays with Jesus. He always adds to your life seasoning of grace, love, and hope. Without Him life is vain and meaningless. So whatsoever you do, do it all the glory of God. Now consider the aspect of memories. Memories are precious as the song writer reminds us. One of God’s greatest blessings in making man was that He gave us the ability to both visibly and audibly recall our experience. That is so amazing. We are admonished in scripture to use those memories to be a blessing to others. Remember the blessings you encounter in your journey especially the ones that include Christ. Share them with others because they need to realize the everyday value of walking with Jesus.