Living in the Shadows

I would like to begin this post with an apology for my lack of posting. It has not been my intention to neglect The Imperfect Disciples’ Blog, but as I explained to my co-contributor Todd recently, I have found myself in a bit of a writer’s funk. Please note that I said “writer’s funk” rather than “thinker’s funk.” I am still thinking about and contemplating the wonders of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and, if anything, I have been so overwhelmed recently by the magnificence of it all that I have found it difficult to reduce into mere words. I will continue to try however …

During our family Christmas celebration this past year I tried to form an analogy for our children between their anticipation of opening the presents and the anticipation we should all have concerning the return of Christ. After all, His gift is bigger than any gift we could ever receive! I explained to the kids that their anticipation of presents in this world was a mere shadow of the anticipation the whole world has for the second coming. In our day and age, it is as if nature itself is holding its breath.

I’m not sure what impact this analogy had on my children, but it has had a major one in my life. It has been playing in my mind since Christmas. In fact, I have been extending it to other things. For instance:

The love I have for my children is indescribable. Every day I pray for their safety, well-being and success. I take pride when they do well and cry when they fail. Every breath I take is taken with a thought of them. They have literally saved my life on many occasions … however; this is only a shadow of how God considers His children. The attitude and love I have for my children pales in comparison to the love He feels for each of us.

The passion I feel for my wife is hard to explain. I have tried to tell her how it is an emotion that I never felt before. She is a part of me and I of her. I am grateful for my relationship with Stefanie because the passion I feel for her is a glimpse of how I should feel towards Christ. I have been told before that I should be passionate for Christ and never quite knew what it meant to be passionate about anything. Because of my wife I get it now. When this passion expands and is extended towards Christ it is a wonderful thing and I am grateful for the lesson.

I often get angry when I see the injustice in this world. When I see the helpless abused and hurt it enrages me. This anger I feel is nothing compared the righteous anger of God. This world is His creation. How much His anger surpasses mine is immeasurable.

Finally, I am often stunned when I consider the blessings in my life. Just sitting in this chair and appreciating the peaceful room my wife has created sends shivers down my spine. I have been blessed with family, friends, a home … there is really too much to count yet they are nothing when compared to the blessing I received when Christ died on the cross. His sacrifice made it possible for me to enjoy the blessings I have now. It is because of Him that I look forward to the future.

This analogy can easily be extended towards any emotion you feel. I invite you to examine what you care about … what you’re passionate about … and give it God to see how it measures up to how He feels. I believe it impossible to measure His emotions, but He does give us a glimpse of them in the Bible. I look forwards to eternity with Christ but for now I will simply enjoy living in the shadows.

Thank you Christ.