The earth is not flat, neither is the life we live on it. Life is full of ups and downs, failures and victories, regrets and rewards.
Regrets and rewards. Think about those two words. They are very defining. We all surely have regrets in life, decisions we wish could be re-made, words that we wish could be taken back, actions that we wish could be removed. All too often, we live our lives burdened heavily by what we regret, the things sometimes un-doable and un-fixable, while we yearn for the reward. The reward, being removed from drowning in regret(s), for life to feel easier, for us to feel better about the life we are living. The judgement that regret renders upon each of our days lived under the shadow of a day we cannot relive is tortuous and forever un-winnable. To be free of that judgement is a reward not merely longed for, but often out of our reach. This is a grueling life to wake up to. It is a life where you fight for every inch, eat what you kill and strain to get a bit higher up the mountain. In this way of life being defined by regrets and reward, life is an uphill climb dependent solely on what you do and how you can do it for yourself. You can never be good enough on your own. In this system of regrets and reward, life is reduced to your actions. There is no joy only fleeting moments of happiness. There is no lasting strength only festering insecurity where you are always on task to prove yourself worthy of anything and everything. Deep down, you wonder if there will always be an existing strain in life as your only direction seems mostly uphill. Deep down, you know you are losing way more often than winning. Deep down, all you want to do is escape.
What if life could be different?
What if life, your life, was not meant to be defined by regret and reward?
What if life is flatter than you think?
"He told me all that I ever did." Jesus rescued a woman at a well once who was drowning in this system of regret and reward. (Read John 4:1-42) All most of us want is to be found and understood. Life is not flat. There are many days that the terrain feels very treacherous and difficult to navigate through. Let me assure you that God is aware. He is present despite your unawareness, and no matter how difficult the day or how steep life feels, he will find you. In this story of Jesus encountering this woman at the well, we see God’s heart of searching compassion. He enters into the context of our lives to show us a different way, to show us a new way. His way of grace.
Grace flattens out the landscape or strengthens your legs to climb steep inclines, however you choose to think about it. Either way, grace eases regrets and becomes the reward that you do not deserve but freely and liberally receive for each day. Grace is like a meandering highway easily set upon a sometimes treacherous, contemptuous sprawl. God's grace is something you will never deserve but will always be available to you. God's grace is his love that pushes aside things that cause regret in your life, things that should separate you from him, and makes all things new everyday.
Regrets and rewards. Think about those two words. They are very defining. We all surely have regrets in life, decisions we wish could be re-made, words that we wish could be taken back, actions that we wish could be removed. All too often, we live our lives burdened heavily by what we regret, the things sometimes un-doable and un-fixable, while we yearn for the reward. The reward, being removed from drowning in regret(s), for life to feel easier, for us to feel better about the life we are living. The judgement that regret renders upon each of our days lived under the shadow of a day we cannot relive is tortuous and forever un-winnable. To be free of that judgement is a reward not merely longed for, but often out of our reach. This is a grueling life to wake up to. It is a life where you fight for every inch, eat what you kill and strain to get a bit higher up the mountain. In this way of life being defined by regrets and reward, life is an uphill climb dependent solely on what you do and how you can do it for yourself. You can never be good enough on your own. In this system of regrets and reward, life is reduced to your actions. There is no joy only fleeting moments of happiness. There is no lasting strength only festering insecurity where you are always on task to prove yourself worthy of anything and everything. Deep down, you wonder if there will always be an existing strain in life as your only direction seems mostly uphill. Deep down, you know you are losing way more often than winning. Deep down, all you want to do is escape.
What if life could be different?
What if life, your life, was not meant to be defined by regret and reward?
What if life is flatter than you think?
"He told me all that I ever did." Jesus rescued a woman at a well once who was drowning in this system of regret and reward. (Read John 4:1-42) All most of us want is to be found and understood. Life is not flat. There are many days that the terrain feels very treacherous and difficult to navigate through. Let me assure you that God is aware. He is present despite your unawareness, and no matter how difficult the day or how steep life feels, he will find you. In this story of Jesus encountering this woman at the well, we see God’s heart of searching compassion. He enters into the context of our lives to show us a different way, to show us a new way. His way of grace.
Grace flattens out the landscape or strengthens your legs to climb steep inclines, however you choose to think about it. Either way, grace eases regrets and becomes the reward that you do not deserve but freely and liberally receive for each day. Grace is like a meandering highway easily set upon a sometimes treacherous, contemptuous sprawl. God's grace is something you will never deserve but will always be available to you. God's grace is his love that pushes aside things that cause regret in your life, things that should separate you from him, and makes all things new everyday.
You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
and my feet did not slip.
Psalm 18:36
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