Grains of Sand

Pixabay To understand what the divine design is for the pilgrimage that God has set before all believers we need to go back briefly to the very beginning of Peter's letter. We need to look at what we are called to be. He writes, in part: " To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered…who have been chosen…for obedience to Jesus Christ…"  There is a lot to unpack in Peter's introduction but we want to look at this last phrase: Obedience to Jesus Christ.  Mark it down because what follows in the letter describes what that obedience looks like, beginning with 1 Peter 1:13-16. That love, that faith, that joy that Peter commends his readers for, that he urges them to continue in despite the circumstances, exhibits itself as these pilgrims travel along the journey of life like this: " Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children...

Google Images Most of us would choose to cross the street and walk on the other side of the road just to avoid him. They called him “John” which was common enough. But when people mentioned that this John was “the baptizer” the curious drew near and the cautious moved away. “ In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ” (Matthew 3:1). He was a weird bird, dressed in camel’s hair and eating locusts and honey (3:4) and preaching, not from behind a pulpit, but from alongside the Jordan River. His message was probably no more popular in that period than it is today: “ Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near ” (Matthew 3:2). In a world where the religious establishment was more concerned with peripheral and superficial, John cut right to the heart of the matter—sin. The curious drew near, the convicted stayed to listen, the callous of heart walked away. John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, kinfolk of Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1), a mi...

In the space of 48 hours, life has taken an about-face. This afternoon, I board a plane for Toronto. This wasn't on my agenda two days ago. Normally I have months to plan a Home Assignment, even a short one. Not this time. There is so much to do in a short time, especially since a family of four is moving in to look after the apartment and, more importantly, Abby and Lou Lou Belle, in my absence. Bills paid, bedding and towels washed, instructions written, cupboards kid-proofed, people advised, house cleaned and oh, bag packed, documents stowed in the appropriate place for presentation at the appropriate moment. What did I forget to do? My mind is going in so many different directions. This morning I tried to pray, but it was so hard to focus with my thoughts doing somersaults, and my internal list of external chores growing by the minute. Letter of introduction so the guards at the gate will allow my house-and-cat-sitters in, clean the fridge, make sure the litter box, the food di...