“There are two ways to live: You can live as if nothing is a miracle; or, you can live as if everything is a miracle.”
I don’t remember when I first read the above words of Albert Einstein, but I have returned to them countless times over the years. They are so true! We can either see our lives and life itself as accidents of nature, or we can see them as miraculous creations of God. The choice we make on this matter makes a huge difference as to how we live.
As followers of Christ, we choose the latter perspective. Seeing all of life as miraculous answers deep questions about where we came from, what our purpose is, and what the future holds for us. At the same time, we are left with many decisions to make about how to order our daily lives.
How does God guide us in this process? I hope that’s a question that gnaws at you and that challenges and even excites you day by day! The guided life is so very different from a life lived completely on one’s own power and with no real plan for today or tomorrow.
The good news is that we can find God’s guidance for our lives. We have not been left alone in a dark forest with no map and no compass. Jesus has been sent to lead us through the forest to the bright, shining City of God on the other side. As we follow him, we find more and more of our uniqueness and purpose as well as the energy and joy of these discoveries. Just as important, we are given the strength and perseverance we need to make it through the tough times.
Over the last two Sundays, we have journeyed with Moses and Joshua out of Egypt and across the Jordan into Canaan. In this process, we have seen that God guides us by his PROVIDENCE and by his PRESENCE. Hopefully as we reflect on these two signs of divine guidance in our lives, we will affirm with Einstein that they are indeed miraculous.
THIS SUNDAY, we will return again to the Israelite struggle to enter the promised land, because the lessons they learn on the way apply directly to us. What we discover is that along with Providence and Presence, the Lord also send us PEOPLE to guide us on our journeys through life, AND THIS OFTEN HAPPENS IN SURPRISING WAYS.
What these people give us is worth honoring, celebrating, and sharing. In return, we are invited to give to others according to the measure we have received. This is a dynamic process that no one ever fully masters. We always need to be learning more about it. As we do so, we find our lives blessed in ways we never could have imagined or planned.
I can’t wait to see you this Sunday! May we discover the Lord’s blessing in worship together.
Grace, peace, and love to you!
Evan Howard,
Minister