First of all, today I made an AMAZING cuban pork roast. Man oh man is it delicious. I cannot wait for the embargo to be lifted, cuz I want to go to Havana just for the food... and the cigars... but mostly for the food. :)
It doesn't take much to look at the world and see all sorts of nuttiness going on. The $3.30 gas is obviously the most hard-hitting for me, but pretty irrelevant when you look at the revolution in Egypt and Libya, not to mention rumblings of revolt in Yemen and the Ivory Coast. There's earthquakes and Tsunami's in New Zealand and Australia, there's pirates killing Americans at sea, Unions protesting, snow storms everywhere, major flooding to come, and what in the world were Chicago voters thinking???
I know these things are nothing new, but they seem to be all happening at once right now. It is easy to look at them as global things- stuff that is happening far away that you can ignore if you turn off the TV or stay off Drudge for a while, but really these are lives being impacted. These are real, live people fighting for their freedoms, their livelihood, and even their lives. Its totally mind-blowing to think about. And scary too! I mean states are bankrupt, and jobs are disappearing, and $5 gas? I'd never get to Wisconsin ever again! The country, if not the world, is becoming more and more polarized and the noise of gutless rhetoric is getting louder and louder. It seems that there must be a breaking point, and the grave reality of the matter is that breaking point will most likely come while I'm alive... its nuts to think about.
But, you know, even in the chaos we have hope and peace, don't we? We trust fully in He who calms the waves and controls the tectonic movements. We retreat to He who is the same yesterday, today, and forever and find rest when revolutions arise. We look to Him who says "Be still and know I am God" when nervousness over budget-breaking gas prices, impossible situations, and our own mortality stares us in the eyes. The hope that we have in Jesus' perfect blood and righteousness doesn't fade away when the going gets tough. Why is it so easy to think that way? Why is it my default response to lean toward doubting our Savior's never-ending love when calamity befalls me? It makes no sense. If ever there is a time to cling with fevered passion to the cross where we were set from from sin, death, and the devil it is when we are pressed on all sides! When governments flounder, friends flummox, and life frustrates. If that's not the time to lean not on our own understanding, then when is it time to totally trust in the Almighty's assurance that He'll never leave us?
These pitfalls of sin that are dominating the headlines right now are obviously from the Evil One, but so too is the desperation and hopelessness that I feel as I watch the details unfold on my couch. Satan wants me to think that everything is gone awry and God has finally given up on this fallen race. The Devil loves it when I look at suffering and disaster and rather than saying, "This is YOUR doing, Satan" and despise him all the more; I turn to our perfect God and say, "Why are you allowing this?" May I never forget the source of sin and destruction, and remember that this very destruction is what I deserve as a sinful human being. Thanks be to our Savior Jesus that such destruction is not my fate, my name is written in the book of life! His mercy endures forever!
But, most importantly, may I never lose sight of the fact that Our Lord's hand is still in all these things, Our salvation is still sure through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, and my citizenship is of Heaven, not this fickle, fleeting world. May we never lose sight of the fact that while world events are obviously hard to ignore and not focus on, God is still very much involved in our everyday relationships, lives, and goings on. Its not like He can only pay attention to one or two things. He is still omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent... He is still God. And while it may seem as if He's pre-occupied with African revolts and disasters in Oceania, may I always conclude that such thinking poppycock! Jesus is living within me! His Spirit is here among us! His blood sealed my fate. The same God that looks after the sparrows looks after me and you, and that is pretty stinkin' awesome! He promises rest to the weary, wholeness to the broken, and peace to the troubled. Thank you God for never abandoning me when I've doubted and faltered, and for picking me up when I thought I was strong enough to walk on my own...
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