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SPEAKING IN THE LIGHT WITH PASTOR RUDY FEB 24 2021

I have to admit that life has turned out to be lots harder than I ever dreamed it would be. I knew there would be challenges along the way. I guess I never thought they would be lined up to battle me one right after another. Just when I think that a season if sunshine might be in store, here comes those storm clouds again. Thunder and lightning have become intricate parts of the soundtrack of my days. And let’s face facts, I think that maybe Eeyore was on to something. I have always longed to be Tigger, carelessly bouncing my way through my adventure, looking to hit even higher heights with each launch. But then some unexpected trial or tribulation comes rushing towards me and I find nowhere to run nor hide. Before you know it, in the end that guided missile has hit me once again. If you have your theology mixed up, one might conclude that God doesn’t even like me, never mind love me. But that is not the way it goes.

There are times when it is easier to count those bomb blasts rather than behold the Lord’s many blessings. I don’t even like me when I start to whine and complain. I look at my family and my flock and I know that God has been doubly good to me. I look in the eyes of my grandchildren and there is no way to properly account for the surge of joy that soars through my soul. My children are all following the Lord and living lives that are making eternal impacts to all those around them. My youngest Son Joel is about to graduate high school and begin preparing for his life mission at Taylor University in Indiana. And I have been married to the kindest and most giving woman I ever met going on 39 years. I deserve none of these divine delights. I rejoice in the salvation God has given me, but let me make it clear, I have never forgotten how selfish and sinful my old self was. Can we all just agree that following Jesus is not so much a one time happening as it is a lifetime path of process to make progress? Let’s give each other more slack than we normally do. We are all under construction and nobody has reached their pristine classic edition yet!

There are days I want to sing of God’s love forever. There are days I want to get the heck out of here. There are moments that I understand who I am and love the call that God has placed on me. There are other times when I want to scream at the top of my lungs and be set free from the skin I am stuck in. Paul said it best when he confessed that he had his moments when he wanted to be raptured immediately into the presence of Jesus and other days when he knew that being here on earth was exactly the position God assigned him to. So I don’t think that it is that unusual to be singing the blues of this place while busting out verses of glory in your next breath! We aren’t schizophrenic as much as we are in transition between life here and eternal life with God. And they told me that hot flashes from the hormone shot would be shocking!

One day Jesus will call my name and I’m not lying when I tell you that He won’t have to call me twice. But I am not quitting until I get wind of the fat angel singing. The one lesson that I have already learned through this latest cancer chapter is that there is no one size fits all for everyone. There really is no such thing as normal! The definition of the word itself should disqualify it from our vocabulary. It means: conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected. None of those words are endearing to a Believer. Romans 12 tells us that we are not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the Spirit as He renews our hearts and minds. When we allow that kind of movement within our souls, there is nothing usual or typical about that at all! Every face tells a story. Every day is a gift. Every step is a potential miracle. And if there is anything I know about Christianity, it is that there is nothing you can expect to happen that God can’t, at any time, at His discretion, literally interrupt your program with something that blows away all of our illusions and gives us a glimpse of how awesome and beyond magnificent He truly is!

Mets announcer Bob Murphy used to tell us Fans to fasten our seatbelts when the game was coming down to the last crucial 3 outs! God never promised me a nice easy ride with no turbulence or dips and dives. Why are we always so addicted to comfort when what we really need to be sure of is His company. When my face turns green from the whirling and whipping, and it looks like I’m about to lose it all, there He is just as He promised, right there in the seat next to me. Jesus promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us and that is true in the MRI as it is on the GWB! (You need to be a north Jersey kid to understand that last reference!) So away we go. I don’t know always know where or when or why or what, but I do know the Who! Will I ever throw out my agenda and just surrender to His activity? I know He won’t give up on me and there is no way I am giving up on Him-so ready or not- we continue to ride! The ride of life is so much more than any man or woman could script. The Holy Spirit holds the pen- and the paper-and me-all at the same time!