The Presence and Power of God

    I remember as a child being frustrated at times with the amount of time my father had to spend at work in the church.  As a pastor he was one who was called on by the congregation to walk with them through their pains and struggles, and inevitably it seemed that whenever the family was going to take a vacation or we were going to get a day away, someone would get sick or die, thus taking my father out of the equation.
    The past few weeks have been a season where the same kind of dynamic are being lived out in my life, and now that I am on the other side, it is my children who have their father called away unexpected.  Though I don’t see their frustrations and disappointments exhibited blatantly, I did receive a text the other day and as I was opening it up I heard my son say, “Did someone else die?”  I know their feelings and perspective.
    And yet, in the midst of such a season the presence and power of God is revealed.  In fact, it is in the seasons that are most stressful that God’s presence and power is felt, because it is in times such as these that God reminds us that we are not alone.  It is in times such as these that God reaches out with a hand of grace or a word from a friend or a simply insight or even a moment of peace or joy, and there the God who shows up and brings peace out of chaos, reminds me...us...that He knows, loves, and is with us, even carrying us through.
    So often as a pastor, or as a caring friend or Christian, we take upon ourselves the pain of another, not in a dysfunctional way, but as a brother or sister in Christ walks with another through the pain.  In the midst of that, the burden can become heavy.  It can be overwhelming, and it can become more than one can bear alone, and yet what I have been reminded of in this season is that I’m not alone.  In fact, God has provided many to surround, pray for and care for my family, the staff, and me.
    In the midst of the turmoil, God has revealed a presence with calms hearts and brings light to the darkness.  God has engaged the powers, and God’s power makes a way where there seemed to be no way.  In the midst of the turmoil of life, God is there, if we but look for God and let God in.

    There was a time in Jesus’ ministry when it seemed like He was being attacked from every side.  Some of it situational and some it by those who didn’t understand Him, and yet He held fast to His calling, and at the end of this section of scripture (Matthew 11) He says, “come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest...”
    Jesus is speaking to those who will suffer in life, but on a deeper level He is speaking to those who are called to live the life of faith, whether pastor, parishioner, missionary, or ministry.  He gives a simply invitation, “Come...”  Then leaves it up to us to go to Him.
    On an even deeper, and more comforting level, in saying this there is a part of Him that I believe is simply communicating the truth that He’s been there and done that.  “You can come to me, because I’ve experienced it all!  I’ll give you rest because the very one in whom I have rested will work through me to carry you through.”
    I can tell you from first hand experience, that this is true, and at least for my family and me, much of that rest is revealed by God through the great people of the church who have cared for us.  It has come in folks simply coming up and asking, “how are YOU doing?”  It has come in the fact that they understand the burdens of ministry and join hands as a net to catch whomever falls.
    In a way, this season has been a blessing, despite the painful aspects of people’s lives which have been unearthed, because it is a reminder that we’re all in this together.  Even more powerfully it comes during the season of Lent, a time when we have the chance to reflect upon who we are and whose we are, including where we are with God and where God is with us.  It comes during the painful journey to the cross.
    But the great Good News is that this season, this journey, even the painful unearthing, ends, not at the cross but at the empty tomb.  The great Good News is that because HE has come, we can come to Him, and He gives us rest.
    Someone said, “There’s no rest for the weary.”  I disagree.  There is peace and joy, even for the weary, if we but look for God, receive the gifts offered to us, and live into the days He has given us.

What burdens are you carrying?  Ask yourself, “Where’s God in the midst of all this?