The Parade of Life
The sheer madness of life is stultifying. While I write this, crimes, deaths, abuse, sickness and accidents will take and maim lives. Children will be born and children will die. Other people will be determining where to take a family vacation. Life marches on and does not skip a beat regardless of life or death, sickness or healing. It is into this maddening monotony that we minister.
We have a calling on our lives to make a difference in the name of Jesus. We have been called and empowered by the Spirit of God to go forth and proclaim God’s favor to all the people. We have a heightened sense of the cruelty, injustice, bitterness and rage in the world. We see things that are wrong and desire to fix them because we carry within us the Spirit of the Living God. We know that we can make a difference with a word, a prayer or the laying on of hands. Yet, despite our fervent and sincere prayers, the parade of life marches on without a moment’s hesitation.
It must be me. My faith is fragile and weak. I need more of everything. Jesus raised the dead, healed the sick and on and on. We are supposed to do greater things than he did. So, I try harder. I jump in front of the parade and extend my hand in authority and command it to stop. No one flinches. No one stops. I am unable to stop the insanity to which I have been called to minister. I have failed, no matter the effort. In defeat, I sit and watch the parade.
The cure to my torment is the calming voice of Jesus. He beckons me to come to him for rest. Yes, life will continue to march on. I recognize that life went on when Jesus died. It marched along when we thought the world should stand still. My hope is to find my reality, meaning, identity and strength in Jesus Christ. He is gentle and humble in heart and will give me rest. I will burn out if I forget that the light I cast in this world marks my place with a shadow. In Jesus, however, my place is marked with blood in the Book of Life for all of eternity.
I am thankful for Jesus.