Let the Children Come

This is just a picture I wanted to share from our world. Yesterday (Sunday) morning during church, children began coming forward to the altar to pray -- unbidden. They simply came. A mother came up to pray. Then her school age daughter came forward and put her arms around her mother and prayed with her.

Then the other children came -- sometimes one, sometimes two. And they all knelt silently and lifted their hearts to their God, their Father, their Abba. I was so moved at the poignancy of the moment that I had to take a picture to share with you.

We've been pouring ourselves into ministry to children and their families here, and it was as if God wanted to give us a little glimpse of how He can use the paltry offerings of our time, energy, and strength.

Jesus loves me, this I know:
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me:
The Bible tells me so.

Navigating The Current

From Gabe

Have you ever wondered what God is doing, or what He's thinking? Well, I do all the time. If you don't, then we need to talk, because one of us is doing something horribly wrong. I don't mean the second-guessing kind of wondering, though I mistakenly do that from time to time as well. The fact is, in the last several months (years?) I find myself wondering a lot. And I think God laughs and shakes His head as He wonders, "does he really think he'll ever understand me?"

I am cursed to be an analyst. In my years as a "software professional" (which sounds much more impressive than it is) this curse looked like a blessing. But in other areas of life it is exactly what it is: a curse.

A little while ago, my friend Mark "The Shark" migrated with his "school" to cooler waters (literally and emotionally), and I still find myself profoundly sad. You see, Mark has the dubious honor of being one of the few people in my life who "gets" me. What that says about Mark is probably not germain to this particular post, and may someday show up elsewhere (no promises, no threats). What it says about me is, of course, what matters. That's because, if blogs serve no other purpose, they are wonderful exercises in self-reflection, self-expression and, well, to put it bluntly, self-absorption. And so, let's talk about me...

Seriously, though, I am sad about Mark's leaving, even if it is "the right thing." I miss our Tuesday mornings at the Medallion and then Veteran's Park by The Bridge. I miss his mysterious appearances at our door for no reason other than to say, "Hey, God told me you needed to be reminded He loves you..." I miss his amazing example of faithfulness, handling living on support so much more gracefully than I do. We became friends so fast, the way people do only when they pray honestly together. And the impact he has had on my life will last forever.

So, as this "force" in my life has moved on, I find myself wondering, again, what is God doing? And then I think about Phil Vischer. And jellyfish. Well, isn't that what you think about? Specifically, I think about what he observed about jellyfish. They can't really propel themselves, except a little up and down. They move with the current. They rely on the current to take them where they need to go, and for nourishment. I imagine the jellyfish never questions the current. He probably doesn't ever critique the current. I am quite certain the jellyfish actually never contemplates the current. He just depends on it, and embraces it and accepts it as the gift that it is.

Lucky jellyfish.

Then again, jellyfish don't need friends like Mark "The Shark" either. Maybe I'm the fortunate one after all, even if it means I'm cursed to question.