Good morning…
As our website crashed this week, I anxiously worried, “That’s bad!”
Then, just like in one of our kids’ favorite books, my initial “That’s bad!” surprisingly morphed into “That’s good!” Let me tell you the story.
In this delightful yellow book, a little boy has a comical series of mishaps as his visit to the zoo turns into a high-flying adventure. A shiny red balloon carries him into unexpected habitats where he meets close up with baboons, elephants, snakes, and other unfamiliar creatures, creatures who ultimately land him safely in an expanded notion of home.
I felt like this blue-plaid-clad boy when, phone call after phone call after phone call, we finally learned that our beloved daily blog was overloading the shared server, shutting down our site (That’s bad!). Here’s the truth we discovered: more and more people are enjoying our morning messages before passing them along to loved ones near and far (That’s good!).
What felt very bad in the moment was actually very good. As our everyday blog has outgrown its old container, now we have upgraded our site to our own private server. Thanks to your generous gratitude gifts, we are expanding our written word ministry as God carries us along, ultimately landing us in a new, spacious, online home. (If you are still having trouble viewing our website, please refresh your browser or clear your computer history.)
When we face a series of miserable mishaps, we anxiously worry, “Oh no. That’s bad!”
Instead might we patiently wait, watch, and wonder, “What would Jesus do?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will” (John 5:19-21, RSV).
As we die to our own unmet expectations, we share with God our “That’s bad!” experiences, and we are lifted up and given new life. Just like Jesus does, we wait, wonder, and watch our loving Father do his expansive, restorative work. Together we marvel at God’s work within and among us. Unable to do anything on our own accord, we surrender our selves again and again: I just want to obey all you ask of me. So teach me, Lord, for you are my God. Your gracious Spirit is all I need, so lead me on good paths that are pleasing to you, my one and only God! (Psalm 143:10, TPT). Because the Father and Son love us so lavishly, they gradually reveal everything, in God’s time, in God’s way.
Wowed by greater and greater works, we rise up to say, “Thank you, God. Your fertile growth is very good!”
…Sue…
P.S. Because of our computer issues, you may have had trouble viewing our last blog post, Broken and Whole. If so, revisit that post and consider signing up for a fall class through our Women’s Ministry at Northside Church, www.NorthsideUMC.org/womensclasses
P.S. Photos by ian dooley from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Unsplash
