OUTDOOR TRUTHS

The rain in our area has been relentless. This coming week will be the first week in several where there is hardly any rain predicted. Everyone here is praying for the possibility of sunny days with temperatures to be in the 90’s. Yes, you read that right. We are praying for sunny days and sweltering humidity with highs in the mid 90’s. It’s funny how that works. Just a few weeks ago, I saw a sign on a church marquee that implored us to pray for rain. Now, if I were to go back by that church it would either say “Pray for those who are in the flooded areas.” Or “Stop praying for rain.”

We live in a world where balance is best. As I have said before, extremism in just about any area of life is usually bad. It leads to legalism, self-righteousness, and unqualified judgements. And when those show up in a Christian’s life, they give a false portrayal of who Jesus really is. There’s just no good that comes from these things. But the point I want to stress here is not the imbalance we sometimes get caught up in, but the unthankfulness we can tend to be drawn to. The recent torrential rains reminded me that sometimes I have it so good that any little thing can cause me to complain. My ability to afford a cup of coffee every morning at the drive through, after a while, can cause me to see a mistake by my barista as a reason to share with my small group how I have been persecuted, and now live a life of extreme suffering. This of course happens until something much more significant recalibrates our priorities. A young man who helps lead our church, Mason, shared with some of us today how he met a man on the street after church. After asking about his needs, Jesus said, (Well I’m not sure if the homeless man’s name was Jesus, but it probably was.) “What I really need is a pair of shoes.” And then he proceeded to show Mason his bloody size tens that were crammed into a size seven. I’m glad Mason met his need.

Where was I at the time? At the sporting goods store, buying a new pair of Hokas.

Thank you God, for the humidity ………… and the humility. I need both.