When my mom asked my youngest over the phone yesterday, “Are you excited?”, about visiting a college (which will be today), as if this was a joy ride, my analytical thinking kid replied thoughtfully, “Not necessarily excited.” – “It’s Like a Business Trip.” Yeah, I understand that, evaluating where to put your life your money your future your energies.  Yes, even though I may often approach life things as jumping for joy, embracing lifestyle whimsy with adventure, sometimes I decide things to NOT place my energy in. And yes OTHERS live life from the evaluation process, the method of monitoring without the immediate “jump in the pool” response. Yes, that’s what this trip feels like – with some few adventures thrown in. Mom may be like: “look at this and this and this!!!!!!!” (There are not enough exclamation points for me), others use the dot dot dot … “…” the toned down approach to certain things in life. And yet there are things that make them joyful too.

We are all unique! And we are unique in our own situations uniquely.

And what about switching gears? I recently told a friend that I’m able to “turn on a dime” for the unknown of my role at a new vacation bible school being flexible – and promptly saw a dime on the cement floor of a garage. A dime is small, and to turn on it (I have no idea where the reference started), you would have to show flexibility and maybe you also expect others to – even for the small amount (or big amount) of the dime. Most people probably would leave the dimes behind anyway, step over them rather than change. and they might be too small to trip us up – but maybe they would. Either way, our personalities and circumstances affect our ability to accommodate each little and small change in life. We justify things in order to keep sane, we want to plan, and yet it’s not a bad thing to know that we don’t know.  

Like EVEN IF we don’t know how God will turn our lives “on a dime” – we have to remember how He loves us, He holds us, He navigates the rough spots because He ALREADY patched the biggest breach of sin and death separating us from Him. We are IN by the love of Jesus and His sacrifice. So now on the rest of life, He does “fill in” work for our sanity to show us the way to go over the potholes, but remember He’s already figured our lives all out… He approaches today: “like a business trip” – God’s got God Business to do AND He already all figured it out. AND its like a JOYride too. We can look at minutia and enjoy it, after knowing the macro-view of Him being in charge. 

In John 14 recording, Jesus told His disciples, and us, a number of details so that we would understand that God has a plan, even down to using evil for ultimate good (see John 14). And we must BELIEVE the hope in His plan, seeing on God’s MACRO-view if we can, but also KNOWING God knows the minutia down to God knowing every hair on our heads. That in trouble we can rely upon the Holy Spirit to even give us the words to say (Luke 12). AND whom should we fear in life? No one but God Himself, He Who decides what ultimately happens to us. And God takes our situations VERY SERIOUSLY. God values us immensely!!!

It’s Like a Business Trip for God, and yes a joyride too as He delights in us, His children. May we continue to keep moving down the road of life…

Jobs to do, Joy to be had. Life and Love are always in God’s Sight.

Amen 

—

Luke 12:4-12, Jesus speaks to the disciples (and us):

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

—-

John 14:22-31

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

“You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.