Insight from a grass nest...

Children are closer to God because they can hear the Holy's heartbeat and know enough to stop and savor it.

A thought after joining my children in creating grass "nests" in our overgrown yard and savoring how the sun and clouds look from beneath the grass overhanging our heads.

Think about it for a moment. We rush all over the place, we have lists and agendas.  We have things to do. Even those of us trying to focus on a relationship with God schedule time to pray, and yet a child knows when they encounter God.  They listen to the heartbeat of the world around them, see God's miracles and stop long enough to savor them.  I completely believe that God has given us these small un-rushed people in our lives not to frustrate us as we try to get them ready for school, but to slow us down so that we remember the majesty, beauty and complete miracle that is our life and the world in which we live.

Seeing Jesus

Have you ever been praying about something and felt like God was trying to answer you but you just didn't get it? There have been many times, recently even, when I know God is at work, but I don't know what it is. I can feel it. I can feel the peace that passes all understanding soaking my soul to the point that my incessant worrying about housing for my family has gone – dissapaited. I know God is at work here. I know that I am on the right path, yet what should I do next? How do I understand Jesus here and now? I have learned that at the right time I will, but I have a very hard time waiting for it.

I think today's message in John14:18-29 (link to text) which sounds like a really complicated passage is Jesus trying to explain this very thing to us. This takes place just before Jesus goes to the Garden, just before he faces Pilot and his death. He is affirming to us that we are not orphans. While he has been here, he has been helping us to understand God, and God's kingdom. He has redefined how we live, and why we live here on Earth. He has helped us to focus on relationships within our communities, within our families, and with God. Now he is trying to prepare us for the horrible sadness that the people who are around him are going to face. They will feel completely abandoned, like orphans with no one to physically help them, no one to go to who understands and knows what is going on. Yet Jesus is trying to explain to them, something new is happening and it is not bad – although it is hard. It leads us to life, a life that is better than any we could live in this fallen world on our own, better than we knew before. He is introducing to us that even though we will not see him in body, that the Advocate or Holy Spirit will come to us in Jesus' name so that we will know it and it will help us. The Advocate will help us to do new things in Christ's name, will teach us beyond what Christ has taught and assist the generations in learning to live this new life with the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God. This is a new way of life that is totally different than the life we lead with other humans. This is not a competition. It is not a way of measuring, putting external value on lives. It is not a way to barter, or maneuver for power it is new. It is a way of living in the fallenness that is our world yet it gives us peace and shares that peace. God's peace was never meant for us to hold onto as individuals, but through individuals to reach communities, to share and love in community. The Kingdom of God.

When life is coming at us at 90 miles an hour Jesus leaves us with this

5. 27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

Peace is something our world does not know enough of – what does it look like in a small scale? In our day today? In a moment? In a day? In a person? In a family? In a community? In a society?

Peace is our precious gift granted to us by Jesus and given daily to us through the Holy Spirit moving in our lives. What does that feel like? What does that look like?

What does the world give? What are the world expectations? What does the world think peace is? What about pride? What about our own biases and prejudice? What about expectations? What about what and how we are expected to use our finances? What about our time? Our busyness - is this from the world? What do you see those around you expecting, striving for, getting?

How do we not let our hearts be troubled? How do we know the Holy Spirit when we meet her? How do we stop our fear? How do we see Jesus? That is exactly what Judas asked. Jesus answered him that if you know Jesus, and his peace, you will be able to recognize it in others. Those who love God, God will make God's home in them. Even on their bad days, we will be able to recognize it through prayer, by asking the Holy Spirit for help, through discernment, and by reading our Bible where we hear God's Good News afresh everyday and in different ways. It is not easy, and you can't always spot it instantly, sometimes you have to get to know the person, but if you are trying to truly open yourself up to listen to God, then God will shine through you as well.