Day 118 - Memories
Scripture focus: The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. John 6:29 NIV
When I was a little girl, I loved spending summers at my grandparents - mostly. The trouble would arise when my grandfather's favorite team - The Reds - were playing ball. Papa didn't have the dish network or cable television. His baseball "watching" required imagination. He listened to the radio. He didn't have a satellite connection or some fancy line to the announcer's booth - again, listening required his undivided attention. The crackle of the radio and frequent interference made hearing a challenge. So he made a rule. "No talking in the house during a Reds game." I didn't enjoy those moments as much as all the others. And I didn't follow his rules, either.
A few years ago, Pete and I were headed to pick up a child from a friend's house and the timing was bad. The Minnesota Twins were in the playoffs, and the game was on. Pete doesn't miss a Twins game. He was trying to listen to the game on the car radio, and it was tough going. The interference was fierce. In an instant I was transported back in time. I was no longer in our car headed to pick up a gaggle of girls.
I could feel and smell and taste the experience of 606 Ruby Street - my home away from home. By some neurological pairing and through a series of neurotransmitter firings, my brain was no longer receiving a message from the present, but was closely in tune with a memory from the distant past. And I wanted to go home. I yearned to return to that little brick house with the awning draped windows, the ancient radio, and the over-stuffed sofa. I desired to see my Papa in his leather recliner, puffing away on his pipe, listening to his beloved team push the game into extra innings. I desired to disrupt his concentration with childish play, and watch him choose his love for me over his passion for the game.
"The truth is, we were designed for relationship, and when our relationships don't work, they affect how we see God, how we relate to God, and even whether we will believe in him. We are born to belong, we are created for connection, and whether we admit it to ourselves or not, we spend our whole lives trying to fit in, get in, and stay in. It almost doesn't even matter what "in" is; we just want to belong somewhere." Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus, entry 14, Intimacy.
I agree with what McManus says in this passage. Let's turn it around. When we have relationships that DO work, they affect how we see God, relate to him and even whether we will believe in him. Believing in God is a labor of love, not an arduous task for me. My grandparents laid a foundation that made big believing possible. It's my prayer that you will make big believing possible for those around you - as you learn to live and love well - even in the middle of a big game. It takes a big heart to tolerate a little munchkin while you're trying to pay attention to a game. But if we can do this thing called love, and create safe communities where we can experience the love and acceptance that I had the opportunity to know, we will make it easier for others to do the work of God.
Recommended reading: Judges 7 and 8 in the morning; Psalm 95 and 96 in the evening
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