As we moved into our mature years we all reflect back on the things we thought were so important and demanded our best energy, now seem almost insipid and unimportant. How could we have given so much energy to purchasing our first vehicle when we now own two vehicles?
We all smile when someone asks if an accountant with life-time of service wants to read the latest balance sheet when he/she is struggling with stage four cancer. At this stage in life this is not important.
Our life with God or rather God’s life with us receives the same treatment. Many people have walked away from sharing and living a committed Christiaan life. “This is not something that speaks to me anymore.”
The life of every human being is a journey through the highs of success and personal fulfillment to the lows of suffering and rejection. We have many people who have struggled to recover from the blow the corporation threw at them. They had given almost twenty years of good and creative service to the company, only to discover that one day the employer walked in, unannounced, with the severance package in hand. After Twohy years of service they were out the door with not so much as a thank you.
There are a lot of scars and wounds that mark our histories. There are also heroic stories of resistance, survival and recreation of life.
At this point it is creative to sit down and reflect how much of my Christian upbringing and practice actually gives meaning to my life. This is not a rejection of our Christian faith or the practice serious doubt about it. It can become a life-giving moment to see how my Christiaan faith nourishes and sustains my life.
I may recognize that I no longer pray and worship. I call out to God when I am in trouble but that is about what my relationship with God amounts to. Or I may discover how much I enjoy the hand of God in the Autum winds, the rustling leaves and the warm autum afternoon sun. This reflection may identify huge gaps of spiritual things I have walked away from or it may indicate how the spirit of God has become more active within my life.
I invite you to spend some reflection time on what of your Christiaan faith gives you life and energy and what no longer speaks to you in any meaningful way.