The Missing Week

Where did he go? What has happened? Has the last days begun? Where, Oh where was he? He was gone a week?

These questions, probably more the last one, swirled through your heads. Last week – took father IL to doctor – not covid, not pneumonia, not much of anything. Took car to the shop – broke down, stranded, friends step up, faithful mechanic, more expenses. Issues all around. I mean a draining week that makes one weak.

Counseling with me is not the easiest – I am a tough love kind of guy – like suck it up buttercup. But I do care, it is more my short attention span. So this week – ugh for those that had to listen.

I did a funeral – and forgot to push record on the video … I did a wedding – and called the groom the wrong name … I did sermons – never feeling like I am worthy, nor interesting, nor deep enough, nor (well, you get it). We did a Fall Festival at church – just to watch it rain.

Now more on these specific items in days to come – but the key take away today – life gets overwhelming.

But …

and this is a BIG BUT … but, we have a bigger God. And the Scripture challenges us to strive to enter rest. Strive – work hard, press forward, don’t give up. Do you see the irony here? Strive for rest. We have to work at it. But the rest is from God and it’s bigger than any overwhelming week. Bigger than any hard circumstances thrown our way. Bigger than all the vexations of this world – but we have to strive, work at it. And in the context of where we find this principle, the striving is about having faith in that bigger God.

And also – key to striving is staying in the Word!! For in the written and in the incarnate Word of God, we find the personal connection, we find a powerful connection, we find a penetrating connection. We find God.

So this week, we will look at some of these ‘stress‘ filled scenarios … see how we can ‘strive‘ in spite of, through, maybe even because of these scenarios … and then we will see the ‘serenity‘ God provides.

Stress – Strive – Serenity

I could have done better last week. So let’s all do better this week.