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“Being Still” before God is not easy. The cares and worries of the world clamour for our attention. If we listen to the winds of deception; if we take our eyes off Jesus and gaze on the problems surrounding us, we will sink into the sea of despair, worry and fear. In the stillness he reminds us that we are the object of his glory and through us he will be exalted. Not of our doing, but of his.
There are times in each of our lives when we need help making choices. Some decisions come easily. Some are horrendously difficult. Wisdom requires two things from us. One is to admit we don’t have all the answers and we are not the center of the universe. In other words, it’s not about me. Secondly, wisdom says we seek direction from those who have travelled the road before us and can be counted on for good counsel. Jesus promises he’ll always be at your side through the Holy Spirit. He may not always tell us the most pleasant way, but he’ll always lead us in the best way if we listen with an open heart.
When you are in trouble you always need a ‘go to’ person. Someone you can count on, who’s never let you down, who’s never judged you or criticized your mistakes. Someone who’s wise, weathered the storm, and always can find an answer. Jesus is just the person you are looking for!
To fully understand today’s Gospel (John 9:1-41) of Jesus restoring the sight of the man born blind, we need to go below the surface of the story. This is so often the case when Jesus speaks or acts. He wants us to look deeper into the inner meaning of the story. To do that in this passage, each of us needs to think of our ourselves as the one who is blind, the one who needs the touch of Jesus to help us to see. So that’s the first step. If we think we can see, that we have everything sorted out, that we think we know all the answers, then we are in trouble. It is when we know we are blind and need God’s light that we are getting somewhere.
So that means first, that we shouldn’t think we have all the answers to the problems of the…
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Alongside literary giants like Shakespeare and Tolstoy are the Berenstain Bears. (Maybe that’s a stretch, but just go with me on this one.)
In one of their timeless classics we learn about The Magic Toeshoes. Basically, a young bear wants to be a ballerina. But her toes are wobbly. So an old ballet master takes pity and gives her some “Magic Toeshoes,” saying that with these shoes she’ll be steady and confident.
Convinced of their power, she tries them on and is amazed at the result. As the year goes on, and as the big recital approaches, everything is set for her performance. But then, on the night of the show, she forgets her magic toeshoes at home!
Upset and anxious, she tells the old ballet master, who then discloses that they were never magic in the first place. They were just ordinary shoes.
So out onto the stage she…
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Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 