When a House Becomes a Home

We spent our last Christmas at the Frazier Court house in Wheaton this past week. This is the house where Debsue grew up and we have spent many special times there. This is Mimi and Papa's house; one that carries many memories. All of our girls were able to be there for one final Christmas. Deb's dad (Papa) die about a year ago and the house is simply too big for Mimi and she is moving to Florida.

The last day we started to clean stuff out of the cabinets and off the walls so that the painter can come and strip the wallpaper. The home once stripped of the things that made it into a home seemingly transformed into a house again. A house is a building, a place to live. A home is where people relate and share life together. That place will soon transition back from a home to a house. However the memories will carry on. We experienced the same thing when we cleaned out our Aurora home and transitioned to our new home in Brecksville.

I am not surprised that Jesus uses the metaphor of our heavenly dwelling as a home. In John 14, he talks about "dwelling places" in heaven. But what made it a home was that Jesus was going to prepare it for us and ultimately it was the fact that He will be there that made it into a home. A dwelling place is pretty exciting. I remember with great anticipation seeing our new house as it was being built in Aurora. But a home is for relationships and that is what makes it special.

Joy to the World - But Not Yet

During Christmas season, we sing familiar hymns and I think we become guilty of not really even looking at the lyrics. I don't know how many times I have sang "Joy to the World" and realized most of it isn't even about Christmas or the virgin birth at all.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

The first verse could apply to the virgin birth, but the last three verses clearly refer to the reign of Christ which is still to come. I think of what Paul says in Romans that "the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God"  (Rom. 8:19). Christ came into a broken world, but there will be a time when this broken world will be transformed, when "He comes to make His blessings flow". And that is worth singing about all year round.

All is Not Lost

Every person regardless of who they are will face adversity at some point or another. That is part of living under the curse of the fall. But it is also part of how we develop as human beings. God puts humans through adversity so that they can grow in dependence on him, but also so that they can help and encourage others.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 
2 Cor 1:3-4

A number of weeks ago I watched the movie All is Lost starring Robert Redford. I knew the premise of the movie going in, but I never realized how empty a movie can be without knowing how the characters background and how they respond to adversity. The only inkling we have in this movie of the character is the brief time in the beginning where we see a note that tells he is sorry. They could have easily put a robot in the role. There was no human character to identify with.

We need many questions answered about this guy:

• Why was in the boat making the trip?
• Who were the people that cared about him?
• What was his faith?
• Did he have regrets?

Spoiler alert - in the end he is rescued, but I found myself not really caring whether he did or not without knowing who this guy is. We root for those who go through adversity and come out better people. A persons character comes out when we see them in the crucible - in a trial by fire. As the verses say - it strengthens our relationship with a heavenly Father and with others. Otherwise, all indeed is lost.

When an Apology is Not an Apology

Deb and I attended a Christmas party this past week at a very high-end establishment in downtown Cleveland. At this party were many of the "movers and shakers" of the city of Cleveland. The service was not so hot and it was pretty skimpy on the food but we didn't think a whole lot of it at the time. We were just glad to reconnect with some good friends we have met through this organization that put on the event.

The next day we received an e-mail from the director of the organization hosting the event. She passed along an "apology" from the general manager of the host establishment (I have masked who the establishment is because that is not the point here).

Thank you for coming to XX to attend the XX event on the evening of December 2nd. I would like to apologize for any unfulfilled expectations that you may have experienced during your event.  The XX staff and leadership take pride in our guests satisfaction, and you will each be receiving a $10 gift card to come and enjoy at your leisure.  We all want to thank you for your support and business; and if you may have any direct concerns please feel free to contact me at any time.

I had to read it several times - is this really an apology? Was it possibly my unrealistic expectations that were the problem? Doesn't an apology mean we admit to doing something wrong? Sorry but I didn't see it. Further, the $10 token was a really lame attempt to buy back some level of satisfaction. Aren't most of us really appreciative of a true apology and aren't expecting some token gesture.

I was reminded that we often approach God that way when we come in repentance. We pin our sin issue on God's mismanagement of our life. We put strings on our apology. We claim to God that we are making our puny efforts. We blame the presence of others. We are like Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus Christ - remorseful but not repentant.

I find God does not respond to my so-called apologies. I have to come to Him in abject poverty of soul and truly come clean. My half-hearted apology to God doesn't cut it. Am I truly burdened by my sin? Does it threaten my relationship with God and others? If so, I need to perform radical surgery on my attitude. A man who comes to God with ready excuses is a man who is not repentant. True repentance is without regret and leads to salvation (2 Cor. 7:10).