Thursday, December 27, 2007

year end

Chickadee in Kensington Metro Park.


I'm getting an early start on closing 2007, this time closing more than a year - but a chapter in my life as well. This season of crunching numbers and balancing accounts is almost a rite of passage. Passage from being employed, along with Jake, by a company of our own creation. Passage from being an employer, and the myriad related experiences, some good, some miserable. Passage from being my "own boss", which , translates into "everyone's my boss" as those of you who've been there can attest. But every passage "from" is also a passage "to" -even when still lacking knowledge of our destination. I've been giving some thought to the "to" of this passage, and the possibilities concealed in the promise of that tiny word. I am looking forward to the Lord's next assignment for my life. My prayer for 2008 is to live a life in which Christ has supremacy in everything (Col 1: 18). Funny thing is, I had thought I WAS doing that. But the beauty of growing nearer to the Lord is the whole Romans 7 thing: the closer I get, the more sinful I become... because I'm calling more things sin in my life...things that I previously accepted. But, what exactly is "supremacy"? ... Defined it would come across something like: The quality or condition of being the highest in authority, or rank, the highest in degree. But I sense the Lord beckoning me beyond words. If Christ TRULY has supremacy over everything in my life... yikes... my life should look quite a bit different. I used to think it would look like I have it all together... calm confidence in what I'm doing, and why - making progress in a clear direction, the day's agenda iron clad in my trusty planner, I know where I'm going and what I have to do, no more floundering with direction, purpose, seeming lack of accomplishment... But that place is not where the Lord has placed me at this moment in life. That place would be of my own creation - putting myself back in control to create comfort... security. Christ has no supremacy in that place... He barely gets an honorable mention. Allowing Christ's supremacy to be real in my life means I rejoice here. Right now. Not because of where I am or who I am, but because He IS. Regardless of the passage "to" that I'd like, as opposed to the one I may get. Allowing Christ's supremacy to have its proper influence over my life means I finally DO spend myself in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed in ADDITION to meditating on it. If the supremacy of Christ waves like a banner over my life, Jesus' words- - "A new command I give you: Love one another. ... By this all men will know that you are my disciples,..." - - will bear fruit that even my family can see and enjoy - - regardless of whether I'm on a good rant OR unusually pleased with humanity at the moment. So much could be transformed by such an allegiance. It seems to me that this is the key that will unlock the mysteries of loving as God would have us love, delighting in our weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions difficulties, or proclaiming with Paul: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." The temporal benefit is that regardless of what actually happens, "joy" will be my daily dwelling place, instead of a yearly wish. "Rejoice" will become the state of my heart, instead of just a word on Christmas greetings. The eternal benefit will be enjoyed as we bask in the glory of God, being rewarded for our participation in its luster during our earthly sojourn.

2 comments:

Jen said...

"unusually pleased with humanity at the moment" - funny.

Happy New Year!

Another beautiful photo, by the way.

Dinah said...

Happy New Year to you and yours as well! Glad you like my photo - that one was shot on my first bird watching "outing" with some friends who have turned me on to this.