I remember playing games with my big brothers. They were six and eight years older than me, wiser and more mature (so they thought!), so they didn’t always want to play with their little sister. Plus, I would usually beat the socks off of them! But sometimes they would double-team me, strategize against me, and I would yell out, “That’s not fair!”
Life doesn’t seem to play fair, does it? You can be sailing through one day, living your best life, and all of a sudden you hit an iceberg! The passengers never saw it coming, the crew never saw it coming, and the captain of the Titanic never saw it coming. Yet it happened. And 712 people who survived were left to pick up the pieces of their lives.
Sometimes we have built such a firm foundation that nothing seems to shake us up. But we also have those times when the strongest of faith gets shaken. It’s like the Jenga game – if you pull out the wrong block, the whole tower falls down. For some of us, we are one good pull away from disaster. We know that trouble will come, Jesus even warned us of that…
“The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution.
But take courage; I have conquered the world!”
John 16:32-33, NRSV
Jesus gives us the play-by-play, the game setup – you will have persecution! Into each life a little rain must fall. But Jesus also gives us the playbook – when you go through heartache, when it all falls down around you, remember that you’re not alone because you have God the Father with you; Jesus, the Son, who conquered the world for you; and the peace within Him, the Holy Spirit, in you! That’s the trifecta, the Trinity, the three-in-one God who helps us in our time of need.
Join us this Sunday as we continue in our sermon series: Push Play. This week we’ll explore some strategies for When it All Falls Down. To register for worship, you can sign up at: https://rsvp.church/r/gVufUAP4 . You can also join us online at 10:00am. For online worship go to www.umcgt.org.
This Sunday we will have outdoor worship – AND it will be cooler! We are not requiring masks when we are outside, however feel free to mask if you would like. Remember, this is a no-judgment zone! We have plenty of room for social distancing. So, bring a comfy chair (or use one of our folding chairs) and join us in the garden. And remember, if you are not feeling well, we trust that you will worship with us online.
May God bless you and keep you!
Blessings,
Pastor Linda
Thank you for your encouraging words, Pastor Linda. God is aware of our weaknesses and our vulnerability. Psalm 103:14 says, "He remembers we are dust." God made us the way we are, and will not abandon us in our hour of need. You are such a blessing to me!