Norfords' Ramblings

Friday November 28, 2008

If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself, 2 Tim 2:13

I guess its through times of difficulty that our faith is tested. Are we going to run to him for comfort and shelter, or away from him because we feel he has apparently deserted us at a critical time. This latter idea is driven by the notion that as Christians we should be able to avoid trouble because God should preserve us from it. Of course it doesn’t take much thought to realize both from the Word and from history that suffering is part of the Christian’s lot.

Today’s text reminds us that whatever our perception, God remains faithful, he cannot deny his true nature. We are blessed with a great family that understand this and uphold us in prayer. This evening some of our grandchildren will be coming for the weekend just to be with us. Canadian distances are so great that time and distance make these get-togethers all too few. We appreciate their special effort to visit with us before we depart for England in less than three weeks time.

Thus today has been a busy one, preparing for them and our home group meeting here tonight. It has also been somewhat run-of-the-mill; Ann at university while I continue writing to meet some self-imposed deadlines. I really don’t think much about my condition because I’m busy. Time enough for that when the scan results are in and the doctor has outlined what options we may have. In the meantime life goes on and some setback is no excuse to abandon it.

All my life I’ve been seeking a nice comfortable rut to live in. Where is that simple daily routine that doesn’t change and everything is predictable? I suppose there are some that have found it, but for us life has been an ever-changing panorama that draws energy and excitement for the challenges ahead. While we may sometimes seek a restful break, the continual newness of life keeps the anticipation alive. I sense this turn in the road will have a similar impact. It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good. We gladly anticipate the benefits to be found in this new future together.