My 365 Day Struggle to Know Christ; Day 6

Day 6, August 14, 2011

Today has been a day of profound ups and downs.  At church we had a wonderful sermon on the Lord’s Supper and afterwards we partook of the Lord’ Supper.  I want to say that our Lord is truly faithful to forgive all our sins and misgivings and replaces them with peace and joy.  It was so wonderful to be fully surrendered to the Lord at the Lord’s Supper today. 

Later this afternoon, my wife and I discussed a topic that was both painful and difficult for us.  Though I am at peace with the Lord in following His will, I do not always understand why He asks of us what He does.  It always seems that the hardest times to submit to the will of our Lord is when we do not understand or we want what He is asking us to wait on.  Both my wife and I struggled greatly this afternoon as we sought to understand His will in the private area of our lives.  We both want to be obedient in following Him in all areas of our lives.

I struggle with trying to walk in the Lord’s will daily.  Sometimes I feel as though I am exactly where he wants me to be and other days I feel so alone.  As a preacher’s kid, I moved many times in my life and always had trouble forming lasting relationships.  I feel very much like a nomad at times because I have the innate ability to move to a new town without really mourning the old place or, for the most part, missing the people.  This ability has served me well for the many times I have moved in my life but it also has added to my struggle to know and develop a lasting and fervent relationship with Jesus.

I am learning daily how to live and love those close to me in a lasting way through the relationship with my wife, her family, and my best friend, Jono.  I have never worked so hard in my life to continue and maintain a relationship with those around me.  This is especially true for Jono since he lives halfway around the world.  I have learned that just because someone is not geographically close does not mean a relationship cannot be sustained.  As I continue to learn how to maintain good relationships with those close to me, I also am learning how to develop better relationships with those I work with and go to church with.  It is weird to have a family of people who love me outside my own family and yet I cherish it. 

Another area of my life where I had the opportunity to grow today was in learning to grill at my home.  A few days ago my wife and I bought a cheap charcoal grill at Wal-mart and today I had the opportunity to use it for the first time.   I decided to grill as much as I could so I could refrigerate and freeze the left over’s for later.  Though I had some trouble lighting and setting up the charcoal briskets at first, I finally got them lit and everything else went beautifully.  I cooked 8 hot dogs, 12 hamburgers, and half of a pound of polish sausage.  Everything tasted wonderful, especially with homegrown tomatoes from the garden!  I was so proud to be able to grill food for my wife.  I also am excited at the prospect of grilling for my friends now that I know what I am doing.

Mel and I ended the night by renting Of God’s and Men.  It is a wonderful story about monks in Algeria who decided to stand for Jesus despite Islamic and government turmoil around them.  It really warmed my heart to see their love for Jesus, the people of the town they were in, and even their enemies.  I loved how the movie allowed the characters to wrestle with their choice to stay at the monastery.  It truly was a beautiful picture of these men trusting their Lord no matter what happened.  I wish we all could live more like the men each day.  They chose to love everyone and hate no one.  They ministered to the community they were in by offering medical services, help, and food.  They truly lived their love for their Lord and I was blessed to see a glimpse of their witness and lives through this movie.  I didn’t even mind that the movie was subtitled.  It was kind of fun to attempt to remember the French words I learned back in high school.

Though today was a day of joy and struggle the Lord blessed and taught me immensely.  I found freedom in asking forgiveness of my coworker for times of stubbornness and pride at work.  I fell to me knees in sorrow as I sought the Lord’s guidance and wisdom in painful decisions.  I rose in triumph at the ability to create wonderful food on the grill.  I shared in joy and sorrow as I watched the authentic witness of Christian men. 

The Lord can teach us so many things in so many ways when we are open to His daily guidance.  I hope in some way my day could help to uplift, bless, and guide you as you embark upon your day.

Blessings,

Greg