Growing in Christ
This little book by W.E.B. has travelled with me since high school. I love reading new descriptions of the gospel’s declaration of grace as a method to pleasing God. So often, I feel like I need to be better. What I need to be better at is sometimes told to me by society: health, physique, education, environmentalism. Sometimes, I feel like scripture is telling me to be better: don’t cling to your money, but give without self-consideration, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers. And, then a picture comes into my mind of a young tree, young enough to grow in a pot. And, I think, can this tree grow any taller if it wanted to badly enough? No, even if it could tremble its leaves with the effort. So, much of the Bible is God saying, “Look at me: I take care of you. Stop worrying. Stop telling me where the attacking army is and listen to me telling you where I am.” If only I would trust him. Out of grace comes rest, life, and growth. But, first he has to show us grace. Some, could come to him and ask for an ailment to be removed and they would know they were forgiven and held by Him, safe, in this life and the next. Not me. I would be healed and think I was healed so that I would go back to work, just able to work harder. Jesus said he came so “they might have life, and have it abundantly” John 10:10. I need something else if I’m going to treat God like a God and not like a tool I use to perform more productively. But, I don’t know what I need. So, I guess He’s got His work cut out for Him.
That would be a miracle.
“The Growing Christian”
Making Sangria 