Coming to the Surface

Sometimes encouragement comes in the most unexpected ways.  

For me this Christmas, that prompting has arrived in our mailbox.  We have been socially distanced now for ten months and counting, but delivered day by day, sometimes just one by one, envelopes have appeared in the late afternoon at the end of our postal carrier's route.  Amidst catalogs and promotions, woohoo, an unexpected delight, there is real mail.  Christmas cards have been delivered. 

In past Decembers, I have read the cards and placed them in a little red basket.  But this year, as they have arrived, I stuck them up on the cabinet doors.

 

And throughout the days, I see faces smiling, encouraging, reminding me of good times and of struggles we have come through together.  We live in a continual state of repentance and forgiveness, of grace and givenness.  We have run together some tough terrain, helped with each other's boulders, cried together, laughed hilariously, pulled each other up to travel on, and brought over needed pans of lasagna and dozens of cookies.  We are all still hiking in the wilderness, but along the way, we have found together God's presence in the really big stuff and the days of small things.

Through all the many places where we have lived through the years, ten locations at last count, God has strategically woven people into our lives.  And in this season of physical separateness, those who comprise our ongoing (and often invisible) community come to the surface, some of whom we hear from just once a year at Christmas, sometimes not at all, but they are there.

They come from so many different locations, backgrounds, and seasons of our lives, but occasionally as I look at them, I see connections between those who don't even know each other.

As I stick up yet another card, one holding up another, these images remind me to pray.  Amidst all the smiling faces, I know there have been enormous challenges, miry bogs, impenetrable brambles, cavernous relational potholes, dead ends, huge losses, and yet, the revealing of God's faithfulness, day by day, sometimes moment by moment in their lives.

But as varied as it appears, we are together embraced, accepted and loved. We run together, and then sometimes, radically different courses, a couple of minutes together, and then, years apart. But God has blessed us with these seemingly disparate people, in and out of our lives in His perfect timing and design.  God created us for relationship with each other and with Him.  Walking with Him, running with others, even when it feels like we are tackling that huge mountain by ourselves.

We are not alone.  Emmanuel.  God is with us.

We are physically and geographically distant, but bound close by God's love.

 

Therefore,

since we are surrounded

by so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us also lay aside every weight,

and sin

which clings so closely,

and let us run with endurance

the race that is set before us,

looking to Jesus...

                  Hebrews 12. 1-2