Remarkable and Unmistakable Change.

Our little Cockapoo pup, Luna, has been with us for a little over 2 weeks and the changes in her have been remarkable and unmistakable.

She was so tiny and timid when she first came home. Today she seems to have doubled in size and now, so comfortable and courageous in her new home. She is learning so much, like how to sit, stay, leave it, lie down, and today we learned to fetch! It has been amazing to witness the changes in her development.

Spiritual changes happen in much the same way. Jesus accepts us as we are, but He loves us too much to let us stay that way. Over time, the Lord changes us from the inside out.

Colossians 3:9-10 reminds us that we have "taken off the old self" and "put on the new self." As we listen and submit to the Word of God, our desires change. We begin to think and act and love as Jesus did. And in time we look less like the rest of the world, and more like our Saviour and King. Once we know Jesus, we can’t go back to the people we were before. Soon everyone can see that we are not who we used to be, the change is remarkable and unmistakable.

Just as a puppies fullest potential is not to stay a puppy, our fullest potential is not to stay the way we are!

Join us this week as we conclude our series, entitled Keep the Change!

LUNA

Covid affects everyone differently.  For me this relentless pandemic brought with it regular bouts of darkness (and sadness) shrouded with loneliness. The house has been unusually empty as our last little bird left the nest. That coupled with restricted social gatherings has made us, ‘new empty-nesters’, feel all the more empty.  Ironically, I know I am not alone in my loneliness.  I have spoken to so many of you who have shared your positive and negative COVID experiences (and I am not referring to PCR tests).

So, after months of talking about it, and praying about it, and talking some more, what we did to bring a little light into our lives will not be for everyone, so please don’t judge… We got a puppy!

Yes, she is a lot of work.

Yes, I have not slept as soundly (or as long).

Yes, she has piddled on my carpet.

And yes, it is worth it.  This little life has brought more joy, and entertainment into our lives than we could every have imagined…  actually, I have been imaging this for years!

We are dog people and our decision feels right.

Luna came home last Tuesday and our life has been turned right side up and I am so grateful.  She has brought some levity and play into our lives. If you are a dog person, you get it.  

Last week, after conducting a difficult funeral for the son of a wonderful Amberlea couple, I went home to be greeted with all the love and adoring enthusiasm a 4 lb puppy can muster. Let me tell you, it is paradigm shifting!  She really is a joyful bright light.

Luna is the Latin word for moon. 

The bible refers to the moon as “a faithful witness in the skies” (Psalm 89:37).

And I love Psalm 136:7-9:  To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness endures forever; The sun to rule over the day, For His lovingkindness endures forever; The moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness endures forever; (Amplified Bible)

Where do you find joy and light these days?

Snowmageddon!

Earlier this week Southern Ontario got walloped by what many are calling SNOWMAGEDDON! Depending on the area, 30-50cm of snow fell creating a winter wonderland and a shovelling nightmare.  

Have you ever noticed the sky when a snow storm rolls in? The clouds are grey and menacing and then as the snow is released it creates a beautiful enchanted landscape.  If you happen to be driving in the car, it is mesmerizing to watch the snow fly towards the windshield as trees are cloaked with white. The driver, however, can barely appreciate it for fear of taking their eyes off the road!

The roads get slick, and it can be nearly impossible to tell where the pavement ends and the soft shoulder begins. As I write this, there are still abandoned cars on the sides of major roadways. Other drivers who report bein stuck in their cars for 20 hours waiting for cars to move.

Storms of all kinds are painful reminders of just how powerless we can be. How do we respond? How do we approach God in those tumultuous seasons?

In the book of Job, God says:

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? —Job 38:22-23

Poor Job was hit with so much: the deaths of his children, the loss of material wealth and comfort, and the ruining of his physical health. When he questioned God, the Lord’s response was to remind him at length exactly who He was, and who Job was not. God never explained any purpose for Job’s suffering but reminded Job of all that He created, understood and has power over. Snow was just one in a long list of those things.  

In hearing this, Job humbly replied,

Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. —Job 38:42

How often do we respond to God with that kind of trust and humility in the storm?

We thank God that God is the creator of all things, yes even the snow. In its mounds and the beauty of its intricate individual flakes. And we thank God that God is in control in all the storms of our lives — including the blizzards!  God will bring us through them because God’s love, power, and wisdom are too wonderful for us to know.