Faith dehydration

You lay awake, tossing and turning. Watching your favourite TV show did nothing to distract you from your current situation. You tried reading but after your eyes scanned the same page 3 times but absorbed nothing you gave up. Even the softly playing sermon by your favourite pastor on your iPod hasn't worked it's normal magic of helping you drift off. The situation just keeps playing over and over in your mind. When you aren't remembering what happened yesterday, you're projecting what will happen tomorrow. You've mentally worked out a response to each and every possible scenario. If he says "this", you're prepared to say "that". You're ready for whatever may happen and these responses are playing over and over in your head like a bad Vanilla Ice LP that keeps skipping on the turn-table in a horrible 80's movie. And you just can't shut them out.

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Where is your faith? You've prayed about the situation. You've prayed a lot! You've asked God to guide you and protect you and be there with you. As it suggests in Philippians 4:6-7, you've let your requests be made known to God by prayer and supplication and with thanksgiving, at least to the best of your current ability. So where's that peace that surpasses all understanding? Why isn't your heart and mind guarded now that you really need it to be? How can it be that it's 3am and you're laying awake with your heart going 90 miles per hour???

WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?

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The problem is, faith is not something you can just put on at a moment's notice. Faith is something that builds up as you daily spend time with God, meditating on His word, worshipping Him in gladness and speaking to Him through prayer. When someone is dehydrated, they didn't get that way from skipping one glass of water. And it will take them more than one glass of water to rehydrate them. In Psalm 1:2 we are called to meditate on God's word day and night. Psalm 34:1 suggests that we bless the Lord at all times. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 calls us to pray without ceasing.

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Are you laying awake and lacking peace? Do your prayers seem to fall on deaf ears? Take heart my friend, for God hears you. However if it is peace you're looking for - that peace that surpasses understanding - a closer walk with daily doses of Bible reading, constant praise and unceasing prayer may be in order. God's grace and peace is readily available in abundance for all who seek it; drink it up!

Sugar cube igloo

When I was in grade 6 we were challenged with building some kind of miniature structure to reflect dwelling places of our Canadian ancestors. While most of the class used twigs or Popsicle sticks and fabric or paper to create miniature tepees, I came up with the brilliant idea of making a sugar cube igloo. I painstakingly filed each and every cube down to precise angles to make a perfect circle, then eventually a dome. But I faced two challenges; the slightest jiggle and a "brick" would come loose, making a wall collapse. And as I got to the top, unless the cubes were tightly compressed the roof would cave in. After much fooling around (and eating about half a box of sugar cubes) I realized that I could glue the cubes to make a tighter structure and make it stay together better. And a wad of paper in the centre supported the top so that some of the weight was relieved and it stopped caving in. I'm pleased to say that my teacher was thoroughly impressed and gave me an A+. My mom was not so happy about all the sugar that ended up all over the table and the floor ;-)
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My little igloo (before the bottle of Elmer's was brought into play) reminds me of my church, each family or member forming one of the blocks. Life is continually rattling us - as life tends to - and people seem to slip out of their intended position before you know it. Some of those people are foundational and when they leave you end up with a little (or sometimes big) domino effect of others falling out. Right now I think our roof is sagging a bit too....there's a lot of weight pressing in on those who are overseeing everything and they aren't being properly supported.
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So...what's the glue that's meant to hold these church-going cubes together? In my eyes, its relationships. It's taking the time out to care for one another, spend time together and see to each others needs. The book of Acts, chapter 2, verses 42-47 provides an awesome example of how the new church of Jesus Christ was to interact with one another:
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They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
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When was the last time you invited someone from the church over for a meal in your home....someone other than one of the 3 or 4 that you hang out with all the time? What is it that stops us from reaching out time and time again? Are we afraid that we won't have enough for ourselves if we share? Are we concerned about being judged for what we do or don't own? Or do we think that nobody likes us well enough to even accept an invite? Friends, each and every one of these reasons are a lie from Satan himself! If we reach out to one another in love, while we may not have the desired response each and every time, I promise you that more often than not, we will be thrilled with the outcome. And if we aren't, we will soon know that our church is not the House of God that we wish it to be and it is destined to fall apart eventually. Personally, I think it's worth the effort of putting a little glue into my neighbouring blocks....don't you?
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And what about the wad of paper that served so support my little igloo? That of course is no less than God. For if a church is not built with God at its core, it's useless.