Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Life gets messy, but remains a gift

We have come through some seriously unpleasant things this year, making the holy celebration of Christmas and Allie's 21st birthday yesterday all the sweeter. It’s been that sort of up-and-down year. The health issues that Ellen and I have faced have not exactly been overcome, and to some extent will never be. So be it. The fact is, this is our life. The cancer, the back and leg pain, the subsequent physical limitations are not mere interruptions of our “real” life. They cannot be brushed off or looked past. That so-called real life is a phantom of the imagination. It gives God no credit if we lay claim to an everyday life that precludes suffering. The unpleasant things we experience are as much a part of who we are and what is meant to be as the incarnation of Christ and the birth of our own children. Life gets messy. Friends die unexpectedly. We grow older. But life remains a living sacrament. Each day remains a gift. “And whatever we do, in word and deed, we do in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17). Happy New Year.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Peter,
Thanks for the reminder that in "real life," no one guarantees us tomorrow--no one guaranteed Jesus he would live to be 40. Nor Dee Andros 80. We should live 2009 as if there will be no 2010. Here's praying that the New Year will be better for you guys than the old. Thanks for your regular reflections this past year--we look to your blog with regularity and hope.
Cheers,
Steve

Anonymous said...

Peter: Messy, tiresome, and often a joy this life we have.
Keith