“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow.”
― Thomas Paine
JEREMIAH 36-37
31I will punish him and his children and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.’ ”(36:31)
PHILEMON
14I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
JOURNAL
One of the benefits of doing this over the last few years is that I get to go back and read my past devotions...many of them I repost because the words are worth repeating. They connect and re-engage me. This one is a special one because every single time it gets me and reminds me of some really important principles. It is amazing how easy we can forget moments and bursts of inspiration. I am thankful for our ability to record these and revisit them. This post was from November 3, 2017
Last night I stayed up and watched the Cubs win the World Series. I was absolutely into it...I felt the emotion, the tension the elation after the final out. I caught myself singing "Go Cubs Go"...I felt completely a part of the win and the celebration. Why??? I'm not a big Cubs fan, I have a 12 year old Cubs shirt which I dug out of the dirty clothes to wear last night. I have never played for the team, have absolutely zero family connection or history and yet there I sat on the edge of my seat emotionally engaged. What in the world is that all about?
It seems absurd...it seems absolutely psychotic that I would be emotionally engaged...yet I was...and so were millions of other people all over the world. I read peoples comments on social media...other people who were not fans either yet were overcome with joy, celebration and emotion over a 10 inning baseball game. It seems so silly and yet it isn't. It is far deeper than anything on the surface.
The human race is designed for relationship and to bond together to solve problems and care for each other. We are designed to want to be a part of a collective effort that overcomes heartache, difficulty and seeks the collective above the individual. It did not matter that many of those players never experienced the heartache of the past. It did not matter that several of them even played for opposing teams during this year. What mattered is that in this moment at this time they were brothers together, bonding and willing to fight to do something no other Cubs team has done in 108 years. Just as it didn't matter that many people cheering never experienced the disappointment as fans...because regardless of our relationship with the Cubs...we all have experienced heartache and failure and dissapointment. We all have been affected somewhere along the way by broken dreams and hard work and sacrifices that don't pay off.
It is why we connect and why we cheer and why we feel a part. It is the same reason that when I read scripture, I connect emotionally. These are words written 2000+ years ago that I have absolutely no physical connection to...yet they speak to me, they connect because we all connect to the heartache, the joys, the love, the brotherhood. We connect because we do truly have a creator that connects us all. God blesses us with this bond, this ability to connect. It is what draws us together and makes us weep and hug strangers and help our brothers and sisters regardless of race, color, nationality. It is the beauty and the power of God within us and among us.
Last night I stayed up and watched the Cubs win the World Series. I was absolutely into it...I felt the emotion, the tension the elation after the final out. I caught myself singing "Go Cubs Go"...I felt completely a part of the win and the celebration. Why??? I'm not a big Cubs fan, I have a 12 year old Cubs shirt which I dug out of the dirty clothes to wear last night. I have never played for the team, have absolutely zero family connection or history and yet there I sat on the edge of my seat emotionally engaged. What in the world is that all about?
It seems absurd...it seems absolutely psychotic that I would be emotionally engaged...yet I was...and so were millions of other people all over the world. I read peoples comments on social media...other people who were not fans either yet were overcome with joy, celebration and emotion over a 10 inning baseball game. It seems so silly and yet it isn't. It is far deeper than anything on the surface.
The human race is designed for relationship and to bond together to solve problems and care for each other. We are designed to want to be a part of a collective effort that overcomes heartache, difficulty and seeks the collective above the individual. It did not matter that many of those players never experienced the heartache of the past. It did not matter that several of them even played for opposing teams during this year. What mattered is that in this moment at this time they were brothers together, bonding and willing to fight to do something no other Cubs team has done in 108 years. Just as it didn't matter that many people cheering never experienced the disappointment as fans...because regardless of our relationship with the Cubs...we all have experienced heartache and failure and dissapointment. We all have been affected somewhere along the way by broken dreams and hard work and sacrifices that don't pay off.
It is why we connect and why we cheer and why we feel a part. It is the same reason that when I read scripture, I connect emotionally. These are words written 2000+ years ago that I have absolutely no physical connection to...yet they speak to me, they connect because we all connect to the heartache, the joys, the love, the brotherhood. We connect because we do truly have a creator that connects us all. God blesses us with this bond, this ability to connect. It is what draws us together and makes us weep and hug strangers and help our brothers and sisters regardless of race, color, nationality. It is the beauty and the power of God within us and among us.
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