What are you doing here?

As a New Year gets underway we rapidly become busy. After a brief pause for reflection and resolution making it seems things soon get back to the state we describe as ‘normal’. Yet is into the midst of our normality that God often chooses to step. This past Sunday we reflected on the experience of John the Baptist who was rather surprised when Jesus showed up at the banks of the Jordan. The sermon can be found here.

It is as Jesus is baptized that a voice from heaven describes Him as a beloved son with whom God is ‘well pleased.’ The sacrament of baptism declares to us that God is pleased to claim us as sons and daughters. We may not always feel pleased with our spiritual progress, or even feel there is much for God to be pleased about in our lives but… nevertheless… God continues to desire our utmost good.

In the light of our faltering steps and uneasy commitment we have those days when we question our ability to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. There are times when we ask ourselves; “What are you doing here?”

Then, unexpectedly, God shows up. Shows up in the voice of a friend or someones random act of kindness towards us. Shows up by placing before us an opportunity to bless another. Shows up in the words of a song on the radio or by an insight in the midst of a comedy routine on TV. Shows up in places we weren’t looking.

And then we remember that we are not disciples because we are good at it! We are disciples because God is a God of Grace and refuses to despair of us. Through the influence of God’s Holy Spirit prompting us to have eyes that see and ears that hear, we can discover God in ways and places we had never expected!

Prayer: Lord, help us to stay awake to Your presence within us and around us. Remind us that we are children of Your pleasure. Encourage us to keep listening and keep serving, especially when we have more questions than answers. Amen.