July 1st, 2008
I am Blessed
“For in him you have been enriched in every way – in all your speaking and in all your knowledge - because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”
1 Corinthians 1:5-9
Yesterday started out as I anticipated, but it ended far differently. Last week I told you my friend from Seattle, Mary Jayne, was coming to visit with her husband. We had a wonderful weekend. Monday afternoon the plan was for she and I to go out for a late lunch, relax with an hour massage and then come back to a dinner cooked by Greg and Tim (Greg is a fantastic cook). As Mary Jayne and I returned from a relaxing afternoon, we turned the corner onto our road and I saw rows of cars parked in our side yard. Then I knew…
Apparently Tim had the idea months ago to plan a surprise 40th birthday party for me. So, for the last few months he, Chriss and Andy have been in cahoots planning a memorable evening. As I looked at the rows of cars, I turned to Mary Jayne and said, “Do I know that many people?” Over 100 people, including many of our church family, my brother and his family from western New York, my brother-in-law and his family from central Pennsylvania, my mother-in-law and brother-in-law from Virginia, and friends from Binghamton, gathered at our home for a cookout. I was stunned that that many people cared enough to take an evening away to come to a birthday party for me. I was also amazed at the love of my friends who worked so hard to NOT tell me about this event (I wondered why, the day before, so many people avoided me at church!). And so I say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who came (and to those who planned the event - including my parents and the Odells who did so much work to make it happen and feed that many people). Although it may have just been “one more thing on the calendar” for many of you, it will be an incredible memory for me.
All that to say…this morning as I was thanking God for all of you and for my wonderful, thoughtful husband, I read 1 Corinthians 1. Usually I read these openings of biblical letters as they are written, so, in my mind, it sounds as if I am writing them and my spirit then prays for and thanks God for all of you who I know. However, today as I read in the mood of amazement-that-God-loved-me-and- blessed-me-with-so-many-wonderful-people-in-my-life, I read the passage differently. Here’s what I read:
“For in him I have been enriched in every way – in all my speaking and in all my knowledge - because the apostles’ testimony about Christ was confirmed in me. Therefore I do not lack any spiritual gift as I eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep me strong to the end, so that I will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called me into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”
It sounds different, doesn’t it, to make it personal? It made me the receiver of God’s love and gifts. It confirmed the thoughts I was feeling about God’s love for me. Read it for yourself – as if Paul is actually writing to you. Can you believe God loves us that much? You lack no spiritual gift that he wants you to have. You will be strong to the end and stand blameless in front of Jesus. God is faithful to you. God loves you. That’s amazing. Most of our lives are filled with our jobs, family and mundane, everyday activities. Yesterday God gave me a gift of showing his love through people. Thank you, God; thank you, friends. I am blessed.