Take a "Sniff"

I could retitle my blog for the next couple of days because apparently I have inherited a little cold from my sweet little girls. Its amazing how they reward your love and cuddling when they are sick... they just want to pass it on. Valerie has avoided it so far.

I am trying to remind myself of my own sermon I gave yesterday at Westmount... to enjoy the ride of life and all of its ups and downs. Ecclesiastes 3 says that everything happens for a reason... there is an appointed time for the good things and for the bad things. We don't understand what the purpose is all the time but God is working out his "good purpose". We don't have the capacity to understand all of what God is doing.

The best illustration I could think of was to equate life to taking Lael to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Nebraska-- an 18+ hour car ride. The last time we made the trek she started asking for "new books" about 1 hour down the road. Valerie and I looked at each other and said, "she has no idea!" As parents, we knew that it was a worthy venture for her to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma but it was beyond her 2-year-old mind to conceive of a 1500 km trip. So she would complain and whine-- just like we do, throughout life. We don't know where God is taking us and we don't have a full picture even of where God has brought us from-- but we are on the ride.

Solomon encourages us to submit to God's purposes and "do good" (ie. obey His Word). "Trust and Obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus" And then he says that we should "rejoice" or "be happy". I understand that as enjoying the rollercoaster ride that is life.

So I sit here with a sniffling nose and smile...