God with us
I am sitting on the plane, about twelve hours or so into the journey home. (Boy, this trip doesn’t get any shorter, no matter how many times I take it!) The more time goes by, however, the more excited I get about what awaits me when I arrive in Jacksonville!I must admit, I’ve been very homesick the last few weeks. I can’t tell if it’s been because of the holiday season or the “concert” season, but I have missed my family terribly! Everything seems to make me think of them and causes me to miss their presence. God continues to be faithful to meeting my needs – the areas of “lack” that I feel by each person of my family not being around – but I often wish He would meet those needs again through them, not apart from them. I feel very ungrateful in these thoughts though: I have been able to stay in such close contact with my family even despite the distance. I marvel at God’s gifts to me through the internet and the ability to fairly inexpensively call home frequently, not to mention the opportunity to go home twice a year! How many missionaries of the past were only able to receive letters every few months and when they left their homes in the first place, were not able to see their families again for years – if ever! God is indeed gracious.
But the desire remains to be with my family members. I can’t wait to hold or be held by each of them, to play games and watch movies with my siblings, to spend hours talking to my mom over coffee in the mornings, to make music with my Dad (and everyone else at Pinewood!), to laugh and joke around the dinner table. There’s something to be said about being in the physical presence of those you love.
Thoughts of which led to a sweet insight tonight into the preciousness of the gift of Christ’s presence on earth, given to us at Christmas. As I was thinking about these things, I was reminded of 1 John 1…
”That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.”
God knew we needed the tangible, so He sent Jesus into the world as a Person we could see, hear and touch. What love and condescension! What grace and mercy – that He would be our Immanuel!
posted by Catherine Rogers @ 7:10 AM
2 Comments:
I don't in any way want to confine God, or imply that He NEEDS anything, but could it be that Jesus also came because God wanted to touch us? That He missed our presence and moved closer to close the gap a little? Am I making sense? (It's very late.) Just a thought.
I was thinking as I read this of how I envy your better understanding of what it means to be an alien and a traveler, and to long for heaven because you aren't where you belong.
Miss you already my dear friend!
Lisa
Hey Catherine- how are you? I am finally able to read your blog more and just wanted to add a comment to your Dec. 07 because of your input. It was so nice to see you at Christmas. I really do enjoy our conversations and always walk away feeling so much better than I did before. I hope that now that I have access to a computer we can keep in touch more. I hope that you're doing well along with everything else! Please write me sometime.. rwestmanley@aol.com.
I hope to hear from you soon, take care! love, rebecca
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