Life May Not Be A Playground

John 10:10 – I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.

One becomes reflective at a funeral or memorial service.

I've often wondered what people do at times like this, who have no faith. They are in all levels of society, from the executive's corner office to the corner coffee shop. Poor souls, what do they do when life's earthquakes strike? They are all alone — sometimes literally — to face the unfaceable. Illness, poverty, death. They have no refuge or resource.

There is no place that I can find in the Bible that says a believer is going to have an easy or fun time in this world. But a situation like this is where a person of faith will win hands down over someone who has none. The Christian can go to a memorial service knowing that death does not have the last word. We worship a God who knows us down to the number of hairs on our heads. Anything that is a concern or worry for us, from lost spectacles to a lost job, we can bring to the Creator in prayer. If it's an issue for us, we can put it on Heaven's agenda, and know it will be of concern to a loving God, and it will be dealt with, in God's own way, in God's own time.

That, I think, is the whole point of Easter. This world is not a fair place. There are many things, and many times in our lives that will weigh us down. But the bad news doesn't have the last word. I remember, as a small child, going to a playground. I was by myself, but very soon one of my friends came along, and we decided to play on the teeter-totter. One person doesn't get very far, or have much fun on a teeter-totter all by oneself. But, have a friend along, and one is in business.

In some fashion, Jesus is like that. We can be down, and all by ourselves, not getting much done. Jesus comes to us as our divine Friend. Just as a human friend is with us, and can lift us up on a teeter-totter, Jesus is with us, and can lift us up out of whatever circumstances we're in. With Jesus, you're not alone in this world, and just as my alone-ness in the playground was turned into an afternoon of fun, Jesus will be with you so that you can have life, and have it more abundantly.

Prayer: Lord and Saviour, whatever in our life is bringing us down, we invite you to be here. Lift us up, and warm up our days of gloom with the light and warmth of the Jesus' presence. For this we give thanks. Amen.