John and Kathy Deisher

One Call, One Harvest, 50 Teams

God

Deeper Things

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“We should remember that God always meets us where we are and slowly moves us along into deeper things.”

— Richard Foster, “Celebration of Discipline”
Deeper Things
(Photo by Cristian Palmer on Unsplash)

Someone recently found an old picture of me from college in 1978. I was 5’11”, 145 pounds, and had a large, curly “afro” (as they were called). I looked like a giant q-tip.

I don’t look like that anymore.

In 1978, I thought I knew how God worked, what he wanted from me,  and how my life would work out. I thought I knew the “deeper things”.

I don’t think like that anymore.

God was real to me in 1978. But in the last 41 years, I have changed. I have had experiences I never could have dreamed about then.

I have had life experiences.

I have had God-experiences.

And I have come to realize that God is continually meeting with me in the present to draw me into his future.

That means more “deeper things”.

God loves me where I am right now. But, he is not content to let me stay here.

He has “deeper things”.

God’s Faithfulness

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I planted a garden this year. OK, I actually planted some vegetables in three large containers. That is what you do when you live in an RV.

I planted tomatoes, peppers, and pickling cumbers. I did not expect bushel baskets full of produce, but I thought it would be nice to have a few fresh vegetables.

But it rained. All of April, all of may, much of June, it rained. Despite the rain, I picked two tomatoes and had three more growing, along with two peppers and one cucumber. Not a bumper crop.

Then it got hot. Hot as in a week of over 100 degrees. Two of the three tomatoes survived the heat, but the rest of the vegetables wilted and died.

Where am I going with this?

I could have lamented what was lost. I could have shaken my fist at the rain and the sun for ruining my harvest. I could have regretted the money I spent and the time I invested.

Or, I could enjoy my salad. Actually, two salads, each with two tomatoes. And I could look forward to next year.

Life brings you stuff. But we choose how to live, how to respond.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

I wonder what I should plant next year?