Dear Rose Park,
Every morning when I drive into the office I go right past the veterinarian’s office on Butternut. Whoever manages their sign outside the office door deserves a raise because they post the most clever and witty jokes. Before Thanksgiving it read, “what do you call a running turkey? Fast food!” but if you drive by right now, you’ll read “Never make a snow angel at the dog park.”
The first time I read it, I smiled and laughed but then I also thought about the wisdom in that statement. How many times do we willingly make foolish decisions even though we know what the outcome will be? I imagine many of us have thought about a decision, known the cons outweigh the pros heavily and yet we still say, “oh well, let’s do it.” We know we shouldn’t say this or that to our spouse, yet we still do it. We know we shouldn’t treat our neighbor in this way, yet we still do it. We know we shouldn’t behave like this or that when no one is around, yet we still do it. We know we shouldn’t walk away from God and His people, yet we still do it.
The Apostle Paul writes these words to the church in Rome, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” This is the brokenness of the human condition; the things we know we should do, we don’t and the things we know we shouldn’t do, we do. When we consider this fact about our own lives it can be easy to become overwhelmed by sin and shame. Paul certainly felt this too. However, Paul ends this particular portion of the letter with hope and thanksgiving when he writes, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Paul knows that it isn’t our effort that will bring us to a place of righteousness, but God’s grace working in us.
As we continue through the holiday season preparing for parties and gatherings and anticipating the birth of the Christ-child, may we be reminded with comfort and hope that God continues to graciously work through us despite our sin. So, even with brokenness in our lives let us still cry out with joy in our heart, “glory to God in the highest!" but remember, never make a snow angel at the dog park.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark