Cape Considerations

Yesterday, I made my first trip down to Cape Cod. Have I ever mentioned how much I love my job? I am trying to determine what venue will host a new conference my team is planning for next spring, so I headed down to look at a couple options. The hotel I stayed at last night was so gracious and generous... They gave me a room right on the ocean!

Last night, I tossed and turned. It was raining and I've been suffering from a head cold for a few days now that kept me up and blowing my nose frequently throughout the night. This morning, I awoke early to more rain. I was a bit disappointed since I was hoping to sit out on the deck or go for a walk and spend some time with the Lord. But, being the eternal optimist that I am, I made the best of it and went to the dining room for breakfast.

Sitting by the window, I looked out on the ocean which has taken on a cloudy blue-gray-green color this morning and just watched as the waves rolled to and fro. I'm always amazed by the ocean. I think it's one of the most beautiful and mysterious things that God created. Mostly, I'm intrigued by the reality of the creatures that live in it and how the water acts as a barrier and connection between continents. Pretty remarkable.

At any rate, while at breakfast, I took some time to read Psalm 27 and I Peter. In Psalm 27, I came across something I hadn't noticed before. David is talking about God's faithfulness throughout this passage and in verse 8 he says:

My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming." NTL

This struck me. I really do believe that God desires for me to come and talk with Him. It is what having a relationship is about... Knowing Him and being known. This is done through communication. BUT, how often do I allow busyness or circumstance to distract me from doing just that.

The reason I took on the conferences role in my region was for a similar purpose... to allow students to get away from the distractions of daily life and meet with the Lord. It's funny how I forget my own need for this. And, here I am, working on another conference and being pulled away from my daily life to sit and read these words.

I went on to read I Peter, but went back and reread Chapter 1:18-21 where he writes,

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God. NLT

I haven't read this passage from the New Living Translation before, but love the wording, "God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life..." Isn't that true? Without Christ, my life is empty. Honestly, I do think about that sometimes. What would I do if I didn't know Christ? I cannot imagine how I would have hope in this world. And, I am humbled and grateful as I reflect on the high price that Christ paid to bring me a confident hope. What's greater is that it's not all for me, but for every person who chooses to embrace Christ.

It's interesting... at breakfast, while reading all of this, a sweet guy from Jamaica was my server. He and I chatted a bit and I discovered that he just moved up to the Cape a few weeks ago to earn money for his family. They aren't with him... They're back home. He won't see them until December. And, he went on to tell me that his little four year-old continues to cry in his absence. Obviously, his sacrifice is not on the same level as that of Christ, BUT he is suffering for the sake of his family. He is trying to make a better way for them, so their lives won't be empty. When he dropped off my bill at the table, I opened the little folder-thing and on the inside cover he had inscribed, "Prayer." I don't know if he is a Christian, but I imagine that "prayer" is the way he is moving through this time away.

It is a good reminder for me today. One, to know that God desires to meet with me and two, that through His Son, Christ, I am granted access to do that. In a culture where we do view suffering as something to avoid, I find myself very grateful today for the suffering of one. Who, through His suffering, brought everlasting hope to a world where we do find ourselves living the empty lives we inherit from our ancestors. Praise God that there is more to this life.