It is Spring! My wife, Anna, has me busy with changing curtains, planting, watering and cleaning. Our Jewish families just celebrated Passover. Orthodox Easter is May the 5th. God’s plan and our plans are seemingly coming together. Nonetheless, we make mistakes in our plans and preparations for the future. It is reaffirming to know that despite our efforts God can take our mistake become success.
‘My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you. What the people of Jerusalem and their rulers did, though they did not realize it, was in fact to fulfil the prophecies read on every sabbath. Though they found nothing to justify his death, they condemned him and asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out everything that scripture foretells about him they took him down from the tree and buried him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied him from Galilee to Jerusalem: and it is these same companions of his who are now his witnesses before our people.
I heard an NPR (National Public Radio) interview recently and the experts were saying not to try to forget about or suppress our mistakes. The outshoot was that we learn from our mistakes and grow as human beings. I was at a party one time with some very smart people. There were five winning tickets to a Florida lottery. Three of the winners had one ticket each and the fourth had purchase two tickets, because he played the same numbers each week and bought the first ticket and being forgetful bought a second ticket. The party goers were laughing at the person because he made a mistake and bought a second ticket. I laughed at them when I explained that each tickets was worth 20% of that week’s jackpot. The guy who bought two tickets won 40%. I am sure he celebrated his mistake. It seems that God always makes lemonade out of lemons.
Jesus says in today’s Gospel, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. Trusting is hard for some of us. Still, God has a track record in human existence and in our personal lives. Humans can fail us and make mistakes. Jesus has proved that He can change water to wine and raise Himself from the dead. We have to trust Him. What is so comforting to me is that there are many rooms in His Father’s house. We have a home in Heaven. There is a place for us.
Still, we worry. We worry about children, grandchildren, spouses, parents and friends. We worry because we love. Jesus says, I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too. You know the way to the place where I am going.
Thomas again asks the question, but Jesus is still telling us to trust Him. Jesus says, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’ We have a roadmap and His name is Jesus Christ.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace!
