With One Foot Raised

This was the recurring phrase used in a sermon I just finished listening to. Back in September, Sam Storms gave a message on a certain theme from the life of John Calvin. (Whether that name is loved or hated, it is a name that has undeniably changed the face of Western Civilization in the past 500 years. Since July 10 of last year was his 500th birthday, much was made of his life and contribution during 2009.) I was unaware until recently of the amount of physical suffering that he endured during his life. He dealt with chronic intestinal disorders, gout, ongoing severe headaches, and numerous other painful afflictions. But in spite of all these things, he accomplished a great deal of good for the church and never lost heart in what he was doing. I said "in spite of," but as I listened to this message, I learned it was more accurately "because of" these things.

Throughout his writings, he often reflected on heaven and its value to us as we live on earth. He showed how he had learned that God often sends us these trials because he loves us and wants us to remember that we are not at home in this world. In fact, being driven from our homes due to financial hardship or persecution is actually helpful to us because it teaches us how to be pilgrims. The same can be said for sicknesses--they teach us that our body is dying. And so that we might not think inordinately highly of marriage or family, he may even send us marital trouble or children who bring grief. God is not only the source of all good and happiness, he is goodness and happiness. Yet in our sinfulness we are so spring-loaded to grasp too tightly onto any good thing he gives us on earth and soothe our finiteness with something just as temporary. So in his kindness God has to pull those things away from us at times to drive us to himself.

Calvin wrote of how he had learned--because of his great suffering--to always live "with one foot raised and ready to make his departure." And so we are to follow his example. As Sam Storms eloquently illustrated this, "Plant a garden, or plant a church--with one foot raised. Enjoy your favorite football team--with one foot raised. Raise a family, learn Greek, run a political campaign--but always do it with one foot raised and ready to depart!"

For those who are interested in hearing this themselves, I'm including the link to the sermon.

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/4231/Audio/

Guest Post by Lydia

In keeping with the spirit of many who blog, today we will have some thoughts from our guest poster, Lydia Birx. She had some poems to write for school and I thought they were good enough to share with the rest of the world (or at least all 10 people who read this little piece of cyberspace). I've kept spelling and punctuation as she wrote it.

The Robins

There was a little robin,

Away up in the sky

And on the ground a baby wren

Cried "I wish I could fly."

The robin flew down lower,

And said "Hello, dear wren."

I'll change you to a robin

If you won't cry again.

And so, they lived together,

Up high in a small nest,

Then they had three children

And all five lived the best.

The Butterfly

A caterpillar crawls and squirms around,

Fuzzy and wolly on the ground.

Caterpillar crawls into his cocoon,

Waiting to open under sun or moon.

He stays in his cocoon and I'll tell you why,

Cause when he opens up he's a big

                                               BUTTERFLY!

Affections

Reflecting this morning on thoughts from Tim Keller's The Prodigal God. That I can feel excitement and pleasures in various earthly things shows me that I am capable of such emotions. And it must be they were not given simply to be felt over passing things. If God is greater than his created things, he must be capable of producing these affections in me. If I am never feeling such affections for him, there is an obvious deficiency or misdirection in my heart. As the prodigal son, we are all off in the far country of our choice, trying to find the joy and the at-homeness that can only fully and finally be found in God.