Consolation Prize

Ahh, here you are!

Here, take a seat right on the edge.

Take a moment

and take in the view from the ledge of life.

Just pause.

You hadn't noticed that before?

I know...

It's good to reflect.

You hadn't heard it quite that way before?

Interesting...

It's good to listen and take note. What's noisy, and what's quiet?

You weren't aware of those connections?

Hmm...

It's good to be still, to slow down to see.

It's time to sort things out. Even if we think we're getting nowhere.

Some say that nowhere,

reframed, is now-here.

We could surely use some more re-framing!

Oh, would it be good to have guidance!

How we desire a listener to help us discern the words in our dialogue;

How we crave a counselor to feed us good words to eat and to speak!

How do we see life? God? Others? Ourselves?

Reflections have clarity when we can identify the distractions that obstruct the view.

What are we hearing?

Realizations await us when we can differentiate our inner noise from the outer noise,

when we can experience silence within and without.

What are the connections?

If we're always moving, it's hard to get a sense of the big picture and figure out what truly moves us.

Responses are more prudent when we have perspective.

Good counselors can give insight:

are we fostering growth and freedom for others and ourselves,

or are we hindering it?

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.

In our response lies our growth and our freedom. -Viktor E. Frankl

Dear God, we can’t do this alone. Would you please send us a Good Counselor?

The recent Easter Season immersed us into His Story, real-time:

The disciples are with their beloved Jesus,

a wise guide, a selfless friend, and a loving companion.

He

is with them,

within arms length,

right there with just the right words

at just the right times. Pure Righteousness.

Until He has to go.

But first,

He humbles Himself to kneel down and wash their dusty feet;

He shares a meal with them using metaphors about food and drink, death and life; and

He warns them about trouble.

Placing ourselves in their sandaled feet,

now cleansed by their Consoler,

we feel the sorrow. The fright. The shock. The confusion.

They want to cry out, to shout, to beg for mercy: "Do good things have to end?"

"Jesus - do You have to end??"

Isn't it the pattern we fear most -

the coming and then the going,

the appearing and then the disappearing,

the receiving and then the relinquishing,

the good and then the...?

Do good things have to end???

But while humbling Himself,

while sharing Himself,

while foreshadowing His death,

Jesus is constantly modeling for them,

reminding them,

and praying for them to understand that

Good things do not end - they are transformed to other Good.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,

to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Good things cannot end, for God is endless.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God,

“Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.” Rev. 1:8

Good things will not end, for God‘s Will is Good Will.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

And Jesus promises to send Help:

"the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things,

and bring to your remembrance all things I said to you." John 14:25

Teacher.

Reminder.

Giver of Peace.

"The Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth.” And:

“Your sorrow will be turned into joy.

Your joy no one will take from you.

Your requests, in the Father's name, will be received and answered.“

John 16:13.

And in the midst of any rough patch,

any pain,

all of our problems,

any piercings of our heart, our minds, our bodies,

anything we think might be impossible to get through,

pitfalls, pressures, pandemics,

as preposterous as it sounds,

it's Promised.

The Consoler has given us a Counselor.

We have a priceless gift of an internal Counselor in the Holy Spirit.

Always accessible,

Always attentive,

Always available, 24/7.

This Prize is Priceless.

But it's up to us to give The Counselor

space,

time,

and our undivided attention.

And when we're afraid to ask the questions? Just Ask. "Help!" "Please!"

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15

And when we aren't sure exactly what to say? Just show up.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26

And when we can’t sit still? Just try.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

And when we need some Good Words? Just read.

For the Word of God is alive and active,

sharper than any two-edged sword,

piercing to the division of soul and spirit,

of joints and marrow,

and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebr. 4:12

The Prize Package?

This hidden treasure,

the Internal Counselor,

the Holy Spirit -

is with us,

is within arms length and closer,

is right there with just the right words

at just the right times. Pure Righteousness.

Like Father.

Like Son. Like Spirit.

Let’s sit.

Lets not move

until the Spirit moves us.