LIVE EXPECTING GOD AMONG YOU

Dear Dot, and blogging friends,

Today has been a horrendous day.  Our daughter, Peggy, expecting the final touches of buying a lake property, found her desired home to be a trailer!  Her bank doesn't give mortgages for manufactured houses or double-wide trailers.  It is so disappointing for her and, as her parents, we are very sad for her situation. It was against the law for the real estate agent selling the property to not be clear about what was being sold. Long faces here, for sure.  Tempers, too.  A sad development for everyone connected.  It is so very hard to see one of your loved ones disappointed. I hope and pray God has something even better for her.

But that's how things go sometimes.  Just when you think things are going really well, we get snapped back into the real world.  Peg is a strong woman and will see it through, I know, but she has been taxed to the limit of endurance. 

When I was doing my journaling today, I was reminded by Joseph of Arimathea that one must live in "alert expectation of the Kingdom of God."  Because Joseph did just that, his heart was opened by Jesus on the cross and was the first to be by Jesus side when Jesus was taken down from the cross.

I couldn't help but think of what it would be like to live in expectation of God's Kingdom.  Or for that matter, what would it be like to live in expectation of God's Presence?

He's told us over and over, "I will be with you always, even to the end of the age."  If so, why don't we expect Him?  Why don't we look for Him?  Why don't we watch for Him? Are we just plain dumb? Or stupid?  Why don't I ask for Him right now?

Lord Jesus, I ask you to be with me as I write this so that my words may carry the truth and the weight of your own words, especially those said on the cross.  "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

And we don't know, do we?  No, we don't know what we do.  And we often do the same things over and over.  Maybe we don't actually crucify Jesus as was done so long ago, but we do crucify Him in His Spirit when we show unkindness to one another.  And we do show unkindness, sometimes, to one another.

I ask for forgiveness to the world at large and to my God for those times I have not held my tongue and hurt someone.   It is often someone whom I truly love.  My heart grieves for this act of crucifixion.  I need God. And I need to be totally in expectation of His Presence.

I'm not Joseph of Arimathea, but I assure you  that I need God, always.  I need to be on alert to expect Him and His Presence....And I 'll bet you do, too.

Josmnlife, signing off.  Love you, all.