On Middle Ground

Wednesday March 30, 2016

Women Connect ~ short weekly post to inspire and encourage.

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. Luke 24:13-16 Full reading Luke 24: 13 – 32

Easter – a time divided into before and after.

A blood soaked before – a glorious and eternal after.

Before Life there was death – – – – strange how that works.

Christ’s death for our life.

Before a magnificent and enduring resurrection – – – the agony of the cross.

Before redemption —-condemnation.

Before such extreme joy – such extreme sorrow.

But what about the middle ? Where it seems neither black or white but foggy grey.

What about Jesus followers after His death – knowing He was gone but not knowing what was next. We can easy assume , being so close to Jesus they had the inside scoop, that of course they knew He would be gloriously resurrected, and that all of it including His death was part of Gods plan, hadn’t He talked about it constantly – – –

Yet we see them sorrowing and frightened – not knowing or seeing clearly the bigger picture, unaware of the hand of God at work. Like us in the midst of loss or upended plans or circumstance? The tomb empty but what did that mean, just trying to make sense of it all, hardly daring to hope, trying to put the pieces together, questioning what they had believed.

The story isn’t going how you planned, but that isn’t a reason to stop trusting that the story has a plan. Ann Voskamp

And its here Christ comes and keeps company with them.

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. Matthew 18:20

He comes right into their midst along the road without them even knowing. Like that wedding in Cana, just doing life with with family and friends. When the need arises, with only His mother aware, without fanfare or show and while they were all looking the other way, Christ appears and water turns into wine. (John 2:1-11)

Yes Christ is with us always and He shows up in ways we don’t always recognise.

And as He keeps company with them He reminds them of the eternal – hard to see sometimes but as real as day. He reminds them to recall what has been written and what has been foretold, to not lose heart, to remember the promise. (Verses 25-27)

Despair turning to hope. Water becoming wine.

And here we are in the middle along the way – where we we wait and trust and hope and dream, between what is and what will be. And Christ along side us, keeping company with us, urging us forward and us not always aware how close He is. Yet when we remember the things He has said and what He has done, the love He has shown us and the promises he has made , when we remember – – – we start to see more than a dusty road under our feet and much further than our disappointment and difficulties would have us see. Faith takes hold, hope rises, grace flows.

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! 1 Corinthians 13:12 The Message

Most of life happens in the middle.

Before the harvest there is the sowing – the putting of seed in the ground where it disappears like its gone for good and finished but – – – in the middle is the watching and waiting and believing – before any thing has happened just the promise to hold onto of new life shooting up from the ground, out of the dirt.

Before the answer or the break through or the miracle or the clear path —

Jesus resurrected meets us right there in the middle.

Where our questions and tears and trembling are.

He walks along side that dusty road with us.

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

The middle part – its arduous and its beautiful and its life. We don’t journey alone. His promises stand firm. His words are true – the only things that are some days. His company is kind. Give Him your time, bid Him stay, eat and drink, draw in close. (Luke 24:28-32)

But always remember with God the good will come. Let the hard in between time be a sweet time with Jesus by filling your heart with prayer, praise music and promises from His word Lysa Terkeurst

His pasture is green, His table is prepared. (Psalm 23)

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