By Pastor Tim White
Becoming more trusting of God is practical….
Winters are long in Washington State as we are one of the northernmost states in the United States lower 48 – that means Alaska doesn’t count, of course. We have our benefits. We can see the Northern Lights driving to Bellingham. We are close to Canada with some of the best people in all the world and a wonderful place to vacation. And we are surrounded by majestic mountains and lakes. Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and, as my friend Brian Wilson loves to remind me, snow is a good thing. He loves to snow-board as do many others in our church. Jackie and I lived in Pasadena, California and how we missed the four seasons. When it is cold and rainy outside it is the perfect occasion to read a book and we are one of the top cities in the world for reading. When you take a walk in the rain it is fun to bundle up and brave the elements and enjoy nature in the fury of a storm. But with all these positives I want to remind you that springtime is coming.
Yes, springtime is invincible. It will defeat winter sooner or later. And you know I am right because you have seen this happen time after time after time. Remember when there were 90 days of unrelenting rain a few years back? Still, winter was defeated by the springtime. The days grew longer, the flowers blossomed, and the birds returned. Springtime burst forth in all of it majesty. Do you trust that Spring is coming?
Well, what if I told you that belief in Spring is very practical for those who are braving the winter? Of course, that makes perfect sense. And so, it is with your faith in God. Optimism and positive faith are not mere luxuries of choice. Our very lives depend on them. A person without hope can never be at his or her best. The great Jewish Psychiatrist Victor Frankl and founder of Logotherapy taught this. His ideas were formed by his experience of surviving the Nazi concentration camps. In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, he demonstrates how we can’t live without meaning and hope.
Trust is practical and this week we will learn how to grow deeper in the Lord by living a practical trust-filled life.
Your Friend for the Rest of My Life,
Pastor Tim White