Relentless Humanity

"Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul." -Psalm 86:4

Oh, people and their needs.

Is it just me, or does it seem like they're EVERYWHERE?

At the store, in the car, in your house, my house and life. They're in the yard, at the gate, the beach and the mall. There are people at Thanksgiving dinners and birthday parties, and movies. They walk up and down streets, drive in cars. They are found in our churches, schools and workplaces... at the cleaners, the bagel shop, the deli and the pizzeria. I swear I think they live in my cupboards.

I drove by the store in Bellmore that only sells pedal cars (yes, they really do sell those!) and they are in there too.

People.

And most of them (they, these people) don't realize that they bring their luggage into basically everything:

* The need to ever so slightly insult you in every conversation.
* The need to be first.
* The need to be affirmed or liked by you, me, or everyone.
* The need to critique every person, place or thing.
* The need to be seen, heard or noticed.
* The need to be ok in your eyes. Or mine.
* The need to be in just a little more authority than everyone around them.
* The need for people to know how hard their life is.
* The need for others to know all their shame in order to relieve their sense of guilt.
* The need to get their way.
* The need to know the junk on everyone around them or those not around them.

And you know what, there is one fact about this whole people ordeal that really dusts my doilies. Yes, you read that right, I have doilies, and there is a fact that is really dusting them:

The fact that I am one of these people.

I am a person with tremendous luggage and needs, who can tend to, when he's not paying attention (or even when he IS paying attention), bring them into everything I do; into my many interactions on a daily basis.

Ugh. I'm relentlessly human.

But ultimately, this list is made up of symptoms of a much more profound and supernatural need: Whether we admit it or not, it is the fundamental need to be found, redeemed by and reconciled with the God of the universe.

The good news is that there is a symptom on the other side of life when it happens, and when we begin to let it be enough.

It's called joy.

Brian spoke Sunday about a lingering and profound joy that is more moving than laughter and longer lasting than happy, and even exists within the context of sadness, frustration, fear, or even question marks. It is altogether spiritual, and is in many ways hope, peace and love in motion within our souls.

Joy because I am found, redeemed, reconciled.

So this year, I'm addressing this people ordeal head on.

I'm praying. I am praying that my relentless humanity (made new in Jesus, empowered by His Spirit) will bring this joy into everything I do instead of my ever - increasing luggage list. A joy that is marked by hope, seasoned with peace, and overflows with the love of Jesus. And I'm going to pray this for you, too.

Is weird to say that I'm praying you'll pray it?

May your season be marked by hope, peace and love in motion within your soul... in the form of joy. May the luggage you (and I) bring into any situation be marked by a joy that is more moving than laughter and longer lasting than happy. May it exist in your question marks and exclamation points... may it be altogether spiritual, no matter how much hurt, now matter how much fear you are bearing today.

Found. Redeemed. Reconciled.

Now that is a wonderful ordeal.