the way it was meant to be

I have spent a good deal of time reflecting on this past weekend. The celebration of the resurrection of Jesus comes naturally from a heart experiencing abundant life. For me, this past weekend was special, special in the kind of "and God said it was good" way. In my walk with Jesus, there have been several times recently when I knew the affirmation of God deep in my spirit; this weekend was one of those times.

I spent much of the weekend with people who share life with me in our pursuit of Jesus. We ate together, we shared joys together, we talked about our struggles together. For me, there were some difficult moments as well when our discussion exposed the residual effects of the spirit of an orphan within me. On the other hand, it was safe being exposed. Nobody tried to counsel me or fix me. I was in the company of people who loved me.

I realize the privilege of being part of a band of believers, followers of Christ, who are becoming deeply connected in the heart. We are bound together by our love for Jesus and our love for each other. Far too frequently Christians have settled for a cheap imitation of the deep love and vulnerable intimacy that Jesus spoke about to His disciples. We choose to engage in meetings and activities with people but we never truly engage with either God or people. (It feels safer to engage with meetings and activities than it does to engage with God and people).

I am realizing that I spent the weekend, not participating in a sterile, intellectual acknowledgement of the resurrection but with a vibrant yet flawed, organic yet centuries old, expression of the body of Christ. I spent the weekend with people who purpose to pursue Jesus, not with people whose priority is a meeting or an activity. As I reflect I sense the whisper of the Father - it is good. This is the way it was meant to be.