Extremes

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise." James 5:13

I belong to a strain of the church that is sometimes jokingly (well, maybe its a joke) referred to as 'God's frozen chosen.' But after an emotional, but not bad day yesterday spent with a suffering friend, and anticipating another day I pray is filled with more cheerful emotions, I'm reminded that the moniker given to us Presbyterians while too often reflecting truth, is not what God wants from his people. Life will be filled with extremes, and stoicism isn't always the best reaction to them.

The apostle Paul when describing the Christian life in Romans 12:15 says we are to "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." Can't help but believe we are to live life to the fullest; and such fullness includes weeping and rejoicing. And, I strongly suspect, Jesus knows all about those extremes. We know, when reading the gospels, Jesus wept. I suspect he laughed as well also. Certainly some of his sermon illustrations seem humorous to me.

On this Lord's day, acknowledge, as you would any other day, what life has given to you. The good...the bad... And don't be afraid to call it out for what it is.

But do remember that the Lord is with you in all of this. In all of it.

Have a great Lord's day everyone!