Thursday, August 09, 2007

verge of a miracle

Travelling a little tonight in the car with my wife, Deb, I put in the Rich Mullins Songs album and in the end kept wanting to play again and again, Verge of a Miracle (from album Pictures in the Sky). Maybe it's due to my lack of sleep. Maybe it's due to falling into the same struggles all over again. Maybe it's being weary of so much in life. I don't know. But the song was like an elixir, pointing me to the hope we have in Christ as well as the thought that God is at work now to bring to pass his good will in, for and through us.

Love always hopes (1 Corinthians 13) or hopes all (good) things. We so easily want to give in to a lesser hope, what the world or our flesh may be telling us- lying to us (not to mention the devil). We try to walk by sight since our faith is failing us, but we know better, and that this is not really where it's at.

This is when, along with Rich we need to remind ourselves that indeed, through God in Christ we're on the verge of a miracle. We must look to our Lord and Savior. He beckons us to come. Will we go out to him on the water by faith? Will we venture out with him, leaving our old life and everything behind? If so, then we'll begin to see miracles, indeed we'll soon find ourselves living in something beyond us: yes, a miracle as followers of Jesus.

Do we believe that? If not, why not? How can we come to believe this?

11 comments:

Ted M. Gossard said...

Here's the lyrics to Verge of a Miracle and on this you can hear the song, methinks.

L.L. Barkat said...

I really liked the beginning of this post in particular. You gave me a picture of your life, and that was a wonderful glimpse. Thanks.

Ted M. Gossard said...

L.L., Okay. Thanks. :)

Do I seem to hide? Alot of these posts are written with me in mind, or with reference to what I'm doin' or thinkin'.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Actually, go to the song list on the click I have for Verge of a Miracle on the posting. At least the early songs you can find from the music link and listen to in their entirety.

Rich, I think is one of the best Christian songwriters of our time, and I liked the way he worked on thinking and living out this life in Jesus.

And he actually did not live on what he made, but just what he needed, along I believe with setting some aside for his older years. Most went to Christian works. And he ended up giving away alot of his possessions before his death, including most of his guitars, as they were working on the Jesus record project.

Ted M. Gossard said...

the financial side of his life in handling the money coming in was handled by his church in Wichita.

As I recall, I think Rich didn't want to know how much was coming in.

Anonymous said...

this post is very interesting as well as all your comments. what struggles are you falling into? what are you weary of? and why are you not getting your sleep? i will have to check out the music more, as i am not famaliar with it.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Nancy, Thanks for your concern. I do think we probably all have some struggles in life. Some seasons can seem especially heavy that way, and maybe that's in part what I'm going through. If you could see the entire picture you'd better understand (and I probably would too, since really only God can see that).

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

It's funny that we can end up the same place for different reasons - reminds me of 1Cor10:13

Rich Mullins is my all time favorite - and I was just quoting lyrics to a young person today, "Surrender don't come naturally to me. I'd rather fight you for something I don't really want than take what you give that I need. And I beat my head against so many walls and I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees"

Can you see the brick marks on my forehead? you should be able to - on us all - we all seem to be slow to learn. One of the things I appreciate so much about your blog is that you don't hide the fact that this is "common to man" as it is common to you also. That is an encouragement to me that I'm not some total looser Christian who is the only one who struggles - and that encourages me to keep on keeping on.

Why art thou cast down, oh my soul. Hope thou yet in God for He is the health of thy countenance.

Amen and amen.

Anonymous said...

ted, yes we certainly do all have our struggles. i am sorry, if my questions were in any way not appropriate. and i am glad that you understood that they were out of concern for your well being. some times i think we get very quick and small glimpses of the big picture. there will be a time though, that we will see God. i live in the hope, that God has given me, that i will be accepted by my God and be known by Him and will be complete in Him. and that then all of our struggle will end.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Susan, Yes. It's good when we realize we're on the same level. I do think we learn slowly and over time; we learn alot. We need all of Scripture and all that Scripture says we need. And an oak tree takes a lifetime to become what it can become.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Oh, Susan, and thanks for your kind words.

Nancy, I took your words as concern for a brother, and I really do appreciate your concern. I didn't take your comment as inappropriate.

I did want to contextualize it in response, but know that this battle we're in is sometimes a dangerous one. But we know the Lord is there for us and that in him by grace we can stand, or get up again.