A Part of the Family!
Joe Killian • July 16, 2015
As a father of young children one of my greatest joys was coming home from work to the delightful squeals of my children, “Daddy!!!” Often this was followed by a big hug that let me know I was home and truly loved. As the years passed and the kids got older the squeals ended and the hugs dwindled. What became even more apparent to me was that Tanner, our furry dog, continued to greet me wholeheartedly. His bushy tail wagged excitedly as he pressed against my legs for a rub behind the ears.
Last week Maria was away for training and since she has worked from home the whole time Tanner has been a part of our family he was really missing her.
I don’t know exactly what was going through his head but there was no doubt that he at times went to those places where he typically found her. I have to believe that the emptiness Tanner was feeling would only be filled when his “Mom” got home. Here he is against Maria’s chair in the living room.
In this week’s Gospel we see a people seeking, waiting and anticipating as Tanner did.
The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:30-34
The people sensed that there was something in Jesus that they needed. Reflect on this sentence. “People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.” The people were seeking. They had waited for centuries for their Messiah. We know from scripture that the people of Israel had followed many false prophets and idols to fill the emptiness of their hearts. Now as they sensed that Jesus could fill that need they hurried to meet Him.
While Tanner at 14 doesn’t “hasten” to great me as quickly when I return home, our hearts are just as joyful at coming back together. Even though our children are moving away we all know that when we come together we are loved by Tanner, one another and most importantly our Good Shepherd, Jesus.
Oh that we would run to Jesus our shepherd! Invite Him into your heart right now and know a love that only comes from belonging to God's family.
The story continues...I'm still working on the pondless waterfall in our front yard. I shared this project with you two weeks ago in Playin' In the Dirt. Since then I've had to rework sections of the stream three different times because we were losing too much water. I am now an expert on evaporation rates and excessive splash, two causes of water loss. This morning I tore the whole thing apart and I'm starting over.
Have you ever watched DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda? I stumbled across it recently and thoroughly enjoyed Jack Black's performance as a bumbling, noodle selling, kung fu enthusiast, giant panda named P o. Set in ancient China, it is more than a humorous slapstick comedy. The core message of the story jumped out at me as I have been focusing recently on the concept of being. Po is shockingly identified as the Dragon Warrior and he reluctantly enters training. The goal of the training is to receive the Dragon Scroll, which is believed to hold the secret to limitless power. Now I don't want to spoil the big reveal but I will say that what Po realizes is the same as what I speak to in the concept of being and authentic identity. So, where do we find the secret to our "power?" I praise You, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works! My very self You know. Psalm 139:14 God knows it; and we must seek Him with all of our hearts in order to find it. As it was in the movie, the answer is stunningly simple. Our authentic identity is already within us. The challenge for Po in the movie was in seeing himself accurately and not the way others saw him. Even his teacher scoffed at the idea that Po was anything more than an underachieving dreamer who overate when he was anxious. Po's problems are rooted in the fact that he believes the lie of his false identity much more than he does his authentic one. Is it possible that you do the same? Who could have imagined that beneath all of Po's girth lived the Dragon Warrior? What's hidden from view in you? Seek God for understanding as to who He created you to be. Spoiler Alert: the secret of your limitless power is already in you. God placed it there and He wants you to be who He authentically created you to be.
Maria and I have been playing in the dirt a lot recently. First we replaced our French drain and then we embarked on a creative project intended to change the entire look of our front yard. My brother Jeffrey and I installed a new front step.
