RUSTY STOWE - SR. ADULT MINISTER
I had a good friend some years ago who was concerned about his aging mother driving her car on the streets of Dallas, Tx. Don talked to her about his concerns and she said, "Son, don't worry about me, I only drive on the streets I know!" This is a great illustration of the danger of the familiar! He never did convince her that even though she knew the streets, she didn't know who was on the streets.
We tend to be creatures of HABIT because it makes us feel safe. We drive to and from church on the same streets. We tend to eat at the same restaurant, or go to the same grocery store, or visit the same friends because it is hard to break away from those things that make us feel safe.
It can become a dangerous thing to get so accustomed to driving on the same roads that we stop paying attention to what's on the road. The FAMILIAR can be hazardous.
Sometimes we take so many things for granted that we don't miss them until they are gone! Hopefully, we are going to look at Palm Sunday and Easter with fresh eyes this year because of the year we have just experienced.
This past year has been anything but routine or familiar! We have been forced to view life in such a way that our eyes have been refocused on what is important.
Yet, Jesus is standing with us and says, "Come to Me all who are heavily burdened and I will give you rest." Jesus is not surprised by the events of 2020. He is not surprised with our failures. He still says "Come to Me."
Let me encourage you to remember where Jesus has brought us from, but to look forward to Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday with fresh eyes. Do not get caught up with looking at these times of celebration with "eyes of the familiar or the usual." Let's take a look with fresh eyes and see what we can see in 2021.
Looking forward to what God is going to do as we move forward together!
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Rusty