Raccoons and Joy Stealers

Last week Dom and I heard some noise from our neighbour's house during the night.

Only...they weren't home.

So we went to investigate and found a family of raccoons rummaging around looking for food.  There were 6 babies with their mother!

The eyes of the Raccoon family on our neighbour's fence

Raccoons are incredible scavengers and will take whatever they can get.  They are more of a pest for us as they make a mess when they go through the trash (even if they are pretty cute).  We put bricks on top of our garbage can and can see scratches all around the plastic lid from their efforts to get in.  They will steal whatever we leave out and keep coming back if they find unprotected food sources.

As Christians we have to watch out for spiritual scavengers that can steal our joy in the same way.  Right now we are living in a time where we are bombarded with bad news.  Worry can grow as we focus on the situation we are in.  Worry can lead to doubt and fear which will eat away at the peace and joy that Christ gave us.

So how do we protect our joy?

Jesus tells us this: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love.  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:9-11)

Jesus did the work for us already - we just have to stay with Him.  What a relief!  He has set up protection that nothing can get past with His love.  When we abide with Him we stay under His protection.  When we understand the love of God for us, by really seeing that it is personal, it is direct, it is tangible, it is beyond anything we can think of or experience, it is given to us for always, it is REAL...then we see that God is here! God is with us while we are in this situation and that is something to be joyful about!

When you start to worry, choose joy!  Choose to abide in God's love!

Regular Maintenance

Dom and I went on a motorcycle camping trip last weekend...we had all of our camping gear and clothes strapped to the bikes and rode without any weather protection (except the tent).  One night we had a downpour for just 5 minutes and ended up getting all of our gear soaked.  It really was the most vulnerable moment as our tent was out but not set up!  We figured it out and were able to get things dry (sacrificing one of Dom's t-shirts by using it to sop up all of the water).

All told we rode over 1,000 km!  A couple days we rode for 6 hours straight through back roads and high heat...those were tiring days. 

At one point we took a ferry.  We were sitting on a curb on the boat directly in front of my bike.  Dom started to look at my foot brake as it was at eye level.  He was checking various parts when a bolt came off in his hand.  Dom checked all of the bolts holding the brake and foot pedal to the bike and all of them were loose.  Thankfully he had brought an emergency tool kit for this type of thing and tightened everything up. 

Considering how loose everything was it wouldn't have been surprising if that section of my bike fell off during the trip.  We thanked the Lord for protecting me and kept on riding.

Our bikes on the Ferry

Dom figured that the bolts loosened over time from vibrations of the road as the bike was ridden. These bolts might have been loose when we bought the bike last fall!   It shows the importance of regular maintenance.   

As Christians we need regular maintenance as well. 

There was a time when Jesus washed his disciples' feet (John 13:1-17).

6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean”

This exchange gives us a guide on how to apply regular maintenance to our Christian Faith.  When we have accepted Jesus as Lord of our life we have become clean completely, which is the bath that Jesus spoke of. This is permanent cleansing and only happens once.  When Jesus washed his disciples' feet he washed the part of them that was in contact with the road - the dust of travel.  Even though we, as Christians are saved we continue to live in a sinful world, which means we come in contact with sin and it affects our attitude, our worship, our faith.  It is true that nothing can separate us from God after we've put our faith in Him, but we need to take care that we don't let dirt from the world settle permanently on us or in the end there won't be a difference between us and the world.  We are told to "work out your salvation in fear and trembling, since it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13) 

Right before Jesus gave his disciples this object lesson they had been arguing about who among them was better.  This attitude was destructive and was getting their feet spiritually dirty.  Jesus showed them a way to love and serve with humility by providing an example, and then told them to do the same to each other. 

Jesus gave many examples of ways to stay pure and all of them start with communing with Him and serving each other. Can you say that you apply the examples Jesus gave in your Christian walk?  How do you keep your spiritual feet clean?