By Pastor Don Schatz

Growing Up

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud Link

“The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.”
Isaiah 11:6  New Revised Standard Version

My youngest granddaughter recently upgraded to a junior bed.  When I FaceTimed with them, she grabbed the phone and “took me” to her bedroom to show me.  She was excited and proud.  When you are almost 3, signs of aging and growing up are rites of passage; good ones at that.  I admit that these days, a sign of aging for me is usually accompanied by me saying, “Oops, I guess I can’t do that anymore!”  Those moments are rites of passage all their own, but not always welcome ones.

There are, however, other signs of growing older that still are signs of growing up.  The commitment to lifelong learning is one of those, I suggest.  That is especially true regarding our faith.  Understand that faith is not a static thing, but is capable of growing us, stretching with us, leading us, teaching us through the Scriptures, and blessing us with all kinds of rites of passage–God is Good!

As someone whose grandchildren often teach him things, I enjoy those “and a little child shall lead them” moments.  Or, if I may, rites of passage.  The child Jesus increased in wisdom and years; the Gospel of Luke tells us.  I’m guessing you know that some of his “rites of passage” were distinctly unpleasant.  For him.  For you, for us, they set our feet on the path of God’s love, moving us like we were on an airport moving sidewalk to the heart of the Father.

Christ’s aging merges with and empowers ours through faith.  His passion and compassion fuel our living for him and for our neighbor.  You may not look much like a junior bed, but you just might be the sign someone needs today.  The sign that God is in the world.  The sign that there is still so much more in store for us.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado