So Close!
For several years, I’ve had the privilege of being a hockey chaplain. I don’t know much about hockey or being a chaplain, but the team keeps inviting me back and I keep expressing gratitude for the opportunity. I lose track but it seems to be four seasons of heading down to the local arena a few times a month and plodding away more or less. I’m completely out of my element but God is not. It’s a frontier type of ministry without much of a playbook and it intersects my life with diverse young men from around the world. Canada, Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S.A. Yes, all these young men join in with the common goal of hockey.
It’s been a ministry of drip communication. Little words here and there that God implants in a heart and graciously allows to take root. It’s taken years of simply showing up and earning the right to be heard. I’ve learned to be patient but persistent. Most are open to a meal, some are open to a chat, and a few are open to exploring the Scriptures.
As I recently sat down with two young men, the theme of God’s nearness emerged. One is new in the faith and the other is a bit more mature. It was a joy to see them doing the bulk of the talking as they encouraged each other. The newer believer was articulating his experience and described it as an undeniable pursuit of God toward him! As he opened his heart and mind to the presence of God, he began to experience in a very real way the power of God in his life. What a great reminder that God draws near!
The Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:4-5 of this Scriptural reality. The truth is that God is never far away. I’ll be the first to admit it can feel that way. Life is ripe with challenges and my gut reaction isn’t always to receive the Lord’s embrace. When I am honest before God, I’m reminded that I often choose to pull away. I’m sad, angry, or confused by something and I opt to keep my emotions from God. I know He can heal and restore but I would rather sulk. How good it is to express those emotions before God and experience the reality that He has been there all along.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:4-5
We can rejoice because the Lord is near. In our doubts, confusion, anger, or pain, the Lord is near. Even when we try to run, the Lord is near. Even when we sin, the Lord is near. We can’t escape the truth that the Lord is near. It’s a truth we wouldn’t want to escape if we could. This beautiful theme of Scripture reminds us that it is the Lord who has His watchful eye on us with His commitment to faithful (covenantal) love.
We aren’t in a relationship with a fickle God. Thank you, Jesus, for the blood that binds us! He pursues us with His tenacious love. We all need this reminder occasionally. God and His tough love that endures forever!