"Practically Divine" - Week 7

Thank you, Missy, for taking over yesterday. What a blessing to be able to share the day with Claire!

If you've not finished our chapter, "Holy Imperfect," go ahead and finish today.

Now, skim Mark 13 to verse 34. Carefully, read verses 34 through 37. The entire chapter is Jesus giving warning about end times. The chapter ends with these words,

If He comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!(Mark 13:36-37)

What an interesting chapter! Skimming through the first 33 verses was a challenge. I wanted to stop and study in several places. The last section of scripture, though, summarizes the importance of the entire chapter. Jesus was telling His disciples not to get too comfortable, complacent, or sleepy.

I agree with everything Becca said in this chapter about imperfections being holy and even beautiful. When we accept the beautifully imperfect all around us, there is freedom to move gracefully from the past and into the future through the present. (page 136)

The imperfections of our life often serve to wake us up, to bring us to our knees, and to seek God harder than ever before. I'm thankful for messy places of my life, because they've served to prepare me for holiness here and cause me to long for the true perfection of home with my Father some day.

What in your life right now seems completely imperfect, maybe even ugly? Can you look at it with fresh eyes today? Could it be a divine appointment to wake you up and cause you to watch for His work in it?

What we're missing, what is imperfect about us, is what makes us able to keep looking for and experiencing the divine. (pg. 137)

Keep watching, sister! His work is everywhere. And, soon, He will return and all will be holy. Until then, continue looking for the divine in every situation.

God, this chapter in Mark is difficult to understand and can be scary to read. But, the point of Jesus' words in this chapter is to warn us of the difficulty of the latter days and to remind us to watch for You, to be alert and wise. The only way we can learn the wisdom of living awake is to trust You in all things. Thank you for making beauty from our messes and offering us divine purpose from them. Amen.