November 7th, 1995 ended the longest three days of our lives. We had been happily expecting our first baby to arrive sometime around the end of October. But she had other plans and didn’t even begin to arrive until almost a week later. After 30 hours of labor she was finally in our arms, healthy and happy. Needless to say after that ordeal, I was exhausted! (Ouch! That was whatever you just threw at me hitting me in the head! Good shot.)
Even with all the books we read and classes we took, we couldn’t begin to understand what a change this little girl would make in our lives. Sure, some things like our sleep and our bank account diminished, but our capacity to love expanded exponentially. Imagine the change for HER! Light, sounds, and breathing air are a few of the many brand-new experiences of being born.
When Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born anew…”, he was describing a life changing experience that the Pharisee couldn’t comprehend. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. Jesus wasn’t describing some kind of self-help method: seven steps to a better ____ (fill in the blank). He was telling this master teacher of the Jewish law that he wouldn’t see or enter the Kingdom of God without this radical change. What does it mean to be “born anew”?
On Sunday we’ll welcome home our youth department who spent last week at Hume Lake. I’m looking forward to hearing about the things God did in the lives of our high schoolers and middle schoolers! You’ll also get introduced to the newest member of our Valley Church staff and our newest Global Outreach partner!
See you then!
In Christ,
Kurt