A Walk in the Neighborhood

     "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
     I reread these familiar, beautiful words again this morning and, as always, simply have to rejoice in amazement and wonder.   Eugene Peterson's paraphrase expresses it this way: "The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.  We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish."
     The Lord of the universe chose to come and move into our neighborhood.  Incredible.  He chose to get down in the mud of our daily lives and live with us, walk with us, laugh with us, cry with us.   God with feet and hands and nose and teeth.   Think of it: the Lord, the Creator of everything in this universe from the finest speck of dust to the greatest galaxy, came into our neighborhood and got dirty and tired.  Dirt under the fingernails, tangled hair, leg cramps, stuffy nose.   I bet He caught colds just like we do. Just like us--but without one speck of sin of any kind.  God in His sinless perfection--fully one of us, yet fully divine and revealing the glory of God the Father.  Who can comprehend that?
     He surely marveled as a man at the sun rising in all it's majesty and thrilled at the gentle chorus of birds or the lap of the waves on the undulating waters--all created by Him and through Him with a word.  Don't you think He must have loved laughing with his friends, telling and listening to stories, and rejoicing in the inestimable gift of fellowship?  I'm guessing He loved the colors and sounds and smells of creation, and surely must have thought to Himself, "Yes, it is good!  It is really really good!"
     Today, how thankful I am for the Savior who came and moved into our neighborhood and became one of us in order to secure salvation for all who would believe in His Name and make Him their Lord.  Our Lord is transcendent and omnipotent and omniscient... in other words, He is Almighty God and infinitely far above and beyond us,  His created "dust people."   And yet, who can explain it?--He became such a one as us--the infinite became finite, the unlimited became limited, and moved into our bustling, messy, muddy neighborhoods.  So He understands our weaknesses, our fears, our sorrows, our temptations, our limitations, as well as our joys and loves and wonders.
     Just the other night, my youngest son came into the room where I was folding the Mount Everest of laundry loads.  "Mom, how about if we go outside and look for deer and maybe a fox and just get some  fresh air?"  (A ploy to get out of homework, perhaps?) Well, gee, that was a tough choice: fold infinite amounts of clothes by myself in our bedroom or walk outside in the cool of the evening with a son who still wants to spend time with his mama.  Actually, a part of me hesitated for just a microsecond--I really really needed to get that laundry done, it was a school night, after all, and homework was surely not finished, there were still dirty dishes in the sink, phone calls needed to be returned, I was tired... blah blah blah.
     Praise the Lord the Holy Spirit gently redirected my thoughts to the important rather than the urgent, and, of course, I put the laundry aside and went with my son to walk in the neighborhood.
     And it was glorious.  We saw no deer or foxes.  But the warm spring air felt incredible--and the soft smells of honeysuckle wafted by, reminding me of childhood.  And the fireflies, well, what a wonder!  What an awesome Lord who would create tiny little bugs that flash on and off, of and off, in neon brightness in the spring darkness!  I walked slowly behind, watching Peter race after the tiny little miracles of light, and shouting, "You know, they light up so they can meet their husbands and their wives!," and I experienced simple, pure joy in a perfect moment.   "What a God," I whispered.  "What a great and gracious and good God.  Thank You for not allowing me to miss this."
     We strolled and chatted--but very quietly lest we scare away any potential deer or foxes--and enjoyed the gift of an evening when homework and laundry could wait, but walking and worship could not, must not.  How many times have I missed it, missed You, Lord?  Forgive me.  Teach me, as I pray so often, to number my days aright that I might gain a heart of wisdom. (Ps.90:12)  As I thought about that evening, I  just couldn't help but think of our Almighty Creator God, moving into our neighborhood and enjoying these simple gifts of life and creation just as much as we do--or should.
     C.S. Lewis once wrote: "The great thing is to be found at one's post as a child of God, living each day as though it were our last, but planning as though our world might last a hundred years." He came into the neighborhood that we might be saved and have abundant, eternal life.  We have eternity... but we only have this one day to fully live to His glory today.   Live today as if it might be your last--loving God with all your heart, loving those He has placed in your path with all you have, and savoring this world He created, seeing it with the eyes of a child--with eyes of wonder and worship.  Might we behold His glory this day as we live as His beloved child, overflowing with gratitude in His amazing grace.  To God, the Creator, the Sustainer, the Redeemer who moved into the neighborhood with the ones He came to save, be all the glory.