The way things out to be…

I had a chance to stop and enjoy a few peaceful moments while gazing out over the Biscayne Bay, from a little metal park bench under the cool shade of a coconut tree. When I have a few minutes before heading off to another appointment, or leaving for the airport, I normally make these pit stops. Using my GPS makes it easy to find these “out of the way” spots, and most of the time it just helps me step out of the hustle and bustle. Today was no different. I sipped a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee while relaxing in Kennedy Park (Coconut Grove, FL) and watching a few Labrador Retrievers swim in the bay.

Now, the reality sets in. I’m here at MIA (Miami International), awaiting my flight home. As CNN Headline News squawks in the background, I hear the din of the crowd nearby. Yesterday, a man was shot and killed in nearby Pembroke Pines. It reminds me of how messed up things are in this world. This isn’t the way things out to be. And, it’s certainly not the way things should be. But when our first descendants of humankind, Adam and Eve, rebelled against God, sin permeated our world with poisonous effects. The reality is, I can’t look at others and blame them for this mess. Because if I take an honest look at myself, I find that I’m not a very good person either. Oh sure, I am not as bad as I could be and I haven’t killed anyone – but I came real close once. I agree with the Apostle Paul, I am the chief among sinners. So, don’t fool yourself. You might feel real good if you keep comparing yourself to other people, but there will always be someone just a little “better” then you. That’s why I have to zoom out and focus on the One who is perfect – Jesus Christ. Jesus took on human flesh, lived a sinless life, and hung spread-eagle on cross-beams out on the town garbage heap so that you and I could be reconciled to a Holy God. He lived the life I could never live and He died the death I deserve, but through His amazing grace, He gives me newness of life.

Someday, He’s coming back; to make things the way they out to be.