Gaining Christ...

Laura ran the in-home daycare my oldest son was attending. I was dropping him off one morning, and Laura's husband, Stan, was outside washing his car. As my son passed by, Stan turned the hose in my son's direction, pretending to spray him.

Oh, did that little boy shriek with delight! He went running inside to tell the others what had happened... stumbling over his words, not quite finding the words to match the exhilaration of dodging an early morning shower. Of course, the others looked on blandly, half listening, focused on whatever activity occupied their attention at the time. You see, the emotions, the excitement associated with my son's experience was personal and relative. And at that young age, he did not have the words to adequately describe what he was feeling or what had transpired.

The apostle, Paul, reminds me of that incident. Saul, once a persecutor of the people of God, was so radically transformed by his encounter with Jesus... his experience was blinding, even warranting a change of name!

He was so profoundly conformed by the love of God, that his mission was to bring the message and power of God's saving love and mercy to the Gentiles. I can feel the urgency, the desperation in his efforts to share the good news with others:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Eph 3:14-19

I'm reminded of my child trying to express and share his exuberance, and Paul's own words come to me thus..." Guys, don't you get it... I'm kneeling before God, interceding on your behalf... I want you to know the deep love God has for you; I want His Spirit to strengthen you and Christ to dwell in your hearts."

May we know God's love that surpasses all understanding and knowledge. May we consider everything else "so much rubbish", that we may gain Christ and be found in Him.