June 19 -- The Grace of Being Comfortable in Him -- Paris

Good Morning, well late morning, it is almost noon.  I am sitting with a cup of coffee at a sidewalk table along the edge of the canal.  I notice that jogging is like hard physical labor.  I can sit and watch either for hours.  Yesterday's joggers on the opposite bank of the canal seemed to be younger and more expensively outfitted than today's.  I suppose the demographics of its joggers will tell us something about a neighborhood.  

Yesterday, Mariusz and I had brunch along the other side of the canal.  Then we went to an art show.  The featured artist is an old friend of Mariusz.  It turned out that the only people present at the show were the Artist, her adult daughter, Mariusz and I.  The artist explained several of her paintings to us.  Then over juice and cookies we sat and chatted with both mother and daughter.  The mother is deeply committed to her Roman Catholic traditions and particularly to the significance of particular religious sites and relics like the grottos at Lourdes.  The daughter has heard all this from the mother many times for many years.  As we talked it became clear that Mama was beginning to see that it is her faith in Jesus not the relics or grottos that is the important element.  The daughter was relaxing and becoming more willing to talk about her realities.  Holy Spirit engaged each of them where they were and on the level each was able to hear and accept Him.  It was a joy to watch Him gently pour out Father's love on them.

After a wonderful conversation Mariusz and I started back toward our hotel.  We planned to walk the last mile or so back to our hotel.  But shortly after we emerged from Le Metro (the subway) it began to rain heavily. So we walked a few yards to a lovely sidewalk cafe and found shelter from the rain.  As we chatted we realized that we each had come to the same conclusion.  It was a conclusion that seemed perfectly clear and right to each of us and yet we realized it was inconsistent with our religious training and backgrounds.  We each knew the reason why we had been sent to Paris was to chat with these two women.  We each were quite comfortable with the idea that possibly no other ministry would take place here in Paris.  

All our logical thinking argued against our conclusions.  We knew it did not seem like a frugal use of our time.  But despite our logic we knew.  As I thought about this, today, I found myself recognizing something I had not really put in words before.  There is a special provision in God's grace to make us comfortable.  A comfort not based in our circumstances, nor in our logic, but simply the comfort of knowing Holy Spirit's companionship and the certainty that He is pleased with us.  It makes all of life so very relaxing.  In this comes a very deep level of certainty even in the midst of uncertain and rapidly changing circumstances.

I pray for you today the grace of His comforting companionship.  He is your personal Comforter.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart