IT IS GOOD TO BE HERE

Have you ever been somewhere and could not wait to get out of that place?  It might have been a physical place such as a store, a hospital, a family gathering, your workplace, or a city or town.  Perhaps it was a spiritual or emotional place.  For example, a time of grieving, a dry prayer day on retreat, a desert time in your relationship with God, or depression.

Then there are those mountain top experiences such as achieving a goal, promotions at work, a happy time with family and friends, heartfelt knowledge of God's presence and love on retreat, being finally free from and emotional or physical illness. We are on top of the world!

In the Transfiguration event of Jesus on the mountain, Peter was in his glory.  "Wow!  It is good for us to be here." That is easy to say when we are on top of the mountain, but what about in the ordinary days of our lives.  Isn't it good to be here?

With all the issues facing us in our world, our country, our city, our church, and our own personal problems, we can still count on God's love for us through his son, Jesus Christ.  He will transform us if we listen to him.  We do not have to climb a mountain for God to descend to reach us.  We only need to find that quiet physical place and space within ourselves and with an open and willing spirit.  Sometimes it is within those times or places that we cannot wait to be out of that we can have mountaintop experiences.  It is good to be here because Christ is always with us in the ordinariness of our lives.  No matter what physical, spiritual, or emotional place we find ourselves, Christ will always find us and transform us to a place of prayer, wisdom, freedom, strength or hope.  He will be whatever we need him to be and whenever we need him to be there for us.  

As we continue our journey through Lent, let us remember that we do not journey alone.  We have each other and we have Jesus Christ with us.  It is good to be here!