The High-Low Game

Ever play the High-Low Game in life? No, not the card game. You know, the one where your day’s events take you from the heights of the splendor of the Himalayas all the way to the depths of the Dead Sea. Sometimes it happens all in one week, sometimes even all in one day.

I began this week concentrating on the miracles of Jesus. Even though things kept going low, I kept thinking about Jesus and His miracles. It’s just like Him to remind you of His great love by giving you a great High at the end of some pretty low lows.

How can we understand the depths of the Father’s love for us, when all we see is lows, gloom and despair? The days when we have real lows, the kind that leave us completely exhausted and praying for the day to end so we can just get past it, can leave us feeling as if we need a miracle in order to recover. These kind of lows knock us down so low, we know the only place left to go is up.

But, how do we get up? By believing in what seems impossible? Yes. By believing in miracles? Absolutely. Our Father in Heaven specializes in things thought impossible. When you are feeling lower than ever, get ready. God is going to rush in to you with good news, and you will be back up before you know it. Lows are inevitable in life, but it is important to remember that God’s plans are to bring you hope and a future, to prosper you and not to harm you (Jer. 29:11).

On Thursday, my day began with a worst possible scenario at work. In fact, the week had been filled with more than a few lows already, like family emergencies and strained relationships. However, knowing how low I felt, Jesus reminded me of hope, and hope never disappoints (Rom. 5:5). Just when I thought my week couldn’t get any worse, I went from what had to be the worst appointment in my career, to one of the best. Then to top it all off, a young couple came in to the church looking for someone to believe in them. With a marriage license in hand, and hope in their hearts, the couple was looking for a Pastor to marry them.

The young couple were friends of a friend. Like so many young people today, they don’t attend church. However, after a year of dating they knew they wanted a Pastor to marry them, not a judge. My friend told them, “Let’s go see Pastor Riley”. And so, a day that started so low it couldn’t get any worse, which came on top of a week already filled with a lot of lows, ended in the chapel celebrating in joy for a young couple just starting out in life together.

How has your week been? I hope it has not been filled with too much of the High-Low game. As I have thought about the gospel this week, and how Jesus brought such a high to a whole community by healing the demoniac (of whom the people were terrified),  I can’t imagine how they could ask Him to leave. Yes, life will always have low times, and yes some may be pretty bad. But, Jesus is faithful to always lift us up with highs; we just have to be open to His Spirit to recognize them when they come.

This Week:

Sunday is only two days away. No matter what your week has been like, or how low it has been, remember, Sunday is a “High” day! All that is good in our world is made possible because Jesus Christ conquered sin and death one Sunday about two thousand years ago. So, if you have made it to the weekend and your feeling TGIF, remember the real high is TGSC – “Thank God Sunday’s Coming!”

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6