Hey there, my friends!  I have GOT to tell you about these grapes.  They’re called Holiday Grapes, and are quite possibly the best thing you’ve ever put in your face…Ok, at least the best fruit you’ve ever put in your face.  They are huge but not too fleshy, and when you bite down on them, they explode in your mouth like one of those gushers you used to eat when you were a kid…or the gushers that you still eat now as a big kid…no judgment here.  And they are the sweetest grapes you’ve ever tasted.  Anyways, I tell everyone about how good these grapes are, and, if I’m in public, I will pass them out for all to try because they are that good and everyone should know about these wonderful things!!  People look at me like I’m a crazy person (which, I realize, is debatable) when I offer them a grape.  But, after they try it they get this look in their eyes.  Their face says, “Oh, it makes perfect sense now why you have offered me this grape because this truly is the best grape I’ve ever had.”  And then they ask for another one, which usually ends in me getting a different kind of look in my eye.  My face says, “You experienced for yourself how good they are, now why would you abuse my grace by asking for more?”  And then I usually give them another one…only because it’s the right thing to do.  The point is that these grapes are so good, I just can’t help but share.  There is something else in my life that is oh, so good, and I must share it with you…something much more meaningful and satisfying than these grapes.

Have you ever wondered what your purpose is here?  Have you ever thought, “what is the meaning of all this, anyway?” Dear friend, I have the answer.  The creator of the universe wanted to have a relationship with us, and that is why we were created.  Let that sink in…that someone so mighty and powerful did not have to create us and did not even need to create us, but actually wanted to create us.  Why are we here?  We exist to be in relationship with God and glorify and honor our creator!  God has a perfect plan for us and has had one since the beginning of time.  But, of course, we think we know better and head off in a different direction, creating our own plan.  We call that sin…and we ALL do it.   Walking away from God’s plan causes us to be broken.  We try to fill that brokenness with things like relationships, money, drugs, violence, bitterness, and careers, among others, but it never satisfies us and leaves us broken and longing for purpose.

But here’s the good news!  God loves us so much that he sent a solution to our problem, someone to fix our brokenness and bring us back to God’s perfect plan. God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sin.  God’s Word tells us that “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness,” so God sent His absolutely perfect Son to die on a cross in our place, bearing our sin.  What love!   Our debt has already been paid, but it’s up to us to accept it by asking Jesus to forgive our sins and choosing to follow His way.

But it doesn’t just stop there.  God did not just provide forgiveness of sins and a better way for our life on earth but also after death as well!  You see, after Jesus died for our sins, He was placed in a tomb.  He was there, lifeless, for three days.  But then it happened.  Jesus rose from the tomb, defeating death, and lives forever.  What does this mean for Jesus followers?  God’s Word tells us in Romans 6:5 that since “we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be untied with him in a resurrection like his.”  Even after this life on earth, God promises us life eternal through His Son, Jesus.  What grace!  Choosing to be forgiven of our sin and choosing to follow Jesus puts us back on God’s perfect plan for our lives.  No, it doesn’t mean that life will be perfect, but it means that we serve a perfect God who will give us the satisfaction and joy we can find nowhere else.  So, even in the midst of our pain or stress or hurt, even in the midst of the chaos life throws at us, we glorify a merciful God who has made a way for us to be in a real relationship with Him, a relationship that can grow and flourish.  It’s a relationship that can be nourished by talking to Him, worshiping Him, reading His Word and engaging in a community of other believers!

You know those grapes I was telling you about?  There is one big problem with them.  They are temporary.  These wonderful grapes are only sold September through January.  I guess that’s why they’re called Holiday Grapes.  So, February through August I am left longing for them, a desire which will not be satisfied until the next September.  But I will have Jesus forever.  He doesn’t ever go away or leave me, even when life is chaotic and messy.  I am always satisfied with Jesus, my Savior.   He loves you so much, my friend.  He wants you so much, my friend.  It’s what you were created for, and He is the purpose of life that you have been searching for.  Do you know him?

Give grace, show love, and embrace chaos!