Holy Headaches

Hello Emmanuel,

I have a headache.  I’m sure it is no fault of any of you.  That isn’t to say that pastors don’t get headaches because crazy church people.  It’s just that all of you are rarely… I mean… never crazy.  Still, my head hurts.

I can’t always identify why I get a headache.  They say that stress can play a big role, but I find that, for me, it is often the weather.  Specifically, rainy and cool weather will do it.  I think it has something to do with the barometric pressure.  I don’t know.  I’m no scientist.  I just know when my head hurts.  (and, by the way, my knee aches in late October too).

I wonder if God ever gets a headache.  Not physically speaking, but metaphorically I wonder if he puts His hand to His forehead, squeezes His eyes closed and massages His temples.  And, if so, are any of us to blame?  Does God get stressed?  And from whence does His stress originate?

Adam and Eve ate the fruit.  Ever since then, we have our moments when we might get a little overly ambitious or think we know better when we don’t.  Then we play the ‘oops’ card and that is when I imagine God massaging His temple. 

As we continue the Easter season, it continues to be a season for resurrection.  Living new life is more than just starting over, it is learning to live more godly lives based off of all our ‘oops’ moments.  It isn’t just getting a fresh start.  It is getting an opportunity for a fresher life.  Learn from your mistakes.  Be intentional about doing better next time.  Say ‘thank you’ to God by saying more loving words; being gentler with your actions; having more awareness that God is sitting next to you; planning for a more godly future.

What can you do today that will make God’s headache a little less painful?  Go do it.  There is a good chance you’ll help someone else’s headache too.  And it might be mine.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe