February the 2nd is “Groundhog Day” in the good ol’ USofA. It is a day when people gather to see a large rodent appear from its burrow. Depending on whether it sees a shadow or not, signifies if winter will continue for another six weeks or spring is to come early. There is a lot of fanfare and fun surrounding this festival, the whole community share in the moment. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania seems to be the very epicentre of “Groundhog day” with a four day schedule of concerts, fun-fairs, special club nights, souvenirs and the ever present corporate sponsorship (I am not kidding! see www.groundhog.org for further details). However, more often than not the term is used to denote the repeating cycle of an unpleasant, grinding everyday life. Doesn’t sound much like fun-fairs and souvenirs to me.
Everyday is not the same though, is it? For one thing we are a day older, maybe a day wiser but, more often than not in the current climate, a day poorer. But hang on a minute! that sounds just as depressing.
Life can feel like that sometimes. Never really seeming to make a difference gets us down. Being full of hope one day and the next not even wanting to get out of bed.
I will not pretend that being a Christian is all sweetness and light, because even a bed of roses has a thorn or two, we have to face the same worries, fears and troubles as everyone else. To have a life that doesn’t involve troubles and difficulties is a life where joy, hope and faith are meaningless because we never overcome them. It is with Christ that all those things are put into proper perspective, because how we face them and the lessons we learn make us better, each day.
Finally I just want give you a challenge and ask you to get a Bible (I am assuming most of us still have one) and read Romans chapter 12 verses 9 – 21 and see what God has to say about what to do when you are having a “Groundhog day”. Love, Jason
The Man in the Manse