I CARRY CHRIST’S GIFT

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
~ Ephesians 4:7

And there I was with my camera (surprise). It was a warm spring early morning when I found myself in Washington’s agricultural Palouse on the edge of the scablands. It was here where I was witness to the most beautiful, coordinated chaos I had ever seen. Hurriedly lifting my camera to my eye, I began firing hoping I was focused on at least one of the subjects.

The hundreds of migrating Snow Geese were lifting off from their breakfast on last year’s waste grain in the vast open fields. The rush of their beating wings, the sound of their honking proclamations, and the blur of their unified motion left me in awe.

It was one flock.

One species.

Yet, as individual birds, they maneuvered in what seemed to be synchronized chaos.

They launched together into the sky in cluttered unity.

I did not see any collision. Or fighting. There was no hesitation by any goose. They all seemed to know they were snow geese and behaved accordingly. None appeared self-conscience, intimidated, or reluctant to fly with its flock. None seemed rejected, moping behind. Neither was there any stand-out goose demanding the attention or accolades of all. None was flaunting its feathers. It was the whole flock that left an unforgettable impression on me that one single goose could never do.

As each sorted out its position in the flock, their formation was defined in the sky.

Jesus has ONE BODY. And it exists on earth. If you are in Jesus, then you are a member of His body. When you KNOW (mentally and experientially) this, it is natural to walk worthy of your calling.

The sum of your life does not begin and end with you. Though you are in individual, you are designed to function for the growth and health of the WHOLE. The whole is Christ’s Body and Christ Himself is the head. You contribute to the building up of Jesus’ body. You are to Him and for Him alone. And in that position and function, you contribute to the health and well-being of the other members of Christ’s body.

Every one of us is given gifts by Jesus so that each of us can contribute to the growth of Jesus’ body into a structure of God’s love.

The impression we leave for an onlooking world is Jesus! Not myself alone, but together with other body members making up Jesus’ whole body! It was the flock that impressed me. Not an individual goose.

When we know WHO we are IN Jesus and WHO Jesus is IN us, we walk worthy of our calling, fulfilling our function, causing growth, and empowering edification to Jesus’ body. IN LOVE. We (the Body of Jesus) NEED you. We are not the same without you. You are not optional. You are critical to the stature of Jesus.

My dearest brothers and sisters, I implore you to be not ignorant or negligent of the grace GIFTED in measure to each one of you! His gift is GRACE – simply Jesus’ divine influence on your heart and His reflection in your life. You are not overlooked, forgotten, or bypassed, or inferior to Christ’s gift. The character of His gift to you is gratuitous, meaning it is given to you voluntarily by Him and without any obligation to you! The Father is generous to YOU and ME!

And why such generosity?

“Because of His great love with which He loved us…” (see Ephesians 2:4-5)

And this great love with which we are loved, is to be bestowed on one another. Jesus commanded that as He loves us, we are to love each other (John 13:34). We are gifted thus, to fulfill this.

Continued next week…

“Snow Geese Chaos”