One glorious Summer day at a pool party at a friend’s house. We played all day, in the water, out of the water, inside the house, outside the house. We played sharks and minnows, Marco Polo, mimic my dive, splash contests, underwater distance contests, even some relay races… There weren’t many moments not spent in the pool or on the deck. My friend, however, also had a mini-bike, Big Wheels, and a roller coaster in his garage. So, every moment was filled with gobs of fun. We of course snacked with Goober PB & J sandwiches. Goober was a Peanut Butter jar with Jelly stripes already in it made by Smuckers. It looked so cool. They also had Koogle peanut butter, which was made by Kraft with chocolate, cinnamon, banana, and vanilla flavors. Every kid wanted these, because we had all seen them on the TeeVee on Saturday mornings with our cartoons. It was a whole day of kid indulgence holding nothing back. Eventually though, everyone at the party left. My mother had an extra errand to run, so my friend’s mom said she’d be glad for me to stay a little while. My friend had gone inside and his mother was just sitting on the steps in the pool. I was on the Big Wheel riding slowly around the pool deck when the next thing I know, the Big Wheel and I are in the water in the deep end. I don’t remember any of it, until I was awakened by the water. The Big Wheel sank to the bottom and my friend’s Mom came to check on me. Apparently the overindulgences of the day had put me in a sugary, dehydrated, exhausted coma.
When John shared the Revelation of Christ with the Church at Sardis, Jesus gave them a warning. Sardis was a wealthy city, with luxurious living. Apparently, the church had been lulled into an indulgent stupor and had forgotten how it was like them to act as Jesus followers. They had the appearance of being alive and doing good, but they were not. Jesus reminds them not to be fooled into thinking that they are living right just because they are living well. He says, “‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. ‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” (Revelation 3:2–5)
As soon as I hit that water on my Big Wheel ride at my friend’s house, I woke up and jumped right back out. Jesus says, repent, which means do a 180, to turn around! Sometimes abundance makes us forget about those who lack, but even worse our contentment can make us oblivious to our desperate need for God. If these words are a reminder for us today, God, give us ears to hear the Word of the Lord!
Hang in there people! God is glad to be with us! I’m praying for us all!
