Before Christmas I heard a sermon where Gabriel was referred to as ‘God’s FEDEX guy of good news’. The phrase made me chuckle. Since then I have come back to that idea a number of times and it has sparked a few different thoughts in my mind around post!
If God has a FEDEX guy it implies he has good news he wants to share with us…this is of course absolutely true!! God so loved you that he gave his only son, so that if you believe in him you can live with him forever. Now Gabriel wasn’t telling Mary that specifically – he was telling her she was going to have a baby…and that baby was the only son of God, who would one day make a way for all who believe to be in close relationship with God forever.
If that’s the good news that is being delivered then surely we want to make sure we are going to get it!
Have you ever missed the postman and got one of those annoying little notes saying ‘we came but you weren’t in’? I was once sat in my house and heard the letterbox go, so I went to see what was there and one of those notes had been pushed through…that made me feel really cross. I was in but the postman had decided I wasn’t. If God has good news for you, are you in to receive it? Are you available for God to knock on the door and give you your message, or are you so busy going here and there that you don’t have time enough to slow down and give God the space to tell you whatever it is you need to hear?
Normally those annoying little notes give you a bit of an ultimatum…we tried to deliver to you today but you weren’t in. Your parcel has been returned to the depot and you will need to arrange to pick it up…God won’t give up trying to deliver your message to you. He doesn’t get fed up of no answer, he doesn’t have a store house of good news that he takes your portion to and then abandons it until you come looking for it. God is always up for one more try at getting through to you.
Another thought that came to me from that phrase ‘God’s FEDEX guy of good news’ was piles and piles of undeliverable post. Some people make a living out of opening and selling on undeliverable post, like redirections gone astray, wrong addresses or missed house numbers. Then there are people who have moved on and not told the sender, incorrect postage paid and not topped up and damaged parcels where the address is not readable. Is there undeliverable good news that is meant for you but you don’t know? Have you wandered so far off track that the good news meant for you cant get through? Maybe you have cut yourself off from the avenues through which such good news could be delivered? Do you have undelivered good news for someone else but your too scared to attempt delivery again?
Over the Christmas period I reflected on this idea of God having a FEDEX guy of good news and wondered if we all have potential to be delivery people for God. Who do you bring good news to, and who brings good news to you? Maybe this year you want to intentionally put yourself in a group of three or four people who will all be good news delivery people for each other.
If you want to get into this find a few others and start with the question ‘Where have you seen God this week?’. If you need help getting it going deeper we wold love to give you some other resources and pointers. Why not get in touch?