Edith Nordloh

Philippians 2:1-11 (NRSV)
“2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind…….5  Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ……”

Reflection:
I am not inherently a good servant. I am rebellious and argumentative and sometimes righteously indignant or simply self-righteous. In light of these characteristics, motherhood and marriage have been a challenge for me. The self-sacrifice required to care for young children and the compromises required for sharing a life with another person has stretched me and tried my patience and annoyed me to no end, but God has a sense of humor, so I have spent 29 years married and 23 fumbling along through motherhood.

Pete and I met in the Spring of 1992 and were married less than a year later. We are parents to two boys: Sam, the elder, he of the easy smile and the sneaky wit, and Ben, the tall one who looks like a pirate, all snarky and earnest and opinionated and engaging. 

In the course of our 29 years, Pete and I have butted heads over the trivial – how to cut an onion – and the monumental – establishing clear limits for our children and when to cut bait on a miserable job.  Sometimes, those disagreements have led to hurt feelings and rocky periods in our marriage. On our best days, by the grace of God, those disagreements have led to thoughtful negotiations and respectful resolutions that taught us more about ourselves and brought us closer together.  A sense of common purpose has most often made the difference and the boys embody our greatest source of common purpose.

Paul reminds us of our common purpose as children of God: to the glory of God, we are challenged to “look to the interests of others,” to care for one another.  Following the model of Christ’s humility and generosity, we can move through conflicts, big or small, to “be of one mind.”  We can be the church of God united. Can you imagine it?  We, the church, united in love, standing as a beacon of hope in the world?

In our divisive and tribal culture, I often struggle to see it. I have more than enough moments of doubt, but then I remember the miracle God has already worked in me, day by day, in fits and starts, making of me a mother and a wife, making of us a marriage and a family. 

Prayer:  

Gracious God, your greatest gifts fall into hearts that are empty of self.  Grant me unity of purpose in loving and serving others, that I might be a beacon of hope and a guidepost to show your love to others. Amen.