a bag too far

Posted on by Grace Day

Some people collect shoes, others belts or maybe hats? For me it seems to be bags – not purses or handbags but bigger actual bags. I have discovered that I have no shortage of bags. Quite the opposite. I have all kinds of bags. I have bags of various colors and designs, fabrics and sizes. I have no idea how I have ended up with so many bags. I believe it may have started with a few canvas tote bags and grown from there. I did not set out to collect them, but now I have them, nonetheless.

This begs the obvious question – just how many bags does one woman really need? Probably just one assuming it is a good all-purpose sized bag. Ok and then another bag for back up, so two? Actually, a bag for each season would be prudent, so four? And what about the need to color coordinate my bag with what I’m wearing? – that will require multiple bags. And what if I need to bring more stuff with me on some days than on others? This means I need to have bags of multiple sizes on hand as well as bags of multiple colors and designs.

Maybe I will become like the TV character, Elsbeth. She is a detective of sorts, very fashionable, always wearing bright colors. But her distinguishing fashion feature is that she is always carrying multiple large bags with her wherever she goes. These are noticeable because they are so large and because she always has more than one bag with her. I find myself wondering, what exactly does she keep in all those bags? They don’t seem to slow her down, rather the bags are a part of who she is. They actually end up defining her character in a way. Elsbeth is the bag lady, but just how many bags does one woman need anyway?

Apparently, I need to ask myself the same question – how many bags do I actually need? Especially since, unlike Elsbeth, I only carry one bag at a time. (at present anyway) I’m thinking maybe the reason Elsbeth carries all those bags with her everywhere is because she suffers from a deep seated fear akin to FOMO (fear of missing out), however, this fear is FONHWINWINI. Translation – “fear of not having what I need when I need it.” Solution – carry everything with me at all times. That’s what Elsbeth does and it seems to work for her.

But it must be exhausting, not to mention cumbersome and inconvenient, to carry so much around with her at all times. I know one bag at a time is all I can manage presently with any degree of success. So perhaps the antidote to my FONHWINWINI is not carrying around with me yet another bag full of stuff, but instead relying on the promise of someone I trust – namely my Heavenly Father. He has an impeccable track record when it comes to providing for those He has created, including you and me, we who are created in His image. The apostle Paul experienced God’s provision in his every circumstance and wrote these words –

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

In Psalms I read this –

“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. . . . The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:13-16)

I can’t possibly carry enough bags with me at all times to ensure that whenever the need arises for a particular item, I will have that item with me. Even Elsbeth, with all her big, colorful bags, doesn’t have everything with her at all times. There is a physical limit to just how much I can carry with me at any given time. BUT – God has everything I need and more in the palm of His hand! I have this assurance-

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

I guess I really don’t need all of these bags after all. God is my ultimate provider and He is faithful. No matter how many bags I carry with me, they will never be able to hold “all” that I need. God’s “mercies are new every morning” just like the manna He gave the Israelites while they were in the desert was new every morning. (except for the Sabbath) God is able to provide food in a desert and even a feast in a valley of death filled with danger and full of enemies . . .

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:4-6)

An overflowing cup and a table full of food right in the middle of dire circumstances. Only God Almighty, our gracious and loving Heavenly Father, could and would do such a thing. And He does. Day after day He cares for me, instead of treating me as my sins deserve.

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:10-14)

Perhaps Elsbeth has gone a bag too far and maybe I have also. Time to let go of some bags. I don’t need all of them. Actually, I don’t need any of them. Jesus made this clear when He said this –

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. . . . Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? . . . And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry . . . For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34)

Maybe it’s time for me (and Elsbeth and you too, dear readers) to stop carrying around so many big bags and instead trust our Creator to carry us –

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (Isaiah 46:4)

sincerely, Grace Day

the battle rages but take heart – you are not alone!

Posted on by Grace Day

I am feeling besieged. Not so much personally, but on behalf of so many family and friends that I know and love. One of my favorite quotes seems particularly relevant to me these days. It is “Be kind, everyone you meet is fighting hard battles you know nothing about.” I have no doubt that this is true because at present I am aware of many of those battles that are engaging my family and friends. It is deeply personal. After all, we are told to “bear one another’s burdens” and I take that seriously.

As I come alongside my friends and family members facing these huge challenges, I find myself feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, paralyzed with fear and alone. It seems to me (with my limited vision) as if the enemy is winning. However, God’s word tells me something quite different. For instance, I am not alone. I am surrounded by those who cheer me on.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

A great cloud of witnesses? Really? I just don’t see them, so I am unaware of their presence. Not unlike the prophet Elisha’s servant. He too, was feeling overwhelmed and alone when he found himself in this situation.

“Then he (the king) sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh, my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:14-17)

God’s hedge of protection was all around Elisha and his servant. His servant just didn’t see what was already in place until his eyes were opened in response to Elisha’s prayer. I am like that too. I need faith to open my eyes to see that God is right here with me no matter how dire my circumstance. I am not alone. I am weak, but it is God’s strength that prevails. Our Heavenly Father has a history of showing up for us when we need Him most. Just like with King Jehoshaphat who was told –

“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’ ” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17)

My Heavenly Father tells me I don’t have to be afraid and discouraged because He is with me and the battle is His. Moses told the Israelites essentially the same thing –

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ ” (Exodus 14:13-14)

When I’m feeling alone, it’s good to know the truth. There is Someone who has my back at all times! There is Someone willing to fight for me! That’s true for you too, dear readers. Your Heavenly Father has your back and He will fight for you. God does not abandon us, even if we feel as though He has. Job felt that way when he lost everything and yet Job had faith that God would restore him in the end. Job said this about God –

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

And Job surely did. Here is the account of Job after his loss and suffering –

“After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. . . . The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. . . . After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years.” (Job 42:10 – 17)

At present, the fighting is fierce all around us in this world. We are battling illnesses, fighting for our very lives. We are suffering the losses of loved ones, of jobs, of relationships, of dreams, of homes and more, even as we battle depression and addiction and hatred and injustice and the lies of our enemy. The apostle Paul described our journey of following Jesus in this way –

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

BUT – our help is here! Jesus told us –

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

You and I have our Heavenly Father’s assurances from His word –

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten – the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm – My great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will My people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will My people be shamed.” (Joel 2:25-26)

God is in the business of rescue and of restoration. You and I may feel like Job now, surrounded by loss and pain and strife. Even Job’s wife and his friends weren’t on his side. They didn’t have his back – but in the end, God did. God came through for Job. God will come through for me and for you, too, dear readers. I believe what I read in Peter –

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

Even as the battle rages around me, I wait in hope for God’s promised rescue and restoration. In the meantime, I have His presence with me, sustaining me in this moment – providing me all that I need to prevail in faith. After all, I know who wins in the end! Jesus already told us this spoiler alert –

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

sincerely, Grace Day

a stationary stone

Posted on by Grace Day

Another for sale sign just popped up across the street. I am surprised by this because it happened so suddenly, without warning, without fanfare – it just appeared overnight – kind of like my dandelions, who, just when I think they are gone for good, reappear in full force, reclaiming my yard and declaring their intention of taking up permanent residence yet again. Sadly, the new for sale sign is doing just the opposite. Instead of signaling an arrival, this sign is announcing the departure of neighbors I know and love, which begs the question – “Doesn’t anybody stay in one place anymore?” (yes, those words are lyrics from a once popular song)

I guess I am the answer to that rhetorical question. I stay in one place. I stay in one place while all around me people come and people go. I am the stationary stone. Others are the cool, proverbial “rolling stones” that are gathering no moss. They are traveling light, seeing the world. Meanwhile I am covered in moss.

Which begs the question “why and when did moss get such a bad rep?” I mean moss has many redeeming qualities if truth be told. A covering of moss over the stone is protection from the elements. It is warmth and comfort. It is adornment. Fancy, lacey moss or soft plush moss – vibrant colors – I’m sure all the non-rolling stones are comparing themselves to each other to see who has the prettiest, the fanciest, the most rare and exotic moss covering. Moss is a status symbol to the stationary stone. Moss can also be a cloak of comfort in cold, dark times.

But I guess to the rolling stone, moss is a burden, a hindrance that prevents it from rolling easily and smoothly on to the next thing. Sometimes I envy the rolling stone its freedom, thinking its life to be carefree and full of adventure. However, I like the comfort and familiarity of my moss and my mossy surroundings. Still, I think that stationary doesn’t have to mean stuck or sedentary. Maybe there is a season for staying and a season for rolling. Maybe there comes a time in every stone’s life to shed the moss and hit the road.

Such was the case with Abraham. Seems like he was definitely a stationary stone – until he got the call.

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’ So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.” (Genesis 12:1-5)

Abram was seventy-five when he was called by God to become a rolling stone, so he had probably acquired a lot of moss during his time as a stationary stone. And according to this account, it sounds like he took most of his moss with him. Not exactly traveling light. But he did have to leave behind “his country, his people and his father’s household.”

Maybe I prefer being a stationary stone because I don’t want to leave anything behind. I want to bring all my moss with me, but when stones really get rolling the moss falls away. It is inevitable. When the moss falls away, I will be exposed to the elements – to ridicule, to judging eyes. BUT – if God calls me to roll, He will provide the covering I need. After all, my Heavenly Father is in the business of clothing His creation –

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-30)

God provided for the Israelites when He called them to leave Egypt and travel to the land He had prepared for them. They had been stationary in Egypt for over four-hundred years – it was time for them to shed their moss and roll! And God provided the covering of protection they needed as they traveled through the wilderness –

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)

God watches over the stones He calls to leave their moss behind and roll. I have this assurance –

“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:4)

Isaiah said –

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10)

Today I am a stationary stone. Tomorrow, God may call upon me to lose my moss and to roll. I want to be ready. After all, there is a time for everything.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

a time to be stationary, covered in moss, and a time to roll –

sincerely, Grace Day

flashback – reverie & reflection

Posted on by Grace Day

I am searching for an old Bible study book from some years back. I am certain I have done this particular study in the past and am convinced I must still have the book. It must be somewhere in my house, if only I could find it and avoid buying another one. So far, I have not found said book. BUT – I did just discover something I wrote only a few years ago, (although it seems exponentially longer than that). My words are hand written, scribbled on scrap paper, this paper tucked into a book that got my attention even as I searched in vain for the book that I currently need.

My words took me by surprise even as they took me back to a time not that far removed from today. How soon we forget, I thought, as I read what I had written regarding those days. Perhaps a flashback is in order, dear readers. Doesn’t the saying go, “history will repeat itself if we don’t learn from our mistakes.”? In any case, these were the thoughts and reflections I found scribbled on scrap paper, tucked away in a book, a book that was buried in a stack of books until I came across it today and read this –

“I am surprised by the ordinariness of this day. In these extraordinary times we go about our business as if nothing has happened – walking through our days waiting for the other shoe to drop. The first shoe to fall fell quickly, before we had time to question how we would walk forward with only one shoe.

The day that first shoe dropped, it was an ordinary day – which was no surprise – these were ordinary times. Oh sure, there had been a recent rumor or two – a rumbling of something – but it was business as usual for all of us – until it wasn’t anymore.

Schools closed overnight. Businesses and restaurants shut down. No weddings. No funerals. No birthday parties. Gatherings of any kind were forbidden while the streets remained packed with angry protestors day after day, night after night. Liquor stores were open. Churches were closed. No eating out – but some did. No haircuts – but some did. We are told not to visit our loved ones. It is too dangerous. We are told to distance and to isolate. I wait in isolation, fear and silence for the other shoe to drop.

Now two and a half years later, I look around the classroom and wonder. I wonder about many things. There is no reminder here save one student wearing a mask – a last visual vestige of the trauma thrust upon us so suddenly and so completely that we could not catch our breath – and then they masked us – ensuring we could not breathe freely nor speak freely. The masks were silence’s symbol and fear’s announcement simultaneously – ‘be afraid and be quiet’ they proclaimed, ‘no questions allowed – the science is settled,’ they said. Reality told a different story, but reality was not to be believed. They were. And the shoes continued to drop – our freedoms disappearing with each new thud. No travel, no contact, no work, no worship, no community – only isolation and fear.”

Reading my own words took me back to a time I had already forgotten – an unwelcome flashback for sure. How had “fifteen days to flatten the curve” turned into more than a year of forced restrictions in our personal lives? I remember markings on the floors of stores telling us where to stand, to ensure that we were properly distanced while waiting in line. I wonder if some of those markings are still there? I wonder if there were markings on the streets ensuring the protestors kept their proper and required distance from each other?

Well, enough of reverie and reflection for today. Time for me to be thankful for our God given freedoms. I am reminded of the words of Isaiah –

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Isaiah 61:1-1-2)

God came to set you and me free. In Galatians we read –

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

In John we read –

“To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ ” (John 8:31-32)

I have an innate longing to be free. We all do. At present, around the world many people are enslaved and oppressed by governments currently in power. But this is not permanent. Ultimately, freedom is ours in Christ. We have His promises as our hope. Jesus told us –

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

and –

“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’ ” (John 8:34-36)

forever free – thanks to the redeeming rescue of our Savior, Jesus!

sincerely, Grace Day

giving up?

Posted on by Grace Day

Did I mention I’ve been cleaning out my garage? It does seem to be an ongoing, ever present, never ending task, a task that never gets crossed off my to-do list because I’m never finished. I’ve decided there’s a very rational reason that I still have all this “stuff” although much of it probably should be thrown away. If I throw an item away it means I have given up on it. It means I see no value, use or purpose for said item any longer. The item could be worn or broken or stained or outdated, any number of things might be true of a particular item. With clothing, the problem might be only that it is no longer in current fashion or maybe it is missing a button or has a small stain. With mechanical items, maybe they too are outdated or maybe they are simply missing a small but essential component necessary to their proper functioning.

In any case, I hold onto these things because I hold onto hope that they still have some value, some purpose, some use to someone somewhere, and therefore should not be given up on and thrown away. I hold onto the hope that these things, whether toys, clothes, household items, electronics – whatever it is – that they can be repurposed, repaired, restored, rehabilitated to give them a second life – a new life of usefulness to someone who needs whatever the item might be.

I guess I see the possibilities, the potential, the promise in each item and find myself unwilling to give up on any good use of said item in the future. It’s not my fault really, that I hang onto stuff, unwilling to give up on how it could be used and refuse to throw it out with the trash. I come by it naturally, this desire to give a second chance and a third chance and more chances, rather than give up. I get it from my father, my Heavenly Father. God never gives up on me. That’s why giving up is not in my nature either. I am my Father’s child.

I don’t need to give up on myself when I fail despite my oh so good intentions (which is daily) and I don’t need to give up on others either. God doesn’t. Why would I? You and I have this promise from our Heavenly Father –

“being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

I find those words very reassuring. My Heavenly Father will not give up on me! No matter how broken I am, how many missing parts I have, how old or outdated current culture may think me to be – God sees the potential in me (and you, too). God sees the person He created me to be all along, even though I’m not fully that person yet. God is the master of rehabilitation, of repairing, restoring, repurposing me. My Heavenly Father redeems my life. He does not give up on me and throw me out with the trash. No, He says this to me (and to you, too, dear readers) –

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

and God tells us –

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

my Heavenly Father will never give up on me! (or you either) because He loves you and me and we know that –

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:7)

God is going to finish what He started in me and in you, too. If you feel you’re in need of some repair, some renewal, some rehab – if you long to be fully and completely restored to what God intended for you all along – take heart. We know this –

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

My Heavenly Father is in the restoration business. He promises you and me this –

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” (Ezekiel 36:24-27)

I’m so thankful that my Heavenly Father redeems and restores me, rather than giving up on me and throwing me away. This world definitely leaves me with scars. It buffets, batters and burdens me with pain, suffering and loss – things inescapable in this life. BUT – praise God that He doesn’t leave me in the condition in which He finds me – a condition brought on by my sin and by the world in which we live. No, God’s rescue and restoration are wholly undeserved and yet promised to me and to you who believe. God says –

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten – the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm – My great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will My people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will My people be shamed.” (Joel 2:25-27)

You and I may be suffering much pain and loss currently BUT – I will not give up because God is at work in everything –

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

don’t give up – God came to rescue, redeem, repair, repurpose and restore each one of us – His beloved creation – He’s at work in each of us right now and He will not give up on any of us but “will carry it on to completion.” This is my hope.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

sincerely, Grace Day

the Provider

Posted on by Grace Day

Remember the story of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens? In it Mr. Scrooge is called “the founder of the feast” by Bob Cratchit. This sentiment is a bit sarcastic given that Mr. Scrooge lived up to his name – he wasn’t really a very generous provider at all. (well, until the end when he had a change of heart) Which begs the question for me and perhaps for you too, dear readers – who is my provider? Do I look to myself? Do I look to others? Do I count on the government to meet my needs?

Circumstances are always subject to change as this world is filled with uncertainty. Must be why the saying “Nothing is certain but death and taxes” is still with us and still relevant. Who will provide our human needs has always been a central question for us from the beginning of our existence. God was the first Provider. He created Adam and Eve and placed them in a beautiful garden that He had created. God provided all their needs until they became discontent, chose their own way and were put out of the garden. Even then, it was God who provided them clothing before they left their home.

“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21)

God has a history of providing for us, especially at those times when we are unable to provide for ourselves that which we most need. Consider Abraham and his trip up the mountain with his son, Isaac. They were on their way to make a sacrifice to God BUT – something essential was missing – the actual sacrifice itself. Still Abraham kept on going up the mountain in faith.

“Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. . . . Isaac said, ‘but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ Abraham answered, ‘God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ And the two of them went on together.” (Genesis 22:6-8)

Now God had told Abraham to take Isaac up the mountain and to sacrifice him there. BUT – at the last moment, God called to Abraham to stop, saying –

” ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ He said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.’ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’ ” (Genesis 22:12-14)

God was Abraham’s Provider then. He was the Israelites’ Provider for forty years. While the Israelites were wandering in the desert, God provided them with manna new every morning to sustain them on their journey to the Promised Land. God is my Provider now, today and every day. He is yours too. We have this reminder from Paul in his letter to the church at Philippi –

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

I don’t need to waste time worrying or to be filled with fear. My Heavenly Father is more than able to take care of me. In fact, Paul wrote these words in his letter to the church at Corinth –

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Now that is a very reassuring promise. God doesn’t want me or you either, to spend our days consumed with anxiety, worry, fear and stress. Jesus spoke very clearly about this, saying to those He was teaching –

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? . . . So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34)

Those last words I have no trouble believing and I bet you don’t either. Each day seems to contain some measure of trouble, challenge, hardship, suffering, pain or loss. Some days just have more than others. BUT – even in the worst of circumstances, God shows up as my Provider. His promise is the same for you, too. King David experienced the worst of times and yet during those dangerous and difficult times He wrote these words –

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. . . . Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:1 & 4-5)

Even in the most dire of circumstances, “the valley of the shadow of death” and “in the presence of his enemies” – King David experienced God’s not just sufficient, but abundant provision. David acknowledged that his “cup overflowed.”

And if I’m honest, I must admit that mine does too. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17) I am the recipient of so many of God’s “good and perfect gifts” everyday that it is impossible not to be filled with gratitude for such undeserved favor.

My Heavenly Father’s most wonderful gifts aren’t even material ones. He gives me His comfort, His peace, His mercy, His hope, His healing, His protection – the list is endless, as is my Heavenly Father’s provision for me.

My God is many things. My God is all things to me. He is my Creator, Sustainer, Savior, Rescuer, Redeemer, Restorer, Lord, King, Defender, Healer, Protector – the One who has my name engraved on His palms, the One who rejoices over me with singing – the One who knows the way that I take – the One who provides for me “immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within me” (Ephesians 3:20) – my Heavenly Father – the Provider of all that I will ever need.

“His divine power has given us (me and you) everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)

sincerely, Grace Day

mysteries amid the mundane

Posted on by Grace Day

Although my days are usually quite ordinary and uneventful, mundane even, somehow they still manage to be filled with the intrigue of multiple unsolved mysteries. These mysteries can present themselves at any time without warning, but they are especially likely to reveal themselves when I am going through a closet or a drawer in search of some lost item, which is a mystery in its own right, of course. While I may not find the particular sought after item which prompted my original search, I am likely to uncover other mysteries, which is to say, my search inevitably leads me to more mysteries – mysteries without apparent answers – mysteries that defy any logic while simultaneously daring me to solve them.

So while my inquiring mind wants to know the answers to these multiple mysteries, I am forced to live daily with the majority of these myriad mysteries remaining unsolved. But it is not due to a lack of effort on my part that these mysteries remain mysteries. (the assumption here being that if a mystery is solved, it is no longer a mystery – not after the answer becomes known) No, these mysteries remain despite my best efforts to solve them.

Is this true for you as well, dear readers? Do you live surrounded by myriad mysteries that lack a solution? You are not alone. I think most of us do. But our mysteries may be different – except for the universal and most important one. That is a mystery we all share.

However, here are some of my current and more mundane mysteries. I have discovered I possess at least nine remote control devices. Why is this mysterious? Because the fact is that I have only one TV. That accounts for one remote device. The mystery is – why do I have all these other remotes? I wonder what they are for, what devices they might control BUT, I have no clue. Each remote control is a mystery to me. I don’t know what or where their intended device is, the thing that each remote belongs to, the thing that each remote is made specifically for, whether that is a TV, a stereo or whatever it might be? Where in the world are all of the electronic devices that belong with each one of these remote controls I currently have in my possession. It is a mystery I would like to solve. I would love to reunite each remote with the device to whom it belongs. That would be a happy ending.

I also have various and assorted keys laying around. Other than the keys to my car (which aren’t actual keys anymore) and the key to my door – what do all these other keys unlock? I wish I knew. I hold the keys to many unknown things. Each key contains a mystery all its own. There’s a lock out there somewhere which is the perfect fit for one and only one of my many random keys. Likewise, there are other locks waiting to be reunited with the one key that will open them. Each key represents a mystery just waiting to be solved.

Then there are the boxes of old photos I have recently discovered. I’m talking very old, black and white photos of people that I don’t know because they died long before I was born. Some of the photos have names on them, but most are not labeled. Each unlabeled photograph tells a story I am sure, but that story remains a mystery to me, since I am unsure of who the people in the picture actually are. They could be my great grandparents or even further back than that. It is a mystery that will remain unsolved for all of the photos that have no names and no dates written on their backs.

I also come across random puzzle pieces from time to time. These individual pieces have become separated from their original puzzles, leaving me no idea to which puzzle any particular lost puzzle piece once belonged. Each puzzle piece carries with it a mystery all its own. How did it end up isolated and alone? What or who separated it from its rightful place as an important part of a larger whole? This lone puzzle piece is no doubt one of a thousand pieces, pieces that when all connected together, make up one complete, beautiful picture.

I can’t help thinking that this lone puzzle piece would probably like to find its place, the place where it fits, the place where it belongs. It is designed to be connected to the other pieces of its original puzzle. No other puzzle will have a place for this piece. Only the puzzle for which it was created in the first place will have a space for which this piece was specifically designed, a space that only this puzzle piece can fill. Apart from the puzzle, this piece cannot fulfill its intended purpose. Alone and disconnected, this puzzle piece never realizes its potential.

Ever feel like a lone puzzle piece trying desperately to find a place where you fit in? This is the mystery we all share. Where is our place in this world? in this universe? We all desire connection over isolation, yet finding a space that matches our shape proves elusive at first, then eventually becomes downright impossible to find. We each are searching for a place where we can feel like we belong. In this world our search proves futile, again and again, as we try various groups, organizations, causes, clubs, cults – anything that promises us a place, a purpose and people with whom we can share those things. Yet each time we are disappointed, because we are made for something more than what we attempt to fashion for ourselves.

We are each created in God’s image. We are created for His good purposes. We are created to belong to Him as dearly loved sons and daughters. We find the space that only our own unique God created shape can fill waiting for us when we become a part of “the body of Christ”. This has been our destiny from the beginning – connection, not isolation. The apostle Paul described it this way in Corinthians –

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. . . . But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. . . . Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)

Many pieces. One puzzle. One complete picture. The lost puzzle piece finds its purpose, finds its place of belonging only when it gets connected to the puzzle and fills its space – the space that only it can fill. In the connection there is completion. There is also peace and purpose. The mystery is solved. The picture of the puzzle is completely revealed.

I will continue to have many unsolved mysteries this side of heaven. Random remotes, keys without locks, pictures without labels, puzzle pieces without a puzzle – and of course, always, socks without a match. But the important mysteries will eventually be solved in eternity.

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:12 & 13)

sincerely, Grace Day

missing pieces

Posted on by Grace Day

Have you ever put a puzzle together only to find that when you have all the pieces assembled, one (or more) is missing? Now granted, for a one-thousand piece puzzle that empty space is very small, but it is an unfilled space nonetheless, a vacant space which renders the puzzle incomplete and unfinished. I invariably find myself vaguely disappointed when this happens. After all the time and effort put into solving the puzzle, the puzzle remains incomplete as long as even one piece is missing. There are those who would say one piece out of a thousand doesn’t matter. But small as the missing puzzle piece might be, it still leaves a hole in the picture the puzzle creates. Every piece matters.

And the pieces are not interchangeable. I can’t take a puzzle piece from a different one-thousand piece puzzle and put it in the empty space. Even if I could find a piece with the correct shape to fit the open space in the puzzle, that piece would not have the right colors or the correct artwork on it necessary to complete the larger picture of that particular puzzle. So my puzzle is doomed to remain incomplete as long as the needed puzzle piece remains lost. Suffice it to say, I do not have a good track record of finding lost things, particularly when it comes to lost puzzle pieces.

Actually, I think I know what it feels like to be a puzzle with a missing piece or pieces. Maybe you do too, dear readers? Longing for completion, yet living life with unfilled spaces – that is the human condition at present. We are all puzzles with missing pieces. We are all works in progress. Ecclesiastes gives me a clue as to why this is so –

“He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

You and I are created in God’s image. We are created to know Him. You and I are created for eternity. That’s why eternity is in our hearts.

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

But our Creator God is too often the missing piece in our puzzle – leaving us wondering about the unsatisfied longing of our souls, a longing which never seems to leave us, as we go about our daily lives. We attribute this longing and its solution to many things – if we just had more money, if we just had a different job, if we just lived somewhere else, if only we were more talented – the list is endless. However, this longing of the human soul is nothing new. In the 1600’s Blaise Pascal wrote in his work entitled Pensees about this aspect of the human condition. A paraphrase or summation of Pascal’s point is this –

“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator made known through Jesus Christ.”

When I let God into my life, I finally find the completeness that I long for. I begin to find all the missing pieces of myself that I endlessly seek. And one day, when I am reunited with my Creator, my Savior, my Heavenly Father God – who are all one in the same, this process will be complete. On that day, I will no longer have holes left open because pieces of myself are missing and I can’t find them. My missing pieces will be fully found – every last one of them. No more missing pieces! This is the promise in God’s word –

“Now we (I) see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we (I) shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

I will be known for who I truly am, no gaps, no holes, no missing pieces of my story. And you too, dear readers, will be whole and complete. You will be fully known as your true self with no missing pieces. Just as God knows you and me completely and loves us fully, we will know each other fully and be fully known ourselves. No fear in that, just love and acceptance.

I know from experience that I have seldom found any of the missing pieces to any of my jigsaw puzzles over the years. Once lost, they have never been recovered and restored to their proper place in their original puzzle. Fortunately, my Heavenly Father has a much better track record of retrieval and restoration. Based on what King David wrote in this Psalm, I think he would agree with me. King David wrote this about God –

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.” (Psalm 56:8)

Yes – our Creator has seen and has collected all our tears. I’m confident that He also has possession of all our missing pieces and that He will use these pieces when He lovingly redeems and restores us, making us whole, just as He created us to be all along. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to this time – when we are each and everyone of us made whole. No more missing pieces.

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

sincerely, Grace Day

buried alive

Posted on by Grace Day

“Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

The above is one of my favorite quotes. It serves as a reminder to me, one I need daily, that the people around me are likely dealing with and enduring hard and painful trials that may not be known or be visible to me, but are nonetheless very real. If truth be told, we are each one “walking wounded” through this world and through this life. Sometimes our battles get the better of us and our burdens become unbearable. Must be why Paul said in his letter to the churches in Galatia –

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

Good advice but how do I live this out on a daily basis? What about when my own burdens are so heavy that I fear I will fall beneath their weight, unsure if I have the strength to get up again and move forward. There are days when my burdens threaten to bury me alive. How then can I possibly bear someone else’s burdens in addition to my own? And yet, that’s exactly what my Heavenly Father asks of me, to enter into other people’s lives in this meaningful way. Paul says in Romans –

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15)

Currently, it seems everyone I know is fighting a hard battle, and I feel the weight of each struggle as if it is my own. Some are literally fighting for their lives. And yet, as I join my friends in bearing their burdens, somehow my own burdens don’t overwhelm me after all, but rather they seem to take a back seat as I make room on my shoulders for someone else’s load. I am happy to sit with them, to let them know that they are not alone and to bear their burdens with them in prayer to God. Maybe, that’s why you and I are instructed to “bear one another’s burdens” – because a burden that is too heavy for one person, is manageable when it is shared. These words confirm that this is so –

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

But if I continue to share in my friends’ burdens, how will I not eventually be buried alive under the sheer weight of them all? It is because I have Someone who bears my burdens, Someone who invites me to unburden myself saying –

“Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

My Heavenly Father is willing and able to take the load from my shoulders and from yours, and to replace it with what He has to offer to me and to you, dear readers. Jesus’s invitation to those of us who are weary and worn out from carrying our own heavy loads daily is this –

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

That’s a really good offer. Actually, there has never been a better one. I’d be foolish not to take Jesus up on such a generous invitation. It’s a standing invitation, an open invitation, an invitation available to anyone who is ready to let go of all they carry with them through life that weighs them down and holds them back, and in exchange receive what God wants to give each one of us – an easy yoke and a much lighter burden. It’s an invitation I can hardly refuse.

There is no reason for me to continue to live buried alive under the weight of the world’s many burdens and troubles. My Heavenly Father is offering me relief. And because He bears my burdens, He enables me to share in the burdens of those around me who are suffering. This business of burden bearing with others becomes both a privilege and a joy. I am able to do this for others because my Heavenly Father does this every day for me. The psalmist affirms this saying –

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” (Psalm 68:19)

and because God Himself bears my burdens, I am not overwhelmed, I am not buried alive – rather I am able to obey His instruction to bear the burdens of others just as He daily bears my burdens for me.

sincerely, Grace Day

counting what ?

Posted on by Grace Day

There’s counting sheep when you can’t sleep, counting your chickens before they hatch, (or not) counting the cost before you commit to something, counting cards, counting down to the new year, counting your losses –

There are a lot of things I can choose to count, but it occurs to me that perhaps I could spend more time counting my blessings and a lot less time consumed with counting my losses. These words of an old hymn come to my mind –

“Count your blessings, name them one by one . . . count your blessings . . . and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

Have I been so focused lately on my losses, that I have been oblivious to God’s goodness, faithfulness, provision and protection surrounding me on a daily basis? Why am I focused on what I don’t have when I could just as easily focus instead on what I do have? That’s a choice that is mine alone to make each day. Where will my focus be? What will I choose to count? I’ve been hanging out with Habakkuk lately and am always surprised at these words of his, even though I’ve heard them before –

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Habakkuk does start by listing some things that he is currently lacking. But then he pivots, saying that he chooses to rejoice, to be joyful in God, his Savior. Habakkuk acknowledges it is God who gives him strength and it is God who “enables him to go on the heights.” Truly, God’s presence with me brings me everything I need and more. King David said as much in this psalm –

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” (Psalm 23:1)

James said this –

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

And Paul said this in his letter to the Corinthians –

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

I already have all that I need and more! God’s daily blessings to me far outweigh my life’s losses, which are inevitable for each one of us as long as we inhabit these “jars of clay.” There are so many people that I miss on a daily basis – sometimes the pain is so prevalent that it threatens to paralyze simply by eclipsing the joy, the hope and the peace that my Heavenly Father’s presence provides me in abundance every hour of every day.

BUT – I don’t have to dwell on the pain that comes with counting my losses. I can choose instead to count my blessings. And with God, there are always blessings to count and give Him the thanks for providing them in such abundance and so faithfully. After all –

“His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

It is up to me. What will I spend my time counting? I will choose to follow the advice of these words –

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

Like Habakkuk, even in the tough times, especially in the tough times – I will look to God and count all of His daily, good, undeserved gifts that I continually receive from His hand. Like King David recounted, even in the worst of circumstances, God’s provision and protection were evident and overflowing. Rather than bemoan or count his losses, David gave account in Psalm 23 of all God’s good gifts, of all the blessings given to him, including the gift of God’s Presence always with him. When I need to be reminded to count my blessings rather than my losses, my hurts, my regrets etc. – I will start with Psalm 23, making the words my own –

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:1-6)

Too many good gifts of God to count – His presence with me, His care for me, His provision, His guidance, His restoration, His protection, His comfort, His abundance sustaining me and overflowing – these are the things I will count and recount to others – giving God all the thanks and the honor and the glory.

sincerely, Grace Day