Month: August 2026

data center dilemma

Posted on by Grace Day

Data centers are springing up all around us it seems. It’s happening in my state and in other states as well. This is a concern because these data centers use up a lot of land, need a lot of power (electricity) and they need lots of water for cooling their servers in order to operate. These things are finite resources and we humans also need land, power and water (especially water) in order to survive and to maintain our standard of living.

Jesus asked this rather pointed question – “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.” (Mark 8:36)

I have to agree. Water sustains life – all life. What good is data to me if I’m dead? I need water and I prefer the power grid to work so that my lights are on and I can charge my phone and my computer and I can heat and cool my home etc. I need food to live and land on which to grow said food, but do I really need data in order to survive? Just what makes up this elusive, all inclusive data anyway?

Isn’t data a compilation of facts and figures and information? If so, facts, figures and information about what? Is data the information I need in order to survive in this world or is it information that would help me win at Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit? Just the name, Trivial Pursuit, should be a clue as to its importance in the hierarchy of things. Hint – it’s trivial pursuit – trivial being the opposite of important or essential or necessary or meaningful. What do I spend my time pursuing anyway? Trivia? Data – facts and figures? information? Is data considered knowledge? And if so, is it essential knowledge?

Is knowing things an end in itself? And what about wisdom? Is simply knowing about things considered wisdom? I don’t think so. Wisdom is something gained from real life experience, not something that can be contained within a data center. Wisdom is knowing what to do with or how to use facts, figures and information. Wisdom is knowing how to apply knowledge to my real life situations. Isn’t it wisdom that I really need in order for me to live my life fully and productively? Can the data stored in all these data centers provide me with the wisdom I need to live my life successfully? I don’t think so.

And yet we continue to build more and more data centers when what we really need is wisdom and understanding.

“How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!” (Proverbs 16:16)

Too bad we can’t build “wisdom centers.” But wisdom can’t be stored within four walls or bought and sold like a commodity. Wisdom is a gift from God and is acquired over time. Data, however, is traded like a commodity. Our personal information is bought and sold to various companies who want to know more about us because they want us as customers, I guess. As more and more information is collected, more and more storage area is needed to house all this data.

Remember phone books? They used to contain a certain set of data about us – namely our names, our addresses and our phone numbers. We don’t need phone books anymore. Now other people’s phone numbers can be stored in our own phones. This is probably for the best because we are saving lots of paper used in the printing of all those phone books and as a result, we are saving lots of trees. So this is good.

But now so much more information is collected about each one of us that something bigger than a phone book is needed to house it all. We have so much more than addresses and phone numbers now. We have Social Security numbers and credit card numbers and bank account numbers and account numbers for our utility providers and our internet providers etc. and we have passwords for all kinds of accounts and we have employment records and records of our education and records of our health histories and of our shopping and spending habits and records of our online activities and who knows what other data is being collected about each one of us? No wonder they say we need more data centers in which to store all this info.

I seem to remember that a lot of this information is stored in “the cloud.” This seems ideal to me because a cloud doesn’t take up our land space, our energy or our water. Right? Or am I thinking too literally? I am thinking the “cloud” is cyberspace – somewhere out “there” but not physically here in a brick and mortar facility that takes up land and uses up our energy and our water. I guess I’m ok with the “cloud” having all my info with it in cyberspace as long as it doesn’t share my info with other “clouds” and as long as it doesn’t get so large that it blocks out the sun. Then we’ve got a whole other problem. Namely no sun to light our world, warm our world, grow our food plants or even power our solar panels. The sun sustains our life here on earth. So we can’t have cyber storage clouds blocking out the sun’s rays, now can we? That would be the death of us, literally. (although this analogy is figurative)

So I’m thinking maybe more data and therefore more data centers are not what is needed at this time in history. We may be living in the information age but what we need is wisdom, not more information. In Proverbs I read –

“Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.” (Proverbs 3:13-18)

That’s high praise for wisdom. I surely wouldn’t say that data is “more precious than rubies” or “a tree of life” to anyone. Wisdom is valuable BUT wisdom can’t be bought or stored up in some data center. Having information does not mean I have wisdom. Wisdom comes from knowing God and His Living Word. Wisdom is one of God’s many good gifts to us. And I know I am in desperate need of wisdom every day as I faithwalk through this world. Proverbs tells me this –

“For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.” (Proverbs 2:6-15)

Yes, it is clear to me that my most essential need is for wisdom, not for more information or more data. And God’s word says that His wisdom is much more valuable than all of man’s data. I could certainly never afford such a valuable commodity as God’s wisdom. Fortunately, my Heavenly Father offers it to me free of charge. He gifts it to me when I ask. James tells us –

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

I think our current culture confuses an abundance of information with wisdom. But they are not the same. Job knew this way back in his day when there were no data centers, no internet, no phones no radios, no TVs – nothing. But Job knew even then what wisdom was. He said –

“The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28)

What you and I need to survive and to thrive in this world is not more data – we need wisdom! And not what the world calls wisdom. You and I have free access to God’s wisdom every day in God’s Word – the Bible. All I have to do is to open up His book and read it for myself. There I find what is life giving, more valuable than gold, more essential and much more profitable than what is contained in all the data centers in all the world. It is the wisdom of the Creator of the universe. That’s all I need!

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17)

sincerely, Grace Day

you’ve been outsourced!

Posted on by Grace Day

Ever receive an unexpected notification in the mail informing you of some change you never saw coming? Lately I’ve been feeling like an unseen, unheard, undervalued, underserved, underappreciated but definitely overcharged entity. That’s right – I said entity, not person, not human being. Why? I’ve been outsourced. In fact, I’ve been outsourced, or maybe traded is a better word – actually sold is a more accurate word. I have been sold multiple times by multiple nameless, faceless companies who don’t seem to care about me or to have my best interests at heart. (of course that makes the false assumption that they even have a heart)

First, my email provider (is that a real person or a group of real people?) sold me, along with millions of other customers I assume, to another email provider. No one asked me what I thought about this move, no one asked me what I wanted, no one presented me with any options from which to choose. I just received a notice (via email of course) that I had been outsourced to another email provider. The deal was already done. I had been happy with my original email choice for many years. (if not, I would have switched on my own) This is definitely a downgrade. I am not happy with my new provider. But no one cares. Perhaps because there is no actual person to care about my plight (or about the plight of the other millions of people outsourced). You and I, and the rest, we are not known to the companies who supposedly serve our needs. We are nameless, we are faceless, we are voiceless – we are dollar amounts to them and that is all.

Then there’s my power company. Years ago they were a locally owned business. You could talk to a real person on the phone, a person who was local, not someone across the ocean. Then they were sold to a larger, non-local company. Rates went up, service went down. Now they are being bought out by an even larger, global entity. Rates are going up. Service will continue to decline as we, the customers, are all handed over or outsourced to this bigger company. It was not our choice. It certainly wasn’t my choice. The power company that’s supposed to serve us, sold all of us to the highest bidder. To them we are nameless, to them we are faceless, to them we are voiceless – to them we are only dollar amounts. Myself and all those who live in this same area – we have all been outsourced.

As if all this isn’t enough, I just got a notice in the mail that my credit card of many years is outsourcing me, and of course all holders of this card, to a different, larger credit card company. If I had wanted this other company’s card I would have gotten it. Over the years I have been satisfied with my card and the services it has provided me. We have had a long and mutually beneficial relationship, this card and I. But now I am sold (along with others) to the highest bidder. I thought they cared about me as a customer, if not as a person. I guess I was wrong. To them I am nameless, to them I am faceless, they do not care to hear my voice – to them I am only a dollar amount. I am a commodity to be bought and sold at will or at their whim.

Even my employer of many years (a school corporation) outsourced me and all subs to an outside agency a few years ago. It wasn’t personal. It was a financial decision. They traded all of us to an outside agency, so they were no longer responsible for overseeing our jobs. We were not a priority for them. They no longer wanted to be responsible for us. We were not asked about our preference in the matter. To them I, and my colleagues, were invisible. We were nameless, faceless and voiceless to our former employer. We were a dollar amount – a financial liability that had to be disposed of quickly – hence we were outsourced.

All this leaves me feeling very insignificant. Do you ever feel that way too? – unseen, unknown, unheard – at the mercy of decisions made by someone far away who does not know you or what you need or want. Corporations and companies will never care about me. They have no interest in my opinions, my concerns, or my needs. To them I am a nameless number.

BUT – GOOD NEWS! There is Someone who cares about me and about you, dear readers. There is Someone who sees me, knows me, hears me and cares for me. It is the Creator of the universe, who is also my Heavenly Father. He is a personal God. Not like all these companies that want my business, say they will provide me a service and then turn around and sell me off to the highest bidder against my will and without any warning. I cannot trust these corporations, which are always changing. But I can trust God. He never changes!

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

In this world of constant change, that promise is so reassuring to me. Also reassuring, if not downright astonishing, is what God’s word says about me (and you) being known by name –

“But now, this is what the Lord says – He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel; ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.’ ” (Isaiah 43:1)

“He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” (Psalm 147:4)

“See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.” (Isaiah 49:16)

about me and you being seen by our Creator –

“My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body.” (Psalm 139:15-16)

“The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3)

“She (Hagar) gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’ ” (Genesis 16:13)

about me and you being heard by our Creator –

“I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1-2)

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears.” (Psalm 18:6)

about me and you being greatly valued –

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

“For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.” (Isaiah 43:3-4)

“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.’ ” (Jeremiah 31:3)

You and I are known, known personally by name! You and I are seen, we are heard and we are greatly valued and loved by the God who created each one of us in His image. While everyone around me currently seems only too eager to outsource me to someone else, I can trust that my Heavenly Father will never outsource me, or you either, dear reader. God will never outsource our care to anyone or to anything else. He doesn’t need the money. He can’t be bought. “The cattle on a thousand hills are already His.” So take heart. The world may outsource us. God will not! Jesus said –

“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)

There it is. You and I will NOT be outsourced – ever! We are held securely in our Heavenly Father’s hands. We can trust Him to take care of us.

“The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)

sincerely, Grace Day

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, at any time, 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 and He carries it all in the palm of His hand! God doesn’t need any bags. All the bags in the world could not contain His abundance of good gifts for us, His children. God simply opens 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, a valley 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