I’m still thinking about superheros and their prominence in our cultural narratives. From Star Trek to Star Wars to Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings – the battle between good and evil continues to be waged in story, on screen and on stage. Literature is filled with heroes and heroines and littered with defeated villains. Every era has had its heroes, like King Arthur’s knights of the round table. To this day, we call a “knight in shining armor” someone who champions the right and defeats those who would cause harm or do evil. Throughout history the battle between good and evil has raged without interruption, intermission or even a truce.

Enemies seem to be everywhere. Some are easier to recognize than others, however. Take Goliath, for instance. He was definitely a clear and present danger to the Israelites. David had no trouble recognizing this giant as the enemy, when he went out to do battle against him. In the Revolutionary War, the British were referred to as the “Red Coats” for a reason. This was their military uniform, which easily identified them as the enemy the Patriots were fighting.

In the battles we fight, it is necessary to be able to clearly identify just who it is that we are fighting against. Who is the enemy? What do they look like? If I can’t see my opponent, how can I defend myself? How can I engage in battle if I don’t know who my enemy is? I sense the battle is in full progress all around me. And it feels familiar to me. No wonder. It is the battle Adam and Eve fought in the garden. It is the battle each one of us fight every day from cradle to grave. This explains why all the narratives that surround us are really just one story, repeated over and over again – the playing out of the struggle between good and evil. Every book I read, every movie I watch has a hero and a villain duking it out to see who will prevail in the end.

Who wins in the end? That is the question. Ephesians chapter six gives me some good news and some bad news. My enemy is clearly identified – good news. My enemy is invisible – bad news. How do I fight an invisible enemy – an enemy I cannot see? It seems like an unfair advantage to me. But Ephesians chapter six instructs me how best to prepare myself for this daily battle.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:10-12)

Ok, so there’s the identification of my enemy and the revelation that he is invisible. What follows next are my instructions for how to fight my invisible enemy.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:13-18)

So there it is. I need to put on God’s full armor everyday. If I do, I will be protected and prepared to fight my battle with evil, as I am called to do each day. God supplies what I need – a belt, (of truth) a breastplate, (of righteousness) shoes, (supplying the steadiness of the gospel) a shield, (of faith) a helmet, (of salvation) and a sword (the word of God). This is how I am to dress for the battle. As for my battle strategy? I am given that as well. I am told to pray. God’s word and prayer. Those are the divine weapons with which I am to fight against my invisible enemy.

It is easy to feel discouraged in this battle because it often seems like evil is triumphing over good. But Jesus gave a spoiler alert in John 16:33 –

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

When all seems lost, I persevere. I don’t lose hope – the One who calls me is faithful. His words are ever before me –

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9-10)

sincerely, Grace Day

well, I know I do at least – want a superhero, that is. You know, someone to rescue me from danger, from certain impending doom, from the life- threatening situation in which I find myself. Yes, that’s what I need – someone to save me from myself as much as from the evil in this world. But will I recognize my superhero when he comes for me?

Now superheros have been around for awhile. Superman appeared in comics in 1938, followed by Batman in 1939. Joined by Wonder Woman, Spider Man, The Comet, The Flash, and many more over time, we see these and other superheros in movies as well as comics today. These heroes and heroines are always unmistakable. They have super powers and they wear special costumes – unless they are off duty, in which case they wear regular clothes in order to blend in, just as Superman did. He was Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter, until he changed clothes and became Superman. (maybe the clothes really do make the man? after all, there’s nothing like a cape if one of your super powers is flying)

Superheros are unmistakable. They are easily recognized and impossible to overlook in their distinctive, colorful costumes. Even if their faces are masked, their identity is clear. They have come to save the day. These superheros fight for what is right. They protect the weak and fight against evil. They even formed a Justice League to fight for “truth, justice and the American Way.” These comics and movies are still very popular today. It seems we can’t get enough of watching this battle between good and evil play out in scene after scene. And each time, we hold our breath wondering who will win.

So I wonder, will I recognize my superhero? Who’s coming for me? Turns out, He’s come, He’s gone and He’s coming back again. The Israelites didn’t recognize Him when He came. They were waiting and watching for their promised deliverer, their superhero, if you will. But they missed Him. He had been prophesied and promised to them centuries before. However, they were still waiting, still in bondage to Roman occupation and oppression, still longing to be rescued by this Messiah who would defeat their enemies and set everything right. He was going to be one powerful, mighty Messiah when He came. He would be unmistakable – and yet –

they did not recognize the baby born in a manger. He came into the world without fanfare (well, by earth’s standards – all of heaven was celebrating big time) He came without power or position or influence, born to poor parents – He entered earth as a helpless infant, not a powerful military leader. And that’s what they were looking for, someone with military might who could defeat their Roman captors. This baby didn’t seem to fit the description they had been given in Isaiah 9:6-7 which says,

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

Like the Israelites, I need a deliverer. I need a superhero to rescue me. I am engaged in a great battle. A battle that Paul described so well in Romans chapter seven, that I thought he was talking about me. Paul described our human predicament this way,

“So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:21-25)

Who will rescue me? that is the question indeed. And like Paul, Timothy responds to that question with the same answer,

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18)

Colossians 1:13-14 tells me more about what the superhero of my soul has done for me –

“For He has rescued us (me) from the dominion of darkness and brought us (me) into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we (I) have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Jesus is the long awaited Messiah, the Savior of the world, the superhero sent to save my soul and your soul from eternal death. I confess – His methods are not what I would have expected or looked for in a superhero but then I realize that I am given a head’s up in Isaiah 55:8-9 with these words of explanation,

” ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’ ”

Jesus may not have behaved like our typical comic book/movie superheros (although He did heal a lot of people, walk on water, turn water into wine, feed thousands of people with just a few fish and loaves of bread – but still, not the military might and conquest the Israelites were desiring) Jesus’s methods and instructions were a bit unorthodox actually, not your typical superhero modus operandi. In Matthew 5:44 I read,

“But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”

This is harder to do than simply fighting my enemies outright! But I am told in Romans 12:21,

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Jesus has overcome darkness with His light, hate with His love, evil with His goodness, lies with the truth of His Word, and He has defeated my mortal enemy – death. Jesus did this by His own death and resurrection.

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to Him. Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-26)

sounds like a happy ending to me, all enemies not just conquered, but destroyed. The rescue I most need – the saving of my soul, the forgiveness of my sins – all accomplished for me by Jesus. He truly is the rescuer I long for, the superhero I want fighting for me.

today I will remember the instruction that Moses gave to the Israelites when he said,

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14)

sincerely, Grace Day

God is “able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within me,” (Ephesians 3:20) What do I ask Him for? Could it be that I “have not because I ask not.”? (James 4:2) Or am I asking Him for all the wrong things? C.S. Lewis said something really interesting when he said,

“It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

I think that may be true, Maybe it’s not that I ask God for too much, but perhaps I believe Him for and ask Him for too little. That may have been the case with the paralytic lowered by his four friends down through the roof of the home in which Jesus was teaching those gathered together there. The paralytic’s friends had to cut a hole in the roof because the crowd assembled to hear Jesus teach was so large that they couldn’t get their paralyzed friend into the house to see Jesus any other way. This roof entrance may seem like a drastic measure, but the stakes were high. They believed Jesus could heal their friend of his infirmity. So they sought access to Jesus by any means necessary.

What they sought from Jesus was physical healing of their friend’s body. This would be a miraculous, wonderful thing and they would be completely satisfied with this outcome. It didn’t occur to them to ask for anything more. (in their defense, they knew Jesus was a healer, but they did not yet realize who He really was – aka – the long awaited, promised Messiah, the Savior, Redeemer, Deliverer, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Creator and Sustainer of the universe) Had they known Jesus’s true identity, perhaps they would have been bold enough to ask for more. (they had already demonstrated their belief in Jesus’s ability to heal physical ailments and their boldness by going to any lengths to obtain such a healing) Could they believe Jesus for more and be bold enough to ask Him for more?

But what would that “more” be? What could be more desirable than to be made physically whole again, after living years in a body broken and hurting? Jesus actually answered that question for them with His first words to their paralytic friend. We read what happened in Mark 2:4-5 –

“Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ ”

Not exactly what they were seeking or asking of Jesus, not what they wanted, not what they were expecting. Nor was this something they even thought their friend needed. Their friend needed a physical healing. This much was obvious to anyone who saw him. Never mind that a physical healing would be temporary at best, because we all leave these earthly, temporal bodies behind eventually. But Jesus saw beyond this man’s immediate, temporal need to his deepest need – a need with eternal consequences. This man desired a temporal healing. Jesus wanted to give him so much more. Jesus wanted to give him eternal life, the salvation of his soul, the joy of the forgiveness of his sins.

As C.S. Lewis pointed out, sometimes we are too easily satisfied with the things of this world when our Heavenly Father wants to give us so much more. We don’t ask too much of God, we desire Him too little and we ask too little from Him. (especially since He wants to give us all things, as He did not even spare His own Son – Romans 8:32) So our story continues as the onlookers react to Jesus giving the paralytic something he did not know to ask Jesus for, something much more valuable than he could ever ask or imagine.

“Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ . . . and He (Jesus) said to them, ‘Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ‘ He said to the paralytic, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.” (Mark 6-12) Luke adds in his account, “and went home praising God.”

So Jesus, in His great compassion, fulfilled both the temporal and the eternal need of this man. The crowds that followed Jesus were seeking food (the feeding of the five thousand) and miraculous, physical healings. Jesus wanted to give them so much more. Abundance awaited them, but they didn’t know it was even possible. Jesus’s encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well reveals this abundance that awaits me for the asking.

“Jesus answered her, (the Samaritan woman) ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.’ ‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘. . . Where can you get this living water?’ . . . Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water (from the well) will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ ” (John 4:10-14)

Jesus was ready and willing to give this woman so much more than she could ever think to ask or imagine. It was hers for the asking. And ask she did!

“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.’ ” (John 4:15)

This woman didn’t ask at first because she didn’t know who it was that spoke these words to her. But when Jesus revealed His true identity things changed. We read the rest of the story in John 4 –

“The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am He.’ . . . Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, . . . (and later) They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’ ” (John 25-26 & 39-42)

Abundance awaits! While He was here, Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, the lame walked and the lepers were cleansed. But He came to do so much more than we could ever hope for or ask for or imagine. Jesus said,

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) Many translations say ” . . . and have it more abundantly.”

God’s abundance awaits for the asking.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Abundance awaits!

sincerely, Grace Day

Today’s confession is long overdue. I have been keeping this secret for far too long. It comes from a dark, damp, deep place – my basement. Yes, I confess – there are more bodies in my basement – dead ones! I have not wanted this fact to come to light. I have wanted to keep it where all secrets go to hang out – hidden, under wraps, where no one can see them. Perhaps I did not want to share this news with you, dear readers, lest you think less of me. After all, what kind of a person keeps dead bodies in their basement? (apparently someone like me) But the truth always comes out at some point, I fear. So better you hear it from me – right?

How could I let this situation continue? Well, removing said bodies is a gruesome, fear producing task, which I wish to avoid at all costs. And I have discovered there is much truth in the saying, “out of sight, out of mind.” I can live upstairs in the sunlight quite peacefully, going about my business as if there are no bodies in my basement and no increasing body count. As long as I don’t have to go to the basement to retrieve something I need, I get along very well. If I don’t see them, they don’t exist and I don’t have to deal with them. I can forget, (for awhile) pretend, ignore, deny – anything to avoid dealing with the reality of the bodies in my basement. I don’t want to keep count. I don’t want to deal with the fact that they are there or with the consequences of their presence in my basement.

Well, this is a lot of confessing for one day! But I’m feeling a little better already. It is true what they say – confession is good for the soul. Actually in 1 John 1:9 I read these words,

“If we (I) confess our (my) sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us (me) our (my) sins and purify us (me) from all unrighteousness.”

And the verse right before that (1 John 1:8) says something interesting,

“If we (I) claim to be without sin, we (I) deceive ourselves (myself) and the truth is not in us (me).”

So if I continue to live as if there are no dead bodies in my basement, I am only lying to myself. They are still there, whether I acknowledge them or not. It’s that way with the sin in my life, too. It’s there whether I admit it, confess it, repent of it, ask God to forgive it and to remove it, or not. Of course sin, like the dead bodies in my basement, is something I would prefer to keep hidden rather than face it and deal with it. Because that would require bringing it out of the darkness into the light and that is always too much of a risk.

King David definitely had some sins he was keeping hidden – such as adultery and murder. Eventually, David could no longer deny what he had done and he came clean before God. Then God was able to make David clean. (pun intended – I bet that’s where the expression comes from, when we “come clean” or confess whatever it is we are working so diligently to conceal, we are cleansed of that burden and given a clean slate and a fresh start) That’s the promise of 1 John 1:9 – if I confess, God will forgive me and make me clean. I can’t clean myself up, I need my Heavenly Father’s forgiveness and love to do that for me. David’s words in Psalm 51 are written during his time of confession, repentance, renewal and restoration which he experienced when he acknowledged what he had done before God. David cried out to God, saying,

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, . . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. . . . Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.” (Psalm 51:1-9)

David stopped denying and hiding his deeds from God (which weren’t really hidden from God anyway) and experienced the joy that confession and repentance bring. It’s always just a matter of time anyway until we have to deal with what we have denied for too long. Luke 8:17 reminds me,

“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”

Guess it’s time to bring those dead bodies up out of my basement! Time to come clean and be made clean. I understand the longing of David’s heart and I cry out right along with him,

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:10-12)

I don’t want the body count in my basement to grow. (but those little critters seem to find their way in – I am not even trying to trap them – I want them to leave, not remain with me in my basement) Likewise, I don’t want my sins to accumulate as David’s did when he tried to cover up adultery with murder. The words of Psalm 130 are my prayer today,

“Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption. He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.”

sincerely, Grace Day

I was going so fast that I almost walked right past him (or her), and the fact that my eyes were not on the ground made it even more likely that I would walk right on by without ever noticing. Still the dark green circular something on the pavement did manage to catch my attention, so I stopped to take a closer look. Turns out it was a turtle, a little bigger than the size of my open hand, but with no head or legs visible at the moment. What should I do? If I left him there, he would be run over by a car for sure. And he didn’t seem to be making much progress in crossing the street. (Turtles are notoriously slow) I confess – I didn’t really want to pick him up with my hands but . . .

This turtle was obviously lost. Where had he come from? And where was he headed? He was alone as far as I could tell. Do turtles travel in herds, or packs or flocks or in any kind of a group caravan? Turns out a turtle group is actually called a “bale” – but this morning it appeared that all the other turtles had “bailed” on this one, because he was quite alone in all the world when our paths crossed today. Had he failed to follow the other turtles and lost his way? Had he become distracted and taken his eyes off the other turtles? This turtle obviously hadn’t read my recent post about keeping your eyes on the ball. If he had, he would know how important it is to “fix your eyes” on what is essential, so you don’t end up lost, alone and far from your intended destination.

This morning, my new turtle friend was all three of these things and he needed my help. There are so many things to see along the path, perhaps this turtle had become distracted because he had not heeded the words of Proverbs 4:25,

“Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.”

There seems to be no shortage of advice about where to look or not look. Still, like my new turtle friend, I often find myself lost, asking “how did I get here?” Then follows the more important question, “and what is the way back?” Where do I look? All manner of instruction comes to mind as I daily navigate the path before me, step by step. “Don’t look down!” How often have I heard that admonition? Good advice when my path becomes a steep climb upwards or like the tight-rope walker, I must walk a fine line in life. They say “don’t look down” for a reason.

I am to look up. “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:1-4)

Good to know – so reassuring – with my eyes on my Creator, He will not let my foot slip. With my eyes on Him, I will not wander off the path, even though many are the distractions that line the path on both sides. “Don’t look back” is another admonition I hear as I follow the footprints left for me by the One who “leads me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:24) Dr. Richard Johnson says, “no horse wins a race looking back.” (race horses also wear blinders so they can’t look to either side, preventing them from getting sidetracked, which would slow them down in their race to the finish line) But looking back can have even more dire consequences than just not finishing first. What about not finishing at all? Consider what happened to Lot’s wife, who was running for her life along with Lot and their two daughters, from the coming destruction of the city of Sodom. We read her story in Genesis 19,

“As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, ‘Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain!’ . . . But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:17 & 26) Then I read in Luke 9:62,

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’ ” Instead I am to follow Paul’s instruction given in Philippians 3:13-14,

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Daily distractions vi for my attention. If something can get me to shift my gaze, even for a moment, I can be deterred and even veer off course. Such was the plight of my turtle friend this morning. Something had distracted him, captured his attention, shifted his focus and now he was no where near his intended destination. Although I don’t know exactly where that is, I know it is not the middle of a street. I couldn’t leave him there in the street, so I picked him up and deposited him in the cool, damp grass of the nearest yard. I took into account the direction he was facing when I found him (even though his head was inside his shell) and chose the yard to which he appeared to be headed. There were no other turtles in sight, to provide me a clue as to which way the migration might be going. At least my wayfaring friend will be more comfortable in the grass than on the asphalt.

I wished him well on his journey and continued on with my own, reminded once again how easily I can lose my way if I allow the distractions of each day to turn my focus away from the One I am following. Don’t look down, don’t look to the left or to the right, don’t look back, keep my eyes on the prize – or as the words of a favorite hymn say,

“turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

sincerely, Grace Day

Everyday I feel like it’s the bottom of the ninth and I’m up at bat. We are down by one, the bases are loaded and it’s full count – everything depends on this next pitch and on my response to it. But no pressure, right? The advice I am receiving in this moment is the same advice I received in the moments leading up to this one – the same advice I just received for each of the previous five pitches hurled my way during my current time at bat – the same advice I have been receiving for years (because it does not change with time) which is – keep your eye on the ball.

Now this does not seem an impossible task – this connecting of the bat with the ball – difficult yes – impossible no. My worst enemy at this moment – anything or anyone that would distract me, even momentarily, from the task before me. Anything or anyone that would cause me to take my eye off the ball, would cause my failure and ultimately my defeat and the defeat of my team. So I must keep my eye on the ball no matter what else happens!

But now imagine, if you will, that the ball is invisible and I am blindfolded! Impossible odds! No way can I hit the unseen ball now. And yet, the advice I am given in this situation remains the same, keep my eye on the ball. Do they know what they are asking of me? But God’s word is clear,

“for we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Walking, running, hitting invisible baseballs – all without sight – all with faith? I don’t need my human sight after all, just faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells me this about faith,

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” another translation of that same verse says,

“But faith is an assurance of what is hoped for, a conviction of unseen realities.”

substance, evidence, unseen realities – (how can something be both unseen and real?) these make up my walk of faith – so that ball barreling towards me is real enough, even though invisible to me. Doesn’t seem like a level playing field, does it? But Ephesians 6:12-13 gives me an explanation of the situation I find myself facing,

“For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies – the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world. So use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will still be standing up.” (Living Bible)

Oh, that explains the advice I get from Hebrews 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 4:18 – both telling me essentially where to look in order to keep my eye on the ball, so to speak. Hebrews 12:2 instructs me with these words –

“Let us (me) fix our (my) eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our (my) faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

So, I am to keep my eyes on Jesus, who is invisible and I am told to –

fix my eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. How interesting – the things I am to focus on are unseen, invisible things – intangible entities. Paul lost his physical sight while he was traveling on the road to Damascus, This loss of sight, enabled Paul to see clearly who Jesus really was and Paul fixed his eyes on Jesus from that point on for the rest of his life. You could say Paul never took his eye off the ball after his eye opening encounter with the living Christ. I don’t want to be any different. However, there are so many things to distract me in this world that I can be all too easily persuaded to fix my eyes somewhere else or on someone else.

If I can’t keep my eyes on what I can see, (like the ball) how am I ever to keep my eyes on what I can’t see? Yet that is exactly where I’m told to fix my eyes – on those unseen eternal things – God’s love, truth, mercy, salvation, reconciliation, peace, healing, compassion, justice, faithfulness, freedom, righteousness, goodness, God’s great grace in the gift of His Son – all invisible manifestations of an eternal, holy God.

Every day I find myself standing at home plate, bat in hand, wondering if the next pitch will be a fast ball, a spit ball, a curve ball (life throws lots of those my way) while trying to keep my eye on the ball but being totally distracted by the cares and concerns of the day, also being blindfolded and knowing I am swinging at an invisible ball – just as I am fighting an invisible foe. (Ephesians 6) Impossible odds – and yet – I don’t lose heart – I stay in the batter’s box because –

“the battle is the Lord’s.” (1 Samuel 17:47) and because ” . . . with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

even a home run in the bottom of the ninth –

sincerely, Grace Day

I will confess – sometimes I think I forget way more than I remember. But remembering things is important – like where I put the car keys or the remote or remembering someone’s birthday or an anniversary or an appointment. Forget any of these things and their importance becomes all too apparent. We remember so that we don’t forget. Ok, that seems so obvious. But why do we not want to forget? Because,if I lose my memory, I don’t know who I am anymore. I have no sense of identity. My memories tell me where I’ve been, what lessons I’ve learned thus far, and inform where I’m headed.

Without memory, I have no past, so I can’t find my place in the present and I lack memory’s wisdom to walk beside me into the future. Our country even has a day for remembering – Memorial Day. It is a day to remember our nation’s history and specifically to remember those that gave their lives over the years in our nation’s defense. Although Memorial Day did not become an official, national holiday until 1971, it has been observed as Decoration Day since the late 1860’s. It began as a way to honor those soldiers who had lost their lives during the Civil War by decorating their graves with flowers. Today, on Memorial Day, we honor all those who have died in our nation’s service.

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Over the past couple of centuries, countless men and women have laid down their lives for this country. They have given the ultimate sacrifice for you and for me as citizens of this country – a country they fought hard to protect and to defend. A country Abraham Lincoln wondered if would survive the internal conflict which threatened to tear it apart at the time he spoke these words,

“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.” (Gettysburg Address)

Those words were uttered November 19th, 1863. Our nation has endured and even though “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”, we find ourselves today, still at war with ourselves as well as with other nations. Freedom, it seems, is something which requires constant vigilance. Milton Friedman in his essay, “The Fragility of Freedom” stated,

“Freedom is very far from being the natural state of mankind; on the contrary, it is an extraordinarily unusual situation. If one looks back through history, in any place on the globe, one finds that the natural state of mankind in most periods in history has been tyranny and misery.”

Why is it so important to remember the sacrifices of those who have given their lives so that we might live in freedom? Because freedom is a fragile, fleeting thing that must be protected, practiced, proclaimed, celebrated and cherished. Today, how can we take for granted something so valuable that people give their very lives in exchange for it? The least we can do is to safe guard and continue to fight for the freedoms that fellow Americans have given their lives defending. This is a day to remember their sacrifices and to gratefully cherish our freedoms.

We must carry on their fight. Ronald Reagan warned us when he said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Patrick Henry’s words “give me liberty or give me death”, echo still. From the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Iran, Afghanistan, to today’s continuing conflicts – tyranny is the enemy, freedom the goal. Our founding fathers were pursuing freedom when they came here. We are pursuing her still to this day. Freedom’s fate is in our hands at present. Will we defend and protect her or will we watch her be taken from us without a word of protest? Do we no longer think her worth the effort, the risk, the sacrifice?

These words of John McCrae from his poem, “In Flanders Fields” say it all,

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row, . . . We are the Dead. Short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, loved and were loved, and now we lie, in Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields.”

The torch is in our hands today. The torch that burns with the light of Freedom. So many have given their lives to keep Freedom alive. We cannot let her light go out now. If Freedom’s light fails, the world goes dark. Tyranny takes root in the dark. But in Freedom’s light grow liberty, life, prosperity and the pursuit of dreams. Today, we remember the sacrifices of the men and women who loved this country enough to die for her. We remember so that we do not forget – so that we do not forget at what cost our freedom has been purchased. We honor their sacrifice by continuing to fight for and protect the freedoms they fought for so long ago and so very recently. We honor their sacrifice by loving this country which they died serving and protecting. It is up to us to be sure that they did not die in vain.

Memorial Day is our day to remember – so that we do not forget. so that we do not forget who we are or how we got here – we can take courage and inspiration from those who have gone before us, even as we remember them and honor them on this day set aside specifically for this purpose. We don’t say it often enough, but –

from a grateful nation and from my heart, thank you –

sincerely, Grace Day

I confess – I was never very good at softball, although it was fun to play in the summers in our backyards and in the empty lot down the street. What was my fatal flaw? I failed to heed the age old adage, “don’t take your eye off the ball.” Guess I blinked, or got distracted, or maybe I was already eyeing first base, my destination, or perhaps an opponent yelled out something distracting, or a car drove by or the runner on first took off as the ball left the pitcher’s hands, and for a split second I watched the runner rather than the ball that was headed my way. The reasons for me taking my eyes off the ball are endless. The result always the same – a swing and a miss. I know the secret. keep my eyes on the ball. I just didn’t heed it. There are always distractions – other things vying for my attention.

Distractions are just as prevalent in my daily life today as they were all those years ago on the softball field. Learning to deal with distractions is an acquired skill that would serve me well if I could master it. I think it has something to do with focus. And focus follows my gaze. Where my eyes go – there my mind follows. So if my eyes are on the ball, my focus (or my mind) will be on the ball as well. But when I take my eyes off the ball, my focus is no longer where it needs to be, but is somewhere else entirely. I guess that’s why Hebrews 12:2 tells me,

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Focusing on Jesus will get me where I need to go. “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.” (Psalm 23:2-3)

Jesus leads me, restores me, guides me. As long as I keep my eyes on Him and not elsewhere, I won’t be led somewhere I really don’t want to go. It depends on whom or on what I choose to fix my gaze. 2 Corinthians 4:18 tells me,

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

And I thought keeping my eye on the ball (which is seen) was hard! Now I am supposed to keep my eyes on what is unseen? How do I do that? Paul wrote this to the Ephesians,

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,” (Ephesians 1:18)

Some things I have to see with my heart’s eyes, which makes sense in light of my favorite quote which says, “it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.” That explains 2 Corinthians 4:18 (above) – fixing my eyes on that which is invisible to the eye, (such a contradiction, I know) – but the unseen things are the eternal things – the things that matter most. Faith, hope, love, truth, freedom, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, . . . these are the things I should be fixing my eyes on –

“Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” (Psalm 105:4)

This verse reminds me of one of my favorite hymns which says, “turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

It matters where I look or to whom I look. In sports with balls, like softball, the secret is – “don’t take your eye off the ball.” In life, if my goal is to be a Christ follower, the secret is – “don’t take my eyes off of Jesus.” When I do, I lose my way. And that’s exactly what happens when the distractions of life shift my gaze, even momentarily. Where my eyes are fixed, my feet follow.

“My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare.” (Psalm 25:15)

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7)

“Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” (Psalm 34:5)

sincerely, Grace Day

I confess – I don’t ride roller coasters – they terrify me. One bad experience as a small child at a county fair (not even a “real” roller coaster, no loops or great heights, tame by anybody’s standards) and that was enough to confirm my life long decision to avoid roller coasters at all costs. While I have successfully escaped the ups and downs of all roller coaster rides, I have not been exempt from the ups and downs that are part of the ride we all call life. Everybody rides this ride.

The thing is, life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns, times when I feel everything is upside down, (the loop) slow climbs to great heights and descents so fast they take my breath away and leave me wondering what happened. The view is great from the heights, but I don’t get to linger long there. It’s like mountain climbing. I spend days/months climbing slowly, overcoming many obstacles along the way until finally I reach the summit. From the summit, the view is spectacular. I can see in all directions at once from a perspective I have never had before. But my euphoria is short lived. After every ascent there must be a descent. This is no different. It is time for the trek back down the mountain.

I have had some mountaintop moments in my life. I always wish they would last longer. I want to live exclusively in those moments. But they are fleeting. They never last. They cannot sustain life. I want to live my life on the mountaintop but it just isn’t possible. There is no level ground there on which to build and the air is too thin. I may spend moments on the mountaintop but I spend my days in the valley. Not necessarily a bad place, the valley can be a peaceful, level place in which to spread out, put down roots and plant crops. (I wonder if that’s where the “putting down roots” expression comes from, a time when people planted crops or a garden signaling they planned to stay because they were literally putting down roots in the ground)

Too bad I can’t take up residence and put down roots on the mountaintop. The vistas from there are so breathtaking. Turns out that’s literally true as well as figuratively. The thin air on the heights literally takes my breath away. Moses met with God on a mountaintop – it was called Mt. Sinai. That’s where he received the ten commandments from God. For me, mountaintop moments are those times when I feel close to God, feel His overwhelming, infinite presence most closely, most clearly – barriers are gone – my view unobstructed – then the moment becomes a memory. These are only moments – not hours, not days, not weeks, not months. But Moses did spend forty days on a mountaintop with God once.

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to Me there on top of the mountain. No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain;’ . . . So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; . . . Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant – the Ten Commandments.” (Exodus 34:1-4 & 28)

Notice Moses was alone with God. Mountaintop moments are solitary moments between only the individual and God. They are unique, profound encounters that leave us forever changed. Look what happens to Moses after spending time on the mountaintop with God,

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. . . . When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face.” (Exodus 34:29-30 & 33)

Yes, mountaintop moments will change us. They change me – that’s why I want to experience more of them. So I spend my time mountain climbing, wanting to be closer to God. So much time spent climbing – so little time spent at the top. But the struggle of my climb is necessary to prepare me for my time at the top. Moses returned from his time on the mountaintop equipped and ready to take on the tasks God had given him. Moses spent forty days and nights on the mountaintop with God. Then he spent forty years in the desert with the Israelites. But God was with him there also. Isaiah 57:15 tells me,

“For this is what the high and lofty One says – He who lives forever, whose name is holy: I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

God is with me on my climbing journey, even as He simultaneously waits patiently, eagerly for me to reach the summit so that He can meet with me on the mountain top, just like He did Moses, spending a moment with me there before it is time for me to began my descent down the mountain into whatever valley God sends me, face shining, ready to face the hours, days, weeks, months, until I am summoned to the summit once again. It is an up and down life to which we are called – constantly climbing mountains higher than we thought we could climb – only to descend into depths deeper than we thought possible or even knew existed.

It is the mountaintop moments of revelation and clarity that see me through the murkiness of the mundane or the darkness of the deep places that make up my hours and my days – that and my Heavenly Father’s presence – His ever abiding, faithful Presence.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.” (Psalm 139:7-12)

Even though I run from roller coasters, I can’t escape the ups and the downs, the steep climbs and the swift descents, the twists and the turns, the mountains and the valleys that define my life’s journey and anyone’s life journey in this world. In every circumstance, I am ever grateful for the assurance of His presence –

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

“The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 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 121:5-8)

sincerely, Grace Day

Many of our cities have been set on fire over the past year. We have witnessed people’s livelihoods and dreams going up in smoke over and over again. I confess – it is heartrending to watch people lose their lives and their livelihoods and not be able to stop the senseless destruction which benefits no one. I recently had a conversation with a firefighter friend of mine, who said these obvious yet profound words to me. “You don’t fight fire with fire, you fight fire with water.”

My friend should know. After all, he’s a fireman. He fights fires for a living. He’s been putting out fires all of his life. Of course, he was speaking literally, about physical fires. But then he applied this truth to the metaphorical fires we all face in our lives saying, “you fight fire with water, but you have to figure out what the water is.” How true! What is the water that will put out, extinguishing for good, the flames of hatred, anger, greed, jealousy, hurt, revenge etc. that threaten to engulf us all and take our very lives? What is the water? We need to know because water is what will save us all from being burned up alive by the fire.

Indeed we are in danger of being destroyed by many fires – the fires others set, the fires whose flames we fan, the fires to whom we supply the fuel that keeps them alive, the fires we set ourselves. Just as a long, severe drought creates conditions conducive to fires breaking out and spreading rapidly, so COVID (well actually, not COVID, but our responses to COVID such as lockdowns and isolation and job loss and economic insecurity) has created the perfect storm of conditions necessary for fire to run rampant. Interestingly, this applies to both literal and metaphorical fires. The former seem to be a result of the latter. Our metaphorical, interpersonal fires are not put out and the result is the literal burning down around us of our cities, our neighborhoods, our homes, our businesses and our once beautiful public places and spaces.

I think it was Gandhi who said if you live by the “an eye for an eye” philosophy, the whole world ends up blind. Well, fighting fire with fire gets a similar result – the whole world ends up burned beyond recognition. So what is the water we all so desperately need in order to put out the fires that will otherwise consume and destroy us all? Proverbs 15:1, 4, 18, 23 and 16:24 tell me something about what this fire-fighting water might look like,

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

“The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”

“A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.”

“A man finds joy in giving an apt reply – and how good is a timely word!”

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

So my words can be fire starters or they can be the water that puts out the flames that otherwise will burn me and those around me. I learn from these verses that gentle words can turn away anger, patient words can calm a dispute, pleasant words can bring healing, indeed the right words can bring joy and life. It seems well chosen words are part of the water that I need to fight the fires I find myself surrounded by during these difficult days. What other fire-fighting weapons do I have at my disposal to add to the water in order to fight the fire? Romans 12 tells me some actions I can take to fight the fires surrounding me.

“Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. . . . Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. . . . Live in harmony with one another. . . . Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, . . . ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.’ . . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:9-21)

That’s a lot of clear direction right there, isn’t it? Just as my fireman friend said, “we don’t fight fire with more fire”, God’s word tells me not to “repay anyone evil for evil” – but to “overcome evil with good.” I am to fight the fire of evil with the water of good. I read in Luke 6:27-31 more actions I can practice that will put out present and potential fires –

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Loving, doing good to, blessing, praying for, giving to . . . these actions are certainly water, life giving water, water that is able to put out the flames of hatred, anger, cursing, being mistreated, striking, . . . these make up the water I can use to fight the fire. I don’t fight fire with fire, I fight fire with its opposite, its natural enemy – water. I guess that’s why Jesus said to “overcome evil with good.” I am to overcome hate with love, darkness with His light, greed with generosity and lies with His Truth. Current culture would tell me to respond in kind to others, to fight fire with fire. But God has another, more excellent way for you and for me to follow.

When we figure out, as my fireman friend said, “what is the water that we can use to fight the fire?” we will be on our way to fighting the good fight and putting out the fires fueled by hate, anger, greed, envy, dissatisfaction, strife, lies, – all fires of the evil one, who is the enemy of our souls. Peter said,

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) and we know this about love,

“Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:10)

love does no harm, hate destroys everything and everyone that it touches – the water of love will put out the fire of hate,

“And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

sincerely, Grace Day