I planted my front porch flowers yesterday.  Nothing remarkable in that.  I plant them every May in this big oblong box that runs the length of my front porch. Pink impatiens – that’s what I plant – that’s what I always plant.  I guess because they do so well there, I’ve just stuck with what works.  By September they have filled the box to overflowing with blooms, petals of brilliant pink, which is my favorite color. They bring me joy just to look at them everyday.

This planting of the pink impatiens is a tradition of mine.  I like traditions. Traditions connect my past with my present.  Traditions pave the way for my present to connect to my future.  Tradition is the pathway connecting past, present and future.  Tradition shows me the way – where I have been – where I am – where I am going.

How fitting I should carry out my flower planting tradition on this weekend dedicated to tradition.  Memorial Day weekend.  Even the name tells us what it is all about.  Memory – remembering.  This weekend is set aside for a very specific remembering – a remembering which is supposed to be cause for celebration.

We are supposed to be celebrating the freedoms we have as American citizens – freedoms which we often take for granted maybe because we have never experienced life without freedom.  Until now.

What irony, that on this weekend, this weekend specifically set aside to remember and to honor all those who gave their lives over the years so that our personal freedoms might remain intact, we find ourselves struggling to gain back those very freedoms we never realized we had agreed to relinquish.

How did this happen?  Our freedoms of assembly and free speech seem especially in jeopardy right now.  Sure, Costcos and Walmarts are packed with people, but churches have been closed and can only open with great restrictions on numbers and many protocols in place.  Are they taking temperatures at Walmart?

Prisons have been releasing their inmates, convicted criminals, we are told in order to protect them from catching COVID-19.  (who protects us from the newly released criminals?)  While simultaneously, citizens in many states are being arrested and jailed for attempting to open their businesses or for being outdoors on a beach or in a boat.  Don’t they need to be protected from COVID-19 too, just like the newly released inmates?  (I guess that’s why the criminals are being released, we need to make room for all the upcoming arrests of citizens attempting to earn a living rather than collect unemployment and to live the lives they were living just two short months ago)

Looking at what has happened in our country over the last few months, I am forced to wonder, did the men and women who have given their lives down through the years, for the cause of freedom, our freedom, did they die in vain?  Is freedom going to be lost on our watch?

Lincoln, in his Gettysburg Address, stated it most clearly.  “that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”   (November 19, 1863)

This weekend, as we remember and reflect, we need to determine that our dead shall not have died in vain but instead we must decide to  “take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave their last full measure of devotion.”  We can do no less.  It is how we can honor the sacrifices of those who have gone before us.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” This is not the time to remain silent.  Although platforms such as YouTube are taking down any dissenting voices (should be a red flag that free speech is being violated) cries for freedom should not be silenced.

The Declaration of Independence guarantees us certain unalienable rights given to us by our Creator, not our government, and “that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  It also goes on to say that “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,”  Nothing could be clearer.

Did we consent?  and to what?  we gave up our freedoms so willingly, so trustingly, trusting they were not taken from us, we gave them up briefly as a sacrifice for our fellowman, trusting that because we had freely given them up they were ours to freely take back when we should so choose.

But betrayal never enters by the front door.  While we were all watching what the right hand was doing the left hand was at work in another way.  I grieve today, on this day that should be a celebration of our freedom, full of traditions that are not being observed because of, because of what, because of fear?

In any conflict there is collateral damage.  It is no different in this COVID-19 conflict.  There is massive collateral damage.  The cost has not yet been fully counted because the price is still being paid on a daily basis.  It is being paid by the thirty-three million plus unemployed, hungry, homeless, by those not receiving medical screenings and treatments, medical care for cancer and other illnesses, children not receiving immunizations, those who are isolated, separated from loved ones they might not see again,  there is a cost we are refusing to count until it is too late  . . .

Stopping the living from living has no power to stop the dying from dying.  When it is my time to die I don’t want to realize that I was not free to live my life when I was alive, that I was not truly living.  Kind of like an early death.

Patrick Henry understood that very well.  In his speech at the 1775 Virginia Convention he said “Give me liberty or give me death!”  What followed were the Revolutionary War and the birth of our country, the United States of America.

It is fitting this Memorial Day that I remember the sacrifices of my grandfather and all the others throughout history who have defended our freedoms.  This Memorial Day it is my prayer that their sacrifices have not been in vain, that our Constitution still stands, that good men will not remain silent while our freedoms are taken away and that freedom will ring from church bell to church bell, from baseball field to baseball field, from county fair to county fair, from concert to concert, from Broadway to Boston Pops –

let freedom ring!

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”  (2 Corinthians 3:17)

let freedom ring!

sincerely,       Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

We were not created for isolation – we were created for community.  That’s why solitary confinement is a punishment.  That’s why “go to your room” is a child’s punishment.  Being separated from those we love is a punishment.  It is intended to break us down.  It does provide time for reflection, for sure.  So I must confess that when everything else has been taken away,  I find myself asking the same question King David asked so many centuries ago when he cried out,

“Whom have I in heaven but You?  And earth has nothing I desire besides You.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.   . . .    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds.”    (Psalm 73:25-28)

And with David, I too say of the Sovereign Lord, Creator of all the universe, my Heavenly Father –

You are my all in all, You are everything to me.

You are the Lifter of my head.

“But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.”     (Psalm 3:3)

You are the Opener of my eyes.

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.”  (Psalm 119:18)

“Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes.  Immediately they received their sight and followed Him.”  (Matthew 20:34)

You are the Holder of my hand.

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”   (Isaiah 41:13)

You are the Consoler of my soul.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”   (Psalm 34:18)

You are the Director of my paths.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”   (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“I am the Lord your God,  . . .   who directs you in the way you should go.”  (Isaiah 48:17)

You are the Forgiver of my sins.

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord.  ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ”   (Isaiah 1:18)

You are the Collector of my tears.

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

You are the Maker of my manna.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you.’   . . . The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.”   (Exodus 16:4 & 35)

You are the Healer of my diseases.

“Praise the Lord, O my soul,  . . .   who forgives all your (my) sins and heals all your (my) diseases,”   (Psalm 103:2-3)

You are the Protector of my life.

“You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.”  (Psalm 139:5)

You are my Rescuer from the pit.

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”  (Psalm 40:2)

You are my Redeemer from death.

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another.  How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27)

You are the changer of my heart.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”   (Ezekiel 36:26)

You are the Hearer of my heart’s deepest cries.

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”  (Isaiah 65:24)

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.”  (Psalm 34:17)

You are the Giver of all good gifts.

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

You are the Hope of the hopeless.  You are my hope.

“Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.”  (Isaiah 49:23)

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”   (Isaiah 40:31)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”   (Romans 15:13)

sincerely,          Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I may not be able to get a good seat at a popular restaurant anytime I want (of course at the moment no one can get a good seat because restaurants are closed) but I can take comfort in the assurance that I have a seat at my Father’s table.  I guess thinking about eating out isn’t so unusual during this time of COVID-19 imposed closure of restaurants and shutting down of all family get togethers and celebrations such as weddings, all of which would include feasts, food, barbecues, banquets, picnics in the park and fancy dining of all kinds.  Being invited to share a meal with others is the height of acceptance and inclusion in any culture.

This got me to thinking about The Last Supper and my Father’s table.  My Father’s table is a table of remembrance, a table of things past, a shadow of things to come, a table of preparation for the future, of preparation for the wedding feast yet to be celebrated – it is a table of inclusion, it is a table of abundant provision, it is a table of fellowship and of sweet communion – and I am invited!

It is not a pitch-in, this banquet.  Jesus told us He is the Bread of Life and He is. “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.”  (John 6:35) Jesus will provide the food.  Abraham told his son, Isaac, that “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering,” (Genesis 22:8)  And God provided a ram caught by its horns in a thicket.

Good thing, God is the Provider of the Table, because my hands are empty.  I bring nothing to the table.  I have nothing good to offer up.  And I am wearing filthy rags.  But my Father,who issued the invitation, says to me, “come as you are, My child.  My righteousness will clothe you.”

“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)

I breathe a sigh of relief.  His righteousness will clothe me!  I am free to accept His invitation to dine at His table.  My Father’s table is a table with a history.  Jesus ate the Passover meal, which became The Last Supper, at that table with His disciples. (a meal which turned out to be “the first supper” of many until He returns)

“do this in remembrance of Me.”, Jesus said to His disciples.  The Passover itself, is a meal of remembrance, as is now The Last Supper or the Lord’s Supper, which we also call communion.  When Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to His disciples He said, “This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19)

How often had Jesus broken bread with His disciples before that Last Supper in the upper room?  They had seen Jesus do this many times, this breaking and this blessing of the bread.  The feeding of the five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand were two of the more memorable occasions when they had witnessed Jesus presiding over His Father’s table.  The sequence was always the same,

“When He (Jesus) had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, He broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before the people, and they did so.”  (Mark 8:6)  That Last Supper with His disciples gathered around His Father’s table was no exception.  Jesus did what He had done so many times before,

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is My body.’ ”  (Matthew 26:26)  Jesus’s pattern of taking the bread, giving thanks for the bread, breaking the bread and then giving the bread to be shared, played out once again at the Last Supper with an additional twist.

Jesus, having already identified Himself as the Bread of life, now made sure His disciples knew that this bread was to represent His body which would soon be broken for them on the cross.  And there was something else, too.

“Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered  it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you.  This is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’ ”  (Matthew 26:27-28)

The purpose of the Passover meal had always been for those who partook of it, for those who participated in it, to remember – to remember how God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land – and now the Last Supper was to be a meal for remembering also – for all who would come to the Lord’s table to remember this new deliverance that was about to take place before their very eyes.

The disciples and all of humanity with them, were about to be delivered once and for all from sin to salvation, from death to life, from the temporal to the eternal – a deliverance made complete at Jesus’s cross.  From this meal forward, the Lord’s Supper would be a meal of remembrance.  My Father’s table is a table of remembrance.

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”   (1 Corinthians 11:26)

“until He comes.”  My Father’s table is a table of hope, a shadow of things to come.  Jesus is  coming back!  Until He does, when we come to my Father’s table we remember what He did for us on that cross and we rejoice that our price is paid, our redemption complete.  My Father’s table is a table of rejoicing.

We are able to rejoice when we remember what Jesus did for us on that cross. Remembering makes rejoicing possible.  All their lives, the Passover meal had been the disciples’ ritual of remembrance.  But now, from this day forward, this last Passover meal eaten with Jesus would become their new ritual of remembrance. This, their last supper would become the Lord’s Supper or communion.

Communion is a fitting description of my Father’s Table.  I participate in community with others as I partake of my Father’s provision for me.  In the process I am connected to Him and connected to the others at the table with me. We have communion with God and with each other as we share the Lord’s table together.

This present day table is but a shadow of the table that awaits us in heaven.  “Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ ”  (Revelation 19:9)

Until then, I have a seat at my Father’s table here.  My Father’s table is a table of protection and of provision, as well as of remembrance and of rejoicing.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”  (Psalm 23:5)

“You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.”  (Psalm 16:11)

how grateful I am to have a seat at my Father’s table,

sincerely,       Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday again – well now it’s Monday actually – I confess, that’t all the further I got yesterday – two words.  I walked in the rain yesterday, which has a certain charm and a soothing pleasantness all its own to be sure – (it was a gentle, pitter-patter kind of a rain) but it was sad and it was silent and it was Sunday, again.

I wanted to cry out “how long?  O Lord”,  “how many more Sundays with church doors closed?”  And I did, but it is not for me to know the beginning from the end, I didn’t stretch out the heavens like a canopy or set the seasons in motion.  I must walk on in faith, both literally and figuratively,

“but the righteous will live by his faith -”  (Habakkuk 2:4)  So I continued my rainy Sunday morning walk while wondering how many more silent Sundays there will be?    I thought about these words from Habakkuk 3:17-18,

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

That’s what I needed yesterday, that’s what I need today – to be lifted up, to go on the heights, to gain a new perspective – things look very different from the mountaintop than they do from the pit because the view is so different. Perspective is everything.

My view is so limited by time and space.  My Heavenly Father’s eyes see it all in one glance.  All of time, all of space – what was, what is and what is to come.  It would make more sense to trust Him than to “lean to my own understanding.”  (Proverbs 3:5)

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”   (Isaiah 55:9)

I didn’t get an answer to my “how long?  O Lord” question of yesterday (which is also my question everyday lately – maybe I need to ask a new question?) so I will just have to continue forward in faith for now.

Today it’s Monday and it is raining still.  The song “Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down” is playing in my mind while I wish for the sunny mountaintop view.  But there is One who is able to lift my head, which lifts my view, which changes my perspective  . . .

“But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.”   (Psalm 3:3)

“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.”   (Psalm 121:1-2)

yes, where or what I choose to lift up my eyes to makes all the difference in my day. Today I will look to these words from Psalm 118:24,

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us (I will) rejoice and be glad in it.”

sincerely,        Grace Day

 

today’s confession is one common to us all, it is part of the human condition and we share this confession on multiple levels.  It is particularly pertinent and poignant during this time of crisis that the corona virus has visited on our world. It is this – I am hungry.

Even as I write this, I realize that hunger was already a daily reality for many people around the globe and right here in the U.S. before any of us had even heard of the COVID-19 virus.  And now hunger is increasing as people lose their jobs and slip into poverty, which for many is just one lost paycheck away.

But my hunger today is not due to lost wages or to restaurants being closed for so long or from grocery store shelves being less than fully stocked. No, today I am hungry for hugs, for hand holding, for handshakes, for high fives, for human contact that is not virtual.

Not all hunger is physical.  There is a hunger of the soul and of the spirit.  We know, even without the studies confirming it, that babies do not do well if they are not held and touched and talked to.  Without human touch and interaction, newborn babies fail to thrive, even resulting in death.

No wonder physical isolation is not good for people of any age.  From newborn to senior citizen, we never stop needing the human touch.  We were created for community, not for solitary confinement.

But there is another kind of hunger.  It is a hunger that can leave you desperate and searching, restless and unsatisfied, craving what you cannot call by name because you don’t know what it is.

Just as food satisfies physical hunger, sustaining life, and human touch satisfies our soul hunger for connection, bringing us life, there is a hunger deeper than both of these – a spiritual hunger that our Creator alone can satisfy in us.  And He promises in Matthew 5:6 that He will fill our spirits, that we will not go hungry.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.’ ”   (John 6:35)

“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.  . . .  You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”  (Psalm 145:13, 16)

I love these promises of God saying that He will meet the needs of my spiritual hunger and thirst.  And not just a bare minimum provision does He promise to provide – no, these verses use the words, “be filled”, “never go hungry  . . . never be thirsty” and “satisfy the desires.”   Jesus tells the woman at the well in John 4:13,

“Everyone who drinks this water 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.”

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

Jesus fed the multitude (five thousand) with five loaves of bread and two fish and still there were twelve basketfuls of food left over after everyone had eaten their fill.  The Israelites had manna every morning for forty years without fail.  My Heavenly Father is able to satisfy my physical hunger, my hunger for connectedness and relationship and my deepest spiritual hunger to know Him.

He is a God of abundance and provision.  “You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.”   (Psalm 16:11)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”  (Psalm 23:1)  I like how the Living Bible translates this verse,  “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need!”

truly, I will not want – I need not go hungry –

sincerely,         Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I got to realize a life long dream, I got to live out a secret fantasy of mine – sort of.  Today I had the privilege of playing Santa Clause and Secret Agent at the same time. That’s because what I was doing today necessitated merging those two skill sets and identities together into one person.  Today that person was me!

It’s not like I haven’t had years of on the job training for at least one of those roles. (no, not Secret Agent)  but – the role of Santa Clause, yes.  Back in the day, I was Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy all rolled into one person. And those duties were carried out mostly successfully over a period of some years.  I’ve had plenty of on the job training and experience for sure.

Actually the tooth fairy was the trickiest role of the three, if you ask me, because it required a touch of the Secret Agent skill set to get the job done successfully.  I had some failed and some aborted missions trying to execute my duties as tooth fairy, come to think of it. Nevertheless, all that past experience helped prepare me for the mission I found myself on today.

Today I was part of a mission of mercy.  I was one of many agents.  We were all working together to execute the overall objective of the mission.  I was just one piece of the larger puzzle, but every piece has to execute to precision in order to ensure success.  Every piece has to know where he/she fits in to the bigger picture and then blend in by doing his/her part.

It all started with an email several days ago.  I responded in the affirmative and was told I would receive further information in an email yet to come.  When I received that email and responded by not responding, I then received final instructions necessary to carry out the mission, including classified information such as names, addresses and phone numbers.

I was told where and when to report and advised not to exit my vehicle at that time under any circumstances.  I printed off the email so as to have the critical information with me and drove to the rendezvous location, arriving at the appointed time.  As instructed, I remained in my vehicle while several masked men and women loaded large trash bags, partially full, into the back of my car, then disappeared back into the building from which they had come.

Conversation wasn’t necessary.  I was now on my own, entrusted with completing this final phase of the mission.  Many had performed their tasks prior to my arrival.  The preparing of the contents and the filling and the labeling of the trash bags had all been executed to perfection.  The identifying of the targets, the locating of the targets’ whereabouts, communicating with the targets – these critical parts of the mission had all been completed as part of the groundwork that was expertly laid, making the final execution of this mission not only possible but ensuring that it was safely and securely and successfully carried out.

That was my part of the mission – to discover the different destinations and to deliver the goods – all with no human contact and in a timely manner, as the trash bags contained time sensitive materials.  Get in and get out – that is the objective. The targets/recipients never lay eyes on me and likewise I don’t see them either. No identities are compromised during the execution of this highly sensitive mission.

As I drove around, seeking out each targeted destination, I definitely felt like a Secret Agent on a top secret mission.  And a little like Santa Clause too, although I didn’t have to go down any chimneys.  “The drop” was to be made at the front door of each targeted destination, then I was to drive away after confirming by phone that the target was home to receive the “goods.”

What could be more inconspicuous than an ordinary trash bag on a front porch? Genius!  And how great did I feel after all my “drops” went down successfully?  (that was a rhetorical question, no answer will be given)  So today I confess – I really like this Secret Agent/Santa Clause assignment and I look forward to doing lots more of these food deliveries for my church.

I am so thankful for all the hardworking “secret agents” behind the scenes, preparing the food, organizing the deliveries, enlisting the volunteers and providing them with all the information necessary to make this food drop operation work.  I felt so privileged today to participate in this ongoing outreach and care ministry that Brookside Church is doing right now, for such a time as this.

“For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.  Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry  . . . or thirsty  . . .  or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and go visit You.’  The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ ”   (Matthew 25:35-40)

today, as with every day during this pandemic shutdown, the church has left the building – because the church is not the building – the church is the people – and the people are out there being the hands and feet of Jesus to this hurting world – what joy to be a part of that today!

sincerely,     Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

pandemic ponderings – that’s all this is – I confess it now, up front.

why does time drag on so slowly when we are young but then speed past us way too fast when we are older?   first we want to speed time up, then we want to slow time down  . . .  we are never satisfied are we?

why are two people in a boat ok but three people in that same boat are breaking the law?

the pandemic has done a lot for germaphobes, elevating their status and making germaphobes the new cool ones,

the pandemic has also made it possible for “closet germaphobes” to come out into the open without fear of ridicule, they don’t have to hide their behaviors anymore

and the pandemic has created new germaphobes by turning those who are not nor never have been germaphobes into brand new germaphobes

germaphobes are no longer a pitied minority but are now a powerful majority – they are the new ruling class, so to speak

germaphobes are the heroes of this pandemic, the new role models for all of us –

behavior that might have been labeled bizarre in the past is now heralded as the new healthy behavior we all should be emulating – this would include frequent handwashing (which used to be labeled as excessive and as eccentric behavior) avoidance of touching others and surfaces, manifested by not punching elevator buttons or opening doors or shaking hands or by wearing winter gloves all year round and wearing them indoors (none of which will be considered odd behavior anymore)

germaphobes will no longer be thought to suffer from OCD ( I always want to call it OCDC, probably because of the group AC/DC, remember them?)

if germaphobe is now the new normal does that mean the old normal was what? germ lover?  germ embracer?  germ disregarder?

well, COVID-19 has created a population peopled with germaphobes – I don’t know if that means we are ready to face COVID-19 in battle or simply that the virus has succeeded in filling us all with fear (which is what a phobia is, fear of something) leaving us perplexed (not thinking rationally) therefore paralyzed and powerless to fight against this virus effectively –

COVID-19 further demonstrates how effective its fear strategy has been in that we are often found to be fighting against each other rather than this virus – a brilliant tactical move by our enemy –  fear is a multifaceted weapon, after all – effective against an enemy in a multitude of ways.

but I don’t want to live full of fear, that is no way to live, (if it can even be called living?)  I want to live life full of compassion, full of courage, full of hope and faith and love – all the things necessary to live life to its fullest.

one last confession is in order at this point, I believe  – technically I think germaphobe is incorrect in the case of COVID-19 – the more correct term would be virusaphobe – but I have never heard that term used before, so will stick with the more familiar word -germaphobe

so how do we defeat this invisible enemy?  how do I do daily battle with this invisible virus?  this enemy has already struck many blows to me and succeeded in disarming me by taking many things from me.

It started by taking my job.  The virus took that from me and with the loss of a job other losses quickly follow.  The loss of income, the loss of ability to pay bills and provide for one’s family, the loss of purpose, daily routine and way to contribute to society all contribute to the demise of the virus’s victims.

Stripped of all these protections, the virus next isolates its victims.  That opens the door for anxiety and depression to enter in, attacking their victim while at his most vulnerable.  Yes, this virus disarms and then destroys lives, one way or another.  If it can’t make contact with you physically, it will just destroy your life with loss and fear.  It will consume you with all you are required to do to avoid contact with it.

As long as COVID-19 can keep me hiding out at home – the victory belongs to the virus.  It does not want me to take back my life.  That’s how it wins – this virus holds us hostage.  When will the tide turn in this war, we wonder?

I am comforted and encouraged to persevere in this pandemic by the words in Psalm 3:3-4 & 8,  and from the words in Psalm 28:7,

“But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.  To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy hill.  . . .  From the Lord comes deliverance.  May Your blessing be on Your people.”

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.”

today all I need is to remember these words from Deuteronomy 20:4,

“For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

the ultimate victory over COVID-19 and over every other enemy past, present or future is God’s –

“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death.  Where, O death, are your plagues?  Where, O grave, is your destruction?”  (Hosea 13:14)

“He will swallow up death forever.  The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth.  The Lord has spoken.”   (Isaiah 25:8)

sincerely,         Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s confession is a good one in that it is something little known – even to those who know me well.  It is a well kept secret.  But difficult times call for equally difficult confessions.  So here goes.  I confess – Jeremiah is a good friend of mine.  I further confess that yes, Jeremiah is a bullfrog.  And finally I confess – I love his music on a summer night.

You see, Jeremiah and his bullfrog band of brothers have been bringing their brand of music to the world on summer nights for as long as I can remember.  And when they do, they bring joy to the world.  They bring joy to me.

Lately though, I’ve been worried about Jeremiah and his band of bullfrogs. They’ve been in the pot along with all the other frogs (post #31) and now I’m wondering if they will be released in time for their summer concert schedule to take place as previously planned.

The voices of Jeremiah and his band bring so much joy to the world that I would hate to hear of their voices being silenced for the first time ever.  How I will hear of this is by not hearing their voices in the silence of a summer night.

Perhaps Jeremiah and friends are still in the proverbial pot.  I ponder this possibility even as I long to be released from the pot myself.  We are told our release is imminent, just be patient in the pot.  Get comfortable and enjoy.

Remember, life pre-pot?  Life outside the pot wasn’t all that great, now was it?  I mean yaw’ll had to work for a living, right?  And you were really busy, right? running all around, saying that you could use some down time, a vacation, a rest, a respite from your busy schedules . . .

Well, this pot we are all treading water and waiting in certainly seems relaxing as it gets warmer and all our needs are promised to be met by the pot stirring experts who have our best interests at heart.  So reassuring, I think I’ll take a nap and a sauna  . . .

Still I miss the music,  not just Jeremiah’s music, but all the music the free world outside the pot was filled with.  From concert halls to churches to street performers to crickets, birds and bullfrogs – the world outside the pot was filled with every kind of music every hour of every day.  I miss that.  There is no solace in this silence.

The thing is, if Jeremiah is allowed out of the pot (he won’t have the will or ability to jump out on his own) when he is put out, he won’t be returning to the reeds and the rushes of his beloved pond.  No, that wouldn’t be wise, the pond is no longer safe.  Jeremiah, along with all the other frogs, if they are going to leave the pot, must observe the new rules and restrictions  (masks, social distancing, etc.) of the new regime when they are released.

The frogs will be released to the serving dish to await consumption by the pot stirring experts who have been protecting us, who know that this is best for everyone.  (well, not best for all of us frogs, but it must be best for someone, even if we don’t know any frogs personally that are better off for being relegated to the pot)

The pot is full to overflowing with non-essential frogs, (thirty plus million to be exact)  frogs led to believe the pot is the only way out, the only way to prevent mass death and destruction of their daily lives.  Ironically, the pot itself is a place of death and destruction of daily life, while outside the pot is fast becoming a place ruled by fear, regulation and restriction.

How I am missing my good friend, Jeremiah and his bullfrog band right about now.  Their message of joy to the world is one I long to hear again.  One we each need to hear right now.  Oh that they were free from the steaming pot, free to return to the pond to make their music once again.  I want to hear Jeremiah’s unmasked voice blended with the cricket chorus, blended with all the other unmasked music makers of the summer nights.

I want to hear them all freely lifting their voices in celebration of summer, in praise of their Creator, in harmony for all to hear and be made joyful in the hearing. Summer nights won’t be the same without the deep bass of Jeremiah and his bullfrog band of brothers bringing their special brand of song to lift our spirits and settle our souls as the sun goes down over each little corner of the world, one note at a time.

When I leave the pot and return to the world I left, will I find it has become a world of silence masked in fear, people alive but not living?  Will my good friend Jeremiah and his band be masked and muted forever now?

The memory of the music of Jeremiah and his bullfrog buddies plays in my mind even now, “joy to the world. all the boys and girls, joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me!”

freedom – joyous freedom – may freedom triumph over fear – freedom ringing, singing, praising, proclaiming God’s good news all night long and every day –

“The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.”  (Psalm 97:1)

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.”   (Psalm 95:1-2)

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.  Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day.”  (Psalm 96:1-2)

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”   (Ephesians 5:19)

Jeremiah, my friend, sing it!   Joy to the world!  the Lord reigns!

sincerely,      Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Sunday – I know that today is Sunday only because my calendar bears witness that this is indeed true – I guess I will take my calendar’s word for it – though today seems no different from yesterday or the day before from where I stand.  I liked it better when each day of the week had a distinction all its own.

Sundays were the best in that world – they were set apart.  Sundays were special. They were different.  Sunday was a day filled with inspiration and hope and song and lots of people celebrating the good news of the gospel together.  I confess -singing has always been my favorite part of Sunday.  There is nothing like walking into a sanctuary filled with people, a sanctuary filled with the music of their collective voices raised in song, crying out, praising, celebrating, rejoicing as they lift their voices to God and are lifted up themselves in the process – nothing quite like that happens on any other day of the week.

Sundays have been set apart for centuries for rest, for renewal, for rejoicing, for remembering God’s goodness and for singing His praises in the presence of others. I can still remember as a child being surrounded by the sounds of a singing congregation with a singing choir accompanied by an organ and a piano and thinking, this must be what heaven will be like, full of song and celebration.

In Revelation 5:11-13 we get a glimpse of this when we read these words,

“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.  They encircled the throne  . . . In a loud voice they sang  . . .  Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:  ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’ ”

There will be singing in heaven.  Maybe that’s why we sing in church now, kind of a dress rehearsal, if you will – practicing for our future roles in the celestial choir we will one day join.

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.  Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day.”  That’s what Psalm 96:1-2 says to do – sing to God.  Psalm 100:1-2 tells me to –

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!  Serve the Lord with gladness!  Come into His presence with singing!”

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn – shout for joy before the Lord, the King.    . . .   Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.”   (Psalm 98:4-9)

No wonder Sundays seem so silent nowadays.  With the church doors closed, there is no gathering of the saints to sing praise to God.  Psalm 89:1 says,

“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations.”

“I will sing of Your love and justice; to You, O Lord, I will sing praise.”  (Psalm 101:1)

Even though I can’t sing as a part of a larger multitude gathered together to worship, I cannot keep silent – Psalm 30:12 says it best for me,

“that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever.”

I am longing for the day that our places of worship again throw their doors wide open and the praises of the people pour out in song – for the day Psalm 150 will be a reality in our land once again –

“Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens.  Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness.  Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals.   Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

sincerely,         Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just when I thought it was safe to go out again  . . .   I mean there have been rumors and rumblings of re-openings all week (with a few minor restrictions, of course) but re-openings nonetheless – so just when things were looking a bit promising  . . .  just when I thought it might be safe to venture out once again – enter – “The Murder Hornet.”

That’s right.  News of The Murder Hornet’s entrance into the United States made headlines this week.  I had been blissfully unaware of the existence of such a creature until notification of its arrival appeared in papers and news cycles a few days ago.

The Murder Hornet and COVID-19?  This killer combination (pun intended) may just be too much.  I can only be afraid of one thing at a time.  I only have so much “fear” energy to go around.  Something has to give.  I can’t sustain these levels of fear forever – actually, not for much longer.

So I propose we send the Murder Hornet back to wherever he came from.  This country isn’t big enough for both the Murder Hornet and the COVID-19 to co-exist. Somebody’s gotta go!  And since COVID-19 is invisible and is here to stay, we are told by those that know such things, and is in fact planning a big come back soon, it will have to be the visible, less prevalent, Murder Hornet that must exit the country pronto.

I’m wondering how Mr. Murder Hornet even got into the U.S. in the first place. I thought our borders were temporarily closed to immigrants?  Was the TSA on break that day?  Were Mr. Murder Hornet’s papers in order?  I’m assuming he had a valid passport and current VISA?  I would like to know how Mr. Murder Hornet responded to the question, “what is the purpose of your visit here?”

Having a name such as “Murder”, should be kind of a heads up as to one’s character and motives.  What was his response to the question, “business or pleasure?”  I’m imagining Mr. Murder Hornet slowly removing his sunglasses, smiling sweetly and replying, “my business is pleasure!”  (I’m sure all the unsuspecting honeybees will be happy to know that Mr. Murder Hornet enjoys his line of work)

And when asked, “how long will you be staying?”,  what did he reply? “indefinitely.”  I thought VISAS expired at some point in time.  What did Mr. Murder Hornet say when asked, “will your family be joining you?”  “they are already here, they flew in ahead of me”?  (how did that happen?  did they use an alias, instead of the name “Murder”?)

Well, Mr. Murder Hornet, you won’t remain in the headlines for long.  Something new and more frightening will displace you soon.  Come to think of it, I haven’t heard much about the threat you pose at all today.  But COVID-19 remains among us, eluding our efforts to evict her from our midst.  She is an unseen enemy, giving her some kind of advantage it would appear.  We are constantly testing for her presence, primarily because she hides so well, we are told.

So again today, I  must decide how I will walk in this world.  Who is really in charge here?  It is my Father’s world.  He has the final say.  So I will walk in light of these words from Psalm 27:1 & Psalm 18:1-3,

“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”

“I love You, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”

faith over fear, trust over worry  . . .

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.  They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” (Psalm 20:7-8)

sincerely,          Grace Day