that’s what God said in Genesis 1:3, and so light entered the darkness; there was light and “God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.”

That was the first appearance of light into this world.  The second appearance of light into this world (a world which had grown steadily darker since Eve’s disastrous decision in the garden) occurred when Jesus was born.  “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”  (John 1:4)

Today we carry that light within us, God’s light.  “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”  The jar of clay is me, the treasure I carry is God’s abiding Holy Spirit Presence in me, illuminating every dark corner within me, filling me with His light.

Indeed, “God is light; in Him there is no darkness.”  (1 John 1:5)

Furthermore, God said, “Let light shine out of darkness” and He “made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Knowing all this, it makes sense that Jesus would say to His followers in Matthew 5:14-16 –

“You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

So I am supposed to let my light (which is really God’s light in me) shine out into this world – but how do I do that?  How does that happen?  I’m trying so hard to keep all the pieces of me together, to show to the world a strong, tough, perfect, unbroken exterior – working so hard to hold on to everything, to ensure that I don’t experience loss –  there is no way for the light that is in me to escape, becoming visible to others.

Then I realize, unless I am broken, there is no way for my light to shine out.  It will remain trapped inside, prevented by my strong, unbroken exterior from escaping – of no use to anyone.

But when I am broken, His light pours out of all my cracks, holes, fissures and imperfections.  God uses broken people to light up His broken world.  He can’t use perfect (self-righteous) people because there is no way for them to let His light shine – a perfect, impenetrable facade may protect what is inside but it doesn’t share it.  What is carried within remains hidden from everyone.

But God said His light was to be shared – not hidden, not hoarded, but revealed in order to make Him known and to bring Him glory.  That’s why He told us to “Let your light shine . . . ”

What a relief to realize that His light shines through and out of my brokenness – out of my every wound, out of every scar, out of every hurt that leaves a hole – out of every crack, crevice and crater – His light pours out unrestrained – with nothing to hinder it –

because of my brokenness  . . .  my brokenness makes a way for Christ to enter in – and a way for His light to be made visible, just as He commanded me to do

that’s the value of an earthen vessel – porous enough to let His light pass through –

“we have this treasure in jars of clay  . . .   ”    Jesus, who said,

“I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”   (John 8:12)

He has filled me with His light – He has given me His purpose, His passion, His permission and His plea to let it shine –

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  (John 1:5)

so  . . .   let there be light!

sincerely,        Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

they are everywhere – do you feel surrounded by them?  with no where to hide, no place to take cover – you are a moving target for all those who are oh so eager and ready to cast the first stone and all the other stones they have stored up and waiting.  Yes, I feel like we live in a world full of stonecasters, dangerous, deadly stonecasters.  They masquerade as harmless, everyday individuals until you realize too late that they are casting stones at you and you are defenseless against the attack.

Sometimes it is not an all out stoning, but more of a daily pebble throwing, wearing away at your soul, little by little with each casting of a stone.  The stones of choice are usually words, cast carelessly toward their target.  Some stones carry more weight than others, the weightier the words the bigger the bruises.

Sometimes it’s an outright stoning – end result death – death by stoning.  That’s why you have to watch out for stonecasters – they can cut you – they can kill you – they can bury you alive.

Jesus said “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.”  That instruction disqualified everyone present in the crowd that day, the day they brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus to be judged.  The would-be stonecasters wanted this woman to be judged – judged publicly.  After all, stonecasting (unlike backstabbing) is a very public pursuit.

That’s why social media proves such a convenient modern day arena for today’s stonecasters. This is something stonecasters of other eras didn’t have.  There was a time in history when stonecasters used actual stones, killing their victims literally.  These stonings were community events – a very public forum in which the stonecasters came together against a lone target of their choice – whoever had outraged or offended them at the time.

Ironically, in the case of the woman caught in adultery and brought to Jesus, the only One qualified to throw a stone at her (Jesus) chose not to.  Jesus was and is the only one without sin.  He could have cast the first stone, condemning her to death, but He didn’t.  Jesus, instead of condemning her, forgave her and set her free to go and live a new and different life.

Today stonecasters are much more sophisticated.  Words are their weapons of choice and the scars they leave are internal, not visible wounds for others to view.  They still like to cast their stones publicly, so as to encourage others to join with them in the stoning of whoever might be their current target.

But one thing is sure.  None of us are safe from the slings of the stonecasters that live among us.  They strike without warning whenever they feel the need to put themselves in the place of judge, jury and executioner.  Such was the case of the wanna be stonecasters that were gathered around Jesus in the temple courts on an ordinary day more than two thousand years ago,    . . .

“At dawn He (Jesus) appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered  around Him, and He sat down to teach them.  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery.  They made her stand before the group and said  . . .  ‘the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women.  Now what do You say?’  . . .  He said to them, ‘If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’

. . .   At this, those who heard began to go away one at at time,  . . .   until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.   . . .   Jesus asked her, “Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?’  ‘No one, Sir,’  she said.  ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’  Jesus declared.  ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’ ”  (John 8:2-11)

The power wielded by stonecasters lies in their ability to publicly humiliate and condemn their targeted person.  But their power is rendered null and void by Jesus’s greater power to forgive our sin and to set us free to “go and sin no more.”

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”  (Romans 8:1-2)

My defense against the stonecasters of this world is the same as the woman’s who was brought to Jesus in the temple courts.  Jesus shielded her from the sting of the stones that would surely have come her way.  He shielded her with His words of truth.  He told her that He didn’t condemn her.  After all, that’s not why He came here.

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”   (John 3:17)

Jesus is my shield against all the stones of the stonecasters.

“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”  (Proverbs 30:5)

“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word.”  (Psalm 119:114)

There will always be stonecasters among us – but every time the angry mob closes in, Jesus is there saying,  “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone,”  followed by “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

Free to live a new life – free from the stones the stonecasters cast – saved from the stones that would destroy   . . .         “there is now no condemnation”   . . .

sincerely,         Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Then your Righteous One will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.”  (Isaiah 58:8)

rear guard?  that’s a military term – does that mean only those actively engaged in battle against an enemy, requiring military type maneuvers would need a rear guard?  What about us civilians?  I personally think daily life is hazardous enough that a rear guard would come in quite handy.  Where do I go to sign up for one of those?

Then I remember that I am in a battle every day of my life, for my very life.  I consider this warning from 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  I definitely could use the protection of a rear guard from that kind of an enemy.

Ephesians 6:12 tells me, “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.”

fighting an unseen enemy means I am in need of a rear guard more than ever

rear guard may be a military term, but I love the picture that it paints in my mind of someone having my back.  The enemy that I can see is far less of a threat than the enemy I cannot see.  I may be able to defend an attack confronting me face to face but I am defenseless against an unseen attacker from behind.  I need someone to have my back. We all do.

It is considered the height of cowardice to attack someone from behind when they are not looking, but people still do it.  Hence the need for a rear guard.  No wonder identifying someone as a “back stabber” is considered such a huge insult.  It doesn’t take any courage at all to attack someone from behind, they never see it coming and consequently, have no chance to prepare to defend themselves.

In Isaiah 52:12 the Israelites are told not to worry, “for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”  God was leading them but He also had their backs, literally.

David said the same thing of God when he wrote in Psalm 139:5-6, “You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”

That is very reassuring news to me, that God goes behind me, (as well as before me) protecting me from harm that would otherwise sneak up on me unannounced from behind.  Who better to have my back than my Heavenly Father?

Psalm 121:7-8 says, “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.”

this Psalm also tells me that He will not let my foot slip – He will not slumber; He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.   (Psalm 121:3-4)

That’s the kind of rear guard I want – always with me, ever vigilant, and able to be in multiple places at once, so He can lead me and protect me at the same time. Only my Heavenly Father can do that.  He is the only one who knows “the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.”  (Isaiah 46:10)

He says in Revelation 22:13, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

God is the perfect, the ultimate rear guard and He’s got my back!  I guess I’m good to go wherever He leads me, knowing that the glory of the Lord, the God of Israel, is my rear guard.  That’s what His word says.  This knowledge gives me confidence, courage and peace as I live each day, coming and going.  I don’t have to constantly watch my back.  My Heavenly Father is doing that for me.  (and He never sleeps!) He is the only rear guard I will ever need.

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.”  (Isaiah 26:3-4)

sincerely,       Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

we freely give our children all the treasures of the earth, bestowing toys and tokens ceaselessly from birth.

showing our love, the proof of our care, amusements sought beyond compare.

in our hearts the truth is known, will they embrace it when they are grown?

showing them the way to live, the pearl of great price not ours to give.

our petitions ceaseless for their souls – anguished cries filling golden bowls, for hearts held hostage by Satan’s lies, minds in darkness, God’s truth disguised.

our gifts long forgotten lie broken, lost, set aside – leaving a trail of longing so deep and so wide, that only the love of God for man the chasm crosses, healing deep enough for all our losses.

ours to pray, a sacred task – we wait with hope that what we ask, will yet be done in His perfect will, each child’s heart His love shall fill.

each one must choose, salvation’s gift is free – but while we fight on bended knee, the battle rages in every soul, longing somehow to be made whole.

that we most desire to our children to impart, can’t be purchased or inherited, it’s a condition of the heart; receiving no one can do in their stead, they must choose God’s gift as their heart is led.

ours to faithfully follow our Lord, let our footsteps show the way, leaving God’s legacy of love – marked with our struggles, joys, faith and praise – covered in the prayers of our broken hearted days, that our beloved children yet walk in all God’s ways.

our gift to our children, the protection of our prayers, while the battle rages all around, we’ll stand in the gap by bowing down – on our knees in prayer for you,  never ceasing to lift you up and see what God will do.

our faith, our hope in Christ alone, He is the only One – to give what we pray you would receive, eternal life through God’s own Son.

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11)

“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)

sincerely,      Grace Day

she always does – tell, that is – but why is she so slow about doing it?  Time certainly takes her sweet time about speaking up.

When time talks, telling us her stories and teaching us with her wisdom – we call that history.  We are supposed to learn from history, with Time as our teacher and Hindsight providing us with that 20/20 vision necessary to see things clearly.  Maybe that’s why Time so often takes her time in speaking up, she wants us to have that perfect perspective, that only Hindsight and Time can give us, with her passing, allowing us to understand events and individuals otherwise incomprehensible to us.

Time will tell, that is true.  And Time has a lot to say.  After all, she has seen it all.  She was there, sitting in her front row seat, taking it all in.  Time has been an eyewitness to all of history.  Now it’s time for Time to share her best kept secrets, to reveal what has remained hidden and to tell the truth.

Sometimes Time does that.  An archaeologist uncovers long hidden treasures that tell a story about the people living there at that time.  Time had kept their secrets safe for a time, waiting for the right time for their discovery and unveiling.  Then she brings them to light for all to see and to learn the lessons she had buried for so long.

Maybe she has been so slow in the telling of her tales because she has been so busy in the healing of all wounds business.  I like that Time does all these good things, like healing my wounds, improving my vision so that I can see more clearly, providing me with a new perspective, sharing her long kept secrets with me and with the world and revealing truth to anyone who would look for it.  I just wish I didn’t have to wait on her so much.  She moves so slow sometimes.

I guess that’s why I find myself saying, “If I only knew then what I know now.”  I blame Time for that – she has revealed things to me with her passing that I needed to know back then.  At the time, Time was silent and I had to wait on her to pass before she found her voice again and was ready to reveal to me what I had not seen clearly at the time.

I wonder what Time will have to say about the events of our nation these past few months?  We are told over and over again by every form of our media how divided our nation is.  Time may well be remembering another time of division in our nation’s history, a time when it seemed doubtful that our nation would survive and continue to exist as a country.

Lincoln was president during this time of crisis.  He was trying to keep our country, the United States, united and to abolish the abomination of slavery – two seemingly impossible tasks – and Lincoln was faced with them both simultaneously!  These tasks were inextricably linked – if he failed at one, he would fail at the other also.

But Lincoln was determined to succeed in both endeavors – preserving the union and ending slavery. He gave his life, literally, in the pursuit and accomplishment of both these worthy outcomes.  The southern states did not leave the United States permanently (although they had already seceded by the time he took office in March 1861) and his Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves.  But Lincoln was assassinated on April 14th, 1865 by those who opposed all that he had done and all that he stood for.

Lincoln stood for unity and freedom.  (freedom for everyone, not just some)  Those who preferred division and tyranny took his life.  They succeeded in killing Lincoln but the ideals for which he gave his life remain realities today.  We are still the United States of America and we are still working toward that “with liberty and justice for all” ideal that we pledge ourselves to every time we say the pledge to our flag.  (or sing our national anthem)

What does it say about us that in our schools we no longer start the day with the pledge of allegiance to our flag and to our country?  Do we have to experience first hand intrusion, control, tyranny and oppression from those in positions of power before we remember to value the freedoms that we now too often take for granted.

Does time need to teach us a lesson?  Maybe Time could just help us to remember what it was that brought our founding fathers here in the first place.  (hint – I believe they were escaping political and religious persecution.  In other words, they were no longer free to make the decisions for their own lives they felt were theirs to make)

The quest for freedom – that’s what gave birth to this country.  It is what nations around the globe are seeking and striving to attain.  What a tragedy it would be, if through lack of vigilance we let our freedoms slip away.  I don’t know of another place on earth more free to which I could go, were my freedoms taken from me.

Lincoln allowed Time to give him the clear vision that he needed to guide him during his short time as President.  Lincoln was guided by words written almost one hundred years earlier, that must have seemed all but forgotten by the people during the time of the Civil War.  Those words written in 1776 were in part, “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  (Declaration of Independence)

It had taken less than one hundred years for the former freedom seekers to forget these “self evident truths.”  They were not remembering the story Time told of the birth of this nation they now wanted to destroy.  They were not remembering that all people are created equal and given freedom as a birth right.

Had they forgotten that our rights come from our Creator and not from government?  Have we forgotten that same thing today?  If we want government “of the people, by the people, for the people” not to perish from this earth, we need to let Time teach us and learn from the mistakes of history.  It does not have to repeat itself.

What will Time say about our current struggles as a country?  Will she find her voice in time?  Or will she leave it to us, the people, to find and use our voices to speak for unity, freedom, equality and justice for all?  The media isn’t the only voice that should be heard, nor should it be silencing other voices.  Time will tell.  Let’s hope she chimes in soon as in “it’s about time to . . . ”    let freedom ring . . .   let truth prevail  . . .   let justice reign/rain down  . . .

One thing is certain, though.  Time’s Creator has set her boundaries and directs her ways.  Consequently, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,  . . .   a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”  (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

It could be said that we live in tough times, critical times, uncertain times, prosperous times, dangerous times, confusing times, trying times, exciting times – I guess it all depends on your perspective – nevertheless, Time will tell –  she always does – given enough time.

But this I know.  “He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”  (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

sincerely,       Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

that’s what I had as I thought about these life giving, life changing words from Colossians 3:16,

“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

The instruction given to me here is not to read the Word, nor to recite it or to memorize it – I am not told to study it or to understand it – no, I am told just to let the Word in, to let it come in and live and make its home with me.  After all, that’s what dwell means.

And it’s that word dwell that I like so much, it resonates with me in an unexpected way that brings with it comfort, peace, hope and joy.  Why?  Because to dwell implies permanence – it implies moving in and making a home with – it means settling down,  it means settling in for the long haul.

The traveler doesn’t dwell anywhere, he simply stays a night here, a night there.  And just like the rolling stone who gathers no moss, without the act of dwelling, no relationships are formed and gathered.  No wonder God wanted the Israelites to build Him a tabernacle as they wandered in the desert.  The tabernacle was to be God’s dwelling place among them, so that He could  dwell with them.  After all, they were His people and they needed His Presence to be with them and to go with them.

For the God who dwells in unapproachable light and who ” . . . sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. (for the God who) stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.”  (Isaiah 40:22) for this God to desire to come down and to dwell among His chosen people, is really quite remarkable.  Unfathomable, actually.

It is just as unimaginable as when Jesus left His home in glory, where He dwelt in that same unapproachable light and instead, made His home, dwelt, among us two thousand years ago.  Who would leave a palace to live in poverty?  Christ did, because that is where we were living, so He came and made His home with us.  Unbelievable!

And now I am told to “let the Word of Christ dwell in me richly.”  This is even better than His tabernacle Presence!  He is not with me but in me.  “Christ in me, the hope of glory”  What a difference a preposition makes!

Just who am I inviting in to dwell with me?  Colossians says “the Word of Christ.”  John 1:1&14 tells me, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  . . .  The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

There’s that word dwelling again.  The Word who came to walk among us, is Jesus.  He came to make His home with us – He came to stay.  Yes, He did leave this earth, but He sent Himself in the form of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.  “And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – (there’s that idea of dwelling being permanent)  . . .  the Spirit of truth.   . . .  you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”  (John 14:16-18)

Jesus is the Living Word.  “He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself.  He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is (are you ready for this?) the Word of God.”  (Revelation 19:13)   Now that’s a revelation!   (pun intended)

No wonder Colossians 3:16 tells me to “let the Word of Christ dwell in me richly” – Jesus and the Word – they are one and the same!

The God of all the universe wants to dwell with me?  wants to make His home with me?  How can this be true?  “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.”  (Revelation 3:20)  Now that’s settling in, getting comfortable, making yourself at home, up close and personal dwelling – that’s what my Heavenly Father calls (another favorite word of mine) abiding.

Abiding is living in that place of peace and protection even while walking through the fires, floods, illnesses, hardships, losses and painful trials I experience in this broken world.  They are not where I abide.  I abide in Him.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”  (2 Corinthians 4:7)  In this scenario, I am the jar of clay and the treasure in me is Christ dwelling in me through the power and presence of His Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active.”  When I respond to the knock, open the door and “let the Word of God dwell in me richly,” (I guess the richly part means I let Him move into all the spaces I have to offer, holding nothing back, giving Him free access to everything since it is now His dwelling place)   I have the Living Word living in me.  The Word is alive because Jesus is the Word and He is alive and active as His Word accomplishes His purposes when it comes to dwell in me and in whosoever will.    

My part is to “let”, to allow Christ’s words to dwell in me, to have their way, to take up residence in me, get cozy and make me their home.  That’s dwelling.  I just let them in, those Living Words do the work that needs to be done – in me and in the world.  They have all the power.

“So is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”  (Isaiah 55:11)

Oh, Heavenly Father, let Your teaching fall like rain and Your words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants, . . .(Deuteronomy 32:2)

Lord, may Your Living Word fall like rain on my heart, softening the surface, gaining entrance, making Your home there, putting down roots in the broken places, cleaning and healing and restoring, making Your dwelling place fit for Your Presence to abide – with me –  to dwell with me  . . .

“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.”  (Isaiah 57:15)

that’s me – the lowly, the contrite – the overlooked – the invisible,   and yet  . . .

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.”   (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

One translation says “your body is the home of the Holy Spirit . . . “,  that’s dwelling – that’s moving in and taking up residence.

In Moses’s day, they had to build a tabernacle, a place where their Holy God’s Presence could dwell among them.  Now, that same Holy Heavenly Father God, is willing to dwell in me and in you through His Holy Spirit.  The difference between among and in – what a difference a preposition makes in my life!

Christ came to dwell – not to visit  . . . Christ in me, my hope of glory.   (Colossians 1:27)

sincerely,      Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

that’s why as I write this, there are two (not one but two) plumbers in my house with all kinds of equipment, making all kinds of loud, random, overtly ominous noises, which doesn’t bode well for me, I think, nor for the possible outcomes to the plumbing health of my house.  Do loud, strident noises of all kinds mean things are going well and getting fixed or are these strange noises a harbinger of more, as yet undiscovered plumbing problems being revealed even as the current problems are being corrected.

I blame my mom.  Isn’t that what we do when we don’t know who else to blame? Blaming moms for just about everything is pretty standard practice, always has been. Actually, I think it’s an age old tradition.  So why do I think my mom is responsible for these two plumbers being here now?  It falls under the heading of “things my mother never told me”, that’s why.  She never told me not to put egg shells down the garbage disposal.  Who knew?

Well, apparently everyone else but me knew and has always known about this rule of garbage disposal etiquette.  I just never got the memo – and for that I blame my mom. Thing is, she probably warned me, I just wasn’t listening.

Some lessons are learned much later in life than others.  Now that I know not to do this, I am altering my behavior accordingly.  But I eat a lot of eggs, so I am constantly challenged to remember this new rule and to break this old habit of putting my eggshells down the garbage disposal.

Now I’m wondering what other important life memos I have missed.  Was I paying attention when mom was passing on her wisdom?  Or did I even think her wise at the time?  I thought there would always be more time with her – and then there wasn’t.  Why is that such a hard lesson for me to learn?  Do it now – don’t wait  . . .

tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone, including me – that may have been one of the memos I missed along the way – but with Kobe Bryant’s unexpected death we have all received that memo again, loud and clear – unmistakable –

tomorrow is promised to no one – not even to the rich nor the famous nor the hard working nor the wise nor the wonderful –

so  . . .   “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion,”    (Hebrews 3:7-8)

“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”  (2 Corinthians 6:2)

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”   (Revelation 2:7)

mom made sure I got these memos and the many more contained in God’s living word, His living love letter to me and to each and every one of us –

if I don’t want to miss any more important memos – I need to open up my Heavenly Father’s Book and read His message –

I don’t want to be saying at the end of my life – “I wish I’d known, but I never got the memo!”  

some memos are just too important to miss  . . .

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”    (John 3:16)

sincerely,           Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

then the heart is the doorway to that soul.  the difference? – with windows you are still on the outside looking in – you are an observer, not a participant, not a part of the person or their life.

but the door – the door gives you access – the door lets you in – the door gives you a place at the table – you can enter in through the door (only a thief enters in through a window)

my heart has become a revolving door – people enter my life and leave it at an alarming rate.  It makes my head spin, if not my heart.

I like the entering in part – there is always room for a new person who I haven’t met yet – whose story I haven’t heard – whose sorrows and joys I haven’t yet shared . . .

it’s the exiting part that is painful – so many things take people away – death, job change, moving far away, a change of heart (pun intended)

and people take so many things away with them when they go –  pieces of myself, that I have shared with them during our time together – confidences confessed, secrets shared, my affections bestowed without restraint – did they know how precious they were to me?  of what surpassing value their presence in my life?

these exits are usually without fanfare – no slamming doors – (can’t do that with a revolving door) – no doors shut – keeping people out – that’s the beauty of a revolving door – always open – able to let more people in – but also allowing them to exit at will

I guess if I shut the door no one could leave, (in theory anyway) but then no one could enter either.

it’s just a lot of wear and tear on my heart – people coming and going – in and out of my life – I get attached – I create a space for them – a place for them at the table – and then one day they aren’t there anymore – there’s an empty place at the table and an empty space in my heart – a space unique to them, that no one else can fill.

I can’t figure any way to stop this revolving door except to close it up – stop letting people in – let them look in through the windows but don’t let them enter in through the door – because the door to my heart is a revolving door and that means they might leave at any moment, without warning    . . .

but there is One who enters in and comes to stay –

“Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching.  My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’ ”   (John 14:23)

“Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.”  (Revelation 3:20)

Jesus has promised me His abiding presence with me, in me – to stay – forever.

“Now it is God who  . . .   set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”  (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

not only has He entered in – never to leave – but He allows me to reciprocally enter in to abide with Him  . . .

Jesus said, “I am the door; whoever enters through Me will be saved.  He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”   (John 10:9)

sounds a little like a revolving door – but the going out isn’t a leaving of the abiding relationship the sheep has with the shepherd, or that we have with our Heavenly Father-

I have His invitation – “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you  . . . ”  (John 15:4)  and I have His promise – “Never will I leave you nor forsake you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”   ( Deuteronomy 31:6 & Matthew 28:20)

sincerely,        Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

three words that don’t seem to belong together, in fact one might wonder whether they can co-exist at all.  Time will tell, I guess.  History has a way of revealing to us things the present succeeds in hiding from our view until it is too late.

As I have been pondering the concept of patriotism these past few days, Edward Everett Hale’s book, “The Man Without a Country” comes to mind.  Published in 1863, it is the story of a man who learned to love his country, although it was no longer his.  In that same year, a speech was given, by President Abraham Lincoln on a battlefield in Pennsylvania.  He delivered this two minute speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 19th, 1863 at a ceremony honoring fallen soldiers of the Civil War while dedicating the land as a cemetery for those soldiers.

Times were tough, the nation was in crisis and Lincoln was hated by everyone, his own party and the opposing  one as well.  His speech, which we now call “The Gettysburg Address”, was not well received.  By using the words, “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” Lincoln made the Civil War not only about preserving the Union but about equal human rights for all.  This did not set well with those who wanted slavery to continue.

In fact, in September of 1862, when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, the Chicago Times printed,  “a monstrous usurpation, a criminal wrong, and an act of national suicide.”  Lincoln should have been used to this type of personal attack by this time, as he had been criticized constantly from all sides ever since his election to office.

The Salem Advocate, a paper from his own home state of Illinois printed these words, “His speeches have demonstrated the fact that  . . .  he is no more capable of becoming a statesman, nay, even a moderate one, than the braying ass can become a noble lion.   . . .   His weak, wishy-washy, namby-pamby, efforts, imbecile in matter, disgusting in manner, have made us the laughing stock of the whole world.  The European powers will despise us because we have no better material out of which to make a president.”

Clearly, political hate speech is not a phenomenon new to our time.  Even without the aide of TV, Twitter etc., political  opponents could successfully assassinate the character of anyone with whom they disagreed.  Edward Everett, a famous orator of Lincoln’s day wrote in his diary of Lincoln, “He is evidently a person of very inferior cast of character, wholly unequal to the crisis.”   And Congressman Charles Francis Adams wrote this about Lincoln, “His speeches have fallen like a wet blanket here.  They put to flight all notions of greatness.”

Time would tell.  Time would prove how wrong they both were.  But at that moment Time remained silent.  Why was Lincoln so unpopular?  An article, “Evidence for The Unpopular Mr. Lincoln”  states, “The insults heaped on Lincoln after his arrival in Washington were not the result of anything he himself had done or left undone.  He was a man without a history, a man almost no one knew. Because he was a blank slate, Americans, at the climax of a national crisis thirty years in coming, projected onto him everything they saw wrong with the country.”

Today Lincoln is known as “the Great Emancipator” and history honors his legacy. Time has finally found her voice.  Well, her past voice anyway.  At present she seems eerily silent once again as wars of words rage all around our country.  Do we once again have to wonder whether our personal freedoms guaranteed in The Declaration of Independence will remain intact?

Interestingly, Hale, author of the book “The Man without a Country” became a Senate chaplain when he retired from the ministry.  He was chaplain of the Senate from 1903 until his death in 1909.  When asked if he prayed for the senators, Hale replied, “No, I look at the senators and pray for the country.”  (some things never change)

What would Hale’s prayer for our country be today?  Perhaps “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.”  (Gettysburg Address, 1863)

or perhaps Hale would have prayed for us to truly be “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”  (the pledge of allegiance)

united, with freedom and fair treatment for everyone? – does such a place exist?   sounds like a dream to me – a dream worth working for – a dream worth fighting for –  a dream worth dying for (many have done just that) – a dream worth preserving – the American dream  . . .

“if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  (2 Chronicles 7:14)

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His.  He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them.  He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”  (Daniel 2:20-21)

sincerely,        Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

seems a simple enough question if taken literally, after all, you are standing on something right now (well unless you are sitting, but soon enough you will stand up again) and when you do, you will be standing on a floor, on a carpet, on a sidewalk, on grass, on a ladder, on the sand of a beach, – but you will be standing on something.

Then there’s the figurative or metaphorical implication of the question, meaning where do you stand on any particular issue or idea?  This answer is not as easily ascertained by the casual onlooker and may not even be fully known by the person to whom the question is directed.

Nevertheless, we all have to ask ourselves this question, we can’t escape it or ignore it forever – where do I stand?  

An old Chinese proverb says, “one foot cannot stand in two boats”.  That seems pretty obvious to me, no explanation needed.  But unfortunately, we have two feet!  I think two feet could stand in two different boats, one in each boat, for awhile anyway, as long as the boats were close together.  Maybe while the boats were docked side by side this would work, even though very uncomfortable, unstable and precarious.

But eventually the boats will again set sail for their separate destinations, leaving the one foot in each boat person in a quandary or more likely adrift in the water, trying to find a foothold, trying to find a new place to stand.

I’m thinking this kind of a person, when he does find a place to stand again, may find himself with a foot in both camps.  This is our more modern version of the old Chinese boat proverb.  We use this phrase to describe someone who is connected to two different groups with opposing interests.  They may even belong to both groups without making a firm commitment to either one.

We call this behavior, straddling the fence, literally to have one foot on each side of a fence (not a real comfortable position to be in, depending on the height of the fence)  Figuratively, this refers to the person who can’t make up their mind and appears to favor both sides of an issue, argument or situation.  They simply refuse to commit and take a stand, they would rather straddle than stand.

That’s right – straddling is not standing.  The former is a poor imitation of the latter. It cannot be sustained over time.  Eventually the straddler topples over because his feet are not firmly planted anywhere.  They may even be suspended mid-air as the straddler remains on the fence.  

Why do we become two boat, two camp people?  Probably because we have two feet.  Why doesn’t it work for us?  Probably because we have only one heart. Matthew 6:24 explains it this way, “No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money.” (or both God and anything else)

I have to make a choice.  I can’t stand in two boats.  My feet may be in two boats but my heart can only be in one.  Joshua 24:14-15 makes this clear, saying, “Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness.   . . .  But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

No fence straddling for Joshua, he knew where he stood, where he wanted to take his stand.  Revelation 3:15-16 has something to say to all the fence straddling, two-boat, two-camp people struggling to find a place to stand.  “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of My mouth.”

I am the same way.  I prefer things to be either cold and refreshing or hot and warming, but I have no use for anything lukewarm.

Another old proverb attributed to Confucius says, “The man who chases two rabbits, catches neither.”  I assume that outcome has something to do with the fact that the rabbits run in different directions requiring a choice be made about which rabbit to pursue, but in refusing to choose, both are lost.

I need to choose and I want to choose wisely.  Matthew 7:24-27 tells the story of two builders of houses.  One built his house on a rock foundation and the other builder built his house on the sand.  When the wind and the rain came, the house on the sand fell with a great crash, but the other house  ”  . . . did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

It matters where I am standing.  I need to be able to tell the rock from the sand.

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.” (Isaiah 26:4)

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.”   (Psalm 18:2)

where am I standing?   three favorite hymns come to mind as I answer this question.

“On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand”  and “standing on the promises of Christ my King, through eternal ages let His praises ring”

finally, “Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand . . .”

that’s where I wanna be standing  . . .

sincerely,          Grace Day