front porch people

Posted on by Grace Day

Are you a front porch person? Or are you a back deck dweller? My grandparents were front porch people. I remember spending time with them on their front porch. Grandpa reading the paper, Grandma reading a magazine or talking to whoever was with us on the porch. I liked the front porch because of the glider, that’s what we called it anyway. The glider was a piece of furniture kind of like a couch, but it moved back and forth like a swing, hence the name glider. This was my preferred seat on the front porch. While the grownups wiled away the hours in conversation, I spent the time moving back and forth on the glider. It was rhythmical, it was soothing. I could watch the world go by and dream my dreams, while my grandparents and mom talked over the events of the day and waved to neighbors and passersby, often engaging them in conversation.

That’s the thing about front porches – they are inviting. They are open to invitation and engagement with other people. Front porches are the places where people can hang out and catch up with each other on the day’s events. Or at least they used to do that. But as times changed, there was a trend toward building back decks and these became the places where family would go to spend time together outdoors. Now back decks are more secluded than front porches. They are not visible from the street, so they don’t provide the opportunity to interact with neighbors and other passersby that front porches provide.

There is an older neighborhood that I walk in often. The houses there are close together and they all have some type of a front porch. However, walking in newer neighborhoods, I notice the homes are further apart and the front porches tend to be small or nonexistent. There is no place to put rocking chairs, no room to sit, no space in which to people watch and visit with family and friends. Maybe that’s why front porch sitting is an activity of the past? All the front porches have vanished, forcing front porch people to become back deck dwellers.

Or did people first start adding back decks, which caused a migration to the back decks of our neighborhoods, leading people to abandon their front porches in favor of becoming back deck dwellers, thus rendering front porches unnecessary and obsolete? Who can say which came first? But the current reality is that front porches don’t seem as prevalent as they once were and by extension front porch people are a dying breed.

It would seem that back deck dwellers are more isolated from their neighbors and others, while front porch people tend to make the connections that allow them to create community where they live. “Setting a spell” on the front porch with your neighbors provides the perfect opportunity to get to know those that live around you and forge bonds of friendship. Who would have guessed that front porches have played such a pivotal role in creating community and combating isolation? Which is why it is too bad that front porches seem to be disappearing from our modern day houses.

Today isolation seems to be on the rise. We are more disconnected than ever before, even from those who live closest to us. Ironically, we are more connected via the internet, but less connected personally in the real world. Cyberspace is the new reality for many, taking the place of the person to person connection that has always been our truest reality. So bring back the front porches, I say! And with them bring back all the former front porch people! And let’s welcome in a whole new generation of front porch persons as well.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of the times I spent on my grandparents’ front porch gliding on the glider, eating Grandma’s cookies and listening to all the various conversations swirling around me, teaching me about life even though I was totally unaware that was what was happening at the time. There are a lot of life lessons you can learn on the front porch if you are listening. (of course back then, there were no ear buds, no cell phones, no video games – so we actually looked each other in the eye and paid attention to the person speaking)

That’s how you got the latest local news of the day – in person on the front porch. Of course some would call this gossip, but either way, be it news or gossip, it was delivered in person, not on Instagram, or Facebook or Twitter, or some other social media platform. Today we look at our phones to see what’s scrolling and trending. Turns out it’s gossip disguised as news, just like on the front porch. I guess some things don’t change after all. Just method of delivery has changed from in-person to online.

Maybe that’s why front porches are no longer so important. We can get our news/gossip from the internet, so who needs real life neighbors anyway? We find ourselves attempting to build community with people we won’t necessarily ever meet, rather than building relationships with the people living around us that we could interact with personally if we made the choice to do so. And that’s where front porches come in handy, providing that perfect low-tech platform for human interaction and conversation to take place.

Whether it be the friendly front stoop or the spacious veranda with rocking chairs all lined up, a front porch by any name is a good place to pass the time with family, friends and neighbors. Jesus said the second greatest commandment is – “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Well, I can’t love my neighbor if I don’t know my neighbor, now can I? To this end, the front porch seems an invaluable asset in this pursuit of knowing and loving the people that live around me.

With loneliness born of isolation on the rise, maybe it’s time for back deck dwellers to become front porch people once again. The connections and community that come out of ordinary front porch conversations are often extraordinary. These grassroots relationships can carry a community forward in creating a place where neighbors are no longer strangers but friends who look out for one another. A change for the better. A way to alleviate the isolation people feel that is so prevalent today. And it all starts on our front porches! That’s reason enough to pull up a chair and set a spell – reason enough to become a front porch person. Because it’s front porch people who will change this world for the better, one conversation at a time, one listening ear at a time, one kind, encouraging word at a time.

sincerely, Grace Day

hope and faith

Posted on by Grace Day

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

These two things are inextricably linked – hope and faith. It is because of my faith in God that I have hope. And it is this hope that sustains. 

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” (Hebrews 6:19)

Hope may be my anchor, but it is hope that gives me wings as well, allowing me to soar.

“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)

I need hope’s anchor during life’s many storms. The beauty of this anchor of hope is that it allows me to soar during the storm, through the storm, in the storm, (kind of like Daniel’s three friends walking around “unharmed and unbound” (free) while they were still in that overheated furnace of King Nebuchadnezzar) above the storm – an anchor with wings does that. An anchor with wings? – only hope born of faith in God gives such a gift as this – a winged anchor. It is hope and faith that make such a gift as this even possible. But then - 

“Everything is possible for him who believes.” Jesus said this to the father of a boy possessed since childhood of an evil spirit. The boy’s father asked Jesus to help his son, exclaiming, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Then Jesus healed the boy, casting the demonic spirit out of him for good. Hope and faith – believing for the impossible! This father dared to hope for the impossible – the healing of his son. He dared to believe that Jesus could accomplish this long desired restoration of his child to health. He asked Jesus for the gift of faith to believe – to believe Jesus for the impossible miracle he had waited so long to experience.

Hope believes against all odds. Faith stays the course until hope becomes reality.

Hope believes there is light, even when surrounded by darkness. Faith finds its way through the darkness to that light.

Hope believes what is broken can be mended. Faith finds a way to do the mending.

Hope believes the lost will be found. Faith finds the lost and brings them home.

Hope believes there is life after death. Faith holds on until that promised eternal life is entered into, eclipsing death permanently.

hope and faith – the psalmist says –

“No one whose hope is in You (God) will ever be put to shame,” (Psalm 25:3)

The writer of Hebrews tells us –

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) 

I will hold onto hope and follow in faith where my Heavenly Father leads – after all –

“We walk by faith; not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) 

my “hope” for you today, dear readers, as for myself, is this –

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

“For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” (Galatians 5:5)

living each day by faith with hope,

sincerely,  Grace Day 

 

 

waiting on a word

Posted on by Grace Day

Ever feel like God is silent and you’re stuck, afraid to make a move while waiting to hear a word from Him – any word, any word would do. You desire God’s guidance and direction, but you’re not receiving the clear message from Him that you are longing to hear. Elijah was desperate to hear God’s voice. Elijah was on the run, fearing for his life and he ended up hiding in a cave. It was then that –

“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ “ (1 Kings 19:11) The story continues –

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ “ (1 Kings 19:11-13) 

In Elijah’s experience, God’s voice wasn’t loud. God didn’t shout above the howling of the wind or over the chaos of the earthquake or over the roaring of the fire. But in the quiet following those events, Elijah heard God’s gentle whisper speaking to him personally. Maybe that’s why I am told to –

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

I need to come away from all the noise, busyness and chaos that often surround me during my days, in order to hear God’s voice. It’s not that He isn’t speaking, it’s that I’m not in a place where I can hear Him. Perhaps that’s why Psalm 23 says –

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:2)

God is calling me to come away to a quiet place where I can be alone with Him, a place where I can hear His voice, a place where His voice is the only voice. But ironically, surrounded by the din of everyday life, I don’t hear His call, so I don’t heed His call. I don’t respond to His kind invitation to come away to those green pastures and quiet waters where I can be still and know Him because I never received the invite in the first place.  

For me, it is not gale force winds, nor earthquakes, nor fires that prevent me from hearing God’s voice. No, it’s more likely to be the busyness surrounding me at work, or the chaos of the crowd’s multiple voices at whatever event I am attending, (including church sometimes?) that keep me from hearing God’s still, gentle yet urgent whisper. When I am alone, it is likely to be the conversations coming from my TV or the music from my radio that intrude upon what otherwise would be some solitude, providing me that much needed break from a constant barrage of voices. So why do I turn on the TV or the radio if it’s God’s voice I am longing to hear?

God is asking me to come away and to be still. But I am so busy complaining about His silence, that I’m not listening, so of course I don’t hear Him. At the same time, I am desperately desiring to receive a word from Him. Time to admit it’s me, not God, after all. Time for me to make some changes. God did say,

” ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)

“And those who diligently seek Me will find Me.” (Proverbs 8:17)

“This is what the Lord says, . . . ’Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ “ (Jeremiah 33:3)

And the Psalmist said this –

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

I have God’s promise. I have His Word that He hears me and that He will answer me. Maybe it’s time I turned off the TV, silenced my cell phone, shut off the radio and spent some time in His word or walking out in His world. God always hears my voice when I cry out to Him. But I don’t reciprocate by always listening for and hearing His voice. Too often, I let many other voices drown out the one voice I really want to hear and need to hear – the gentle whisper voice that Elijah heard after the wind, the earthquake and the fire. 

Sometimes it’s the voices in my head that are the loud ones. They can be louder than the voices that surround me in the world. There are a lot of voices competing for my attention, but the voice I want to hear and to follow is the voice of the Good Shepherd, because He’s the one who leads me into green pastures and beside still waters. Jesus said this –

“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27-28)

Listening to the voice of my Shepherd and Savior – that’s the voice that leads me down the path to eternal life. Jesus said “they follow Me. I give them eternal life.” I can’t follow His voice if I don’t hear it. And I can’t hear His voice if I don’t listen for and to His voice above all the other voices vying for my attention and allegiance in this life. I have to choose to “be still and know” – I have to choose whose voice I will follow and obey. The voices in this world can be both loud and alluring. The voices in my head are often louder still. They can be more cajoling, more enticing, more deceptive, more damaging, more destructive, more accusatory even than the world’s voices because they originate with the enemy of my soul – the accuser of the brethren. Proverbs explains it this way - 

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25)

That’s right. These words occur twice in the book of Proverbs. Must be a pretty important message and the Author, God, wants to be sure we are listening. Listening to other people’s voices will not lead me where I want to go. It is God’s voice alone that will lead me through the valley of the shadow of death, (preparing a feast for me right in front of my enemies) through the desert, (delivering fresh manna every morning) through the flood (Noah listened to God’s voice telling him to build a really big boat even though it had never rained) – through every circumstance, it is God’s guidance, by His voice alone, that will lead me along the path He has prepared for me. His voice will lead me into eternal life with Him.

So I had better learn to listen and to listen well. As I become still, a favorite hymn from childhood fills my mind. Its music becomes the voice I hear in my head, a voice singing – “This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears, all nature sings and round me rings, the music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world, in the rustling grass, I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere.” I think I was a better listener when I was a child. Maybe there were not so many voices surrounding me then, including social media? 

At any rate, today and everyday, I will purpose to pray the prayer Samuel prayed as a child. Then I will endeavor to “be still.”

“Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:9) 

listening and longing to hear Your loving, leading, life-giving voice above all other voices,

sincerely,  Grace Day     

   

 

  

this is NOT a drill

Posted on by Grace Day

Actually, yesterday it was a drill. Today it was not. Today it was the real thing.  Yesterday, we all knew beforehand that this drill would take place and when it would happen. We were given specific written instructions detailing everything that needed to be done during this practice run we call “an armed intruder drill.” Today, the announcement coming over the loudspeaker into my classroom telling us we were in a lockdown situation caught me by surprise, completely off guard and unaware that there was a dangerous situation in our high school building at that very moment. How ironic it is that we had just done a pretend enactment of our response to just such a situation only twenty-four hours before this real life event.

I think that’s why it didn’t seem real at first. Yesterday, the students in my classroom and I had gone through all the required motions, complying with everything we were told to do. However, it was simply that – we were going through the motions – turning off lights, pulling window shades, locking classroom doors, moving against the wall in order not to be visible from the hallway through the windows in the classroom door, turning cell phones to silent and keeping quiet so as not to be detected. We did all these things but there was no sense of urgency in our actions. We were relaxed. What we did or didn’t do, did not seem to really matter. Our choices did not seem all that important to any of us at the time. After all, it was only a drill.

However, today it was NOT a drill. Our situation was very real. Our mistake would be to behave as if it were only a drill. We are used to drills. We have fire drills, tornado drills, (in some places earthquake drills?) and armed intruder drills. In these situations, our mistakes don’t matter because it’s just pretend. It is not real. But when things are real or true, mistakes matter. When it is not a drill, our decisions will mean the difference between life and death. 

So I’m thinking it’s important in life that I know the difference between a drill and the real thing. Because in a drill, it’s all pretend, so nothing I do matters and there are no real consequences. But in real life – everything I do matters and the consequences are very real. This brings to mind the parable of the servants whose master went away for awhile and entrusted them with some specific things to take care of while he was away. Their master’s return was a certainty, even though the servants didn’t know when that would happen. Nevertheless, this was not a drill. At some point their master would return and they would be called to account for what they had done or not done in his absence. The story is told in Matthew –

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. . . . After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. . . . ’Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! . . . Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “ (Matthew 25:14-21)

The servant with the two talents also doubled what he had been given to manage in his master’s absence. But the third servant did nothing with what he had been given. Perhaps he thought it was just a drill, so what he did didn’t really matter one way or the other, and maybe he even doubted his master’s eventual return? We are told he knew his master was a hard man, so he was afraid and did nothing but hide what he’d been given. Unlike the first two men, the third one received no reward. In fact, we are told this is what happened to him –

“And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30) 

Today we sat in silence in our darkened third floor classroom for a little over an hour, not knowing what was happening in the rest of the building, nor specifically why we were in lockdown at all. Some may have begun to doubt that this situation was real as time wore on, perhaps deciding it was just a drill. After a while, we began to hear conversation and careless laughter from the classroom next door. It sounded like they were having a good time. I guess they had decided this was a drill, so how they chose to act didn’t matter. We received no further instructions or communication during the hour we waited, until at last we were dismissed from class to go home, as it was now the end of the school day. 

I realized today, my life is not a drill. It is the real thing. Every day is the real thing. So what I do matters. My Savior has redeemed me, restored me and given me many good gifts and talents that I am to put to good use while He is away. He is coming again! Many doubt His return and begin to think this life is only a drill – but this life is the real thing. It is NOT a drill! However, unlike lockdown protocol, I don’t have to sit in a darkened room waiting for His return. Jesus’s instructions to His disciples were pretty clear before He left them.

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.’ . . . After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God.” (Mark 16:15 & 19)

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Like the servants in the parable, entrusted with their master’s talents, I have been entrusted with the wonderful news of the gospel and the command not to keep it to myself (or bury it as the one servant did) but to freely share the good news with anyone and everyone who will listen. This life is NOT a drill – this is real! Jesus is coming again. In the meantime, what I choose to do with the days and the gifts (talents) God gives to me matters. How will I spend the treasure, the talents and the time on this earth that God has graciously granted just to me? My choices have consequences – eternal consequences. Like the servants in the story, when Jesus returns, I want Him to find that I have wisely used what He has entrusted to me. Like Luke 12:37 says,

“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.”

This life is NOT a drill – it is preparation for eternity. It is preparation for Jesus’s return. How you and I live each day matters to our Heavenly Father. I want to live each day with purpose, with passion and with the urgency that knowing this is NOT a drill demands of me. The return of my Lord and Savior, Jesus, may not seem imminent to me, but His promise to return is real – this is NOT a drill!  So the question is –

” . . . when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) 

I will live my God given life like it’s real – because it is. Jesus is coming back for His bride! (that’s you and me!) This is NOT a drill!

sincerely,  Grace Day 

 

 

 

 

 

workplace woes

Posted on by Grace Day

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’ . . . God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:27-28 & 31) 

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (Genesis 2:15)

Doesn’t this sound like such a good plan for living a meaningful, purposeful life. God put us, humans, in charge of all He created. We were to oversee and care for all the plants and all the animals and to “be fruitful and multiply.” In this perfect, sinless world, mankind was given a perfect plan and a perfect purpose, courtesy of our all-wise Maker. We were also given free will – the gift of the freedom to make our own choices. This would ultimately prove to be our downfall. You and I were created for communion and harmony with each other and with our Creator, God. In the garden, Adam and Eve enjoyed both of these things. But from chapter one of Genesis to chapter three, something happens which causes things to take a drastic turn. With one decision, everything becomes dramatically different, but not for the better. 

Work was one of those things that changed drastically. Once a source of purpose and pleasure, a way to use our talents and to help others – work now became something difficult and painful. The following words describe Adam and Eve’s new, irrevocably altered reality.

“To the woman He (God) said, ‘I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.’ “ (Genesis 3:16)  

“To Adam He (God) said, ‘Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ ‘Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.’ “ (Genesis 3:17-19) 

Originally, work was not a curse nor was work a punishment. Work was one of God’s many good gifts. However, work became cursed along with everything else, when Eve and Adam chose their own way over God’s good plan for them, thus ushering in sin and separation from their Holy Creator, who cannot look upon sin. God cast them out of the garden, but in His great mercy, not before He made them clothes to wear to cover their nakedness. 

Today, we still struggle with work and its place in our lives. No matter our vocation, we still feel as if we are toiling away, earning a living by “the sweat of our brow.” We don’t think of work today as one of God’s good gifts. We may think of work as what we have to do in order to earn a living and in the process work often becomes our identity and our purpose in life. When this is true, losing our jobs (or retirement) often causes us to lose our purpose and our identity, just as we may feel our identities and life purposes changing with every job change we experience. 

However, when our true identity and our true purpose are found in knowing our Creator and living according to His good plan and purpose for our lives, our identity and purpose are not constantly in flux. Jobs will come and go, but we are always who God made us to be. We are made in His image. We are created for His purposes. And His purposes are always good.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Searching for that elusive perfect job continues to be quite common among those I know and among people in general it seems. So many people are unhappy in their workplaces and desire to find other employment, even if they aren’t sure exactly what that “dream job” would be. We hear a lot about the “toxic workplace” today. This seems to be code for having a difficult or demanding boss or for having coworkers that are hard to get along with for whatever reason. In the world of work, the grass always seems to be greener in the other workplaces, until we get there and find out that it was an illusion all along. All jobs have their challenges and their rewards, there is no perfect job. But Paul had some good advice, which he shared in Colossians, saying this –

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

This change in perspective certainly makes a difference in how I view my work and the people in my workplace every day. If I am looking to my work and to the people I work with, to provide me with validation, fulfillment, meaning and purpose, I will ultimately be disappointed. Working to please other people or myself cannot provide all those things. But working to please and to honor my Heavenly Father most certainly gives me all those things and more.       

Work is one of the many ways I can serve God in this world today. Work is honorable – all honest work is honorable. Our culture may value some jobs more than others as evidenced by the differences in how much the workers are paid. But what this world values and what God values are very different. In Ephesians I read –

“He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” (Ephesians 4:28)

So I work not just for myself or my own gain, but in order that I can be generous with others who have need and, in this way, bring honor and glory to God. In God’s economy, the value of my work is not determined by the size of my paycheck. Nor is my personal worth dictated by the sum of my salary. I spend much time and energy looking for and longing for that perfect job, wanting to be sure I’ve found “my calling”, when in reality, God can use me in whatever work environment I am in, if I choose to “work as unto Him” and not myself or the people around me. There are no insignificant jobs in God’s eyes. David, whose current job was being king of Israel, said this –

“I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:10)   

No job today is without its share of workplace woes. That’s probably why so many individuals complain about the stresses of their current jobs, why so many seem to be continually searching for a new and different job that they hope will be better, and why so many quit their jobs, even without the prospect of something else. Working to please a human boss or other people will never satisfy us or provide us the purpose that we need in our lives. 

It is possible for us to find the validation, fulfillment, meaning and purpose we so desire without changing workplaces. (since every workplace has its own peculiar set of woes, specific to itself) I find that when I change my focus, my work takes on new meaning and eternal significance, not recognized by the world, but nonetheless bestowed by God. All work can become a divine assignment. Consider what Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians –

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

whatever I do? – “doing it all for the glory of God” – that would most definitely include work!

sincerely,  Grace Day  

  

packing away the party

Posted on by Grace Day

That’s what I’ve been doing during these dreary gray days following the birthday bash the world just threw for the baby in the manger – aka the King of kings, Creator of the universe, God’s Son, Jesus. As always, it was quite a celebration complete with lots of lights (inside and out), merry music nonstop, plenty of presents (thanks to out of control consumerism) fabulous food, including Christmas cookies of every kind and fruitcake? and dazzling decorations everywhere you looked. 

But when the cookies are all gone, the music goes silent, the lights go out, all the presents are unwrapped (no more surprises, no more anticipation) there is nothing left to do but to pack away all the decorations that adorned my home during this season of celebration that has now come to an end. I kind of get used to the Santas and the Nativities and the wreaths and the candles and the tree and the stockings etc. during the month of Advent. I become attached to them and so have been reluctant to pack them away again, even though the party is clearly over. They will leave empty spaces and I will miss them.

So I have procrastinated parting with them, packing them away a few at a time rather than all at once. (I guess this is the opposite of ripping the bandage off completely in one swift motion, rather than prolonging the pain by peeling it off slowly) I chose the latter, so my melancholy has been prolonged in this after the party month we call January. Now January is supposed to be the month of new beginnings and resolutions. That means looking forward, not backward. Perhaps this packing away of the party is painful precisely because it keeps me looking backwards? 

Still out are my Zambian Nativity, complete with added Santas and a striped Pixie, and my kitchen windowsill Nativity with Santa bowing at the manger and decor displaying the words “peace”, “joy” and “hope.” Those words aren’t just Christmas words. I want them to be part of my life everyday, not just on holidays or special occasions. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and the angel did tell the shepherds – “I bring you glad tidings of great joy.” And of course, hope has been my word for the year two years running now and I see no reason to give it up for another word at this point. Hope is what keeps me going during the darkest, most difficult times. Hope is the light at the end of the tunnel, the anchor during the storm, the promise of what is to come.

As one of my favorite Christmas songs, “Because of Bethlehem” says about Jesus’s birth, “love is born, hope is here, . . . God with us all because of Bethlehem.” Jesus’s arrival here on earth brought hope for all mankind, hope for each and every one of us in every generation – hope for forgiveness and reconciliation with our Holy Creator God – hope for healing, redemption, restoration – hope for an eternal life with our Savior, Jesus. In fact, Jesus said to His disciples this - 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3) 

Now that’s a reason to have hope! Jesus came – the reason for the party in the first place – and Jesus is coming back again to take me to be with Him. So today as I continue packing away the party, I think I’ll leave my “peace,” “joy” and “hope” words in my windowsill just a little while longer. I want to take these words with me into this new year. The birthday party may be over but the “after party” has just begun, and while it’s not as advertised and commercialized as the main event, the after party is an adventure, a daily adventure, worth pursuing.

We typically pack away the decorations when the party is over, but we don’t pack away the gifts we received and opened during the celebration. The gifts are ours to use and to enjoy long after the party has ended and been properly packed away. God gave you and me the gift of His only Son, Jesus. Jesus gives us His gifts of peace, joy and hope. I do not want to take these gifts for granted in this new year. Nor do I want to pack them away and forget about them. When I am anxious and sad and despairing, I want to remember that I have been given the gifts of peace, joy and hope. Gifts that I can take with me and experience new every day as I leave the celebration of Advent behind, but take Advent’s gifts with me into this new year. I will not make the mistake of packing away Jesus’s gifts of peace, joy and hope. Jesus told His disciples –

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

King David said this –

“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 116:11)

And I love these words of Isaiah, which remind me just what hope in God does –

“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)

With God’s good gifts I can peacefully, joyfully soar on wings of hope in this new year! Impossible?

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ “ (Matthew 19:26) 

sincerely,  Grace Day 

     

every day is new year’s day

Posted on by Grace Day

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us (I will) rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

While today is officially New Year’s Day for me and for you, according to our calendars, it occurs to me that every day is new year’s day with God, because every day He gives me a clean slate, a new beginning, a do-over, another second chance. These words in Lamentations assure me of this truth saying –

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

I love that God’s mercies to me are “new every morning”, just like the manna in the dessert was for the Israelites. They didn’t need to store it up, every morning God provided what they needed for that day regardless of what had happened the day before. No matter how badly they had behaved, had missed the mark or fallen short, God still came through for them with the provision of the manna “new every morning.” Just an example of how faithful God is in spite of our own human inconsistencies. His word tells us as much –

“if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

I am grateful for the clean slate of each and every new day God gives me. As today is drawing to a close, I realize with some disappointment that I may have already failed to live up to all the good intentions I had in mind for today, but tomorrow is a new day – another new year’s day, so to speak, allowing me to start fresh again tomorrow with the sunrise. Every day is a gift from my Heavenly Father. Each new day is as full of promise, potential and purpose as the day we set aside as being that special day once a year. Every day really is New Year’s Day for me - a day that God has given to me, a day I can make the most of if I so choose, a day I can choose to live to the full.

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

Today I am grateful for all the opportunities and challenges that this day brought me. There were some doors I did not open, some things I left undone BUT – tomorrow is a new day, a day the Lord has made. I will make this Psalm my prayer this New Year’s Day –

“Teach me to number my days aright, that I may gain a heart of wisdom. . . . Satisfy me in the morning with Your unfailing love, that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days.” (Psalm 90:12 & 14)

happy new year world! today, tomorrow and every day, every day a new day, every day a new opportunity to know God better, every day another chance to do something good in His name, every day a gift from God –

sincerely,  Grace Day  

 

  

the Communion table – a Christmas table

Posted on by Grace Day

The Communion table is a table of commemoration and a table of celebration. It is a table at which we are each invited to dine. Known for being a “Last Supper” kind of a table – the Communion table is a Christmas or an Advent table among the many other things that it also is. It is a Christmas table because we celebrate that Christ came, even as we simultaneously acknowledge that we are looking forward to His return.

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given.” (Isaiah 9:6)

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

The Communion table is a Thanksgiving table.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)

The Communion table is an Independence Day table.

“for we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7)

Isaiah said he was sent to “proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners.” (Isaiah 61:1)

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

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

The Communion table is a family table.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1) 

The Communion table is a table of acceptance.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me, I will never drive away.” (John 6:37)

The Communion table is a table of provision.

“Abraham answered, ‘God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ “ (Genesis 22:8)

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

The Communion table is a table of plenty.

“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)

“They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.” (Mark 6:42-43)

The Communion table is a table of promise.

” ‘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)

The Communion table is a table of healing.

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) 

The Communion table is a table of hope.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.’ “ (John 11:25-26)

The Communion table is a table of infinite mercy. 

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him, as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103: 10-13)

The Communion table is a table of sacrifice.

“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, . . . But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

“Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

The Communion table is a table of redemption.

“and with Your blood You purchased men for God.” (Revelation 5:9)

The Communion table is a table of miracles.

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here. He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.” (Matthew 28:6-7)

The Communion table is a table of victory.

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where O death is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? . . . thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

The Communion table is a table of life.

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:12)

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

The Communion table is a table of love.

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

“I am the Good Shepherd . . . and I lay down My life for the sheep. . . . No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord.” (John 10:14-18)

When we come to the Communion table, we are invited into Christmas, Thanksgiving, freedom, family, and acceptance. The Communion table is a place of provision, of plenty, of promise, of healing, of hope, of mercy, and of redemption. Communion is a meal made possible by sacrifice, specifically by the sacrificial gift God gave to us at Christmas, the gift of His only Son, Jesus, who became the perfect sacrifice for my sins and for your sins, who gave His life that you and I might live. 

The Communion table truly is a table of miracles, of victory over sin and death. It is a table full of life and of love. And miracle of miracles, you and I, and each and every person, have a seat at this table. We are invited to participate in the Communion that is the Lord’s Supper. The choice is ours. The Communion Table is open to all.

“The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; (which is poured out for you – Luke 22:20) do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

I am so grateful to be invited to participate in this Communion meal, a meal full of hope and of promise – the hope and promise I so long for as I enter into this new year –

sincerely,  Grace Day 

    

 

Advent’s aftermath

Posted on by Grace Day

The party is over. That’s right. The worldwide birthday party of the King has come to a close. The songs have all been sung, the candles blown out, the cake cut and consumed, the presents opened, the festive foods eaten and enjoyed, the party games have all been played and the party guests are now all gone home – leaving wrinkled wrapping paper, outdated decorations and an eerie silence in their wake. This celebration has definitely come to an end.

Which is why the aftermath of Advent feels so, . . . so, so something indescribably sad and empty. When the candles on the cake go out, all the good wishes and goodwill seem to evaporate with the smoke from the burnt out candles, leaving the party goers let down and longing to experience again the anticipation that fills Advent in those days leading up to the arrival of the guest of honor, who is Jesus, the Holy Child, the Messiah, the King of all kings. 

Advent’s aftermath is always a let down after the frenzy of excited preparation and the fun of participation in all the festivities that accompany the celebration of Christmas. But now what? If you are asking yourself this question in the aftermath of the month long party that we have all just attended in some way, at some time – you are not alone. Mary and Joseph experienced this post Advent pause after the initial celebration of Jesus’s birth.

Think about it. On the night of Jesus’s birth an angel appeared to the shepherds, bringing them “good news of great joy”, then the sky was filled with the celebration of heavenly hosts praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.” (Luke 2:14) 

After the angel’s appearance, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus for themselves and to worship Him. A special star even arose in celebration of Jesus’s birth, which would guide the Wise Men to the newborn King, because they desired to see Jesus for themselves and to worship Him. All of creation was rejoicing at God’s gift of His Son to mankind. But the celebration wouldn’t last.

Soon enough, Joseph was warned by an angel in a dream to take Mary and Jesus and go to Egypt, because King Herod was searching for the newborn King, baby Jesus, with the intention of killing Him before He could rise to power. How quickly the situation turned from celebration and joy on the night of Jesus’s birth, to annihilation and fear in the months and years that followed. And this would not be the last time that human feelings and fortunes turned so completely and so quickly from worshiping Jesus to murdering Him.

Consider Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem years later, which is described in this way –

“When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!’ “ (Mark 11:9-10) 

This scene was quite a celebration of Jesus, it was an event full of joy and praise and hope. That’s why what happened just a few days later is so surprising. The same people who had been shouting “Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” were now shouting something quite different from before, something in direct opposition to their previous praises and shouts of joy. Their words of affirmation were replaced with words of condemnation, their joy replaced with misplaced anger. 

The crowd that had shouted “Hosanna!” so recently, was now shouting “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” in answer to Pilate’s question as to what should be done with Jesus. The crowd wanted Barabbas (a known murderer) released and they wanted Jesus crucified. How quickly this change of heart occurred! One day they welcomed Jesus in, the next day they demanded He be crucified.

So what will my own Advent aftermath look like? I made room, I prepared, I welcomed in the King of kings and Lord of lords with joy and expectation. The anticipation of Advent is over. The King has come. I let Him in. Will I let Him stay and make His home with me? Or will I allow the things of this world to crowd Him out? Will there again be no room in the inn or in my life for the One who gives me life and sustains my life? He has come to stay. Will I let Him make His home with me? His promise is offered to me and to you –

“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 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)

Let my heart prepare Him room, not a guest room which is temporary, but let my heart prepare Jesus a home, which is permanent. Jesus came to stay. He came to take up residence with those He came to rescue and redeem. (“those” being me and you, dear readers) Having prepared for His coming, I want now to move beyond Advent to the adventure of daily life lived in the presence and the power of Christ, the King of glory.

The birthday party may be over, the candles blown out – but the Light of the world is here to stay, to make His home with all who will receive Him. The aftermath of Advent is not the end – it is the beginning of the new life Jesus came to bring us, abundant and full. His mercies are new every morning and His supply of compassion, forgiveness, love and acceptance is infinite. Every day is a reason to celebrate with Jesus present. The “after Advent” party is just getting started and I don’t want to miss out. 

Lord, You say if I’ll let You in, You’ll make Your home with me. I’m counting on that as I open up my heart to You. In the aftermath of Advent, I don’t want to inadvertently push You out again. As the song says, “Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today, come in to stay, Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.”

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

sincerely,  Grace Day 

 

   

Advent’s answer

Posted on by Grace Day

Who is this baby in the manger, that He makes the angels sing?

Who is this baby in the manger, that He makes the heavens ring?

Who is this baby in the manger, that wise men leave their homes?

That shepherds shout hosana, the King is on His throne!

Who is this baby in the manger, that the world should rejoice His birth?

Who is this baby in the manger, that He brings such joy to earth?

Who is this baby in the manger, so filled with truth and grace,

that Wise Men traveled long and far, just to behold His face? 

Who is this baby in the manger, that He fills our darkness with His light?

this baby who will one day heal the sick, and give the blind their sight?

Who is this baby in the manger, that He brings the world such love?

He’s the Holy King, the Prince of Peace, He’s the Son of God above!

His reign shall be forever, His kingdom know no end,

He will come in power and glory, when He comes to earth again.

Now I know the baby in the manger, I know why the angels sing,

They sing for the babe in the manger, who is Jesus, the Heavenly King! 

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12)

sincerely,  Grace Day