Today I witnessed the changing of the guard, this age-old, unchanging event which takes place twice every day. It happens without fanfare, without pomp and pageantry, without the applause or the cause of men. But it happens nonetheless, and it is both magical and magnificent in its magnitude, mysterious in its solemn solitude and majestic in its quiet beauty. I had a ringside seat to this spectacle, with a perfect view and it didn’t cost me a penny. It was free, one of God’s many good gifts to me each day.

By now, you probably realize I am not referring to the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. To attend this changing of the guard this morning, I did not have to travel across an ocean. I needed only to walk out my front door and began my morning walk. The changing of the guard was already in progress.

The sky was brightening and the once luminous moon was now pale, fading fast while sinking slowly in the western sky. Simultaneously, in the east, the sun was just visible on the horizon, seeming to hover there as if waiting for the moon to fully recede so that she could take her rightful place in the daytime sky alone, without having to share her space with the moon. This is the daily changing of the guard, which I don’t always witness even though it is free and I do have a permanent invitation to behold this spectacle any time I choose to attend.

This morning I attended this changing of the guard as I walked in the stillness of the early morning, watching the changeover take place with grace and precision. For a time, they shared the sky as I walked, the sun and the moon, one rising as the other faded faster than it fell, so that I never saw it actually exit over the horizon. But this early morning changing of the guard reminded me of God’s constant watchcare over me, over all of us, over His creation, fallen as it is. This God ordained changing of the guard has been taking place since the beginning of creation.

“God made two great lights – the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the fourth day.” (Genesis 1:16-19)

In the evening, this changing of the guard takes place again with the sun setting, ceding her sovereignty of the sky to the moon, who inevitably takes her place in the sky as darkness descends. But the sun does not exit quietly by any means. Her sunsets are the stuff of legend. With the sky as her unlimited canvas, the sun leaves glowing streaks of everchanging colors, even incorporating any unsuspecting clouds into her work of art, until she departs in a ball of fire, in her final moments setting all the earth aglow while photographers and artists attempt to capture her disappearing work and poets write about her sunsets long after they have ceased to be.

Perhaps she does this because she is jealous of the moon and wishes to distract us from the moon’s quiet appearance in the darkening night sky, accompanied by a host of stars. When the sun does finally sink below the horizon, after putting on such a spectacular show, I am often surprised to turn and find the moon quietly ascending to her post without fanfare or fuss. Perhaps she is resigned to her position as the “lesser light.” Truly, her entrances and exits are far less dramatic than the blindingly beautiful sunrises and sunsets with which the sun announces to us all her daily comings and goings, her exotic arrivals and her fantastic farewells.

Still, I have to admit that there are many times I miss entirely this twice daily changing of the guard. That’s a shame because it’s free and wherever I am it is available to me. I just have to step outside and look up to be instantly inspired, encouraged and comforted – to be reminded of God’s constant presence abiding with His creation and of His sovereignty over it all. God is faithful. The sun rises every morning heralding a new day, a fresh start, another opportunity to know God and experience His love.

However, there are days I am unable to witness this changing of God’s guard because the sky is full of clouds or rain. So I do not see the sun rise and take her rightful place in the sky to watch over the day. But the sun rises even when I am not able to see her do so. Her light is blocked by dark clouds which cover the sky above me, preventing me from seeing the sun and feeling her warmth. But the sun is there, whether I see her with my eyes or not.

That is where faith enters in. On those days when I do not witness God’s changing of the guard, I can know that it still takes place. My Heavenly Father is still watching over me and over all of His children and all of His creation, even on the darkest of my days and nights. He does not leave me unguarded by day or by night. His light to the world is constant – the guardians even share the sky as they change places, ensuring we are never left alone.

I am reminded of Moses’s words to Joshua which are still true today –

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

Yes, the sun rises every morning whether I see it or feel it or not. God is constant, I can count on Him.

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

This morning I was reminded of God’s faithfulness to me as He gifted me with yet another new day – a day unspoiled, full of promise, potential and untold opportunity to experience His presence with me as I walked with Him into the unknown of what this day will bring. Only He knows what that will be. And that is enough for me. I am just thankful for the gift of being witness to the changing of God’s guard on this beautiful fall morning.

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

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

every sunrise/moonset and sunset/moonrise reminds me that this is so –

sincerely, Grace Day

“All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

Life – given and sustained by my Heavenly Father. Earthly days – the currency of that life – moments, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months that turn into years, years that turn into a lifetime in the blink of an eye – each and every day a gift from the Giver of all good gifts.

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

So how am I spending my God-given days? What am I doing with the mundane moments of my God given life? Am I recognizing the miraculous potential contained within each mundane moment of my oh so ordinary days? If these days are the currency that has been entrusted specifically and uniquely to me, I had better be spending them wisely. I will make Moses’s prayer in Psalm 90 my own –

“Teach me to number my days aright, that I may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

As I think about “numbering my days”, including the moments and the hours of which my days consist, the words of a favorite hymn come to mind –

“Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise”

That seems a worthy way to spend my time – praising God. All of creation does this continuously –

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4)

However, I feel like one of the servants in the story Jesus told His disciples about the talents. (talents were a measure of money or currency at that time) The owner was going away on a trip for an unspecified length of time. He entrusted each servant with money to manage on the owner’s behalf in his absence. One servant received five talents, another servant two talents and a third servant received one talent. No one knew when the owner would return. It was up to them to use what they had been given as productively as they possibly could in the owner’s absence.

Like the servants in this story, I don’t know when “the number of my days” will come to an end or when my Savior will return. I don’t know which will happen first, but either way, when either of those things does take place, my opportunity for making good use of the days I have been given will come to an end. I will be asked – “How did you spend them? How did you spend the “number of your days” that God graciously granted to you?”

How am I spending them now? Ephesians has some good advice for me on this subject.

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk . . . Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:15-21)

I certainly do want to “make the most of every opportunity” that God gives me to serve His purposes – because His purposes are always good. Mine, not so much. Mine can be selfish and self-centered. But God’s plans are for our good, “plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Some translations say “redeeming the time” which reminds me just how important it is that I use the time I have been given wisely and to the full, not wasting one moment of it. Even the most ordinary moments are filled with extraordinary promise and potential if I just have eyes to see what possibilities God has placed within them. How shall I spend the moments of my God-given days? Romans has some good suggestions for me.

“Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. . . . as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath . . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:9-21)

Ok, if I am wondering how to spend my time, my hours and my days – I think the suggestions above will keep me busy twenty-four/seven. Being joyful and patient, praying, sharing, blessing, rejoicing, mourning, practicing hospitality, honoring others, serving the Lord – all good ways for me to be “redeeming the time” God has given me. Like the two faithful servants in the parable, I need to be about my Master’s business while I await His return. In Thessalonians I read –

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

How am I spending my time, the currency given to me by my Master, while I am waiting for my Master’s return or for “all the days ordained for me” to come to pass? The days certainly are evil. I want to be making the most of every opportunity God gives to me. And I have this promise from His Word –

“May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

He will “keep me blameless” at His return. I am thankful for that assurance. I don’t want to be like the guy who was busy building bigger barns for himself and all his stuff when “all the days ordained for him” came to an end. He had been busy with his own business, not God’s. He stored up treasure here on earth “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” That didn’t work out all that well for him. I want to be storing up treasure in heaven “where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

I don’t know the “number of my days” or when Jesus will return. But I do know I want to be redeeming this time, rather than wasting this gift I have been given. The story in Mark 13 describes my current situation and yours, too, dear readers. I read –

“It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore, keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.” (Mark 13:34-36)

I have an assigned task – I want to be found engaged in that sacred assignment rather than in some frivolous pursuit when my time is up. This parable from Luke encourages me to do just that.

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. . . . It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.” (Luke 12:35-38)

Oh Lord, whenever You come or call me home – may You find me watching, waiting and ready – using the talents You have entrusted to me, busy about Your business not my own. May You find me redeeming the time for the days are evil.

sincerely, Grace Day

This reminds me of another question a popular ad for a certain credit card used to ask – “What’s in your wallet?” The implication is that the contents of one’s wallet are critically important and make a huge difference in the quality, experiences and outcomes of one’s life. More specifically, they want you to believe that if you have their credit card in your wallet things will go well for you – you will have access to “the good life.” They imply it is only their credit card which can deliver to you the life you desire. Well, if money (or a credit card) could buy happiness, then maybe what’s in my wallet would matter.

But I’m wondering if the truly important question isn’t “What’s in your wallet?” but rather, “What’s on your playlist?” Now playlist typically means music. It’s our “jam” – it’s the music we listen to while we run or workout. It’s the music that inspires us, gets us going, picks us up when we’re down. It’s the music we dance to, sing along with in the car – it is the music that is the backdrop of our lives, not unlike the musical score of a movie, always there with us, playing in our heads, sometimes softer, receding into the background, sometimes louder, getting our attention. But the music on our playlist is always there, playing continuously in our minds, influencing every aspect of how we go about our days.

Why are playlists on my mind at present? Because I just finished making a playlist for a friend at her request. But it’s not what you might think. It is not a musical playlist. It is a list of Bible verses for her to read as often as she likes, to take to heart, to memorize if she so chooses, so that she can “play” these Bible verses over and over again in her mind as often as she likes, as often as she feels the need for the comfort, assurance, guidance, encouragement and hope they provide.

Our playlists determine which tunes our ears attune to, which drummer we march to, therefore, what’s on our playlist matters. Likewise, any playlist of words with which we choose to fill our minds, matters greatly. And there are so many words to choose from. There are novels and poetry, biographies and plays, famous quotes and current slogans and jingles from ad campaigns. (I started this post with a quote from an old ad) So which words or whose words do we hold onto? Whose words do we want on our playlists? Why is the playlist I made for my friend entirely comprised of Bible verses? Well, Paul says in his letter to Timothy this –

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Ok, all scripture is beneficial and will prepare us to do good things in this world, because it’s all from God – so I can’t go wrong as long as I stick with God’s Word. That’s reassuring because I want to help my friend, not cause her harm in any way. “All scripture” means nothing in God’s word is off limits or not playlist worthy, so I have plenty of material to choose from for my friend’s playlist and for my own as well. I guess that means even words from Numbers or Leviticus, right?

Who am I to think words in those books not suitable playlist material? So, I took a quick look and came across these words from Numbers 23:19-20 –

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.”

Who says Numbers is just a book of numbers? Even if that were so, numbers are an important part of the telling of God’s story. Anyway, back to why a playlist of God’s words. We know that God says this about His Word –

“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)

That’s a good reason to have God’s Word on my playlist – God’s words are not idle or empty words, they are living words that have the power to accomplish His purposes in my life. And God’s purposes are always good and so much better than my own ideas for myself.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:20)

That’s another reason I want God’s Word on the playlist that runs through my mind continuously – His word is powerful and purposeful and will do His work in me.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

If I put God’s Word on my playlist, bringing His words into my heart and my mind, I give His words a chance to do their transformative work in me and in my life.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

That’s what a playlist of God’s word does – it renews my mind as often as I play it. And like any favorite playlist, I can play it over and over again in my mind if I choose to do so. God’s living word is always available to me. Another benefit of this playlist in this chaotic and confusing world, is that its words will guide me and I often need direction and clarity. The psalmist said this about God’s playlist –

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

As I write this, I am realizing just how important the content of my chosen playlist is. There used to be a saying – “You are what you eat.” (I’d be ice cream) It could also be said – “You are what you think.” And God’s word agrees saying –

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV)

I know I have a default playlist. This is one that plays automatically in my mind – one made up of the voices that surround me now and of the voices that have spoken for better or for worse, into my life throughout the years. These voices often come unbidden, enter in and take up residence while my guard is down and the spaces of my mind open, because they are not filled with anything of substance, only with those thoughts that can be blown about easily by the winds of change. Such are the thoughts of our current culture – unstable, constantly changing, fear producing, deceptive, divisive, often hurtful words that do not make for a good playlist.

But here’s the good news. I can choose my playlist! You can choose your playlist! We each can choose what we put on our playlists. We can edit them, we can change them, we can update them and we can delete words from our playlists. We can be intentional about what’s on our playlists. We don’t have to go through our days, moving to an unintentional or to a default playlist – the choice is ours. We can create our own playlist.

To this end, Paul has some useful advice for us –

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

“Whatever is true” – Jesus prayed this prayer to God – “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

That’s what I want, a playlist full of truth to guide me and to protect me from believing lies that will lead me away from the life God wants to give me. I chose God’s word for my friend’s playlist and I choose it for my playlist too. The words of the world are constantly changing, but God’s word never changes. I can count on that.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Today I will choose a playlist that renews my mind, teaches me, transforms me, guides me, guards me, equips me for everything God calls me to do, lights my way in this dark world – a playlist that is living, active and able to accomplish God’s purposes in my life. I choose a playlist comprised entirely of God’s eternal, living Word.

What’s on your playlist?

sincerely, Grace Day

That was my car this morning – a non-starter. I hopped in my car as usual, ready to head for work BUT – nothing except a clicking sound. The battery was dead. This came as a complete surprise to me, as I had had no trouble yesterday or last night. I did not anticipate this event, therefore, I was not prepared and I had no back up plan. (I have a spare tire but not a spare car at my disposal)

My oil light and my tire light had both been on recently, giving me a head’s up that something needed to be done. BUT there is no “battery light” to warn me beforehand that my battery is about to die, so that I can make preparations for this event and include it in my schedule when making plans. Because I can’t schedule or choose the day and the time that my battery is going to die, it is guaranteed to happen at the most inconvenient time. But then, is there ever a “good” time to have your car battery go dead?

I can’t think of one and this morning was no exception. I needed to get to work. I called Triple A and waited for assistance to arrive. Within the hour a technician had come, charged my battery and given my car a clean bill of health. As soon as he left, I got in my car ready again to head to work. This hadn’t been too big of a set back after all – just a minor inconvenience.

I decided I would call work once I was on my way. Good thing I waited to inform them of my ETA. I turned the key and . . . you guessed it – nothing! To say I was surprised would be an understatement. My car had been running just minutes beforehand. So, I placed another call to Triple A, starting all over again. This time I got a different customer service person on the line, who seemed to take more time than the one I spoke with earlier. This time I had to wait over an hour for someone to respond to my request for service and then longer still for them to actually arrive at my house.

With this new technician, the routine was the same as with the first one, but this time I was told I needed a new battery. This, I gladly purchased on the spot and had installed. Certainly now, with my problem solved, I would have reliability and with it, peace of mind. I count on my car to start when I turn the key in the ignition and today I was caught off guard when it didn’t start. “Replace battery” was not on my schedule for today. I had other plans. Reminds me of what it says in Proverbs –

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

I want to be in control of everything that happens to me and of everything around me BUT – I am not. That can be a hard truth to accept. I trusted that my car would always start – but even though it usually starts, it is not infallible, it will fail me at some point. That point came today. (just as it has come at other times over the years, each and every time unannounced of course) Maybe total trust in my unreliable car is a bit misplaced. I am reminded of what King David said about trust –

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7)

Seems like David lacked complete confidence in his modes of transportation just as I do with mine today! Misplaced trust can lead to a lot of disappointment and uncertainty. Who or what I put my trust in makes all the difference in the world. Therefore, I take to heart these instructions in Proverbs 3:5-6,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

To do this I have to give up my control over my life, or more accurately, the control I imagine I have and trust God enough to surrender to His plans for me. Surrendering takes courage. That might appear to be an oxymoron – but it is true nonetheless. Surrendering is not giving up (well it is me giving up my attempts at control) but surrendering to God is believing by faith that God’s ways are better than my ways, His wisdom superior to my own. After all, I am constantly caught off guard by events each day that I don’t know are coming. But not my Heavenly Father. In fact, I read in Isaiah –

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.” (Isaiah 46:9-10)

God is not caught off guard by anything, including dead car batteries at inopportune times. I am willing to cede control of my life to my Heavenly Father because I believe Him when He says this –

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Today, as every day, I choose again (and again and again) to trust in God, believing what Paul says in Romans when he says –

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“In all things” – in dead car batteries and in much more difficult and painful situations, in cancer, and job loss, and loss of loved ones, in persecution and in every storm and trial of life – I choose to believe “all” really means “all.” No fine print, no exclusions. “God works in all things for good” – my good and your good, dear readers. Why don’t I always or even usually recognize it at the time? Well, as Isaiah says –

” ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’ ” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Of course I don’t understand God – I simply have to trust Him by faith. Isaiah says this –

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, or with the breadth of His hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed Him as His counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way? Who was it that taught Him knowledge or showed Him the path of understanding?” (Isaiah 40:12-14)

If I am going to give up control of my life to someone else, let it be to God, Creator and sustainer of all the universe. After all –

“As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me Your shield of victory, and Your right hand sustains me; You stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.” (Psalm 18:31-36)

I will surrender control to God. He is my shield. He is my refuge. It is His right hand that sustains me each day. I will trust His ways over my ways.

sincerely, Grace Day

ps. hidden blessing of the dead car battery – all four of my tires were too low – I thought the tire light was a false signal as usual, but the tech caught it and aired all my tires to a correct level and no more annoying tire light!

Weather forecasts are constant, it seems to me. I turn on the news, it includes a weather forecast for the day and usually the week. Often, the news even leads with the weather, especially if rain, snow or a storm of some kind is expected. I turn on my car radio and again I hear the current weather prediction along with speculation about temperatures and other weather conditions expected in the days ahead. Everyone seems pretty concerned with weather in general and with weather specifically, when it includes the possibility of tornados, hurricanes, extreme heat or cold, or other severe weather events.

I guess we want to know the most recent weather prediction so that we can prepare in advance for what is to come. If I know it’s going to rain, I take my umbrella with me even though at the moment, the sun is shining brightly. I may look foolish for the moment, walking down the sunny street with my umbrella, but later I will be vindicated when it’s pouring rain and I have my umbrella with me. I then have the satisfaction of knowing I prepared well for the coming storm.

However, that is not always the case. More often, as it happens, I have left my umbrella in my car, so it is not with me when I need it most. I am caught off guard and unprepared for the current rainstorm. Such is life. Life’s storms usually take me by surprise, catching me woefully unprepared to weather them. (pun intended) And sometimes the storms I do prepare for, never come. Ever have that happen? The weather people talk incessantly about the coming snowstorm and how much snow there will be. People, including myself, flood the grocery stores, leaving shelves virtually empty as we stock up for the impending snowfall, which will prevent us from being able to leave our homes and obtain food.

So I prepare and I anxiously await the coming storm, along with everyone else. I anticipate schools being closed and look forward to how I will spend the time. But then, the promised snow does not materialize or it is much less than predicted, causing no disruption to my daily routine, nor to anyone else’s. All that time I spent worrying about the coming snow and how I would get my driveway clear and how I would get around – it was for naught. The cause of my fear and anxiety never became reality.

Still, I feel like there are potential storms brewing all around me every day. There are constant rumors of storms. The headlines and the news are full of warnings and dire predictions which would turn even the most ardent optimist into a despairing, fear filled pessimist, given enough time. The assaults on my psyche are relentless. From climate change to war to disease to high prices to shortages – there is no end to the predictions of possible coming storms. And then, of course, there are the “end times” predictions which have been around for years and are still present in abundance today.

So do I spend my time preparing for the storm? And if so, which storm? Can I prepare for all the different types of storms simultaneously? Or should I just be preparing for “the end times” storm? If I am busy preparing for storms that may or may not come, when do I actually live this life I have been given? As I ponder these questions, I am reminded of two stories. One about a field mouse named Frederick, the other a story Jesus told about “a certain rich man” whose land produced a good crop.

As the second story goes, this man had so much abundance that he had no place to store all his crops. Our story continues –

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:18-21)

This rich man thought he was prepared. Well, he was prepared to face a famine, he was prepared for earthly life but he wasn’t at all prepared for heaven. He prepared for one type of storm, but another storm (death) came for him. Jesus sums it up this way –

“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

Frederick’s story is quite different. He and four other field mice were preparing for the cold winter that was coming. Frederick’s four friends worked tirelessly storing up nuts and grains and other food supplies and straw for warmth when the weather would turn cold. Frederick, however, didn’t appear to be doing much of anything. As they were busy laying up supplies for the winter, Frederick’s four friends questioned him about what he was doing while they worked so hard.

Frederick assured his friends that he, too, was working hard, laying up a store of supplies for the winter months to come. Winter came and eventually, the nuts and grains and straw and such were all used up. It was then that Frederick shared with his friends what he had stored up for just such a time as this. He had stored up the summer sun’s rays complete with their golden beauty and their warmth. He had stored up the vibrant colors of summer which he now recalled in detail for his friends, so that they also could see the colors in their minds, brightening for them an otherwise gray winter day. And Frederick had stored up words – words which he now used to tell stories and to entertain his friends, taking their minds off of winter’s cold dreariness and making the time pass more quickly and more pleasantly.

What Frederick had stored up, did not run out – no one could take it from him, but he could share it freely with his friends. Reminds me of Jesus’s admonition to His disciples in Matthew –

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

So maybe the question is not which storm do I prepare for, but how do I prepare for all the storms that inevitably come in and out of my life? Do I collect more stuff and build bigger barns, or do I find a way to lay up treasure that can’t be taken from me? Peter mentioned this very thing when he said –

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

That’s the kind of inheritance I want – one “that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for me.” How do I prepare for the coming storm? What kinds of things can I be doing now? Matthew 6 gives me some good ideas, saying –

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. . . . But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. . . . But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:3-18)

Giving, praying, fasting – these are things to be doing in preparation for the coming storm. What else?

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Ok, acting justly, loving mercy, walking humbly, following God – what else? Like Frederick, I want to have plenty stored up in preparation for the coming storm. And the storm is coming, make no mistake. Jesus told His disciples this –

“As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:4-5)

Winter came for the field mice, death came for “a certain rich man” and persecution is coming for believers. (it has already come for believers in many parts of the world today) The time to prepare for the coming storm is now. To that end we are advised –

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

I find more advice about preparing for the coming storm in Ephesians, which gives me these clear instructions –

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. . . . put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:11-18)

“The day of evil” referenced above – that’s definitely a category five storm that I need to be getting prepared for now! Fortunately, God Himself provides me with the armor I need to weather the coming storm. And He not only supplies what I need to face the storm, God also promises to be with me in each and every storm that comes into my life, threatening to destroy me.

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

Like Frederick, the field mouse, in preparation for the coming storm, I want to store up things that will not perish or run out, things that no one can take from me – but things that I can share with others. To that end, I will do what the psalmist did –

“I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)

Having God’s living Word stored up in me, means I have the sword of His Spirit protecting me as I fight life’s daily battles. God’s Word protects me and guides me through life’s storms. So I will continue to prepare for the coming storm, taking Paul’s advice to the Philippians –

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

the storm is coming – I will prepare. I will –

“Set my mind on things above, not on earthly things.” Because “I have been raised with Christ, I will set my heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

sincerely, Grace Day

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (Matthew 6:6)

Do you have one? Do you have a prayer closet? Years ago, after seeing the movie War Room, it struck me that I should have a prayer closet of my own. That solitary place, providing me with a solitary space in which to be alone with my Heavenly Father, God. It is that audience of one that I so desire. Who doesn’t wish to have someone’s undivided attention? To have someone’s sympathetic and understanding ear any time of day or night? Such is the power of the prayer closet. I can enter in at any time.

“Therefore, since I have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let me hold firmly to the faith I profess. . . . Let me then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that I may receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

This morning, I took a long walk in one of my many prayer closets. That’s right. You heard me correctly, I have multiple prayer closets! After all, a girl can never have too many closets, can she? As I walked alone in the cool stillness of the early morning, surrounded by the myriad hues of green that are abundant at this time in late summer, tree branches towering over me beneath a clear morning sky, I realized I was in perhaps my favorite prayer closet of all. With every step I found myself crying out to God, taking Him at His word to “cast all my cares on Him because He cares for me.”

But it occurred to me today as I petitioned my Heavenly Father, that prayer is so much more than petition. I don’t want to neglect prayer’s other aspects and thereby miss out on all the prayer closet experience is meant to be. Surrounded by the beauty of creation, I found myself praising God – simply rejoicing in who He is. As I recalled our past together, I became overwhelmed with gratitude for His constant compassion, mercies, forgiveness, provision, protection, – the sheer power and comfort of His constant presence – my prayers of thanksgiving fell far short of what I feel and of what I know to be true.

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men.” (Psalm 107:21)

This led me to prayers of confession as again I realized “He does not treat me as my sins deserve.” I prayed David’s prayer – “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. . . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. . . . Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.” (Psalm 51:7-10)

Praise, thanksgiving, confession – then intercession. So many people came to mind who I wanted to pray for as I walked freely about in my outdoor prayer closet.

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)

Today, I am reminded that prayer is so much more than my personal petitions before God. Part, actually much, of my time in the prayer closet, I would do well to “be still and know that He is God.” I would do well to cease my endless petitioning and to listen instead for the still, small voice which is His alone.

“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)

“The Sovereign Lord . . . wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.” (Isaiah 50:4-5)

As I walked in solitary silence, just my Heavenly Father and I sharing the early morning together, I felt His assurance that He would be with me as I faced whatever this day’s challenges turned out to be. It was time for me to leave my prayer closet – this sacred space I shared with my Creator.

However, I entered almost immediately into another of my many prayer closets – probably my least favorite, but one I spend a lot of time in, nonetheless. I am talking about my car. I had somewhere to be, so I entered into the prayer closet that is my car. With the radio off, God and I were able to continue our conversation. I think of my car as a prayer closet on wheels – a portable, private sanctuary if you will.

Then there’s the time I spend on my bike, which is another of my prayer closets, there’s the shower, the kitchen sink, my favorite chair, actually my whole house now that I live alone, is one big prayer closet. Anyplace can be a prayer closet, anyplace can be holy ground, anyplace can be that burning bush where we meet with God. Anyplace where we decide to enter in to that private, sacred time alone with our Creator is our prayer closet.

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

God is omnipresent. As the Psalm says, there is no where I could go that He is not right there with me. Consequently, the world is my prayer closet. Alone in a crowded airport, I can pray. In my classroom, I can pray silently. (God has really good hearing) God’s creation recognizes that all the earth is a prayer closet for those whom God has created.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4)

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of prayer. Thank You, that all the earth’s a prayer closet, filled with Your presence. You are never more than a prayer away.

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

sincerely, Grace Day

Ever feel weary? or worthless? or powerless? or unproductive? – listless? lifeless? If you are feeling any or all of these things, chances are you may be a branch without a vine. Oh, maybe you were attached to a vine at some point in your past, but now you find yourself disconnected, distant and alone. You no longer have the energy to be productive. You find you have lost your place and your purpose in life. You, my friend, are a branch without a vine. (not unlike a rebel without a cause)

A branch on its own doesn’t last very long, does it? It soon withers and dies without producing whatever fruit it might have produced had it stayed connected to the vine. But a branch connected to a vine, lives, and not only lives but thrives, growing strong and producing much fruit. This must be why Jesus told His disciples –

“I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man (branch) remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” (John 15:5-6)

This word picture of a vine that gives life to every branch connected to it, helps me to understand why I feel so devoid of energy, ability, strength, direction, wisdom and purpose when I don’t stay connected to Jesus, who clearly said that He is The Vine – the source of all life. Connected to Him, I want for nothing, but have everything I need in abundance. Jesus’s supply is infinite – it will never run out. That must be why, as The Vine, Jesus issues this invitation to you and to me –

“Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.” (John 15:4)

Other translations say, “abide in Me and I will abide in you.” The idea is the same either way. It is the possibility of a constant connection as a way of life that is being offered to me and to you. Too good to be true? Yes. But true, nonetheless. We branches are invited to live connected to the true Vine, Jesus Christ. In Acts Paul explains it this way saying,

“For in Him (Jesus) we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

That describes life lived “abiding” and “remaining” not only close to, but connected to the true Vine, who is Jesus. When I start to become disconnected from the Vine, for whatever reason, I feel myself weakening, as I am no longer receiving the nutrients the Vine provides me continuously. But as long as I stay connected, I have everything I need in order to live a productive life and bear much fruit. Paul reminded the Philippians of this when he said to them –

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

A branch is created to live connected to a vine. A branch on its own dies. So for a branch, finding a suitable vine is a matter of life or death. And there are a lot of vines out there that may appear to be able to sustain life, but in the end, it turns out that they can’t deliver what they promised. The world is full of these false vines. That’s probably why Jesus was clear with His disciples when He said to them –

“I am the true Vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1-2)

I wonder if that’s why I sometimes become disconnected from the Vine? I want to avoid the painful process of pruning. I see it coming and I go in search of a vine with a more benevolent gardener – one who will leave me alone and let me do my own thing. Of course, left alone to my own devices (or vices) I will surely wither and die. Pruning is part of a caring gardener’s task. Even though pruning is not pleasant at the time, but actually quite painful, it is for the branch’s good. It is for my good, too, as a branch connected to Jesus. Pruning helps the branches to grow stronger and to be more productive. It will do the same for me, if I stay connected to the Vine.

As a branch in God’s garden, on His living Vine, I find my place and my purpose – to bear fruit – fruit for God’s kingdom. Jesus told His followers –

“This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.” (John 15:8)

The community and connection I crave, I find with all the other branches as I abide in Jesus, the true Vine. When I feel my strength or my faith fading, I realize in those moments that my connection is weakening and I may be disengaging from the Vine, turning my attention and focusing my efforts elsewhere. My joy and peace and gratitude slowly began to ebb away as I cease to “remain” or “abide” in the Vine. It is in these times that I realize I am losing my connection and I need to return and reconnect with the Vine, the source of all life.

Remaining or abiding implies permanence, implies constant, unbroken communion between branch and Vine. That’s what is necessary for me to live a “fruitful” life. Apart from the Vine, I can’t do anything lasting or worth doing. I’m glad Jesus offers me a permanent place on the Vine. I don’t have to worry about being let go – unless I’m the one that lets go. But that would be a foolish choice on my part, since apart from the Vine, I perish.

As a beloved branch on Jesus’s Vine, I have a permanent place and He supplies everything I need. The vines on the other side of the fence may appear greener, but they are not. Most branches learn that by experience and return to abide in the true Vine. Still, keeping connected remains a challenge as there are many things in this world that actively seek to separate, we, the branches, from our Vine. Good thing that when I am too weak to hold on to the Vine, the Vine holds onto me. I find this promise from Romans sums it up perfectly,

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)

thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your promise that nothing in all creation will separate this branch – me – from the true Vine, You.

sincerely, Grace Day

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

These familiar words are prayed often in churches of all different denominations, churches on every continent, churches in many different countries all around the world – these words are prayed by solitary individuals and they are prayed corporately by large gatherings of people. Every hour of every day, somewhere in the world this prayer is being prayed in many different languages simultaneously. But the words remain the same, the request is the same – believers everywhere are asking for God’s kingdom to come to earth, for God’s will to be done, for life on earth to look like life in heaven.

This request has not changed over the centuries and today we continue to pray – “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We are still waiting to see this prayer answered. And yet I read what Jesus said about this very thing back in His day –

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ He said. ‘The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!’ ” (Mark 1:14-15)

That was more than two thousand years ago, when Jesus said God’s Kingdom was close at hand. In fact, Jesus told this good news to everyone who would listen,

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17)

I don’t think the people realized just how near heaven had come. Heaven was in their midst. The promised, long-awaited Messiah had come and was now walking among them, but they did not realize it because they did not recognize Him.

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. . . . He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:14, 10-11)

“His own” were currently oppressed by the Roman government. They had long been desiring and looking for a powerful political leader to arise who would overthrow this government and set them free. This would be the deliverer that God had promised His people so long ago. Or so they thought. They were expecting a person with position, with power, with wealth and influence – they were not expecting a baby born in a stable in an obscure village such as Bethlehem was, a baby born to poor parents who had no fame or fortune at all – they were not expecting a baby such as this to be the Savior of themselves and of the world.

So the very people who were waiting and watching for the Messiah from heaven, did not recognize heaven even when heaven came down to earth in the form of God’s only Son, Jesus. God’s Son didn’t fit the profile they had constructed of their Messiah, even though ironically, Jesus fulfilled every single prophesy of their own prophets, all of which had been meticulously recorded in the Old Testament.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (from days of eternity)” (Micah 5:2)

The prophet Micah predicted it – a baby born in Bethlehem would bring with His birth, the kingdom of God to earth. The angels proclaimed as much on the night of Jesus’s birth, saying –

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

Later Jesus, Himself, would say –

“The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is already among you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

Jesus brought the kingdom of heaven with Him when He came to earth, but He didn’t remove it when He left and ascended into heaven. He left His Holy Spirit here with us.

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But 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. Before long, the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:16-19)

Christ abides with us here through His Holy Spirit, which Paul referred to in this way in Colossians 1:27 saying about the mystery of Christ’s presence –

“which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

God’s kingdom has come and His kingdom is on its way. Both are true. The kingdom of heaven is here, but not fully or completely as the battle between good and evil still rages daily everywhere we look. We are surrounded by this war being waged all around us and as if that’s not enough – this same war is also being fought within each one of us every day. No wonder we are exhausted!

As I look around, often evil appears to be winning. I begin to feel discouraged and defeated. However, I am reminded that I am to be calling down the kingdom every moment of every day. That’s the prayer – isn’t it? “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

So that’s what heaven looks like? – God’s will being done instead of my own. I keep waiting passively for the kingdom to arrive when as it turns out, it’s already here and I have an active role to play in calling down the rest of the kingdom in its fullness, which I so desire to see here on earth. As an intercessor, I am “called” to be calling down the kingdom through prayer – to pray for the people and the situations around me every day. And there’s more.

What does “calling down the kingdom” really look like? It looks like turning the other cheek until I lose count. It looks like a helping hand, it sounds like kind words being spoken instead of hurtful ones. It looks like forgiveness rather than revenge, generosity instead of selfishness. It is peace replacing violence, empathy replacing judgement, truth replacing lies, care replacing indifference, humility replacing pride, kindness replacing cruelty, acceptance replacing rejection, love replacing hate. All of these are choices I can make every day. They are hard choices. I will need courage and perseverance to continue to make these hard choices every day in the face of opposition – which is others choosing the opposite of what I am choosing.

Calling down the kingdom is hard work. If I want to see more of heaven here on earth, I have to follow God’s instructions about “loving my neighbor as myself,” knowing that God considers everyone and anyone my neighbor! I don’t get to pick and choose. That makes it a bit more challenging, doesn’t it? I find more instructions about how I can bring about God’s kingdom here on earth in Romans 12 –

“Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. . . . Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. . . . Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, . . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:9-21)

The kingdom has come! The kingdom is coming! I want to be a part of calling down the kingdom every day until it is fully and completely established here. And so I will continue to pray along with others all over the world –

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

sincerely, Grace Day (aka kingdom caller)

A friend just recently adopted another dog, giving her current dog a playmate and companion to keep her company while my friend is at work. Another friend is currently fostering two dogs after the recent death of her long time dog. And another friend currently has three dogs as she recently adopted one more. Why do I bring this up? These women are all single, due to death or divorce, so they live alone. However, their reputations remain untarnished no matter the number of their dogs because, as far as I know, “crazy dog lady” is not a thing.

But if my friends were currently collecting cats instead of dogs, they would all be called “crazy cat ladies.” Right? Now if they were married or children still lived at home, then “crazy cat lady” wouldn’t apply. Or if said women had cats but also had a dog or dogs, then the “crazy cat lady” label isn’t applied. Why is this so? Who makes these rules anyway? Apparently, for single women, dog ownership is socially acceptable, even cool, but cat ownership will get you labeled as weird, eccentric, or worse.

And what about horses? If a woman has horses that’s not a problem, no stigma associated with horses. No “crazy horse woman” category exists. In fact, being a “horse woman” sounds aristocratic, athletic, noble and even exciting. So what about single men who might have a cat or cats? I don’t hear people whispering about “crazy cat men.” Seems like men get a pass and are exempt from this label. That hardly seems fair.

Then there’s fish. Fish seem to be a safe choice for pet owners of both sexes. You can have as many fish as you want and no one calls you crazy. You are considered a collector, especially if they are rare tropical fish that you are acquiring. Even pet ownership of hamsters, guinea pigs or lizards doesn’t seem to carry with it the stigma that cat ownership carries with it for single women. Some would say the same for those who have snakes as pets but here I beg to differ. I think anyone who has a snake or snakes as pets is “a crazy snake person” be they male or female, whether they live alone or in a house full of people – I am willing to apply the “crazy snake person” label. (I apologize if that’s not very inclusive)

So who’s getting a bad rap here? cats or single women? or both? Labels, like “crazy cat lady,” whether deserved or undeserved, can be so confining and misleading too. These labels once acquired, tend to stick to us just like those name tags they give you at meetings and gatherings of all kinds. Sometimes you just want to peel the label off and start fresh. You don’t want people defining you by your past nor by your current circumstances. Sure you share a house with multiple cats, but there’s so much more to you than that.

I think perhaps this is how the woman at the well must have felt. We read her story in John chapter four. Even though we don’t know her name, we know quite a bit about her. She was a Samaritan woman from the town of Sychar. Jesus and His disciples were traveling through Samaria and stopped there for rest. Jesus waited by the well while His disciples went into the town to buy food. It was the middle of the day, so no one was there until a Samaritan woman came to draw water. This was unusual because all the women came to the well early in the morning when it was still cool and again in the evening when the midday heat had passed.

But here she was in the middle of the day when she knew she would be alone. She wanted to be alone because she knew how the people in her town viewed her. She definitely felt defined by her past and labeled by her current circumstances. Her solace was in isolation. That way she didn’t have to face the daily pain of open ridicule and rejection, the constant hurt of being judged or maybe more likely misjudged.

But Jesus was different. As the Samaritan woman approached the well, I’m sure she was surprised to find that she was not alone. No one ever came to the well at this time. And the stranger was a man and a Jew! She must have been shocked to find herself alone with such a person. But before she could retreat, Jesus said to her, ” ‘Will you give me a drink?’ The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)”

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’ ”

The woman questioned Jesus as to how and where He would get this water because she saw He had nothing with which to draw water from the well. She didn’t know who Jesus was, but Jesus knew all about her, including her past and her present circumstances. When she asked Him for the living water He spoke about, Jesus asked her to go get her husband, to which she replied,

” ‘I have no husband,’ she replied. Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.’ ”

It’s not surprising that this woman felt defined by her past and labeled by her current situation of living with a man not her husband. Everyone else judged her, but Jesus offered her something else – living water – forgiveness, acceptance, restoration. Jesus offered to her what she needed most – Himself. We read as their conversation continues –

“The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ) ‘is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am He.’ ”

Jesus revealed Himself to her! The woman at the well’s response?

“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’ They came out of the town and made their way toward Him.”

Jesus was fully aware of this woman’s past and of her present situation. Still, Jesus knew that neither of these things defined who she truly was. She was more than “the crazy husband lady” who had a whole collection of husbands in her past. She was more than a Samaritan, who Jews refused to associate with at that time in history. However, even though Jesus was a Jew, He recognized her infinite worth, He saw who she was in God’s eyes, not man’s blind vision of who they believed her to be.

And so the story of the woman at the well unfolds into this unlikely ending. Remember, she had returned to town to tell the people that she had met the Messiah.

“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him (Jesus) because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. And because of His words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’ ”

The woman at the well was now welcome in her town, where before she had been an outcast. After her conversation with Jesus, she didn’t keep the good news to herself about where to find the living water, she shared it immediately with the very people who had shamed her and shunned her for so long. How could she do this so generously? Perhaps because she was now forgiven, accepted and set free, she was able to forgive those who had caused her so much pain. She invited them to experience the healing and joy that she herself had just experienced.

Jesus knew the Samaritan woman’s label, but He saw through it to the person He had created her to be. And she fulfilled that purpose for which He had created her, when she boldly shared what had been so generously given to her, when Jesus met her personally, one on one, right where she was and revealed Himself to her. She believed Him and it changed her life forever.

We are more than our labels, dear readers. Don’t allow the culture to define you – your Creator has already done that.

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

sincerely, Grace Day

Yes, I have recently seen the movie “The Sound of Freedom” – hence the title of this post as I ponder the question – “What does freedom sound like?” “Just what are the sounds of freedom?” I have never lived in a communist country, never lived behind the iron curtain, never lived under a dictatorship or in a country subject to tyranny, filled with chaos and ruled by fear. So maybe I take the sounds of freedom for granted, maybe I don’t even recognize them for what they are.

But I think the opposite of the sound of freedom is silence, an eerie silence – a silence so heavy that its weight cripples the hearts and souls of the people it envelops – a silence so deep that any questions, any cries, any authentic human communications are masked, are muffled, are misunderstood, are misinterpreted, are stifled, stilled and eventually suffocated beneath silence’s all encompassing blanket. It is a silence filled full with fear, with uncertainty, with dread – so full that there is no room left for voices to enter in, to be heard, to make connections with other voices, that they might find encouragement, hope, friendship, community, wisdom, guidance – but the silence separates, isolates, eliminates all possibility of any cries for freedom being heard and being shared.

Freedom, however, is not silent. Freedom cries out with courage and conviction. All God’s creation cries out continuously in praise and worship –

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4)

Freedom can’t be silenced. When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem riding on a colt, the crowds were rejoicing, praising God and shouting – “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” The Pharisees demanded that Jesus silence the crowds of people but Jesus replied –

“if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:38-40)

Freedom has many voices, many sounds. Freedom can’t be silenced. Tyranny tries, oppression attempts to suppress, while evil seeks to eradicate every voice leaving only a fear filled, compliant silence – an empty space once filled with the wonder of words telling our stories, connecting us in a thousand myriad ways to those who have gone before and to those who will come after. Freedom is the legacy we leave unless silence takes its place. But freedom will not remain silent.

Our world is full of the sounds of freedom. Church bells ringing out on a Sunday morning from multiple churches – must be why Dr. King said repeatedly in his “I have a dream” speech, “Let freedom ring!” Freedom sounds like bells ringing out across the land. In some places maybe freedom sounds like drum beats heard far and wide, a call to come together for worship.

Freedom is the sound of firecrackers and fireworks on the fourth of July, the National Anthem being sung by the crowd at a sporting event, the music of a marching band in a parade, the voices of a congregation singing hymns, the music of every concert from jazz to country western, to classical.

Freedom is the sound of the prayers of the parishioners at a Catholic mass, the sound of the prayers of a family around the dinner table, the sounds of prayers offered up by ordinary citizens for their country and for those they love as they cry out to God day and night. They are not silent. Freedom is not silent.

Freedom is the sound of a cheering crowd at a sporting event, the sound of applause, a standing ovation, whether on Broadway or a high school production, the sound is sweet. Freedom is the sound of rejoicing and celebration – singing Happy Birthday or dancing at a wedding. Freedom is the sound of lament and loss, too. Free to gather in our grief at a funeral, freedom allows us to weep and wail together. Freedom brings us together in our joy and in our grief. It is silence that separates and breaks our bonds of trust.

What does freedom sound like? As a teacher, it sounds like the hustle and bustle of an ordinary day in the classroom, students’ questions, or the loud chatter in the cafeteria, or the debate team practicing for their meet, learning the value of free speech. I imagine at a construction site freedom sounds like the hammering of nails, the sounds of drills and saws and other equipment as workers shout above the noise.

Maybe freedom sounds like a judge’s gavel or a jury deliberating long, or the oath each participant takes to tell the truth – the sounds of the system designed to keep us free from harm when we leave our homes to shop or meet up with friends for a meal or go to the park for a walk – that we might be free to do all these things and more in safety, without fear that we will be attacked or robbed or hurt as we go about our ordinary pursuits.

In the movie, the sound of freedom was the sound of the laughter of the rescued children at play – finally free from their lives as slaves of those who had kidnapped and sold them, they were free at last from fear and abuse – they were at peace, they were finally safe and free. It had taken an extraordinary, heroic effort to locate and rescue these children, but they had been set free. They had their lives back. They now had hope and a future.

You and I have been set free as well, dear readers. That’s why Jesus came – to set the captives (that’s us) free. In Isaiah it says He came to –

“to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” (Isaiah 42:7)

We are all captives to sin, in need of a rescue, in need of a Savior to set us free. That’s why Jesus came – to set us free from the sin that so entangles and enslaves us. The cross and the empty tomb bear witness to the success of His mission. It is done – our freedom has been secured.

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

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

I am so grateful to have been rescued and set free. I never want to take the sounds of freedom for granted. The sounds of freedom that surround you and I, as we live here in this free country, are a constant reminder of how fortunate we are. I want to be sure I add my voice to the “sounds of freedom” each and every day so that freedom never goes silent.

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; . . . The Lord has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations. . . . Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn – shout for joy before the Lord, the King. Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with fairness.” (Psalm 98:1-9)

singing, shouting for joy, jubilant song, making music, harps, trumpets, blasting rams’ horns, the sea resounding, rivers clapping, mountains singing for joy – these are the irrepressible sounds of freedom – the praise and worship of the Creator of the universe – these sounds of freedom will never go silent – they cannot be silenced

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

let freedom ring!

sincerely, Grace Day