I suddenly felt isolated, alone, totally cut off from the outside world. I needed to let someone know of my situation, but how? SOS came to mind, but no one uses morse code anymore. At least I don’t think so. SOS used to be the internationally recognized distress signal for boats, a call for help sent out in hopes that someone nearby would receive the SOS and respond. Although eventually replaced with “mayday” as the official maritime cry for help, today SOS is still synonymous with someone in dire distress being in need of a timely rescue, whether at sea or on land.

Full disclosure – I was in my own home when this happened. Alone, yes, but that is normal as I now live alone. So why did I suddenly feel so isolated that I thought an SOS was the proper and necessary response to my situation? I discovered that my cell phone was dead. Immediately, I felt the need to communicate with someone, anyone – but I couldn’t. My cell phone was dead and I no longer have my trusted land line. What if someone is trying to reach me? I wondered. How can I reach someone, anyone, without going physically to where they are?

Now that I couldn’t reach anyone by phone or text, the need to make contact with another person became overwhelming. I felt I should at least let someone know that I couldn’t be reached, but ironically that would require me being able to “reach” someone. Normally I would accomplish that by calling or texting but that was not an option at the moment. Hence the thought of an SOS or maybe smoke signals? drum beats? snail mail? (although, by the time anyone would receive my written communication, certainly I would have a new phone? – actually by the time anyone receives snail mail, the information contained therein is now “old news”, obsolete, no longer relevant)

I repeatedly turned my cell phone on, but each time it started the process, then said “powering off” like it had a mind of its own. My phone had been working fine earlier in the day and I had charged it earlier, so I couldn’t imagine why it wouldn’t turn on now. Was I going to need a new phone? This one seemed to have a mind of its own, turning itself off each time I turned it on. I had no idea how long my phone had been turned off, since I didn’t turn it off myself. Apparently, my phone turned itself off without consulting me first, without so much as a friendly heads up or even a polite “peace out.”

So you can imagine my surprise and shock when I discovered I had been disconnected from the outside world for an unknown period of time. This was very unsettling to me, as was the prospect of being incommunicado overnight alone and the possibility that I might need a new phone. In the meantime, I headed for evening church, taking my dead cell phone with me of course (out of habit) although it would do me no good in an emergency.

And emergency driving conditions are exactly what I encountered on my drive home from church. It had been sunshine and white fluffy clouds when I went into church, but when I came out it was a torrential downpour that showed no signs of abating. As I made my way home, I could barely see the cars around me or the lanes at times, even with the windshield wipers working overtime. Thankfully, traffic was moving very slowly, with some vehicles pulled off to the side under the overpasses.

In situations like this one, I am glad I have my Triple A auto club membership. They are always just one phone call away with reliable roadside assistance. I have called them many times over the years and they have always come to my rescue. But now the irony was not lost on me as I navigated this storm, that should I need Triple A’s help, I had no way to contact them. My phone refused to turn on and stay on.

And where have all the phone booths gone? Are public pay phones a thing of the past? I still see phone booths in movies, but then those are old movies. Then I began to wonder, do gas stations even have phones for people to use? Do businesses have land lines anymore? I think of all the years I drove before cell phones. We all did. And somehow we all survived. But at the moment, I am seriously questioning how in the world we all managed to travel and get where we were going and meet up successfully without cell phones. How did we do it? I am trying to remember.

A cell phone would have totally changed the iconic movie “An Affair to Remember” – but cell phones have changed many things, I realize now, as I am without mine for the moment. And in these moments I feel, as I said, totally cut off from outside communication, isolated and alone. (when you live by yourself, you don’t have someone else’s cell phone to rely on) This surprised me. It’s not like I’m on a deserted island. Why do I feel so disconnected without my cell phone? I don’t remember ever feeling this way when all we had were land lines.

However, in those times when I find myself most alone, I also find I experience most vividly my Heavenly Father’s presence with me. I feared being cut off from communication with the world around me, but it’s precisely in those moments that I discover the comfort and peace that God’s constant presence abiding with me brings. God receives every SOS I send out. He doesn’t miss a one.

“I called on Your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: ‘Do not close Your ears to my cry for relief.’ You came near when I called You, and You said, ‘Do not fear.’ ” (Lamentations 3:55-57)

“O Lord my God, I called to You for help and You healed me. O Lord, You brought me up from the grave; You spared me from going down into the pit.” (Psalm 30:2-3)

“I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:1-2)

“In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and You listened to my cry.” (Jonah 2:2)

God’s word promises me that He hears each one of my desperate cries for help, each SOS I send out when I am alone and afraid. His response?

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2)

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

every SOS I send out is received and responded to by my Heavenly Father – I am never disconnected, separated or cut off from His presence or from His love or from His continuous watchcare over me –

“for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

“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 me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

sincerely, Grace Day

Ever feel like you’ve become obsolete? outdated? unnecessary? In today’s fast paced, everchanging culture it’s easy to feel that you’ve been left behind, that you are no longer useful or valuable to anyone. Perhaps you believe yourself to be overlooked and discarded, thrown away, now relegated permanently to society’s junkyard. Feeling broken, whether physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually – is actually more often the norm than the exception for us human beings, who live in this world while anxiously awaiting our redemption, our rescue from the junkyard. We probably feel broken because we actually are broken. We have been broken creatures ever since sin entered into the garden and subsequently into our lives here on earth.

We are broken beyond repair – beyond hope – or so we are told often and our culture reenforces this lie. But God’s word tells us something different. God’s word tells us the truth. And the truth gives hope to you and to me. Yes, it’s true that you and I are broken – BUT we are not broken beyond repair, which means there is hope. Always there is hope.

“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:19-23)

So it’s not my imagination! Things are hard right now. Life contains pain and loss and suffering currently. BUT the good news is that this is not the permanent state of things. There is hope! We are looking forward to the time when “creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay.” (“creation” – that includes you and me) Furthermore, we are going to be adopted as children of God and our bodies redeemed!

We are not irredeemable. We are not irreparable. But we are irreplaceable. God knows us each by name and we are not interchangeable to Him who created us. You and I, dear readers, are unique and irreplaceable to our Creator. Jesus put it this way –

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31) In Isaiah I read –

“Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.” (Isaiah 43:4)

And that’s exactly what God did – ultimately giving Himself, Jesus, His Son, on the cross in exchange for our lives. Jesus came to redeem us because to Him we are irreplaceable.

It is interesting that our junkyards are also commonly called wrecking yards or salvage yards today. Those names both aptly describe the situation, since wrecked cars usually end up in junkyards along with other broken things, all waiting to be salvaged or saved from the junkyard. I think I know how they feel. (except for the fact that they are inanimate objects and therefore they have no feelings) But they, like me, are in need of a rescue. They are in need of repairs and restoration to bring them back to full function and usefulness once again. They need to be revived and redeemed.

I am glad my Heavenly Father is in the salvage business because I need to be rescued from the junkyard and restored to what He intended for me all along. My Creator specializes in rescuing, redeeming, reclaiming, reviving, repairing, and restoring that which has been relegated to the junkyard and given up for lost. Jesus made this clear when He said –

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

You could say that God is working full time in the salvage or salvation business and you would be right. The need for His rescue is infinite and He is able to meet our need.

“because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:24-25)

God saves completely and He restores completely, too. His word reassures me of this truth.

” ‘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)

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

Now that’s a makeover! That’s restoration and transformation. That’s the completed and the ongoing work of God’s salvation. Even when I’ve wrecked my life and ended up discarded in the junkyard, God is willing and able to salvage me and to restore me. King David had kind of wrecked his life and was headed for the junkyard BUT he cried out to God desiring redemption, repair of what was broken and restoration of his relationship with God.

“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:7-12)

God rescued David, God will rescue you and I too, when we cry out to Him like David did. We will receive our complete restoration when God rescues us from the junkyard. His word tells us –

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Because God is in the salvage business, I have hope and a future and so do you, dear readers. We need not despair. God is in the restoration business and we are His works in progress.

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!” (Isaiah 30:18)

sincerely, Grace Day

We held hands as we circled around her hospital bed, praying for a miracle, knowing it was only a miracle that could bring our friend back to life at this point. Due to an unintentional drug overdose, she had been too long without oxygen and now she was on life support in hopes that brain function would return and she would recover. Friends had performed CPR, then the doctors and modern medicine had done everything within their power to revive our friend and to restore her to health, but to no avail. Still, family and friends were holding out hope that this wasn’t the end, that she would start breathing on her own again and experience a complete healing.

As we gathered around her, praying over her, we were desiring a miracle of the magnitude that Lazarus received. Lazarus had been dead in the tomb for four days, yet Jesus called him back to life and Lazarus walked out of the tomb, grave clothes and all! We desired nothing less for our friend. Like Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, we were not willing to let her go, to live life without her. And so we prayed for a miracle.

We prayed for the miracle that we desired. We prayed for the only outcome that we considered miraculous – her physical restoration and return to life Lazarus style – well, life here on earth that is. Even Lazarus would still have to face death again someday in the not so distant future. But in the moment our sole desire was for our friend to receive the miracle of a physical healing and return to life with us.

We did not get the miracle we prayed for that day. Our friend was taken off life support and she subsequently passed from this life into the next without regaining consciousness. We are left behind, faced with the monumental tasks of mourning her loss, celebrating her life and ensuring that her legacy lives on, surviving her death.

No, we didn’t get the miracle we asked for that day in the hospital room – but does that mean no miracles occurred? I don’t think so. We were looking for a very specific miracle to take place that day. Our disappointment in not receiving that particular miracle, has the power to blind us to the many miracles that we have already received and continue to receive even during this tough time. Our disappointment may produce in us doubt at the very time when we most need to believe in the One to whom we prayed for the miracle in the first place.

Our God may seem most distant at the time when we most desire His presence. Today as I struggle with my disappointment at not receiving the miracle I asked for and with the inescapable grief that comes with loss – I decide to trust the promises in His word more than I trust the promises of this world – starting with this one –

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) God has said that He will –

“comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:2-3)

It’s a miracle that the Creator of all the universe loves me (and you, dear readers) with a love so incomprehensible that it caused Him to come here personally in order to save me (and you) from a fate that isn’t worse than death, our fate IS death, apart from Him.

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

“He made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:7-8)

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

It’s a miracle that God forgives me all my sin.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

“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.” (Psalm 103:10-12)

It’s a miracle that Jesus died on the cross in my place, to pay my sin debt.

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

It’s a miracle that I have been given the free gift of eternal life with Christ.

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

It’s a miracle that I have a place waiting for me in heaven!

“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 14:2-3)

It’s a miracle that I am invited to spend eternity with the Creator of the universe, who in a happy coincidence is none other than my Heavenly Father who loves me. It’s a miracle that He knows me by name and that He cares for me.

“The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.” (Psalm 145:9)

So many miracles – the miracle of forgiveness and second chances – the miracle of redemption and restoration – the miracle of the prodigal son returning home and the miracle of a father rushing out to receive him – the miracle of the reconciliation of the unreconcilable –

on a day like today it is good for me to remember that the Red Sea did part, manna did fall fresh every morning, the wall around Jericho did come down, barren women did give birth, the blind were given sight, the hungry masses were fed, hard hearts were broken, broken hearts were healed – and the tomb stands empty because death has been defeated!

life is full of the undeserved miracles of a gracious and loving Heavenly Father – I cling so tightly to this place because I have no idea what God is preparing for me – I am like the child C.S. Lewis refers to who –

“wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.”

It is true, in my human, finite state, I cannot comprehend what my Creator is preparing for me – so I pray for the miracle of remaining here rather than the miracle of going to the place He is lovingly, with great anticipation, preparing just for me –

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

we didn’t get our miracle today, or did we? Our friend certainly received the miracle of a welcome home with the outstretched arms of her loving Heavenly Father, who was waiting and ready to receive her into the home He has been preparing for her all along. No, we didn’t get our miracle today (the one we prayed so earnestly for) – BUT – our friend, she got her miracle today!

sincerely, Grace Day

Moses didn’t want to do it – travel alone, that is – and neither do I. Navigating the perils and the pitfalls of life here on earth, living life as one cast out of Eden’s perfect garden, is not something I feel equipped to do on my own. I need help. And fortunately for me, my Creator offers me the help I so desperately need, freely and abundantly, new every day.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

Speaking as one who is directionally challenged, I admit my constant need for direction both literally and figuratively every day. Just last week I found myself lost when the road ahead was closed and I was forced to choose an alternate route that was new to me. And it hasn’t been that long ago that I took a wrong exit and was hopelessly lost, finally realizing I was heading in the opposite direction of my intended destination! A display on my car’s dashboard told me which direction I was heading (N/S/E/W) providing me with confirmation that I was way off target, but not telling me how to find my way to where I needed to be. Full disclosure – I don’t have GPS in my car or on my phone because my phone is a flip phone.

This seems to happen to me in life also. I find myself wandering around, without direction, and therefore going nowhere. This wandering life leads me to wonder where I should be headed (pun intended) as I search for my purpose in this life. My Heavenly Father has something to say about my dilemma. He says to me –

“Trust in Me with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Me, and I will direct your paths. (or make your paths straight) (Proverbs 3:5-6)

If I ask my Heavenly Father, He not only gives me directions, but He also goes with me. In fact, I experience what King David talked about in Psalm 139 when he said of God –

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

This was true for the Israelites when they were in the desert searching for the Promised Land – God was with them and God was leading them.

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)

However, there came a time in their desert wanderings when due to their sin and rebellion against God, God told Moses He was no longer going to go with them. The Israelites would still be given their Promised Land, God would send an angel before them to drive out their enemies – but God Himself would not go with them. You might think that inheriting the land “flowing with milk and honey” and having their enemies driven out ahead of them, would have satisfied Moses, but it didn’t. Moses didn’t want the reward if it came without God’s presence. His response makes that clear –

“Then Moses said to Him, ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?’ ” (Exodus 33:15-16)

I feel like Moses did all those centuries ago – I don’t want to travel solo – I desire that God’s Presence go with me or I don’t want to go at all! No matter how desirable the destination, if God is not there, that is not where I want to be either. Moses didn’t even want the long anticipated Promised Land if God’s Presence wasn’t going to be there with Him and with the people. He made that very clear when he pleaded with God to continue to go with them in their journey through the desert.

I agree with Moses. What, except for my Heavenly Father’s Presence, distinguishes me and you and everyone else who invites His Presence into their lives, from “all the other people on the face of the earth?” It is God’s abiding Presence that makes all the difference. The Israelite’s identity was as God’s chosen people – it was His Presence that set them apart. Without God’s Presence, they were no different than the pagan peoples surrounding them, whether they inhabited the Promised Land or not. My identity is in God’s Presence with me, not in His gifts. God’s abiding Presence is what assures me that I am seen, known and loved by my Creator.

“I am the good shepherd; I know My own and My own know Me -” (John 10:14)

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

Moses had to plead with God not to send the Israelites on without His Presence. But not too many years later, we find Moses reassuring Joshua of God’s continuing Presence with His people. Moses told Joshua this –

” ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.’ Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, . . . 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 31:6-8)

Those words are still true today for us as God’s children – I don’t have to travel solo, you don’t have to travel solo, dear readers, through the desert that is this world. We have God’s eternal promise that He will “never leave us nor forsake us.” So you and I don’t have to be afraid nor discouraged, despite the often overwhelming circumstances that surround us on a daily basis because – “The One that is in us is greater than the One that is in the world.” It is our Heavenly Father’s abiding Presence that guides us, keeps us, protects us and provides for us each day.

I never have to travel solo, even though I am alone. I am so thankful for His promise to be always with me, and His promise to direct my paths, especially since I am directionally challenged and so easily lose my way. But even when I feel lost, I am reassured that I am not traveling solo, God is with me, it is –

“in Him I live and move and have my being.” (Acts 17:28)

Jesus bids me “take up my cross and follow Him” – when I am following Jesus, I am never traveling solo!

sincerely, Grace Day

 

I went to the front lines yesterday – the front lines of the battlefield, that is. I don’t recall being drafted. Then I remember that I enlisted and furthermore that I volunteered to go into battle on the front lines. And so it was that I found myself valiantly engaging the enemy along with other brothers and sisters who had shown up to do battle with the enemy just as I had. I was glad not to have to face the enemy alone. I was strengthened and encouraged simply by their presence. The presence of so many fighting beside me gave me hope that the battle could and would in time be won.

But at present the enemy seems to be gaining ground – so we gathered together to defend what we hold dear and to defeat the enemy who has taken so much from us. We wore no uniforms, we bore no combat gear, we brandished no weapons. We were to all appearances a peaceful gathering, come to fight for peace by praise, prayer and petition. Given that the phrase “fighting for peace” is a glaring oxymoron, we have determined to do battle in a daringly different way, with divine weapons and unconventional tactics.

Our instructions for battle are definitely not what one would expect, if our goal is to defeat our enemy. Here’s a sample of our marching orders –

“Do not repay 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, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ ” (Romans 12:17-20)

The instruction to “live at peace with everyone” seems particularly relevant today as crime and violence continue to increase in our cities and our suburbs, resulting in many lives being lost while the battle continues all around us. But our Commander in Chief gives us this command –

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

So that’s the battle plan? Do good? Do only what is right? Definitely countercultural. Maybe our behavior will confuse and confound the enemy, giving us the upper hand. Maybe it will convert our enemy, turning our foes into our friends. Now that’s a revolutionary battle plan!

There’s something else that’s essential in battle and that is – correctly identifying the enemy. We don’t want to be aiming at the wrong target. But when we are under attack, in the heat of battle, fighting in the furnace for our very lives – sometimes our vision and our minds become clouded and we forget who our enemy actually is. This is a deadly mistake. Fortunately, our Commander in Chief tells us the truth about our situation – who we are fighting and how we are to engage in the fight. We are told concerning our enemy –

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Knowing this changes how we do battle. What should be our plan? How do we suit up for battle? We have been given clear instructions –

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Well, the “day of evil” is definitely at our doorstep, so the time is now! It is time to –

“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 6:12-18)

So our battle plan is to put on God’s full armor, take up the sword of the Spirit and to pray? Yes, that’s it! And that’s exactly what I was doing yesterday with so many others whom I had never met before – we gathered to pray for peace. Interesting that our instructions above include the charge that we are to be bearers of “the gospel of peace.” And our battle plan, our action plan is to pray. Not to talk about prayer, not to strategize about praying – but to actually pray! And pray we did. We cried out to God. We worshiped Him, we praised Him, we petitioned Him with thanksgiving. We repented, we humbled ourselves, we invited His presence into our lives, into the life of our communities and into the life of our country.

Our only weapons were our swords – the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word.

“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)

We came together in peace to pray for peace, to fight for peace by doing battle with the enemy of our souls. We came from all over, from different churches all over the city, we came together to petition God together for the peace of our city and for the lives of our children. We came together in unity believing God hears our cries.

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

“The Lord hears the needy and does not despise His captive people.” (Psalm 69:33)

The battle continues, necessitating that I and others stay engaged on the front lines – which means continuing in prayer and holding fast to the living Word of God. We have our orders –

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)

prayer is the frontline of the eternal battlefield – to this we are called

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

sincerely, Grace Day

that’s what it said on the side of the huge truck parked in the road next to some construction going on in the neighborhood – “Ground Breakers” in big, bold letters. Kind of hard to miss, so of course it got my attention and captured my thoughts. So many things today are not aptly named, but I have to say, “Ground Breakers” is perfectly named because that is exactly what they do – they break up the ground. They break up the ground with their big machinery so that the workmen (workpeople?) can come in and do whatever it is they need to do once they have access to what is beneath the broken ground.

But it is the breaking that always comes first. Ironically, the reason the workers are breaking up the ground, whether it be the concrete of the road or sidewalk, or the dirt of the yards, is so that they can fix something that lies buried underneath. This could be sewer lines, power lines, gas lines, water lines, cable/phone lines etc. But unless the ground is broken, those things that are in need of repair cannot be fixed. Reminds me of certain situations in which doctors have to break a bone in order to reset it correctly. The bone has to be broken before it can be healed and restored to its originally intended state.

Why did this “Ground Breakers” logo resonate so deeply with me this morning as I walked past it? Could it be because of the conversation I had with friends just last night as we studied the parable of the four soils? I think so. Turns out, the only way the seed can get down into the soil so that it can take root and grow is if the soil has been plowed or broken up ahead of time. (any farmer knows this of course) Plowing, aka ground breaking, may be a painful and a painstaking process, but it is a necessary prerequisite to bringing forth life from previously dead ground.

How about bringing to life a dead heart? or a hard heart? In the parable, Jesus compares our human hearts to soil, and God’s Word is the seed sown in the soil of our hearts. However, if our hearts are hard or stony, the seed of God’s living word won’t be able to take root and to grow. Must be why in Ezekiel God says,

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

God wants to fix our hearts to enable us to receive His Word, Himself, all the good gifts He wants to give us, including the gift of His Holy Spirit abiding in our hearts – BUT – in order for God to “fix” us, to heal us, to bring life to our formerly dead hearts – God first has to break our hearts so He has access, just like the ground breakers first have to break the ground open so the workers can get to where the problem lies. Heartbreaking, like ground breaking, is hard work, but it is necessary work to prepare the way for the life giving, life changing seeds which are “every word that comes from the mouth of God”, to take root and grow.

Today, seeing the “Ground Breakers” logo, I realized my need to be broken hearted before I can be wholehearted personally. I have God’s promise that His words will do their work in me if I have allowed Him to remove the stones from my hard heart, leaving my heart broken and wide open to receive God’s word, which will enter in through all the broken places in my heart, filling me with God’s healing mercy, bringing back to life my formerly frozen, hard heart.

“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)

So encouraging! God’s word does all the work. All I have to do is to receive His word and let it take up residence so to speak, in my heart, where it will then have a chance to take root, to grow, and to eventually produce fruit. However, in order for all this to happen, my hard heart must be broken first, before it can be healed. Seems backwards, I know. But that’s the way it works. To this end, I ask of my Heavenly Father today, what King David asked of Him so long ago –

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

“Search, know, test, and essentially find any bad things hidden in me” – that’s what David is asking God to do. Search, know, test, look around my heart – seems like an open invitation from David to God for God to come in and break the ground/soil of David’s heart wide open so God can do some repair and restorative work once David’s heart is broken, exposing what needs to be fixed or healed. And then King David invites God to do something more. After his heart has been prepared by the plowing of his heart’s soil, David asks of God this –

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. . . . Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:10 & 12)

these are my prayers today too – I really don’t want the pain of the ground breaking of my heart – but that pain is necessary because it opens the door and makes possible the healing and restoration of a heart that lies broken and exposed – waiting for the Redeemer to come in and rehab this heart to make it into a place suitable for His abiding presence – because that is what my broken heart has now become – His dwelling place – because He makes His home with me. (and with you too, dear readers and with any who are broken enough to let Him enter)

“For this is what the high and lofty One says – He who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.’ ” (Isaiah 57:15)

sincerely, Grace Day

Lucy left quite a legacy when she departed this earth for heaven. She left a legacy that will last for years to come. Lucy left a legacy of love – the truest, most enduring kind of love – a love that is lived out in actions of great courage and sacrifice – a love lived out in thought, word and deed. Each of us would like to think we are leaving some kind of a legacy behind when we die. None of us will be witness to whatever our legacy might be. But I am here to bear witness to Lucy’s legacy, if only secondhand. But even secondhand, Lucy’s story is a powerful legacy of hope, courage, inspiration, sacrifice and abiding love.

I am deeply moved by Lucy’s story, even though I never had the privilege of meeting her in person. This isn’t surprising though, when I tell you that Lucy’s life on this earth was barely more than fourteen fleeting hours long. Not even one full day.

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

Lucy went straight from the arms of her earthly parents into the waiting arms of her Heavenly Father. Who’s to say that’s not a life well lived?

Lucy was chosen. Lucy was cherished. Lucy is a child of God. Would that each one of us could know that we are as chosen, cherished and loved as Lucy was and is. Lucy was definitely chosen. You see, Lucy was a snowflake, a frozen embryo, adopted, chosen by her mom and dad. From the time she was implanted into her mother’s womb, Lucy was deeply desired and deeply loved. Nothing would change that, nothing. Not even a diagnosis of Trisomy 18 approximately twelve weeks into the pregnancy.

With this diagnosis, comes the possibility of miscarriage, stillbirth or a very short life expectancy for the child if born alive. A scan revealed Lucy also had an undeveloped brain, a heart defect and a hole in her skull, among other things. Knowing all this did not change Lucy’s parents’ love for her any more than God’s knowing all our imperfections and shortcomings changes our Heavenly Father’s, our Creator’s, love for each and every one of us. Lucy’s parents didn’t stop loving her when they found out she wasn’t perfect. In the same way, God knows we are not perfect, but He doesn’t abandon us – He loves us completely and perfectly just as we are.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.” (Isaiah 43:4)

With the aide of modern technology, Lucy’s parents were able to see her in the womb as she lived and grew inside of her mom. Because of Lucy’s diagnosis, they had these scans frequently to monitor how she was doing and to keep track of her progress. As a loving parent, our Heavenly Father does the same for each one of us.

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body.” (Psalm 139:13-16)

God sees us as we are and loves us. Lucy’s parents saw her frame in “the secret place” and they loved her with an unconditional, lasting love. This love for Lucy and their belief in her eternal value to God, as her Creator, led Lucy’s parents to protect her and care for her by carrying her to term, knowing Lucy’s life outside the womb would not be long, if indeed God granted it at all. But Lucy’s parents walked by faith, in obedience, requiring great courage and sacrifice on their part, in order to give Lucy life, and to give her life the value and dignity each one of us desires and deserves as a child of God.

They succeeded. Lucy was well loved. She was born into a family of a mom and dad, a big brother, grandparents, uncles, aunts, great uncles and aunts and a medical community of individuals who had also prayed over Lucy, protected her and helped her live long enough to leave the womb and meet the family who loved her so deeply that they did everything in their power to protect her and to give her life, such as it was to be. They did their part, the rest was in God’s hands.

God granted them time with Lucy, before He took her home to restore her fully, with that new and glorious body promised to each one of us one day. Their grief is now great in Lucy’s absence. It is a grief as deep as their love for Lucy. It can be no other way. To love deeply, is to grieve deeply. The world may not understand this, because the world tends to measure worth by length of life, by wealth accumulated or by accomplishments and awards. But our infinite value is given to us by the One who created us and knew us in our mothers’ wombs. Lucy is of infinite worth and value to her parents, just as she is to God, who knows her by name and numbered her days. Her parents were privileged to be a part of God’s good plans for Lucy’s life. They made sure that every moment of Lucy’s short life, she was treasured and loved. Lucy was never alone. She never knew life’s heartaches and disappointments, only God’s love shown to her through the love of her earthly family.

If only every child in the womb were given such courageous, sacrificial love and protection! I never met Lucy, but I am a friend of her grandmother. And I read the blog of her parents, where they shared their life with Lucy while she was in the womb, cherishing those days with her, not knowing what the future would hold for their family. Truly courageous to intentionally endure heartache in order to protect the life of your child and to give your child’s life value, dignity, meaning and eternity.

Lucy’s life was short by earthly standards, but her legacy will be long. The ripple effect of Lucy’s legacy has already begun. I am privileged to be one of those ripples in sharing her story.

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

Lucy already has her new and glorious body! She has been set free from the pain and suffering of Trisomy 18. Lucy was a gift to her family for her “number of days” and now she leaves them the gifts her presence brought – the lessons of her legacy – a legacy of hope, courage, sacrifice, inspiration and abiding love.

sincerely, Grace Day

the gift has been given, the table is set

invitations are issued, let none have regret.

my price has been paid, my admission secured –

I won’t be denied, I have the Host’s word.

though I’ve wandered long, falling far from grace

His Word is true – I still have a place

set for me at His table – a sacred space

waiting for me when I finish this race.

still, my response is delayed, I have nothing to wear

seems such a silly reason to give up my chair

at the table of the wedding supper of the Lamb,

poor, blind, rebellious, orphaned beggar that I am.

a great banquet, like the father of the prodigal prepared to celebrate

the return of his long lost son, there is hope, it is not too late

for me to RSVP, the invitation’s in my hand

sealed with His blood – this offer will stand.

why do I not reply? what reason for delay?

my deepest fears fight within, will they have the final say?

surely a sinner such as I, have no place at the Lord’s table,

but the gift has been given, mine to accept while I am able.

” ‘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)

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10)

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)

the gift has been given, the banquet table is prepared

there’s a place with my name on it, no expense has been spared.

the thief on the cross at my left, the woman at the well on my right,

I feel right at home, I know they understand my plight.

the woman caught in adultery and Rahab are sitting close by me,

each one of us clutching blood stained invitations, glad we chose to RSVP!

my righteousness was filthy rags, but You clothed me with Your’s instead,

You prepared a place for me at Your everlasting table, with the oil of life You anointed my head!

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:21-24)

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

I have a place waiting for me at the table. You do too, dear readers! Invitations have been issued – time to RSVP!

sincerely, Grace Day

Actually, there are multiple empty spaces I am noticing today, all of which point to the largest and most poignant empty space. That once filled, now unfilled empty space is the reason for all the other empty spaces I now encounter in almost every room of my home. You see, I just laid to rest my furry friend of sixteen years, my cat, Chai.

I walked into my kitchen this morning and couldn’t help but notice the empty space usually occupied by her water bowl and two food bowls. (she was picky, one bowl for the canned food, one for the dry food) The window seat in the front room is now minus the special, rather large pillow that was her’s alone for sunbathing and birdwatching from her favorite window. It was a very old pillow, past its prime, like Chai, but it was her favorite, so I kept it because she had it all broken in just the way she liked it. She doesn’t need it now, so it is gone, leaving an empty space where she once spent many a sunny afternoon.

Her cat bed at the top of the stairs I have removed also, leaving another empty space. Not that she didn’t sleep with me, but cats sleep a lot, (hence the term “cat nap”) so it’s good to have multiple locations in which to take those frequent cat naps. Then there’s an empty space in the laundry room where her litter box used to be. I have to say, changing the litter box was my least favorite chore, so it’s surprising that this particular empty space would tug at my heart, causing me to miss her, but it does. Funny what you miss when they are gone. I didn’t see that one coming.

Loss is an inevitable part of life, and I have to agree with Tennyson on this one – “Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” Animals in general and pets in particular, are one of God’s many good gifts to us. Pets are companions, comforters, playmates. Pets accept us as we are, giving us that unconditional love we so desire.

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

So now there’s an empty space in my heart and a bunch of empty spaces in my home, each one a reminder of my furry friend’s former presence. The empty space – that’s the measure of my loss. Maybe empty spaces are the measures of your losses, too, dear readers? Loss leaves us feeling empty.

Our losses accumulate over time, leaving us with even more empty spaces. But there is One who came to fill those empty spaces and He came to fill them permanently. Jesus said-

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

I read this in Ephesians about Jesus –

“And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:22)

That’s a wonderful truth – that Jesus “fills everything in every way.” And He surely does. In the Old Testament, the people witnessed God’s filling Presence when this happened –

“Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:13-14)

Isaiah said it this way – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

My Heavenly Father wants to fill all my empty spaces with His abiding presence if I will grant Him access. It’s up to me. He wants to do the same for you too, dear readers. One thing is certain, if we’ve lived very long, we each have plenty of empty spaces that need filling. But nothing and no one on this earth has the power to fill up all of our holes and heartaches that continually long to be filled and healed – except our loving Creator.

Today, Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is my prayer for myself and for you, too, dear readers –

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

Praise God – He came to fill our empty spaces! Jesus said –

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

sincerely, Grace Day

“You just don’t understand! You don’t get it! You’ll never get it! Nobody understands me, no one knows what I’m going through!” How often did I say those exact words to my parents as a teenager? How often do I still feel those words to be true today, even with my parents long gone? Truthfully, maybe none of us completely outgrow feeling misunderstood and misjudged by others. We long for someone to walk a mile in our shoes, to experience what we have experienced – the good, the bad and the ugly, so that they will truly understand us and treat us with compassion borne of empathy.

We all want to feel that we are accepted and understood by someone, anyone – friends, spouses, coworkers, family members – there has to be somebody that “gets us”, right? This age old human desire to know and to be known, now seems harder to realize than at any time previously in human history, which is ironic because we are more connected today than ever before via technology. Still people report feeling isolated and alone in higher numbers than ever before, according to current research. Maybe hanging out with friends on Facebook isn’t as fulfilling as hanging out with friends face to face in the flesh?

I know I long for something more than an internet connection. A hug emoji is no match for a real life human hug. We are like icebergs floating in the ocean – ten percent visible above the water’s surface, the other ninety percent submerged, hidden beneath the waves and the water. No wonder it’s so hard to get to know each other, let alone understand each other. We often don’t have the time nor the opportunity nor the inclination to walk a mile in another person’s shoes. After all, we find walking a mile in our own shoes challenging enough each day.

In the movie “Freaky Friday”, a mother and daughter change places for a few days, each living the other’s life. They truly do “walk a mile in each other’s shoes”, giving them new understanding, empathy and compassion for each other. Too bad that’s not real life. But the good news is – I do have an advocate – Someone who “gets me”, understands me and sympathizes with me. And you do too, dear readers. Our advocate is none other than Jesus Christ! He truly does “walk every mile in my shoes” every day, because He never leaves me nor forsakes me. Hebrews tells me this –

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:14-15)

Did you catch that? Jesus sympathizes with us precisely because He has been tempted just like we are. He gets it! He gets us! What an extraordinary sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf to come here and walk a mile in our earthly, human shoes literally.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. . . . The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-2 & 14)

The Word, Jesus, became flesh. For our sakes, Jesus took on an earthly body, just like ours. He experienced hunger, thirst, fatigue, illness, temptation in the desert, the grief of loss (like Lazarus), the betrayal of friends and family, (Peter, Judas, His hometown), the opposition of those in power, the tiredness of travel, being misunderstood by multitudes and by those closest to Him, being maliciously maligned and misjudged by those He came to save – Jesus experienced all these things and more as He walked dusty miles in our human shoes.

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. . . . Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5)

Jesus went to such great lengths to empathize with you and with me, by walking miles in our human shoes. He didn’t just phone it in. Philippians reminds me just how far Jesus was willing to go, saying –

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8)

Jesus understands the human roller coaster of everchanging feelings and circumstances that you and I experience every day. He gets it. After all, in a very short time Jesus experienced the crowds shouting, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” as He rode on the colt into Jerusalem, while just a few days later, the crowd shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Talk about your quick turn around. (sounds like today, doesn’t it? with our social media and cancel culture) When I experience blindsiding betrayal, when I feel misunderstood and misjudged by others – I can know that there is One who understands me completely – the One who came here to walk a mile in my shoes, the One who knows me better than I know myself – Jesus.

Jesus embodies God’s ultimate empathy for me and for you, dear readers. Because God made us, He understands us, He empathizes with us, He has compassion for us.

“The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.” (Psalm 145:9)

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14)

the ultimate empathy – Jesus “took up my infirmities and carried my sorrows” and He is carrying them still today.

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

the ultimate empathy – Jesus “remembers that I am dust” – He knows, He made me that way – He has compassion on me – He hears my cries and understands when no one else does.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” (Psalm 68:19)

“The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” (Psalm 145:14)

ultimate empathy – can only come from the One who created me in the first place

“O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord.” (Psalm 139:1-4)

the One who knows me best, loves me most – that’s ultimate empathy

sincerely, Grace Day