Ok, I confess – I’m hearing voices again. But these are not voices of imaginary people or beings. These are the very real voices of very real people who are no longer living. But their voices can still be heard if one cares to take the time to listen and learn. Today, I sit in a classroom surrounded by voices from the past. Their names and their words (commonly called quotes) cover the walls of the classroom. These voices from the past are calling out to me and I am listening. Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, Jesse Owens, Marian Anderson and Harriet Tubman are some of the people who are speaking to me this morning. I have previously written about Harriet Tubman (post – C.C. voices from the past #172) so I will share some words of wisdom from some others today.

Thurgood Marshall said, “In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” Jesse Owens words also instruct and inspire, “Find the good. It’s all around you. Find it, showcase it and you’ll start believing in it.” Where or on what we choose to fix our gaze and our thoughts really does matter. It really does make all the difference. That must be why Hebrews 12:2 tells me to, “fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith.” That must be why Philippians 4:8 instructs me in this way, “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.”

That’s what Jesse was saying, look for the good, the good in people, the good in our circumstances, the good and many blessings of life that each day brings to us. Look for those miracles amid the mundane, as I would say. I can choose to count my blessings and give God thanks. What can I learn today as I sit surrounded by these voices from the past? Will I listen or will I ignore the lessons they have left to me and to you? Will I allow their voices to be silenced forever with the rewriting of history to fit today’s “truth”, a place where their voices are no longer welcome?

I would miss Marian Anderson’s voice and her words of wisdom when she said, “As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might.” How true! Oppression holds in bondage both the oppressed and the oppressors. It may look different from the outside, but nobody in such a society is truly free. That’s why I must defend my neighbor’s rights as my own. If some are not free in this country, then none of us are free.

Voices from the past continue to instruct and to inspire me. As I sit with them this morning, Ronald Reagan’s words ring in my ears – ” . . . America is freedom – freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It’s fragile; it needs protection. . . . (it’s) why the Pilgrims came here, . . . If we forget what we did, we won’t know who we are. I’m warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit.” Reagan spoke those words in 1989. I wonder if his voice was heard then? I wonder if anyone besides me is hearing and heeding his voice today?

Voices from a much more distant past also speak wisdom into today. Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas both had something to say about this idea of rewriting human history. Their thoughts arise from “the law of contradiction” which Aristotle says is the basis of all reasoning, the means by which we make sense of the world. This law states that both X and Y cannot be true at the same time if they are mutually exclusive. (my friend cannot be both taller than I am and shorter than I am at the same time. Only one of those possibilities can be true)

In this current time of COVID, the law of contradiction would mean that our elected officials cannot tell us that it is too dangerous for church services to take place while simultaneously saying that massive protest marches are safe and therefore permissible. (or that it’s safe to shop at Walmart but not at a smaller mom and pop shop? – seems like that would be the opposite, less people equals less exposure, therefore less danger from the virus? -seems like the small places should have stayed open, not the big box stores full of people from all over, instead of people from a specific neighborhood)

“So the law of contradiction means we can’t change the past. Truth resides in the past because the present is fleeting and confusing and tomorrow isn’t here yet. The past, on the other hand, is complete. Aristotle and Aquinas go so far as to say that changing the past – making what has been not to have been – is denied even to God. Because if something both happened and didn’t happen, no human understanding is possible. And God created us with the capacity for understanding. That’s the law of contradiction, which the art of doublethink denies and violates. . . . If the past can be changed, anything can be changed – man can surpass even the power of God.” (from Larry P. Arnn’s speech on Nov. 17th, 2020 in Rogers, Ar.)

Wonder what Aristotle would think about events transpiring today? So much doublethink, I think would make even Aristotle rethink his beliefs. Words are being redefined today at a rate so fast that no dictionary could possibly keep current. Thomas Sowell made this interesting observation –

“If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten you labeled a radical fifty years ago, a liberal twenty-five years ago and a racist today.” Same belief or opinion but a different label is put on the person holding that opinion depending on what the popular thought of the day is. So yesterday’s radical is today’s racist. Is there a truth that doesn’t change? Hebrews 13:8 tells me,

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Finally, a person who doesn’t change with every whim of culture and wind of popular opinion or personal preference, but remains constant throughout every era of human history and beyond – the person of Jesus Christ. What connection does the unchanging Person of Jesus Christ have with my search for truth that does not change over time or with the times? John 14:6 answers my question this way,

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ”

Jesus is the Truth and Hebrews tells me that Jesus hasn’t changed, doesn’t change and won’t change. I can count on His constancy. Because Jesus doesn’t change and He is Truth, I can know Truth that will not change when I know Jesus. Psalm 119:160 tells me something else about what is true,

“All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal.” In John 17:17 Jesus says as He prays to God for His disciples,

“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” So God’s word is Truth and it is an enduring, lasting Truth. I read in Matthew 24:35,

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.”

So I have found Truth that not only will not change over time, but will also stand the test of time. It will remain over time, despite the fact that everything else falls away. In these days of doublethink and deception I do long to know what is true. Decisions based on false facts are never good decisions. Lies can limit my understanding and hold me hostage. Truth is necessary for freedom to exist. That must be why Jesus said in John 8:31-32,

” . . . Jesus said, ‘If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ ”

Freedom – the desire for freedom is what drove those who left their own countries to set sail and cross an ocean in search of a new land where they could live free. This desire for freedom is still the driving force today behind the journeys of those willing to risk everything for the opportunity to live in freedom. Remember the Israelites were slaves in Egypt for four hundred years. God eventually delivered them from slavery into freedom. He sent Moses to lead them out of Egypt and God Himself went with them on their journey in a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night. God was with them and they were set free. It is interesting what 2 Corinthians 3:17 says,

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

There is freedom in God’s presence. Must be why Psalm 33:12 says,

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance.”

Another voice from America’s past said these prophetic words,

“America will not be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedom, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” (Abraham Lincoln)

Spoken over a century ago, this voice from the past seems to know what is happening in our country today. If only we might listen to and learn from these voices from the past, what sorrow we might yet be spared! This is a nation “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” (Gettysburg Address) Too many have laid down their lives defending our freedoms for us to so easily give those freedoms up now without a word of protest. Did they sacrifice their very lives only to see the light of freedom extinguished here and therefore in the world?

One powerful voice from the past proclaimed these words when he delivered the greatest speech of all time (in my opinion). Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the Lincoln memorial on August 28th, 1963. Much of what he spoke about has been realized in the years following his speech, entitled “I have a dream”, until recent forces have attempted to undo the positive progress that has been achieved. Freedom – the desire of every human heart and the birthright of every American citizen. Dr. King ended his speech with these words,

” . . . when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims’ pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring. And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring . . . And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.”

I want to add my voice to those voices from the past fighting for freedom. I want to join with them in crying out, “let Freedom ring!”

sincerely, Grace Day

The appearance of the large manila envelope in my mailbox came as if on cue – perfectly timed to arrive just before Mother’s Day. It was full of old photos of our family. Grandparents, parents, siblings, children and grandchildren are represented in various photos. This becomes another trip down memory lane – one I’m not so sure I want to take so close to Mother’s Day, but I am already on memories’ road headed back in time as I look at the pictures my sister has sent. How young we all were! Had our parents ever been that young? (I confess -when we were young, they seemed old – but of course, in retrospect, they were young, especially when viewed from eyes now older than they were in some of the pictures – age is relative and perspective is everything, isn’t it?)

So my journey begins with the old photos and ends with me missing Mom on Mother’s Day. (not that I don’t miss her every other day of the year also) Memories can be good company, especially when they are good memories and I have plenty of those. Still, as we have all learned during this past year, there really is no substitute for the real thing or in this case, the real person, in person. Of course, there does come a time when the in-person experience with the real person is no longer possible. No plane, train or automobile can cross the chasm death creates between us and those we love.

I look at a picture of my first Mother’s Day as a new mom with my Mom and Grandma and my newborn daughter, four generations of women together for a time, until time separated us by her passing. I think back to in-person Mother’s Days of the past and wish for just one more to celebrate with Mom and Grandma. I can still see, with memory’s eyes, Grandma’s garden with the orange poppies blooming and Mom’s backyard with the iris and the peonies coming into full bloom as if for no other reason than to celebrate them on Mother’s Day.

Those flowers continue to come up year after year at the appointed time. And I continue to celebrate my Mom and my Grandma, year after year, and to give thanks for their presence in my life for the years that I had them with me. They left me quite a legacy, these two ladies, one that I hold in my heart and hope to live up to. These words from Proverbs 31:30-31 are apt on this Mother’s Day,

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

Although my Mom and my Grandma were both charming and beautiful, they were also both full of those intangible, enduring qualities that outlast the years, becoming stronger as time passes. Each of them lived through tough times and faced challenging circumstances in their lives. But both women persevered through the ups and downs and finished well. Kindness, compassion, empathy, perseverance, steadfastness, courage and faith are the legacy they leave me. But these things are not an inheritance. Attributes such as courage and faith are not passed down, they are no one’s to give away. They are acquired in the process of living – of fighting the good fight, of striving to live an honorable life. They are forged in the life long labor of pursuing God.

They finished well, my Mom and my Grandma. That is the gift of their legacy. Their enduring faith, which grew steadily stronger until the end, when it was at its strongest. That is finishing well. This is what I remember and celebrate this Mother’s Day and everyday.

“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)

Thank You, Lord, for the gifts of my Mom and my Grandma,

sincerely, Grace Day

Technology has been giving me an especially hard time lately. Computer problems, phone problems – these only serve to remind me how dependent I have become on the services technology provides me. When technology refuses to render her services to me, I find myself lost and unable to accomplish what I need to get done. This causes me to remember pre-computer, pre-internet times with more than just nostalgia, with something more like longing. Have you ever thought you were born in the wrong historical time period or wished you lived in a different era of human history? The past is often romanticized and we talk about “the good old days.” But each century has had its own challenges. (kind of like “each day has enough trouble of its own”)

Still, in one of my favorite movies, the heroine does exchange her 21rst century, modern day life in New York City for life in the late 1800″s with an English Duke. (if only time travel were actually possible) I’m sure she experienced some culture shock but she choose to live in a different time in history because she fell in love with the Duke who was mistakenly in her world momentarily, but had to return to his own time in history. It was all very romantic, and it got me to thinking – if I could live in any age in history, what would I choose? What would you choose, dear readers?

Would I want to live pre-automobile, when travel by horse or horse-drawn carriage was common? – when farm to table was what people ate three times a day and communication was hand written and delivered by Pony Express? I do remember having pen pals from far away places and loving to get letters in the mail. (although that was snail mail, not Pony Express) I sometimes wonder about experiencing life in centuries past, but I do have to confess – I am quite attached to indoor plumbing and would not easily give that up. (even for a handsome English Duke)

But that choice has never been mine to make anyway. My Heavenly Father, Creator of all the universe, chose the time and the place into which I was born. Those decisions are His alone to make. I can question, but in the end, it is God alone who knows all things. It is God alone who knows the end from the beginning and He has put me here in this place and in this time in history “for such a time as this.” That’s why these words spoken to Esther by her uncle Mordecai are so powerful –

“And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

By royal position, Mordecai was referring to the fact that Esther had been made queen by King Xerxes, who ruled over one-hundred and twenty-seven provinces, including Persia and Media. By for such a time as this, Mordecai was referring to the fact that an edict had just been issued by King Xerxes stating that all the Jews who were currently living scattered throughout the many provinces of Xerxes’s kingdom were to be killed.

“Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews – young and old, women and little children – on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.” (Esther 3:13)

In an interesting plot twist, Queen Esther, herself, is a Jew, something Xerxes does not yet know. “But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.” (Esther 2:20)

So Esther, a Jewish orphan girl, was now in a position to be able to help her people at the very time when her people needed someone to save them from what was coming – imminent and certain death. However, there was a risk to Esther if she came before the king and revealed her true identity. Esther could be put to death herself. Mordecai’s counsel to her was this,

“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14)

Esther listened to her uncle. She did not remain silent. She revealed herself to King Xerxes and asked him to intervene on behalf of her people to save them from this decree of death. Xerxes did so and the lives of the Jewish people living in his kingdom were spared. The two day celebration of Purim commemorates this time in their history – a time when God intervened by using Queen Esther to spare their lives. God put Esther in that unique place precisely for such a time in history as she found herself. Esther obeyed God, fulfilling His divine purpose for her.

No greater joy than that – to fulfill God’s good purposes for her. Like Esther, I want to know that I have a divine purpose also. Don’t you? I think we all want our lives to have meaning and purpose. It is no coincidence that this was the topic of conversation this week in my ladies’ Bible study. One woman said, “I want to know, what is my purpose here?” It is the same question we all ask of ourselves at some point. Ephesians 2:10 tells us this,

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

So God does have a plan and a purpose for you and for me, dear readers. God chose such a time as this for me to live upon the earth and He chose this time in history for you as well. (because if you are reading this, you are here now) Perhaps what He has for you or for me to do is not as dramatic as what He called Esther to do. God placed her in a high position so that she could save many lives. Esther could easily have lost her own life in coming before the king, revealing her identity and making her request that he intervene on behalf of her people. But Esther showed great courage when she did not remain silent, but spoke up and took action.

This may seem like a difficult time in which to be alive. 2020 was a year no one would choose, if indeed such choices were ours to make, and the challenges from that year are continuing with us into our current year. However, we were put here for such a time as this. May you and I, like Esther, not shrink back from the challenges of our calling in Christ. For such a time as this, God has us here, now. And He tells us,

“This is what God the Lord says – He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: ‘I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.’ ” (Isaiah 42:5-7)

God has called you, God has called me – for such a time as this!

sincerely, Grace Day

With conflict and violence a part of everyday life, it seems imperative for you and for me to know how to defend ourselves, how to protect those we love, how to fight for the oppressed, the overlooked, how to fight for the right – how to survive. How do we fight fair or fight to win or fight to survive? There are all kinds of self defense classes and martial arts classes available. I could learn judo or karate or boxing. Assuming the correct stance or posture is essential if I am going to succeed when I engage with my opponent or enemy in conflict. The position or posture I take makes all the difference in the outcome.

In 1 Timothy 6:12, I am told, “Fight the good fight of the faith.” How do I do that? What does that even look like?

At this point, I confess, dear readers, a song is running through my head, playing loud and clear in my mind. I am even singing along because I love the words so much. Here are some of them,

“So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees, with my hands lifted high, O God – the battle belongs to You! Every fear I lay at Your feet, I’ll sing through the night – O God the battle belongs to You!” (Phil Wickham “The Battle Belongs”)

On my knees, is definitely not the posture I would pick to gain an advantage over my opponent. And hands lifted high in the air, is definitely a posture of surrender to, not victory over my opponent. Or is it? Things are not always as they seem. In this scenario, my surrender is not to my enemy but to God, my Heavenly Father as I cry out to Him in prayer. And as you may have guessed, on my knees, is the posture of prayer before God. Babbie Mason’s song, “Pray On” says this,

“Stay on your knees, for that’s where the battle is won.” Ephesians 6:18 instructs me with these words,

“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.”

This instruction comes after my enemy is identified and I am told how to prepare to fight against him with these words,

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 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” (Ephesians 6:11-13)

Most often, I am called to take my stand, by taking a knee – actually by bending both my knees and bowing in prayer before my Heavenly Father, who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within me. (Ephesians 3:20)

So my fighting posture is one in which I am on my knees before my Heavenly Father, Almighty God. You see, the battle isn’t even mine – it is God’s. In 1 Samuel 17:47, I read what David acknowledged when he fought Goliath, the Philistine giant, saying, “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”

There is an account in 2 Chronicles, Chapter 20 of another battle that had to be fought. There were vast armies coming to invade Israel. In response to this alarming news King Jehoshaphat “resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.” (2 Chronicles 20:3) Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he spoke these words, “This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’ ” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17)

Then the story continues, getting really interesting. Next we read, “Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘ . . . Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld;’ . . . Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.’ As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” (2 Chronicles 20:20-22)

With the weapons of prayer, obedience, gratitude and praise to God, Israel defeated the enemy without a physical fight. Truly, the battle is the Lord’s. And when I join Him in His battle, I am told to fight it on my knees. I am told to pray for my enemies, to overcome evil with good, darkness with light, lies with the truth. I can do all that from a posture of humility and dependence upon God, the posture that puts me on my knees. Like the song says, when I fight, I will fight on my knees with my hands held high, reaching out to my Heavenly Father. This must be the posture I take when I do battle with the enemy. I want to be able to say along with Paul,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

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

fighting the good fight, sincerely, Grace Day

Everybody needs one, everybody should have one – a pasture pony, that is. Now I confess – I had never heard of this particular breed of horse until my sister told me about it. Turns out, pasture pony, is not so much a breed of horse as it is a job description. So when I say that everyone should have a pasture pony, I am speaking metaphorically rather than literally. I am not suggesting that everyone should purchase a pasture and put a pony in it.

But I am suggesting that everyone would benefit from having a metaphorical pasture pony in their life. You see, owners of individual horses purchase a pasture pony to hang out with their horse so their horse won’t be lonely. That’s right, the pasture pony’s job is to provide companionship for the horse that would otherwise be alone. A kind of a rent a friend, if you will. This is necessary because horses are herd animals and they don’t do well living by themselves. Being isolated from their own kind isn’t good for them. Solution – the pasture pony.

The pasture pony’s sole purpose is to provide comfort, community and company for the main horse. All that is required of the pasture pony is their presence. They don’t have to be pretty (or witty or wise). They don’t have to be a fast runner or a good jumper or have a particular pedigree, they just have to be an amiable companion. I don’t even know if they have to be a great conversationalist. Seems like just showing up to share the pasture and pass the time, fulfills the pasture pony’s purpose. The main horse, the one that is the show horse or the race horse or the riding horse, just needs to know that he or she has a friend. They need the assurance that they are not alone in the barn, not alone in the pasture, not alone in this world. (don’t we all need that same assurance?)

Because companionship is so important to the well-being of the main horse, the horse that is considered the important one, the horse that was bought with a purpose in mind, like riding or racing or jumping or showing, owners are willing to go to the additional expense of purchasing a pasture pony for their primary horse. Horses, like humans, were not meant to live in isolation, separated from others of their kind. In Genesis 2:18 we read what God said about this,

“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ ”

At that time, Adam was the only human living in the garden God had made. “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man He had formed.” (Genesis 2:8)

Adam was surrounded by every kind of living creature imaginable and all manner of natural beauty and every possible plant and flowering tree and fabulous food at his fingertips, but he had no one with whom to share this perfect, beautiful paradise. Yes, you can be lonely, even in a perfect paradise. Adam was. God saw Adam’s sadness and God provided just what He knew Adam needed in order to live his life fully and productively. Adam needed companionship, community and the comfort that comes with having his own kind around him, instead of living by himself.

We were created to live in community with each other and with our Creator, God. That’s why we, like horses, (and other animals) don’t do well in isolation. We are not designed to live alone. If we have forgotten this basic truth, this past year of lockdowns and forced isolation should have sufficed to remind us all of this. Not being able to be with friends and family for an extended period of time has taken an unexpected toll on our human health. People do die of loneliness, literally. Isolated, lonely people become depressed, some die from drug overdoses, suicide, or from lack of a reason to get up in the morning, lack of a reason to take care of themselves. Loneliness watches a person wither away, body and soul, for lack of human contact and interaction.

We need to be connected to something or to someone outside of ourselves. If not, we wither away and die. John 15:5-6 explains connection this way in these words of Jesus,

“I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man 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.”

Branches need to be connected to the Life Source, the Vine. When a branch is no longer connected to the Vine, it dies. But while connected, the branch is able to bear fruit, be productive and fulfill its purpose. Alone the branch can do none of those things. And as a branch enjoys connection with the Vine, the branch also simultaneously enjoys connection with all the other branches. It is connection that allows the individual life to flourish. We grow in community, we learn in community, we find our purpose as we find our place in community. We cannot find our place or our purpose in isolation. I guess that’s why Hebrews 10:25 gives us this direction,

“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.”

That must be something the pasture pony does for the main horse, encourage him or her. Earlier I alluded to the horse that was the race horse or the show horse or the riding horse as the one of value. However, it seems to me, there is great value in the pasture pony as well. The pasture pony may be past its prime, not able to be ridden anymore. But its value is in the camaraderie it provides for the other horse. What cost companionship? Who can put a price on the intangibles of friendship and emotional well being of horses or of people? Pasture ponies, though old and past their prime, as it turns out, are indeed priceless.

In these tough times, we could all use a pasture pony, a constant companion. And we need to be a pasture pony for someone else, too. There just may be no higher calling than that of a pasture pony – the calling to be a faithful friend. After all, Jesus said He came to serve, not to be served.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

sincerely, Grace Day

Today I find myself echoing and sharing in an ancient prayer, a prayer from the 7th century actually. It is the prayer of Habakkuk, an Old Testament prophet of God. It was his prayer then, it has become my prayer now. First Habakkuk says,

“But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.” (Habakkuk 2:20)

Wouldn’t that be something? a hushed earth, waiting to hear the voice of God, Creator of all. Reminds me of the words in Psalm 46:10,

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

So Habakkuk prays, “Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” (Habakkuk 3:2)

Renew them (God’s deeds) in our day, – what was going on that Habakkuk wanted God to intervene? Well, Habakkuk 1:2-4 gives us a clue as to what was troubling Habakkuk,

“How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? (ever feel like that?) Or cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ but You do not save? Why do You make me look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.”

Now you understand, dear readers, why I would make Habakkuk’s prayer my own today, why it is so personal and so relevant given what we are witnessing in our world at this time. There is strife, and conflict abounds. Sounds just like what is happening all around us today, doesn’t it? So I guess I understand how Habakkuk felt when he cried out to God, How long, O Lord? I feel Habakkuk’s anger and pain as he asks God,

“Why then do You tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” and Habakkuk heard God’s words,

“See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright – but the righteous will live by his faith – . . . Because he (the wicked) is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. . . . For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.” (Habakkuk 2:4-11) Reminds me of the stones ready to cry out at Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, should the people be silenced. Then another warning –

“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime! . . . For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.” (Habakkuk 2:12 & 17)) This admonition is followed by something to look forward to, words proclaiming hope for the future –

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)

I can hardly imagine it! That must be the time when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11) Hope – hope on a not yet visible horizon, but hope nonetheless.

I confess – I can feel overwhelmed by the darkness of these days, by the violence and the bloodshed which seem a constant presence with us. Evil appears to have the upper hand. Churches are not fully open and some are still closed altogether, while streets are full of angry mobs and burning buildings. It is now that I want the faith Habakkuk had when he asked God to renew His great deeds in our day; in our time make them known.

Habakkuk wanted to see God bring restoration, healing, peace and prosperity to a land he loved. But he knew that could only happen if the people sought God and returned to God’s righteous ways of living. And so, surrounded by evil, by violence and bloodshed, by oppression and injustice, by destruction and conflict (sound familiar?) Habakkuk prayed. Habakkuk prayed for God’s intervention, for God to enter in – pleading with God, in wrath to remember mercy. Then Habakkuk prayed these words,

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Though . . . yet . . . – that’s a prayer of faith! And I want to make it mine today! Though evil seems to have the upper hand and darkness to prevail, yet I will rejoice in God, my Savior, in whom there is no shadow of turning but only the fullness of goodness and light. I will cry out to Him, I will wait on Him, I will put my hope in Him and in what He will do. For,

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13-14)

sincerely, Grace Day

The foods we buy, the medicines we take, the appliances and other things we purchase all come complete with warning labels, whether FDA or otherwise. We can consider ourselves forewarned before we consume something or before we use a particular product. “Keep out of reach of children” is a common warning as is “discontinue use if . . . ” (you fill in the blank) From hair color to power tools, warnings abound about their proper use and potential pitfalls. If only we would read the fine print! (which I confess – in my haste, I often overlook the reading and the heeding of the properly printed warnings of possible problems that might occur with the foods or other products that I purchase)

So today I’m thinking, wouldn’t it be good if life came with warning labels? I mean, I never know what a day will bring and I too often find myself blindsided and unprepared. Maybe some warning labels, like road signs, but for my life, would come in handy. I’ve even thought of what some of those signs might say. See if you think any of these would be helpful.

Danger – failure to forgive may damage and/or cause the death of your relationships.

Beware – hatred is hazardous to your heart.

Look out for liars – they will lead you away from where you intended to go.

Proceed with extreme care – entering gossip and slander zone – much damage done here.

Caution – selfishness and greed may be harmful to your health.

Enter at your own risk – bullying practiced and protected here.

Cannot be held responsible for any outcomes occurring apart from prayer.

Danger – casting of stones may take place at any time without warning!

Travel advisory – (for the road of life) potholes and pitfalls may be more numerous than expected on this road and may be deeper than they appear to be, therefore more dangerous and capable of causing more damage than would otherwise be anticipated.

All of the above could be helpful signage along life’s highway. Too bad we don’t actually have those warnings and directions along our way. Oh, but we do, dear readers! We have all kinds of instruction, guidance, directions for how to proceed, including warnings, – everything we need to walk wisely in this world is available to you and to me. It is right there in God’s Word – the Bible. All we have to do is to open up the Book!

Within this Book, there is a book called Proverbs. This book is full of warnings and wisdom from beginning to end. Any of the instructions from Proverbs would make a good road sign. Proverbs gives us those directions and warnings we need in order to find our way through this life. I will share the content of a few of these road signs with you here, dear readers. (but seriously, the entire book of Proverbs is one giant warning label for life and road sign for this journey of ours)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” (Proverbs 4:23-27)

“My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,” (Proverbs 6:20-23)

Isn’t that what we are all seeking – the way to life? And now we learn that these words, these road signs from God, are the light that we need in order to find our way. Psalm 119:105 proclaims,

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Just what I want from a warning label or road sign, illumination so that I might see the way ahead more clearly. I need warning labels and road signs in my life to keep me safe precisely because –

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

I don’t know the beginning from the end like God does, so I need the warning labels that come with life, the warnings and directions that God gives to me in His Word. There is a warning in John 16:33 that is a particularly good road sign because it provides a head’s up for what’s coming (as any good road sign should do) and at the same time, it provides hope too. This hope comes in the form of a spoiler alert, as the sign tells me what’s coming and then tells me how it ends. This actually turns out to be a great source of comfort and encouragement as I continue down the road and don’t turn back. This is what the road sign says,

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

a head’s up followed by hope, just what is needed – indeed, God’s Word contains all the warnings, the wisdom, the hope, the encouragement and the guidance I need to stay on course. That’s why I think my favorite life warning label and road sign is this,

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

That sign contains the warning – lean not to my understanding, the direction – trust God and in all things acknowledge Him, and the hope – God, Himself will lead me, direct my path and make it straight.

a head’s up, direction and hope – such are the warning labels and the road signs God provides for me and for you in His Word – hopefully I will take the time to read them and heed them!

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8)

“Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5)

sincerely, Grace Day

that’s what Douglas Murray calls what our current culture is experiencing – “the oppression Olympics.” Murray stated in a recent interview, “the answer to resentment is not more resentment. The answer to resentment is gratitude and hope.” Murray went on to say that the game of digging up resentments is “endless and unmendable” and he suggests that we might be wise to opt out of the game of “oppression Olympics” before all bridges are burned and all human connections destroyed. Murray refers to an emerging segment of society as the “professionally offended” and suggests that it has now become a full time job for many individuals.

Murray asserts that being offended comes from a place of privilege and position and that gratitude rather than angry outrage would be a more productive response. Sounds kind of like Jesus’s instruction to “turn the other cheek” to me, which is all the more interesting because Murray is a self-described atheist. Nevertheless, he recognizes the destruction the perpetually offended cause in the fabric of our day to day interactions. They cause or carry out a continual tearing of this fabric that binds us all together, with no mending or restoring of the cloth that they are shredding in sight.

The professionally offended among us are always on the lookout for the next “offensive” thing, whatever that might be. Didn’t we used to refer to people like this as “having a chip on their shoulder”? That’s really old school, but it seems people haven’t changed, we’ve just given this attitude a new name and the people who possess said attitude more power. Why do we now acquiesce to what previously was recognized as intolerant bullying? (ie. I want things my way and you will agree with me)

Micro aggressions abound in the world of the perpetually offended and they drag the rest of us into that world with them. (misery does love company, as the saying goes) To be constantly vigilant in one’s search for slights, insults, politically incorrect current discourse or politically incorrect discourse from the past (books, movies, historical documents, posts on social media from one’s past) must be exhausting. What a way to go through life – angry and offended, finding fault with everything and everyone. There must be a better way to walk in this world. Proverbs 19:11 has something to say about this subject,

“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”

Interesting isn’t it? Instead of looking for offenses, we should be overlooking them, according to these words from Proverbs. Maybe if we did this, we would be less tired, less angry? We would be happier and healthier perhaps? 1 Corinthians 13:5 describes a better way for me to walk through my days, one that would benefit others but paradoxically would benefit me as well. Actually, Paul starts this section of his letter to the Corinthians with these words, “And now I will show you the most excellent way.” Who wouldn’t want to know what that is? Paul was talking about the most excellent way to live and he was describing love, which, as you may remember from a recent post, (C.C. love is not a noun #183) is an action packed verb much more than it is a feeling. So Paul says,

“It (love) does not dishonor other people. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people’s wrongs.” (NIRV)

Four very important truths that, if I put into practice, would change my life for the better, I am sure. Don’t hurt other people. I like the NLT translation for the second description of love which says, “It (love) does not demand its own way.” Then it goes on to say, “it is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.” The NLV translation gives me the same four truths in these words,

“Love does not do the wrong thing. Love never thinks of itself. Love does not get angry. Love does not remember the suffering that comes from being hurt by someone.” (1 Corinthians 13:5)

The ERV says, “Love does not remember wrongs done against it.” and the EHV translation says, “It does not keep a record of wrongs.”

Love, put into practice as an action verb, could totally change our current culture! Love has the power to do that – not love the feeling, but love the verb of many actions. Love could set us free from this competition we currently have going to see who is the most offended, the most outraged, the most oppressed among us. We would no longer need to spend our days looking for and keeping an up to date record of offenses and oppressions. This would free us up to practice more productive pursuits.

Honor other people, don’t hurt them. (in person or on social media) Look out for the interests of others rather than demanding my own way. Be slow to anger. Overlook wrongs and hurts, don’t keep track of them. Instead of recording and remembering wrongs, what if I forgave and forgot? I might not win the oppression Olympics because I wouldn’t have my list of grievances, my record of wrongs, carried around with me as my proof that I am more offended and oppressed than others, but I sure would travel lighter through this world.

So what if I never win the oppression Olympics, Douglas Murray referred to in his interview? I am actually running a much different race. And I confess – I don’t want to be weighed down in this race by having to keep and carry with me a record of wrongs. Love says I don’t have to do that anymore. In fact love keeps no record of wrongs. And you know who else keeps no record of wrongs, dear readers? God Himself! How do I know this? Well for one thing,

“God is love.” (1 John 4:8) And we just learned that love keeps no record of wrongs. I am comforted and encouraged by these words from Psalm 130 which say,

“If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” (Psalm 130:3-6)

Yes, forgiveness wipes out that record of wrongs that I have been collecting, which has become such a heavy burden for me to be carrying around on a daily basis. God doesn’t keep my record before Him. I don’t need to be keeping records of wrongs for others before me. God’s love sets me free to run the race He has marked out for me, not the race of “oppression Olympics.” I’m so thankful that God –

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:10-14)

sincerely, Grace Day

This day is still pretty new, but already I know that it is not an ordinary day. (if there is such a thing, as I discussed in yesterday’s post) Spring is in full swing here and the various flowering trees are full of lovely, delicate color everywhere one looks. It is as if earth is decorating herself for some upcoming grand occasion. I can see and feel things springing to life all around me. (guess that’s where Spring gets her name?) But I could not have predicted the sight that greeted my eyes this morning because it was not ordinary nor customary nor usual in any way. (although the weather forecasters did predict just exactly this and I have to confess – I was not happy about the possibility of dealing with snow this late in April)

I could hardly believe my eyes as I drove to work in the early morning hush. Spring dressed up in Winter’s clothes today. She borrowed Winter’s wardrobe, putting on Winter’s soft, pure white coat over her already vibrantly colored clothes of flower petals new and tender. Today the snow did not cover earth’s barrenness but earth’s beauty, and earth’s beauty shone through the snow – earth’s springtime beauty as she adorns herself with color after her long sleep. The result of this wardrobe sharing by Spring and Winter – defying adequate description, is the creation of an enchanted landscape everywhere I look. There is too much beauty surrounding me this morning for me to take it all in, no matter how long I look.

What a way to start the day! As if an ordinary sunrise would not have been sufficient. (although there is nothing ordinary about any sunrise that I have ever seen) But this morning’s manna from heaven was certainly spectacular. This gift is food for my soul, to prepare me for and sustain me through whatever this day will bring, Beauty in the unexpected. Snowfall in late April definitely qualifies as the unexpected. This morning miracle amid the mundane prompts me to praise the Sender of the snow, the Giver of every good gift, the Creator of all the universe, the Orchestrator of my ordinary days, which turn out to be not so ordinary after all. Just look how this one has begun! I am reminded that –

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

Today, I am witness once again to the wonders of the work of His hands – today, along with all creation I –

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him. . . . 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 equity.” (Psalm 98:1-9)

“All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing praise to Your name.” (Psalm 66:4)

so, on this not so ordinary day –

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)

sincerely, Grace Day

Is there such a thing as an ordinary day? Or is each day a gift, extraordinary in its own right? Do these extraordinary days come wrapped in the cloak of the everyday, the ordinary, the mundane and so escape my notice? Psalm 118:24 proclaims,

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” King David writes these words in Psalm 139:16,

“All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be”

So maybe there’s no such thing as an ordinary day. If each day is already numbered and known to God shouldn’t I be making the most of each and every one of them? Ephesians 5:15-16 gives me this instruction regarding how to spend my days,

“Be very careful, then, how you (I) live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

It certainly does seem that these days are evil. I can feel surrounded by darkness if I don’t look for the light and let it into my life – the darkness will engulf me and I will lose my way. 1 John 1:5-7 tells me,

“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”

When darkness surrounds me, I can’t find my way out of it. I need something or someone to show me the way – the way out of my darkness, the way out of my pain, the way out of despair. Jesus showed us the way (actually He said He was the way) saying in John 8:12,

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ”

Even though these are dark days, John 1:5 reminds me that darkness does not win out over light.

“The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.”

That’s good to know because some days it seems like the darkness is winning. It has been a painfully dark few days here in my city due to a shooting which took the lives of unsuspecting people, leaving gaping holes in the lives of those that knew and loved them. For them, for all of us, it was an ordinary day at work until it wasn’t anymore. But truly, there are no ordinary days. Jesus says in Matthew 6:34,

” . . . Each day has enough trouble of its own.” but He prefaces that statement with “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”

How true! I never know what a day will bring. My day begins with a cold, gray drizzle, but ends with a warm, gloriously colored sunset. (other days can be the exact opposite – easier beginning, harder ending) Some days seem less eventful than others, perhaps not marked by any milestones or momentous occasions needing to be noted and duly celebrated. It is these seemingly more ordinary days, filled with the myriad, mundane interactions that make up our lives, that are so full of promise, possibility and potential. I don’t want to waste a one of them because as I am so often reminded these days, I don’t know which one will be my last. So each day becomes precious and special in its own right. There are no ordinary days. My Heavenly Father has numbered them all, each one of them, before they even came to be!

A dear friend just lost her granddaughter in a tragedy. As I grieve with her and for her and for her family, I can’t help but be reminded once again, that each day is a gift and each life is precious to the One who created all life. (not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from His notice – Matthew 10:29) I want to be thankful for that gift and to make the most of it. I want to make the most of each day I am given. William Penn must have felt that way too, because he said these words which have always resonated with me,

“I expect to pass through life but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow-being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.”

I walk wide awake through life, with a heart full of holes from each and every loss, but a heart still beating nonetheless, until such time as my number of days has been fulfilled. That number of days is made up of ordinary days, which fully lived will add up to an extraordinary life. That’s the secret, isn’t it? This gift of life we have been given is extraordinary. But we live out this gift one day at a time, in the context of oh so ordinary days. And only in retrospect do we come to see that our days weren’t so ordinary after all. Yet I have taken so many of my days for granted by failing to be thankful, by failing to see the beauty, the uniqueness and the opportunities that each new day brings to me moment by moment.

I don”t get to choose the number of my days, but I do get to choose how I will live each one of them. Joshua challenged the Israelites to choose how they would spend their days, or more accurately to choose whom they would spend their days serving.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

Choose this day, every day is a day of decision. I read about “today” in Hebrews 3:12-15,

“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the Living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. . . . Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”

As I write this post, I confess – today seems to be an ordinary day for me. And yet it is a day of importance and of decision, it is a day of important decisions as is every day I receive as a gift from God. I have just been given two important decisions to make – choosing this day whom I will serve and choosing not to harden my heart to my Heavenly Father’s voice as He speaks through His Holy Spirit. Yes, every day is a day of decisions that will have an eternal impact upon my life and the lives of those around me. That does not sound like an ordinary day to me. Or maybe that’s the irony. In the midst of an ordinary day, the extraordinary takes place. In the midst of the mundane, miracles arise. Everyday miracles are all around me. I just have to open my eyes (and my heart) to behold them.

Today is a day to mourn. Today is a day to rejoice. Today is a day for wailing. Today is a day for singing. Today is a day to decide and to declare who I will serve and what I will live for. Today is an ordinary day. Today is an extraordinary day. Today is a day for mustard seeds of faith to be planted. Today is a day for miracles amid the mundane to be harvested.

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

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

sincerely, Grace Day