The bright yellow taped arrows on the floor of the hallways and on the stairways were new, although if those arrows had been there pre-COVID, I never would have noticed them because the halls and stairways were usually full of students going in all directions, doing their daily scramble to get to class ahead of the ringing bell. So my attention was never focused on the floor, even if I could have seen it for the crowd.

So truthfully I must confess – I cannot say with any certainty that these bright arrows and blue tape lines down the center of these same hallways are in fact new – perhaps they had been there all along. (which would mean no one had ever paid them any attention nor followed their clear instruction – until now)

And so it happened that I now entered the very same building I had exited seven months earlier at the end of a most ordinary of school days. The building was familiar, but the eerie quiet that met me when I entered was not. The tall plexi-glass shield in place on the counter in the front office was new. But the welcome, familiar voice that greeted me from behind it was not. She had changed her hair (as is a woman’s want to do) but the same kind lady was still running the front office. I would add that her smile was unchanged, but the mask she wore made that impossible to verify. (I’m pretty sure she was smiling though – I hope she knew that underneath my mask, I was smiling back at her)

So this is school now? This is school in the time of COVID. The bell rang and a few students entered my classroom and took their seats. The desks were already spaced further apart than in the past in order to comply with distancing guidelines. Of course, the students wore masks. (maybe that accounts for their uncharacteristic quietness?)

My classes during the day had as few as one student or as many as ten, usually four or five was typical. The rest of the students were attending the class virtually, I could see their names on my computer screen and hear their voices, but no faces were visible. They were each just a name on the screen.

The students’ assignments were on their computers, even for the students physically present in the classroom, they worked in silence on their computers. No pencils to sharpen, no one putting work on the classroom whiteboard, nothing being presented in class on the overhead, no class discussion, this was a whole new world – a very silent world.

Pre-COVID, it was an impossibility to keep the students in their seats and quiet. (of course there were usually twenty to thirty of them) but still . . . the contrast was not lost on me. I should be grateful for the peaceful atmosphere, right? Is it one of peace or one of fear? I cannot be certain. But I am already missing the many small, personal interactions that usually occur during the school day.

Toward the end of class, I spray each desk with disinfectant and each student wipes down their desk and seat before leaving the room. This is a newly instituted COVID ritual, one among others added to the students’ daily routine. I wonder if the students miss the full classrooms and crowded hallways, alive with the noise of conversation and sometimes confrontation, but alive nonetheless?

Is it wrong to wish for the return of something you formerly complained about? (crowded classrooms and noisy students) Do we learn better in isolation or from interaction with others? It is clear students need more than online interaction, but at the moment that seems to be the most widely available alternative to in-person learning. How this will affect students going forward remains to be seen.

For now, we walk into these uncharted waters and do what we can, while looking for any semblance of what used to be. I found one – the “eye roll” is still alive and well – the mask does not, cannot hide this universal form of protest. How reassuring! Some things have not changed.

I hope that a love of learning is not lost in this time of isolation and of regulation. I hope that when the students return and the masks come off, students will again ask questions, speak their minds, give oral presentations, (book reports, show and tell etc.) engage in debate, theater, public speaking – do science experiments and cooking labs and ceramics and painting, all the hands on things that go into a full education.

There is a long standing saying that “the church is the people, not the building.” I think that must be true for school, too. I am in the same school building, but without all the students and all the activity, without the energy, the life, the vitality they bring with them into the building, school is a very quiet, very different place. It is the students who determine the character and the spirit of their school, not the building. Anything else is a poor substitute for the real thing. (post “C.C. True Confessions – the real thing #83)

I will continue to show up and continue to hope for more opportunities for in person learning in the future. As always, my ultimate hope for anything and everything that is good lies with my Heavenly Father. He is the giver of every good gift. I can truly say along with the psalmist,

“But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more.” (Psalm 71:14)

“May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You.” (Psalm 33:22)

sincerely, Grace Day

Was it only a year ago we were together for Thanksgiving? I confess -seems like it was more years, many more. Actually it must have been in another era altogether, when life was what is now just a memory. It was then she made the announcement that was met with applause and such joy. We all celebrated with her as we shared in her accomplishment and her new status.

The reason for the celebration? This beautiful young woman, who had married into our family several years prior, had become a U.S. citizen. She had studied, put in time and effort to make this dream a reality. And now it was real. Why is it people who risk more or invest more to become citizens of this country value it more than those of us who have this status awarded us because birth bequeathed belonging upon us before we could even desire it for ourselves?

I guess it is because we tend not to value that which costs us nothing. King David knew this very well. There is a story told in 1 Chronicles 21 about David and a sacrificial offering he made to the Lord. David had done wrong and God was punishing Israel for David’s sin. But . . .

“David said to God, ‘Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? O Lord my God, let Your hand fall upon me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on Your people.’ ” (1 Chronicles 21:17)

David was then instructed to build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. There he would sacrifice to make atonement for his sin. To this end David said to Araunah,

“Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price.” (1 Chronicles 21:22)

Now we are told that when David approached, Araunah “bowed down before David with his face to the ground.” Remember, David was the king and Araunah was simply one of his many subjects. Why did David offer to pay him? He could have simply taken it as his own, that was his kingly right. Araunah even offered his oxen for the sacrifice, his wheat for the grain offering and his threshing sledges for the wood for the fire.

As king, David could have demanded a discount. But he didn’t. He offered to pay full price. In reality, David didn’t have to ask for any of it. It was freely offered up to him for his use by Araunah simply because he was the king. But surprisingly, here is David’s reply to Araunah’s generous offer,

“No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” (1 Chronicles 21:24)

Perhaps King David understood that there was no element of sacrifice involved in making a sacrifice or a burnt offering of other people’s property, which would require nothing from him and therefore could have no impact on him. The things that are dear to us are things hard fought, hard won, hard to replace, precious and priceless because they cost us something.

David’s relationship to God was that precious, priceless, costly thing that required he be willing to pay a price. Obedience can be costly, but a right relationship with a holy God demanded nothing less of David. Such a relationship demands nothing less of me, either.

“So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site. David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.” (1 Chronicles 21:25)

David was willing to pay the price – the full price. Am I? Citizenship has a cost. Just ask those who escape to our country seeking asylum. Asylum from what? – we should be asking ourselves. People are still pouring into our country even while those brought up here under the protections and freedoms America provides are actively attempting to tear her down.

Why? Could it be because the freedoms, opportunities, peace, prosperity in this land full of possibility and hope have cost them nothing personally? So they spend their days in idle diversions, disgruntled, entitled, envious of anyone who seems to be better off, eager to blame anyone or anything for their discontent, whether individuals or institutions.

They tear down our statues, our cities, our businesses, our public spaces, – they tear down our laws, taking with them our safety and our peace – they tear down our Bill of Rights, taking with it our protections of free speech, of the ability to worship as we choose and of assembly. (well some people have been allowed to assemble in large numbers while others have been forbidden to assemble, turns out it depends on the reason for the assembly of people together – which begs the question, Who is deciding who can assemble and who can’t?)

When did we become so comfortable, so complacent that we are unwilling to sacrifice even the most minor of our conveniences or our comforts in an attempt to preserve our vanishing freedoms? Will we not lift a finger, not raise an objection, not a cry of protest, not even a whimper?

It will cost us, that is certain. In this cancel culture, the price is escalating. For some, it is now more than being cancelled on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TV, radio or in print – they may fear losing their jobs if they speak out. This is a big price to pay. Still . . .

Will we watch our freedom of speech slip away while we stand silent? Soon censorship will have silenced us all into submission and into the unity of thought and action which censorship demands. I find this ironic in that I thought diversity was the mantra, the banner under which we are being shamed into silent compliance with whatever is deemed currently correct discourse at the moment.

Is the classic book “Gone with the Wind” now literally gone with the wind? Or is it promised to return to us in some new reimagined, rewritten, sanitized, politically correct form that will now be deemed acceptable (even though unrecognizable) but nevertheless now approved by . . . by whom?

Who gets to make these decisions? I didn’t vote to ban “Gone with the Wind”. Did you, dear readers? Which books are next? The Bible? (it is currently banned in China as well as in other countries) This is what we call the slippery slope. How much are we willing to risk?

Nathan Hale paid the ultimate price saying, “I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Others have also paid full price for the freedoms we have known in this country. These brave patriots knew what King David understood – there is a price to be paid for anything of significance.

Jesus explained it to His disciples and to the crowd of people surrounding them in these words,

“If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:34-37)

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

Some things are worth paying full price. What did Lincoln say about the fallen soldiers’ sacrifice when he spoke at Gettysburg, dedicating the cemetery where they would be buried? Lincoln said the soldiers had given “their last full measure of devotion.” They had given their all so that others might live in freedom and in peace.

Today, the world watches, waiting to see the outcome of our struggle. Refugees risk everything to come here, not unlike the first “boat people”, those on ships like the Mayflower. Now that was one perilous journey. There was no guarantee that one would arrive safely in the “New World” and many died before their ship ever reached shore. But they were willing to take the risk in their pursuit of a better life, a life defined by freedom – freedom from the crown, freedom to determine their own destiny, freedom to worship openly without fear, freedom of speech and of assembly.

If only we fought with swords and sabers, our battle might be in clearer resolution before us. But we are confused. Who is the enemy? BLM says black lives matter, but their actions say no lives matter to them, just their ideology and their agenda of tearing democracy down. No lives are lifted up by any of their actions. Antifa by virtue of its name, implies that it is fighting fascism. But its actions are the opposite of its name. CRT (critical race theory) one would think would be anti-racist, but the perspective, philosophy and actions of this teaching create and empower division and racism where none existed before. They are racists pretending to be anti-racists by their rhetoric. But their actions speak louder than their words.

Time we stopped listening to the rhetoric and started looking at what is happening around us. Time to speak up or forever hold our peace. (there will be no peace if we hold it now)

My ultimate citizenship, however, is not here.

“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)

This heavenly citizenship comes at great cost. The cost? Jesus’s death on a cross, paying with His blood for my sins.

“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)

I want to be like the person in this parable in Matthew 13:44,

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

Anything worthwhile comes at a cost. Citizenship in a free country, citizenship in God’s kingdom. Both are worth the price of admission.

sincerely, Grace Day

Prepositions are typically small words but they pack a deceptively powerful punch. They make a difference, a big difference. Consider if you will, the difference between being in the car, under the car or beside the car. In the first scenario you are driving the car, (or possibly a passenger) in the second scenario, you have either been run over by the car or you are a mechanic fixing the car. In the third scenario, it is unknown whether you will become the driver, a car vandal or car thief, or perhaps you are simply admiring said car.

But all these possibilities become reality by simply changing the preposition. Who knew prepositions were so powerful? Well, turns out they do have a certain impact. Prepositions can totally change the situation.

Consider the difference between someone giving money to you and someone taking money from you. In the former, perhaps you are being paid for work you did or you won a bet. In the latter, you are being robbed, my friend.

Think about the difference between Jesus walking on the water and Peter, who ended up walking in the water. It’s the difference between being dry and being wet. (and also between being divine and being human)

It makes a huge difference whether the tornado goes through the city, around the city or jumps over the city. The end result on the ground is very different depending on which preposition tells the story of the tornado’s journey.

Prepositions tell us a lot about location and location is important as it determines so much. Take for instance Jesus’s location revealed to us in Romans 8:34 which says,

” . . . Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

The preposition “at” tells me where Jesus is and the preposition “for” lets me know that He is interceding on my behalf. I am also reassured by what Romans 8:31 tells me,

” . . . If God is for us, who can be against us?” I confess – it makes a huge difference in my relationships whether someone is for me or against me. What a difference a preposition makes!

We are getting closer to the season in which we celebrate Christ’s birth. We are remembering that this was the time when God came to dwell with us and walk among us. Two very important prepositions that changed the course of human history. Matthew 1:23 tells us,

” ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us.’ ”

“With” is a wonderful preposition when I consider what it means. It means that the Creator of the universe came to live among His people, came to share in their daily lives. For a miraculous, mercy filled moment in time, God inhabited human history in human form.

“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)

Approximately thirty three years later a very important prepositional change would occur. Jesus would go from living with His disciples here on earth to living in His disciples through the person of His Holy Spirit. Jesus attempted to prepare His disciples for this big change by explaining to them,

“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor (Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. . . . when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:7 & 13)

Jesus also told His disciples, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:25-26)

So Jesus was leaving earth but would send the Holy Spirit to believers after His departure. Paul referred to the Holy Spirit’s presence in every believer when he wrote to the Colossians saying,

“the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:26-27)

That switch from with to in was a big one. What a difference it makes in our daily lives. It happened at Pentecost, this miraculous arrival of the Holy Spirit, the fulfillment of a prophesy made by Joel so many years before when he foretold that God would do this,

“I will pour out My Spirit on all people . . . And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Joel 2:28 & 32)

Jesus was preparing to ascend to heaven after His resurrection when He told His disciples in parting,

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

So . . . “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. . . . All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4)

Later, Peter would explain to crowds of curious people what had happened to him and the other disciples in these words,

“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” (Acts 2:32-33)

Peter made it clear that God’s gift of His Holy Spirit was for anyone who would believe on the name of His Son, Jesus.

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ ” (Acts 2:38-39)

Everyone receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, not just living with them but in them. The Holy Spirit was Jesus’s parting gift to us, so to speak. Jesus was no longer going to be physically present with us, but He would be spiritually present in us twenty-four/seven forever. Maybe this is why Jesus said it is better for us that He went back to the Father because then He could send us His Holy Spirit to live in us instead of with us.

“In” is closer than “with”. It doesn’t get any more personal. I’m thinking about the ten commandments, which God wrote on the stone tablets and gave to Moses to present to the Israelites, so that God’s laws could be with them. Those sacred stone tablets remained with the Israelite people in their Ark of the Covenant but those laws being “with” the people didn’t really change their lives in any meaningful, ongoing sense or way.

This is probably why in Hebrews 10:15-16 I read these words,

“The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says: ‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ ”

Wow! What a difference a preposition makes! From external to internal is an important distinction. And it is a distinction that matters greatly to God. Paul describes the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit this way in 2 Corinthians 4:7,

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (our bodies are the jars of clay, the treasure is God’s Holy Spirit living in us)

I’m sure the disciples were feeling quite abandoned as Jesus began preparing them for His return to the Father after His resurrection. But Jesus reassured them with these words,

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. . . . Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.” (John 14:16-20)

He lives with you and will be in you. Jesus was with the disciples and many other people during His time here, but upon His return to heaven He fulfilled that promise that He would no longer abide with us, but in us.

And that is the power of a preposition, dear readers. Prepositions determine position and God prioritizes the internal over the external. He says in John 15:4,

“Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.”

a particularly powerful preposition, that one “in”.

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

sincerely, Grace Day

Would I be considered an introvert or an extrovert? That is the question. The answer probably depends on the beholder of my behavior and on the circumstances. I have been and can be both of these, it just depends on the day and the situation in which I find myself. But now I find myself taking on the characteristics of a hermit more and more as this covid crisis continues. Maybe you do, too, dear readers?

To be clear, the only hermit I ever knew of was the grandfather in the story “Heidi”. He lived alone up on a mountain as I recall and so both mystery and myth contributed to his mystique as a hermit. Of course, he was a hermit by choice. My hermit status is being chosen for me as a response to the presence of covid in our midst. But I must confess, as time passes, I am becoming more and more comfortable with my hermit label and my hermit lifestyle.

It doesn’t happen overnight, this transformation from involved to isolated, from connected to cut-off. Rather, it takes place incrementally. Schools are shutting down again, as are businesses and other things. We are being told not to gather with other people, especially for the upcoming holidays. The weather is getting colder and there is less daylight every day. So increasingly, there is nowhere to go and no reason to be outside. Thus a hermit is born! ( or maybe created is more accurate)

It is safer, it is easier to stay home. No chance of chance interactions to endanger one or to brighten one’s day. The hermit lifestyle may be becoming the norm, but is it normal? These are two very different things. (the norm vs. normal) Which causes me to ponder, are animals hermits or do only humans become hermits?

There are herds of buffalo, cows, elephants etc. There are schools of fish, flocks of sheep, a gaggle of geese, a pride of lions, a pack of wolves, a float of crocodiles, a pod of whales, a swarm of bees, a caravan of camels, a colony of ants, – you get the idea. Animals are born into their animal families and live out their lives as part of these animal communities. Birds, buffaloes and butterflies alike live together, migrate together and survive together. To separate from the herd (or whatever group name) would mean death. They need each other to survive.

Are we any different? God, Himself said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18) And that is when God made Eve so that Adam wouldn’t be alone. Adam wasn’t created to be a hermit living in isolation.

Neither are we. We do better in community. Psalm 68:6 tells us that –

“God sets the lonely in families, . . . ” or another translation says, “the desolate in a homeland.”

A place to belong, isn’t that what each one of us desires whether we will admit to it or not? Romans 12:5 tells us how we belong to something, really Someone, greater than ourselves which provides us with our connection to others – a connection that gives meaning and provides purpose for us in our day to day lives.

“so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” There’s that belonging that I so long for! Being a part of something bigger than just myself. We are members together of the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12 it is described in this way –

“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. . . . God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. . . . As it is, there are many parts, but one body. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

Isn’t that the assurance that I long for? That I belong somewhere to someone? Those words above just confirmed that each one of you (I) is (am) a part of it. God really does set the lonely in families. He has adopted me into His family. Just as it is written in John 1:12,

“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

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

My Heavenly Father knows my need for connection and belonging, my need to live for a greater purpose than myself alone. He has adopted me into His family, made me a part of His body of believers, given me a job to do within that body (remember the body doesn’t work well without each and every part participating – everyone is essential – there are no non-essential parts or members – everyone is needed – everyone has value)

God did not create me to be a hermit. He created me to be salt and to be light to His hurting world. Matthew 5:13 & 14 makes that clear when Jesus says,

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, . . . You are the light of the world. . . . let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

The world may have plans for me to become a non-essential hermit, but it would appear that my Heavenly Father has other plans for me as His child, as a part of His body of believers here on earth. He has placed me in community, connected me with all the saints, (by making them my brothers and sisters in Christ) and called me to serve in the capacity He has chosen for me.

If you are feeling isolated and lonely, dear readers, please realize that your Heavenly Father has done the same for you as well. You are essential to God. You have priceless value and your life has great purpose.

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

sincerely, Grace Day

Humankind has been debating and defining this word love for as long as we have been in existence. Love is the topic of and the inspiration for our art, our literature, our music, our movies – everything revolves around man’s quest for love. From country western songs to Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals to rock & roll, it is all about love.

We long to find love, to experience love, to hold onto love. We dedicate our lives to pursuing love, understanding it, defining it, acquiring it, but not so much to giving it away – that would be too costly.

Just what is love, anyway? Is it that elusive entity that makes the world go round? Is it really true that love is all you need? Have I, or have you, dear reader, spent your life looking for love in all the wrong places? Can I even say for sure that I know what love is?

Recently, I have been seeing these words “love is love” on signs and posters and such. In fact, lately these words seem to be everywhere I look. I never noticed them before but now they are getting my attention. Still, I find those words confusing if not downright nonsensical. You see, in grade school English it was drilled into us when doing our vocabulary homework that you can’t use the word you are attempting to define in the definition of said word.

So if I don’t know what love is, telling me that love is love, doesn’t enlighten me or further my understanding of the word all that much. Fortunately, God’s word has a lot to say about love. In fact, there is a whole chapter in 1 Corinthians called the love chapter (that would be chapter 13) which describes love in the following words,

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

These words about love paint a picture of what love looks like by what love does and doesn’t do. These words describe love so well that I would be able to recognize love if I saw her in action and to recognize a love impostor by their actions as well. This would certainly come in handy in my quest for love, this ability to to tell the real thing from the impostors.

I will recognize love by its actions. Because at its core, love is a verb, not a noun. Love is an action more than a feeling. Love is both, but it is the actions of love which define her, release her power and give her life. Love’s actions reveal her true character and expose all pretenders. Actions are the way love is lived out in this world.

Love is defined in John 15:13 in this way,

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Then we read in John 3:16,

“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.”

So we see the definition of love includes the action of giving, even the giving up of one’s life. Love is an action. In Ephesians 5:25 we read,

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her . . .”

In Romans 13:10 I find love further defined in this way,

“Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

I love that explanation. (oops, that is the feeling I’m referring to in that statement) How often do I say I love this or that? I have to confess – pretty often and the list is long (ice cream, kittens, sunsets, campfires . . . ) but am I living out the actions of love or still just searching for the feeling that we have labeled love?

Love does no harm – oh if I could live that way. Never hurting anyone with my words or my deeds because love does no harm. That should easily weed out all the pretenders, who profess their love to those around them but with their actions tell a different story.

Love is the fulfillment of the law. And what is the law? The two greatest commandments we are told, are to love God above all else and to love others as yourself. In Matthew 22:36-39 I find this confirmed,

” ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

This kind of love requires action on my part. This loving God and loving my neighbor is hard work. It is more than a feeling expressed by an emoji. The kind of loving Jesus was talking about will be time consuming and costly. But to this we are called.

Jesus made clear this connection between love and action in John 14:21 & 23 when He said,

“Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. . . . If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching.”

My love for my Heavenly Father is lived out in my actions of obedience to His teachings, in my following where He leads and in my doing things His way, not mine. There is a story in Luke of a woman who showed her love for Jesus by her actions, though she was criticized greatly for what she did. This is how it happened.

While Jesus was having dinner at the house of a prominent religious leader, a woman of questionable character entered and began washing Jesus’s feet. His high class host took issue with the woman’s actions and Jesus’s response is worth noting –

“Then He (Jesus) turned toward the woman and said to Simon, (the one who thought he was the one who loved Jesus because he was religious) ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give Me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing My feet. You did not put oil on My head, but she has poured perfume on My feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.’ ” (Luke 7:44-47)

Did you catch that? This woman loved much according to Jesus. It wasn’t a feeling, it was all action. She cried, she wiped, she kissed, she poured perfume on Jesus feet, something that cost her dearly as perfume was very expensive but she spared no expense – by her actions she loved much.

What is love? Is it more than the fleeting feelings of a romantic fairytale? Could love be an act of kindness in the face of cruelty? Could it be the parent who doesn’t give up on a child, no matter what? Could it be gentle words in response to harsh ones? Could it be sticking with a friend through tough times? Could it be loving the unlovable? That’s what God does, you know. Yes, He loved us while we were still sinners. God loves us even when we are unlovable. What is love?

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:10-11)

what is love? love is a myriad of actions chosen and taken every moment of every day that can add up to a lifetime of love – love is all those things in 1 Corinthians – patient, kind, long suffering, trusting, hopeful, persevering, faithful . . .

love is self-giving, compassionate and courageous – love really is a many splendored thing . . .

love was never more visible than that day on Calvary when love hung on a cross, dying for a world that would otherwise die, love – the ultimate sacrifice, love – the gift of God.

what is love? “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

sincerely, Grace Day

The sun came up today, bringing with it hope, possibility and promise. It is a new day. A new beginning. A fresh start. A clean slate. These are things I don’t deserve, but as the sun rises every morning, God gives me these good gifts new each day. Never underestimate the power and the value of a new beginning. Unsought, unasked, undeserved – nevertheless these gifts are mine when I wake. They are part of God’s provision for me of manna and of mercy, new every morning. Everything I need to face another day with courage, compassion and conviction, God supplies out of His infinite resources.

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

Lord, please bring Your assurance into my uncertainty. Bring Your clarity into my clouded vision. I desire Your order to replace my chaos, Your calm in the middle of my storm. Lord, I ask for Your comfort in my pain, Your healing of my hurts, Your abiding Presence when I am all alone.

Lord, this world needs Your peace to permeate our conflict, Your unity to overcome our division and Your truth to dispel all deceptions that lead us away from You and keep us captive. Lord, let Your love overcome our hate, Your goodness win out over our evil. Let Your faithfulness overcome our propensity to doubt You.

Heavenly Father, today, help me to do what Your words in Romans 12:9-13 instruct me to do. May I love sincerely, hate what is evil; cling to what is good. May I be devoted to others, honoring others above myself. Enable me to persevere in doing what pleases You. Make me joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer, always generous and hospitable.

Let these words be my guide in everything.

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

Lord, Your abiding Presence with me is peace, is comfort, is hope, is joy, is life itself.

Isaiah said the train of Your robe filled the temple. Indeed, Your Presence fills all the earth.

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

You, Lord, fill everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:23)

Fill the earth with Your glorious Presence, fill my heart, fill every heart to overflowing with Your mercy and Your goodness. May Your lovingkindness fall over all You have made.

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

Your Presence, Lord, makes all the difference to me.

“Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:10)

Your Presence, Lord, is that precious. It is life, it is abundant life, it is eternal life.

sincerely, Grace Day

Today, on my solitary morning walk, I was accompanied by two most unlikely companions. Silent though they were, I found them to be quite congenial. Indeed, I welcomed the comfort of their presence keeping me company in the stillness of the early morning. And so we journeyed together, my companions and I, the rising sun on my one hand and the fading moon on my other.

They were sharing the sky, while keeping their distance from one another. But let’s face it, it is a big sky. A sky certainly big enough to accommodate them both, and so it did. I did not ask the moon why she lingered long past her bedtime, loathe to leave the now daytime sky. She must have had good reason, this morning moon, to hang around and hoover over me as I walked and talked to no one in particular – yet I gave the nod of notice to each rabbit, bird, duck, goose and yes even squirrel that shared their morning space with me.

I wondered that my one companion was not wanted in someone else’s sky – was she not expected as darkness fell somewhere in this world? this lesser light, to illuminate a sky all her own, no need to share her mysterious magic with the one whose presence dims her luster, forcing her to fade from view – when she could have the sky all to herself, save for a thousand million twinkling lights as backdrop for her luminous presence, reigning over the night.

But this morning, I welcomed her company, intrusion though the sun must think it to be – not only because she is forced to share her sky, but it is usually just the two of us on these morning walks and the moon never has to share me in the evening.

I confess – my attention was definitely divided today. I watched the sun grow brighter as she rose with slow splendor, while simultaneously I beheld the sinking moon, fading, yet with a transformed translucence that held my gaze upon her morning beauty – afraid to look away lest she would have disappeared from my sight while I looked upon lesser things.

However, there were no lesser things to look upon on this fall morning. Every tree was full of a color all its own, each more glorious than its neighbor, together an array of colors defying description. I let the colors fill my eyes, sink into my heart, then settle in my soul. I will need them, these living, indescribable colors. They will be my hedge against the gray of winter, when I shall recall to mind this particular morning when the three of us, the sun, the moon and I – gathered colors, in quiet camaraderie, shared the still beauty of the morning, and stored up all its pleasures as treasures to be closely guarded.

Today, I gathered pictures in mind’s eye of trees’ reflection on still water, of reeds and swimming ducks and geese in flight between sun and moon, in perfect form against blue sky. Yes, my unlikely companions and I had a most spectacular time together, sharing our morning’s journey. For we were each on our own path, when our paths per chance converged – merging for moments fair though fleeting – for the sun had much to do before her pre-appointed time to leave the sky should arrive and so did I, come to think of it. And the moon? Well, she was already late for her next appearance.

I can only guess at the impatience of a starry host somewhere over a vast ocean eagerly waiting her arrival into their midst, completing the lighting of the night sky. And so our paths, so happily but briefly merged, now digressed as the sun, the moon and I said our goodbyes, continued on our separate ways, carrying the joy of the journey shared between us on into our coming day.

thank You, Lord, for unlikely companions to keep me company on my journey . . .

“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.’ And it was so. God made two great lights – the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. . . . God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, . . . And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:14-18)

sincerely, Grace Day

The question posited by Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg one-hundred fifty-seven years ago may well be one that we find ourselves asking again today. Can our nation “so conceived and so dedicated long endure?” How was she conceived? and how dedicated? Lincoln’s address to those assembled on that day, November 19th, 1863 answers that question this way.

He explained that our new nation was “conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” The great experiment. At that time the United States was a mere eighty-seven years old and failing to live up to her promise of equality for all. But many were willing to lay down their lives to ensure that this nation did extend that promise of liberty and equality to each and every person.

And lay down their lives they did. The Gettysburg Address was delivered at the dedication of a plot of land that was to become Soldier’s National Cemetery. That’s why Lincoln and the others had gathered at Gettysburg on that November day. They had come to honor and to bury those who had already given their lives so that others might live – but not just live, live free. Freedom is not cheap. It comes at a cost. And the cost was already high.

Some are willing to pay the price. Men such as Patrick Henry who famously said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” To some life is not worth living if they are not free to choose how they will live.

I was reminded of this just this morning in church. Two people spoke to us this morning, a man from Jordan and a woman from the DRC. (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Both had experienced persecution for practicing their faith, which put their lives in danger. They had fled to the U.S. several years ago and are now both citizens of our country.

Today, they shared their stories with us. They told us that we can’t truly appreciate how rare and wonderful this country is, because we have never known anything different. We have not experienced what those around the globe experience on a daily basis. I confess – I too often take for granted all the freedoms I enjoy, including the freedom to worship God openly. I have these freedoms because others purchased and secured them for me at a price. The price? Their lives.

To the rest of the world the United States is a symbol of hope, a beacon of light, a last bastion of freedom. Must be why so many risk so much to come here. Like the two individuals who came to my church this morning, they are seeking their God given, unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which their own countries have denied them.

And so the question of Gettysburg remains with us today, how long can this nation endure? There are those who would tear her down and see her burn. Democracy does not work well, when dead peoples’ voices are heard while the voices of the living are disregarded, silenced or remain silent. Democracy dies when we choose comfort over conscience, complacence over courage and silence over speaking out.

May the light of freedom not be extinguished on our watch. The world is watching.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)

“For God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.” (Psalm 47:7-9)

sincerely, Grace Day

I looked at what I had just typed (or what I thought I had just typed) but instead saw before me pure gibberish, unrecognizable letters and symbols strung together, making absolutely no sense. What I saw on the computer screen before me was definitely not what I had just finished typing! Well, it was not what I had intended to type and by extension not what I had intended to say.

Then I looked down at my keyboard, more to the point, I looked at my fingers on said keyboard and what had happened immediately became clear to me. It was the placement of my fingers on the keyboard that was the culprit. Nothing major, just one key off sideways in either direction or one row off up or down and nothing will come out right. And nothing had come out right. The proof of that was on my computer screen!

You cannot start from a wrong position and expect things to turn out right. Yet that was exactly what I had done. My fingers were positioned one key off from the correct starting position. My fingers had executed their motions correctly, but from a wrong starting position. I had done everything right except to check to make sure I started with my fingers on the correct keys.

If I start from a wrong position I will end up at a wrong place. If I began with a false premise I will arrive at a false conclusion. What starts with a lie cannot end in the truth. It is an impossibility. Truth is the foundation upon which freedom is formed. This is the lesson my keyboard taught me today.

I am told we are living in a “post-truth” era. Facts don’t matter, it is feelings that are given precedence and followed. I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I freely confess – on any given day my feelings run the gamut, they are all over the place. So my truth is an ever changing entity. This does not inspire much confidence in me as I attempt to ascertain what is true.

God’s word is truth, eternal truth. I read in Psalm 119:160 these words,

“All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal.”

and in John 17:17 Jesus’s prayer for His disciples was,

“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.”

We are also told in Matthew 24:35,

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

The words of Isaiah 40:8 proclaim the same truth about God’s word saying,

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

So there is truth – the enduring, unchanging truth found in God’s holy, living word. I read in John 16:13,

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you (me) into all truth.”

This is what I long for – truth. I don’t want to build my life on a lie. Actually, there is something else I desire greatly and that is freedom. These words of Jesus often come to mind as I ponder the relationship between truth and freedom,

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

That is what I want – to know the truth and to be free. There is an important truth in God’s word that is incorporated into our Declaration of Independence. It is this,

“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights . . . ”

We are all equal because we are all created by God in His image, deriving our intrinsic value from our Creator.

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

So it is the premise contained in our own Declaration of Independence that holds the promise for each and every one of us as citizens. The promise is contained in the premise that all men (people) being equal is a self-evident truth.

This promise procures for each of us access to the protections of our constitution. This is a promise of endless possibilities and opportunities for us as free individuals to pursue prosperity for ourselves and for our children in peace and tranquility.

Why has America been a symbol of freedom, promise and opportunity to the rest of the world throughout her brief history? Could it be because she was founded on a truthful premise, straight from God’s word? (that being that all people are created by God and therefore are equally valuable and have equal rights given them by their Creator) This is a truth that government should not interfere with but instead exist to protect.

Our founding fathers started with truth, with a true premise. So there is hope that in the working out of and in the living up to that truth, America can attain to good ends. America was not founded on a false premise, but on truth. Truth is a sure foundation for freedom to flourish. But in truth’s absence freedom will die.

America started with her hands correctly placed on the keyboard, acknowledging God as our Creator and as the giver of our human rights. (remember God’s word is truth, eternal truth – the only truth in an ever changing world)

Now, even though America’s hands were correctly placed on the keyboard, the movements of her fingers (unlike mine) have not always been flawless and mistakes have been made. But her starting place is truth so arriving at a destination of liberty and justice for all is possible. But if you start with a lie, you will never arrive at the truth. And without truth, you will never be free.

Today I am wondering if America will live up to her founding documents (the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution) or if she will make a deal with the devil so to speak. Historically, it happens often. As Paul said in Romans 1:25,

“The exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.”

America became a bastion of freedom for the oppressed precisely because she was founded on the truth of God, not government, giving us our rights. Governments are to protect and defend those rights of the individual, not restrict nor usurp them. But if we began to believe the lie that it is government who determines who and what has value, rather than God’s word, we will go down a very different path. Remember, if you start with a lie, you will never arrive at the truth. A lie cannot lead to truth.

Today many may be praying that we remain the land of the free and the home of the brave. I guess that will depend in part on how brave the brave actually are right about now to speak out and not remain silent. The world is watching, waiting, hoping that freedom’s light is not extinguished in a final flurry of fire. rather let it rain . . .

“You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the Lord, have created it.” (Isaiah 45:8)

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

sincerely, Grace Day