Cancel culture may be a relatively recent term when it comes to our daily discourse, public or private, but the concept cancel culture calls out has been with us for centuries. How do I know this? I read about cancel culture all the time in the Bible. Jesus dealt with it during His time here on earth. And since human nature hasn’t changed, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that a cancel culture mindset is still something we are all struggling with and attempting to survive today.

Peter, one of Jesus’s disciples, asked Jesus a question one day which revealed that Peter was struggling with this desire to “cancel” those who offended or wronged him. This would be a good time for me to confess – I too, have asked this question on more than one occasion. Here’s how the conversation between Peter and Jesus unfolded –

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’ ” (or seventy times seven) (Matthew 18:21-22)

Now, fyi dear readers, seventy times seven or seventy-seven times, both are symbolic of infinity. In other words, Jesus was telling Peter there was no limit on the number of times he should forgive an offense against him. Not exactly what Peter wanted to hear. He probably thought there should be a reasonable limit to what one should have to put up with and after that, one had no more obligation to overlook an offense.

Peter was definitely virtue signaling when he suggested seven times as a possible answer to the question he was asking of Jesus, probably thinking seven times was quite generous in nature. But we see by Jesus’s answer, (seventy times seven) to Peter’s question, that Jesus had an entirely different perspective on the matter. We read in Colossians 3:13 these words,

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

So I am to forgive because I, myself, have been forgiven. God has not given up on me. I should not give up on other people. Fortunately for me, my Heavenly Father has never cancelled me, never defriended me, nor refused to hear my desperate prayers. This, in spite of all my continued offenses against Him.

Peter would experience this unmerited, miraculous acceptance and forgiveness of Jesus. And it would come after Peter’s most grievous offense yet against Jesus. Peter denied that he even knew Jesus – not once but three separate times. Peter committed these acts of betrayal at a time when Jesus most needed him, at a time when everyone else had deserted Jesus, at the time, at the hour when Jesus was on trial for His very life! Peter bailed on Jesus in Jesus’s hour of need. And yet . . .

The story does not end there. Peter was not cancelled. He was not de-friended nor de-discipled. Peter was forgiven, restored and reinstated by Jesus. We see this play out after Jesus’s resurrection, when He joined His disciples one morning on the beach after they had spent the night fishing. Jesus charges Peter with the responsibility to “Feed My Lambs”, to “Take care of My sheep.”

People are not disposable to Jesus. We are redeemable and remarkable because He made us and He made us in His image. Remember what Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18, before Peter’s huge failure of denouncement and defection when times got tough? Jesus told Peter,

“I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Peter was still used by God, despite his mistakes. God’s forgiveness is much greater than all our offenses. I love what Micah 7:18-19 says about this,

“Who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”

Yes, Jesus lived in a cancel culture not so different from the one we find ourselves in today. The Pharisees were the self appointed thought police of Jesus’s day. However, their method of cancelling you would be to see you stoned or crucified if possible. Remember the woman caught in adultery? They were going to have her stoned until Jesus intervened on her behalf. Jesus thought she was worth saving in spite of her questionable behavior at the time.

I guess losing a few friends or followers kind of pales in comparison to being stoned to death? Still our current cancel culture can feel kind of dangerous. One misstep, one misspoken word and you are history, you are toast, you are thrown away as irredeemable. And I thought baseball was brutal with its three strikes and you are out! Those three strikes are looking pretty magnanimous right about now.

I know I long for second chances times infinity. Don’t we all? Don’t we all want another opportunity to succeed, to right the wrong, to repair the damage, to do better, to do different? to pick ourselves up and try again? Our country’s history has been one of people doing just those things for years. Learning from our failures and doing better. We are a country that gives second chances to anyone who wants one. (at least we did in the past) We were founded on a belief in a Creator God who gives second chances to anyone who asks Him, without partiality.

Cancel culture is robbing us all of the opportunities we all counted on to continually learn and grow without being sentenced to a life of silence and irrelevance, irrevocably by who? Who determines who gets cancelled? Perhaps we should start by not being so quick to cancel each other. Psalm 130:3-4 says,

“If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.”

Heavenly Father, I’m so glad you don’t keep a record of my wrongdoing and hold it against me. Help me to follow Your example, and not hold others’ offenses against them. My load will certainly be lighter the less I hold onto grudges and gripes.

“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11)

sincerely, Grace Day

 

There before me, good and evil, standing side by side on the same site. It is such an incongruous sight that I have to look again even though everything in me wants to deny what I am seeing. I feel overwhelming grief as I stare at the large “Black Lives Matter” sign in the yard of the old downtown church.

Don’t they know? Then I realize there are only three possible explanations for what I see before me now. Agreement, acquiescence or ignorance. Agreement is too terrible to contemplate so I pray fervently that one of the latter explains the presence of the sign.

But first I must confess – I have put off writing this post for far too long. I further confess – that even though I write often about having courage, I myself have behaved as if I have none. I have acted cowardly rather than courageously. I encourage others not to remain silent, not to turn a blind eye and then I myself have remained silent. Until now.

But not today. As our cities continue to burn in the name of – of what? of justice? People are losing their livelihoods, our communities are war zones, lives are being lost and no one’s life is made better by any of this destruction, intimidation, vandalism and violence.

Black Lives Matter signs, banners, painted letters on our streets and spray painted graffiti on our churches, public buildings, monuments and places of business are everywhere. What does this mean? Black lives continue to be lost to murder, abortion, crime etc. everyday – we don’t see any outrage from BLM about that, just as we don’t see any lives being saved or living conditions being made better with the burning down of black owned and minority businesses and neighborhoods. So what is the desired outcome of the protests/riots?

I was having trouble connecting the obvious meaning of the name BLM with the obvious outcomes of their very public actions. Something is not making sense. Black lives are not being uplifted. Why not? Isn’t that BLM’s purpose?

Well, according to their website their agenda is something else entirely. It is to destroy our country and all those who look to her for freedom and protection and opportunity to live their lives in safety, peace and prosperity. They use words like disrupt and dismantle rather than destroy. I guess that sounds a little less threatening? But the intent is still clear.

What does BLM want to disrupt, dismantle, and destroy? The nuclear family, capitalism, democracy, freedom – pretty much our way of life. Why? BLM is Marxist in ideology. This is important to know because Marxism is atheistic at its core which is the opposite of the United States founding belief that we each have value because we have been “endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights.”

Core beliefs have real world consequences. We have been witness to these consequences as we have watched the fires and the fallout, the demonstrations and the demolition taking place in cities across our country. With businesses boarded up and police presence decreased due to calls for defunding, with crime and murder rates rising, our streets continue to be filled with BLM demonstrators.

Why? Why are there BLM signs in store windows? Why are corporations giving BLM such large sums of money? Why is the NFL (and other sports organizations also) making sure to openly support BLM financially and with their public actions? Is it agreement? acquiescence? or ignorance?

Acquiescence is certainly rampant right now. We have all witnessed first hand what happens to those who don’t publicly support BLM. In this cancel culture it is to any business’s or to any individual’s detriment to not support BLM by signs, t-shirts, word of mouth and money. So I feel fear must be the dominant factor contributing to acquiescence. If a BLM sign can protect your business from bricks, bombs, burning and looting, who wouldn’t want to avail themselves of this simple solution? It beats the alternative. Unfortunately, tyrants are rarely placated for long. Tomorrow they will demand more.

Does fear account for all the support we are witnessing? I have to believe ignorance also plays a large part in what we witness in our streets and in the daily dialogue of our nation. People have not looked beyond the name of the organization. They have not gone to the website to learn about the origin of the organization or to see where their monetary donations might be going.

It is curious that the very churches which support BLM will not exist when events reach their logical conclusion. Under a Marxist regime there is no freedom of religion. There is no religion. After all, it was Karl Marx who called religion “the opiate of the masses” or “the opium of the people.” How ironic. So many churches are currently supporting an atheistic ideology. I wonder if ignorance is an acceptable excuse?

I have been especially surprised to watch the entire NFL, team by team, to take a knee, so to speak, to BLM. I have to believe it is the result of ignorance on their part. Here’s why. All those players are well paid athletes who have prospered as a result of the opportunities available to them in this country. Capitalism makes their salaries and their lifestyles possible. Free people with jobs, spend their hard earned money on game tickets and sports paraphernalia, (jerseys, hats etc.) and keep the NFL in business. How do the players think those big stadiums, arenas and other sports venues get built?

The answer would be capitalism. The same capitalism which BLM has vowed as a part of their platform to abolish. (players, were you never told – “don’t bite the hand that feeds you”?) I would think these players and the NFL organization would want to stand up for the country that allows them the freedom to conduct business and to pursue their personal, individual dreams. I would think the players would want to stand up for the hard working fans who wear their jerseys proudly, who have supported them in the past and are now being forced into silence and acquiescence while their businesses and their cities burn down around them.

But you, NFL players, are not standing up for your fans nor for your country. You are all taking a knee. Cowards. What are you afraid of? Cancel culture? A negative Facebook post? Do you really think there will be professional sports of any kind when our economy collapses? (have you looked at Venezuela lately?) Then I guess you all will be out of a job just like the rest of us regular, non-essential people.

I expected cowardice from the big corporations who felt they had to protect their images at any cost. And what a cost it is! That cost is selling out to an anti-capitalist organization. This makes no sense. So is this ignorance or acquiescence? It certainly could not be agreement because the ideology of BLM when implemented will mean the death of capitalism, which will mean the extinction of these corporations. So they are giving huge donations to an organization which is openly working to destroy them.

Which means it must be ignorance. Who helps their enemy bring them down? And so I must ask myself, what is my part? I love this country and do not want to see the freedoms we have enjoyed and perhaps taken for granted, disappear while I stand silently by. I am not in agreement and I am not ignorant, but has fear of offending kept me silent too long while I have waited for others to speak up? I was waiting for just one organization, just one NFL team, just one player to stand up and to speak out and to refuse to pay the protection bribe, to refuse to pledge allegiance to the bully terrorizing us in our own backyards.

But there has been only silence. We have such a history of courage as a country and as individuals. When did we become a nation of cowards? Corporations, churches, sports franchises are all actively supporting the very movement that desires to tear them down, to tear down our country and to replace our private property with community property and state control of every aspect of our lives. (that’s what Marxism is) Getting us to hate our country is just a means to their end. When patriotism is popular and we are united, those that would destroy us from within don’t stand a chance.

The choice is ours with BLM. We can agree, we can acquiesce, we can remain ignorant by turning a blind eye and a deaf ear or we can speak out for the nation who has provided us protection and freedom, even with all her flaws, far above what others experience around the globe.

We are not the nation who invented slavery but we are the nation who abolished it. And we did so at a very high cost of human life. (the Civil War) So many have given their lives that this nation might live. They would not want us to give up on her, to go down in silence, without a fight. America is worth fighting for. Somehow, so many seem to have forgotten that fact. Instead, we prefer to fight each other.

I am reminded of the story of the young boy and the rattlesnake. Maybe you know it too? The rattlesnake asks the boy to carry him up the mountain so he can enjoy the sun but the boy is afraid of being bitten and of dying as a result. The snake assures the boy this will not happen, giving the boy his promise. So the boy picks up the rattlesnake and they journey together up the mountain and then back to the snake’s home. The boy keeps the snake safe and protected the entire time. As the boy sets the snake down, the snake bites him. Surprised, the boy cries out, “why did you do that?” The snake’s reply? “You knew what I was when you picked me up.”

Hindsight is always so perfectly clear. But it always comes too late. Will we claim ignorance as a nation? as a people? say we had no idea? say we did not know? we did not know who they were, those who tore our country down right before our eyes, while proclaiming justice, equality and freedom – even as they unjustly desecrated our cities, took lives and our liberties, suppressing any voices of dissent, as we, with our silence gave consent – to freedoms fought for in long ago years, to now be surrendered without a tear, without a whimper of regret, believing this the only path to peace? with this oppression will the violence cease?

Tonight my prayer would be these words from the Gettysburg Address, ” . . . that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

this legacy of freedom and democracy is ours to preserve and to pass on or ours to loose . . .

let us pray for that new birth of freedom

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)

sincerely, Grace Day

Out of the mouths of babes, so to speak, comes today’s universally asked question. It is a question all of us ask, if not out loud then to ourselves silently, as we suffer while wondering what is the answer to our question? I confess – it is a question I ask often enough myself. But hearing this question that we all grapple with, asked by a six year old, in the words of a six year old, gave it a clarity that highlighted just how universally asked this question is and has been down through the centuries of human existence.

“When will it stop hurting?”, this young child asked his Grammi. Isn’t that what we all want to know? When will the pain go away? When will it stop hurting for me? Sometimes our physical pain does go away, it does stop. But for many, chronic physical pain is part of daily life. It does not stop. It does not go away.

Then there is the even more prevalent emotional pain that afflicts us all. This pain is as unrelenting as physical pain, but for some reason its impact on our lives and on our overall well being is much greater than mere physical pain. Emotional pain, those deep hurts, wounds, rejections, fears, anxieties, depressions, loneliness, words and deeds of others that have hurt our hearts and caused us grief unspeakable – these are the burdens emotional pain bestows on us and leaves us to carry on our own.

And so I find myself asking along with my young friend, “When will it stop hurting?” I want to believe that it will and I want a date to put on my calendar, so that I can mark off the days until the day when there will be no more pain arrives. That is a day worth waiting for – but I need to believe that it is coming. I need to believe that life without pain is possible.

I don’t think I am alone in this longing to be released from pain. Look at what Romans 8:19-23 tells me,

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

So all of creation is asking this same question right along with me, “When will it stop hurting?” or “How much longer do we have to suffer?” Creation is groaning as it waits to be liberated from its bondage to decay just as you and I groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies. (after all, we too, are a part of creation)

When will the pain stop? In John 16:33, Jesus tells us “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Ok, that sounds like not any time soon will the hurt be disappearing from my daily life or any of our daily lives. Not in this world anyway. 1 Peter 1:6-7 sheds some light on why this is so.

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

So my grief in all kinds of trials is only for a little while? Just how long is a little while anyway? Time is definitely in the eye of the beholder. 1 Peter 3:8 tells me,

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

So how do I hang on, waiting for it to stop hurting, in the meantime? 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 encourages me with these words,

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

There’s a reason it hasn’t stopped hurting yet. I am being renewed and prepared for an eternal glory that I can’t even imagine nor understand. I just have to take my Heavenly Father at His word. It’s called trust and trust requires faith. Then I read in James 1:2-4 these words,

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

I guess with me it’s taking a little longer to develop in me perseverance and to bring me to the mature and complete stage. I am a work in progress and it is a painful process! But my Heavenly Father does promise me this in 1 Peter 5:10,

“And the God of all grace, who called you (me) to His eternal glory in Christ, after you (I) have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you (me) and make you (me) strong, firm and steadfast.”

There’s that a little while again, but there is definitely something to look forward to – a time when the hurt, the pain will stop for me and for you, too. Revelation 21:1-4 describes what is coming, what we are looking forward to in these words,

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, . . . And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ ”

When will it stop hurting? When God comes to dwell with us and wipes away all our tears and abolishes all pain and death. When He who is seated on the throne says, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:5) That’s when!

Until then I have His promise from Psalm 121:5-8,

“The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

sincerely, Grace Day

Now there’s a term I haven’t heard in awhile (maybe it’s considered hate speech now?) but I confess – I identify as falling into that category of people often. Truthfully, most of us find ourselves scatterbrained at one time or another in our daily lives. So many thoughts in my head, all swirling around, vying for attention and top billing in my mind. I find it hard to focus on any one thought, with so many competing thoughts crowding together in my brain.

Where do I land? On which thoughts do I settle my mind? (I think we call that settling of the mind, focus, which is what we scatterbrained people lack) My brain needs a full time bouncer to throw some of these thoughts out! Particularly the thoughts that are causing me trouble, making me anxious or fearful or depressed or angry or confused. In fact, a good bouncer would never have let those thoughts into my brain in the first place!

I guess it is time to hire a new bouncer for my brain. Better known as a filter, a good one could do wonders for my disposition, I’m sure. Why are my thoughts important? Scatterbrained or not, why do my thoughts even matter? Well Proverbs 23:7 tells me exactly why my thoughts matter.

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

My thoughts are going to determine who I am? I guess I should really pay more attention to what my thoughts are and to which thoughts I give precedence. I need to be wise in choosing which thoughts I allow to have my attention and my focus. Philippians 4:8-9 gives me some advice in this area, saying –

“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. . . . And the God of peace will be with you.”

Taking control of my thoughts will bring order and peace to my mind, replacing the chaos and fear that untamed thoughts running wild will produce in me. That must be why I am told in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to –

“take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Taking my thoughts captive so to speak, ordering them, testing them, determining which ones get banished and which ones get to stay – determines the course and quality of my life. Romans 12:2 gives me clear instruction saying –

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

I can be transformed by thoughts which renew my mind! Those are the thoughts I want in my brain – thoughts that have the power to renew my mind! Those thoughts are God’s thoughts and I can find them in God’s Word. No big secret. God’s life giving, life transforming words and thoughts are there for me to read any time I want, just by opening up my Bible. David sought after God’s thoughts, too. He said in Psalm 139:17-18,

“How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.”

I am so glad I don’t have that many thoughts to keep track of, running around in my head, spinning out of control, refusing to let me take them captive. But then I am not the infinite Creator of the universe, just a finite, mortal being – yet still I have more thoughts than I can deal with on a daily basis. (the average person has more than thirty thousand thoughts per day – no wonder I can’t take all of them captive. My brain bouncer needs to keep more of them out)

Thoughts matter, they have value. Hence the expression, “a penny for your thoughts” which is what you say when you want to know what someone is thinking. Today the going rate per thought is substantially more than a penny, I’m sure. Nevertheless, not all thoughts are of equal value. I need to learn to recognize the harmful from the helpful, the toxic from the transforming, the deadly from the lifegiving, the lies from the truth – in all my thoughts.

There is Someone who helps me to do this. John 15:26 & 16:13 explain,

“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me. . . . when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.”

So I will do as instructed in Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds (my mind) on things above, not on earthly things.”

There’s that directing of my mind, that taking control of where my thoughts are focused. And when I make that choice to focus on God, He has promised me that He will – well you can read it for yourself, dear readers, and God will do the same for you and your thoughts – He is faithful to His promises –

“You will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is (thoughts are) stayed upon You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3)

My Heavenly Father will take all my wild scatterbrained thoughts under His control, sort them out, expel the dangerous, deadly ones, leaving the lifegiving, renewing ones to do their redemptive work as His living and active words always do.

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

sincerely, Grace Day

A friend posed a question to me recently that does not have an easy answer, if indeed it has an answer at all. But it is a question we all struggle with daily, even if we do so unconsciously. For sometimes the answers we seek are to questions we are not able to fully articulate, we mortals being often unable to find the words to express our deepest longings or to ask the questions whose answers would satisfy our souls. If only we would ask the questions.

At this point I must confess – I did not have a ready answer to my friend’s question, only the all too real realization that her question was also my question, her struggle also my struggle.

Her question? The simple version – when should we give up? (give up praying, hoping, believing) The less simple version, containing all the questions that go into the makeup of the original question – should we just assume . . . God what? doesn’t hear us, isn’t going to act or intervene, doesn’t care about our pain, wants us to stop bothering Him with our requests? In order to be at peace do we stop praying for certain seemingly impossible things?

Is giving up hope our pathway to peace? Is it resignation that resolves our constant conflict between what is and what we wish to be? At what price peace? Is the loss of hope the price we must pay for peace?

Which I think leads into the ultimate question that we may be asking ourselves everyday. How do I live in this broken world with my broken heart and still have hope and peace and joy in living each day?

Jesus had something to say about these questions of ours. In Matthew 18 we read, “Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” So I guess the answer to the question is, we are not to give up. But that means we may be constantly upset, sad, worried etc. over whatever situations and people we are praying about, so we will have no peace.

Or will we? Look at what Philippians 4:6-7 tells us. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This is incredible news! I don’t have to be anxious. I can continue in prayer, continually petitioning God if need be and even if my requests aren’t granted now or ever, I receive a gift every time I pray. That gift is the peace of God. And that is one priceless gift.

God’s peace is a peace that doesn’t make sense to others or even to me, as its recipient, because the peace that my Heavenly Father gives me, doesn’t depend on my current circumstances. (and it doesn’t come and go as my circumstances change either) It is a constant peace, a powerful, protective peace, a gift from God that guards my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus.  

This must be why it is called the “peace that passes understanding.” It is a peace beyond the limits of my human wisdom. And it is an active peace, a peace powerfully protecting my heart and my mind from the enemy’s attacks of doubt and fear. As I pour out my heart to God, asking for oh so many things, I may receive none of them, but I always receive His gift of peace because it is promised to me in Philippians 4:7. And God always keeps His promises.

So we are instructed to “pray without ceasing;” (1Thessalonians 5:17), and to ” . . . pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)

We are also told, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) There’s that hope we have, we are promised a harvest, if we don’t quit during our tough times.

But living with a broken heart is hard. Although a broken heart lets God’s love in and it allows other people’s pain in, which gives me the ability to share in another’s suffering. We are supposed to do that, to bear one anothers’ burdens.

But why is it life seems to be moments of joy and hours of pain? I need to notice those moments of unexpected joy so that I can hang onto them. I need to store them up as solace against the hurts and wounds and inevitable losses that accumulate until they seem too much to carry.

Psalm 84:10 says, “Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere;”. One compared to a thousand seems obviously lopsided. And yet the one day is more valuable than the thousand apart from God. (I guess location really is everything)

Joy, hope and peace are possible for those who live each day with a broken heart. I know this to be true. We can be both broken hearted and joyful simultaneously. Only with God is this possible. As I pour out my heart to Him in prayer, broken over my own sin, broken over the lives of the loved ones I am praying for, something miraculous happens.

My circumstances may not be changed, my loved ones may not be changed or healed, but I am changed again and again, each time. Forgiven, comforted, encouraged, empowered, equipped, strengthened, sustained, shown new things, reminded of old truths, given new eyes to see, humbled and filled with hope, protected by His peace, fed by His new mercies – I can walk another day in this broken world, full of broken hearted people, with my own heart broken and still find joy in whatever lies along the path He directs me to that day.

When should we give up? Never! God doesn’t give up on me, may I never lose hope or give up on anyone, but persist in prayer as God enables each of us to do. And it is while I am in the act of praying that I receive God’s gift of His perfect peace that passes understanding and actively protects my heart and my mind.

Though my day may be full of trouble, it will contain moments full of joy, so full of joy that it cannot be adequately contained nor expressed. They are fleeting moments of deep knowing, glimpses of the certainty that awaits us. Eternity contained in a moment that is gone before it can be fully experienced. It is those moments which outweigh and outshine all our hours of pain. Eternity present in each and every moment of joy.

“You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)

sincerely, Grace Day

It occurs to me there is something ya’ll should know about me, just fyi so to speak, so I hereby confess it to you now – I am a target and I am under attack. How did this come about? Well let me tell you how it all started innocently enough, on a day not all that long ago.

You see, I believe there is a natural law stating something like the following, “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” That could explain what has been happening to me recently. I do not feel safe on my morning walks anymore nor on my daily bike rides. Again today I found myself peddling furiously in order to dodge the barrage of acorns falling around my head while at the same time trying not to wipe out as these same acorns crunched under my bike tires, threatening to send me into a skid.

I trace this back to the day I wrote the post entitled “C.C. an acorn ambush #94.” This post must have upset the squirrel population, leading them to seek revenge. I am now a target because I exposed what they are doing on a daily basis. Squirrels had everyone believing it is gravity that is responsible for all the falling acorns. But I pointed out it is actually the squirrels, hurling acorns at unsuspecting passersby, simply for sport. (there are a lot of bored or otherwise disgruntled squirrels out there)

Little did I know squirrels had such an organized network. My post must have gone viral in squirrel world. Because I was riding at least two neighborhoods away today when out of the blue an acorn ambush let loose all around me. Luckily I was able to peddle out of the falling acorn zone to safety. But today I realized just how upset the squirrels are about being called out in my recent post, for their acorn throwing behavior.

The truth isn’t always pretty and I guess the squirrels don’t want their image as fun, furry little forest creatures tarnished by my portrayal of them as vicious, persecutors of pedestrians or any people who dare to pass under their precious oak tree abodes. These squirrels have plenty of ammunition at their disposal (acorns) and they are not afraid to use it!

Fall is my favorite time of year to be outdoors, so I spend as much time as possible out walking or biking. However, since my post exposing bad squirrel behavior, I am constantly on guard and find myself endeavoring to avoid areas with oak trees if at all possible. This substantially limits where I can walk or bike at the moment. (there are a lot of oak trees around here)

I am feeling targeted and persecuted by the squirrel population every time I leave home. I suppose I can take some comfort in these words from Matthew 5:10,

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Was it right of me to write the truth, to expose the squirrels’ deeds and warn other unsuspecting pedestrians? 1 Peter 3:13-14 says,

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.”

I may have to suffer for doing what is right? Yes, it looks that way. But that is no reason to keep silent if I know the truth about something. 1 Peter 4:15-16 makes it clear that if I suffer because of my own wrongdoing, there is no honor in that. I should suffer for doing wrong. But when I suffer for pursuing what is right, it should not deter me from continuing to do and to say what is true and right.

“If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”

I may face continued acorn ambushes, even acorn avalanches in my daily walk with my Heavenly Father, for as long as I am in this world. But I have these assurances, these promises, from His word –

“So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1 Peter 4:19)

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

sincerely, Grace Day

I confess – dating can be daunting all by itself. Add in the era of COVID and one could ask, is dating even possible? I mean, a date by definition is usually when two people go out somewhere together. A traditional date might be pizza and a movie or dinner and a show or attending a sporting event or a concert together.

But during this time of COVID, there have been no movies or shows nor have there been restaurants open. So what does a date even look like? Plus how would you even meet anyone during those days when everyone was quarantined in their homes, sick or not? Well, I guess the obvious answer is – online – that’s where you could meet someone. Remember – our whole lives moved online into cyberspace overnight as it were.

People no longer worked together (physically that is) nor worshiped together nor ate out together nor played together nor exercised together . . . well you get the idea and you remember how it was. (or still is for some of us)

So did COVID kill dating? Is dating among the COVID casualties? (why do we call them casualties when there is nothing casual about death?) Nonetheless, COVID rules and restrictions must be every parent of teenagers dream come true.

Imagine it if you will. The would be daters have to stay at least six feet apart, no holding hands, hugging or kissing – and they are masked! Remember masks are mandatory. This sets up a socially safe scenario for the daters, which would put any parent’s mind at ease. Of course even with all the restrictions dating would only be possible if there were events to attend or restaurants open for business.

I wasn’t really dating pre-COVID, so imagine my uncertainty when faced with the prospect of going on a date now. Did I say uncertainty? Okay, substitute fear or terror and you have a more accurate description of my mind set. First dates can be awkward enough, you’re not really sure how they will turn out.

Now add to this first encounter, COVID protocols, a new way of behaving, and this could get really uncomfortable fast. Do I maintain six feet of distance at all times? Do I panic if the six foot barrier is breached? Do I leave my mask on or take it off at some point? Is my date smiling or not? Sometimes it’s hard to hear each other. Are these masks sound proof as well as germ proof? (are they germ proof or only COVID proof?)

Oh the agony of the first date, now magnified exponentially by COVID! By now dear readers, you may be wondering about the particulars of the event that allowed this date to take place. Well, it was a movie, but a drive-in movie, so outdoors and possible with proper spacing. (it was an old movie, of course. I don’t think they are making any new ones right now)

Food was prepackaged, catered to our car individually. (it was good) Conversation was great and once fears and phobias were faced down and forced out, it could have been a normal, pre-COVID, first date. And it was. Well except for the masks and other constant reminders that we are living in a COVID dominated time. But one can pretend for an hour or two, can’t one?

And so, dear readers, I have survived my first date in the time of COVID. Definitely preferable to a cyberspace date. Because there is no substitute for the real thing. (post C.C. True Confessions – the real thing #83)

Personal interaction is one of God’s good gifts. He is a very personal God and He created us in His image, made for a personal relationship with Him and for in person, personal relationships with each other. That’s why COVID quarantine and resulting isolation have taken a toll more egregious than we can realize. They take from us God’s good gift of fellowship with each other.

“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)

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

sincerely, Grace Day

wild geese flew across the sky today, overhead and faraway

I felt their silent call as if my own, drawing them to journey home,

to a land of lakes on which to land, grassy reeds and hills of sand,

I share those wild geese longings for the lake laid down to sleep,

as sun’s last rays summon stars into place, in peace the night to keep.

wild geese flew across the sky today, overhead and so faraway

that I could not keep them in my sight, were I to try with all my might –

the beauty of their flight in perfect “V”, evident for all to see,

while unseen, is the compass, that guides geese on their way,

I know it well, it guides me, too – to memories of a bay –

a bay so blue, so wild, so pure in all its untamed glory,

it lives still in memories’ mind, its tale an untold story.

wild geese flew across the sky today, overhead and faraway

taking me with them to that long ago place,

memories time cannot erase,

young girls in nightgowns on a dock, holding out breadcrumbs to a hungry flock,

shivering, shrieking with delight, at every goose who’d take a bite.

morning mist rising from the lake’s mirrored surface as sun’s first beams break through,

bread crumbs run out and geese take flight, as only geese will do,

before our very eyes they rise noisily into the air – the wonder of their nearness gone, leaving us in despair –

how I thought to follow those wild geese in their flight, to fly so far, to be so free –

that to this day my mind takes wing, each time I watch their flying “V”.

I wonder where they’re going? upon which lake they’ll land?

I wonder if they know my lake? or my bay in the wild by the sand?

I envy them their freedom, what adventure there surely will be –

as a little of my heart goes with those wild geese, each time they fly over me.

“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:13-16)

sincerely, Grace Day

I confess – I didn’t see this one coming either – but again that’s what an ambush is – a surprise attack, one you don’t anticipate and therefore don’t prepare for in advance. Which is exactly how it went down on that particular day. The rain came down with force and volume as I watched and waited out the summer storm. But without warning the raindrops on my roof morphed into hailstones hurling from the sky.

This ambush of the hailstones moved on quickly as the hailstones were replaced once again by raindrops, the quieter, less destructive version of their frozen form. The hailstones, however, had literally left their mark (or marks to be more accurate) on my roof before moving on, a reminder of their angry ambush.

So just after writing about the importance of a firm foundation in my previous post (#94) I find myself focused on the necessity of a covering that can shelter me from the weather and the storms that inevitably come into my life. This is definitely a stormy season. I need a reliable roof to protect me, to be a secure covering providing me shelter.

So being forced to focus on my earthly dwelling at the moment by the necessity of a new roof, has me thinking about my true dwelling place. I am told to build on the rock and not the sand in Matthew chapter seven. God provides the foundation Himself, He is the foundation, He is the Rock. God also provides the protective covering.

“How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You. In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men; in Your dwelling You keep them safe from accusing tongues.” (Psalm 31:19-20)

God’s very presence is a shelter for me! King David realized the same thing when he wrote in Psalm 61:3-4 these words about God,

“For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.”

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ . . . He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:1-4)

Psalm 137:1 tells me, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” I want to live in that home whose foundation is the Rock and whose covering is His wings, His Presence. I desire what David spoke of in Psalm 27:4-5 when he said,

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.”

He is my dwelling place.

He is my complete dwelling place, from foundation to covering. As those words attest, my Heavenly Father hides me, covers me, shelters me and sets me firmly upon a high rock. He establishes me and He covers me. Rocks and feathers. A firm foundation and a soft sheltering cover. And He provides walls as well!

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

“Surely . . . I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

I could not ask for more than that. Because –

“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)

I am getting a new roof made of shingles now, but my Heavenly Father is already building and preparing a place just for me, a place that will never be damaged by fire or wind or rain or hailstones. I have His word on it. Jesus said in John 14:1-3,

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

yes, this house I live in now, will eventually fall apart and crumble away. But I will dwell in the house that God builds forever. He is my fortress, my strong tower. He is my dwelling place even now.

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

sincerely, Grace Day

I confess – I didn’t see it coming, it took me by surprise and so I was unprepared and unable to protect myself. But then, an ambush by definition is an unforeseen event, it is a surprise attack. And surprised I was!

I was on my usual morning walk, minding my own business, lost in my own thoughts as usual. Now I am not one of those who wears earbuds and listens to music as I walk. I like to hear what’s going on around me, whether it be bird calls, the wind in the trees, lawn mowers or noisy car engines. (as you can see, my walks are a mixture of nature and civilization, coexisting side by side)

So today was no different than any other day. I was enjoying the cool stillness of this early fall morning, a cloudless blue sky and leaves just getting ready to burst into their fall colors. It was a peaceful morning. It was a perfect morning.

And then it hit me. By this I mean it literally hit me. And by it I mean an acorn. I did not see it coming. I did not hear it falling. I felt it’s impact as it hit my shoulder and bounced to the ground. I was stunned! How could something so little hurt so much?

The pain was short lived, but I am sure there will be a bruise. How could there not be? My first thought was thankfulness that the acorn had not hit my head. It had narrowly missed my head, grazing my ear and bouncing off my collar bone.

Of course, at the time of the ambush I was walking under an oak tree. I was literally walking over ground strewn with fallen acorns, which were crunching under my feet as I walked. That should have been my first clue or warning of impending danger. After all, how did I think all those acorns ended up on the ground anyway? I had entered into a dangerous stretch of terrain which should have included a sign with words something like this – “danger – entering falling nut zone – proceed at your own risk.”

But I entered in undaunted. Actually unaware would be more accurate. I was blissfully unaware of my precarious position until I was actually assaulted with said acorn. Why do I call this an ambush or an assault rather than a random act of nature and gravity acting in concert as they have always done?

Because there was a perpetrator. Yes, in that tree was a squirrel. That acorn didn’t fall. That acorn wasn’t pushed. That acorn was hurled at me, the innocent, unsuspecting walker. What had I ever done to that squirrel? I don’t think we had ever met before?

Now I didn’t actually see the squirrel do the hurling of which I accuse him. (or her) So how do I know the squirrel was the perpetrator of this acorn ambush which intruded upon the peace of my morning? Simple. The answer is physics.

That acorn hit me hard, with enough force to cause pain. Now acorns are pretty small but this one did fall from a considerable height. It was a very tall tree, which gives gravity more time to do its work. There is some physics formula I’m sure (which I can’t remember but I bet some of you know it well) which takes into account distance covered, weight of falling object, velocity, mass, rate of speed as it falls etc. which would predict the amount of force at impact of said object.

And I am telling you, based on my being the recipient of said force of said acorn upon said impact, that acorn did not randomly fall from that tree – it was hurled at me with whatever force a squirrel can muster. I do not wish to malign all squirrels as vicious and violent attackers of pedestrians, lest this post be construed as stereotyping or as hate speech against squirrels. Then all the squirrels will be out to get me.

So what can I do to protect myself in the future? I’m thinking maybe I need to start wearing a helmet on my morning walks. After all, that isn’t the only oak tree I pass under on my morning route. And maybe I should add shoulder pads while I’m at it? And maybe a disguise so the squirrel that is out to get me won’t recognize me. Or does this squirrel attack all pedestrians equally who dare to walk under his (her) tree?

This is my long time, familiar, regular morning route and I did not see this acorn ambush coming. It had never happened before and I was caught off guard and unprepared. (you’d think the squirrel could have at least given me a verbal warning beforehand, like golfers who yell “four”) Then I could have run for cover or at least covered my head.

But I had no warning. That’s what an ambush is. A surprise attack. Figures this should happen in 2020, the year of the ambush. COVID-19 ambushed us all earlier this year followed by the ambush of the riots, riots which have burned down our monuments, our memorials, our cities, our stores, our parks – all the places where we eat, shop, live and play.

How do we protect ourselves from things we do not see coming and have no control over? Not as simple as my putting on a helmet to protect me from further acorn ambushes. I’m thinking in times of ambush, attack, uncertainty, danger, change and fear it may not be so much about my head but about my feet. That’s right. My feet. Where are my feet? On what am I standing?

Yes, that’s the important question. On what am I standing? There’s a story Jesus told about this which I remember hearing as a child. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 7:24-27 this story,

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

We are certainly in a storm these days. Many storms actually. The COVID storm, political storms, literal hurricanes and floods, financial storms facing all those put out of work and business, losing their ability to provide shelter and food for their families. These are stormy times. We are all feeling battered and beaten down by the winds of these storms in our own lives. And where our feet are matters. Just as the foundations of our buildings determine their fate when the storms hit, the foundations of our faith determine our fate when life’s storms hit.

Jesus’s admonition for me to build on rock is relevant because we learn from God’s word that Jesus Himself is the rock. As a matter of fact, Jesus is The Rock. He is my firm foundation in the storm. King David explained it this way so many years ago in Psalm 62:6-8,

“He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.”

There are those times when the storm tide overtakes me and the storm winds are stronger than I am and I lose my footing on the rock. What then is to become of me? I have found these words of King David in Psalm 40:1-3 to prove true time after time in my life.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.”

It is my Heavenly Father who sets my feet safely on a firm foundation. He is that firm, unassailable eternal Rock, the sure foundation for my faith.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:2-3)

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.” (Isaiah 26:4)

I can’t know what future “ambushes” are waiting for me out there. I could wear a helmet twenty-four/seven, but it’s where my feet are that will determine my ability to withstand and to stand in the storm.

Heavenly Father, help me to build my life on the rock rather than on the shifting sand.

sincerely, Grace Day