today I want to live “ful”,  that is full of all the “fuls”.   I want to be mindful of others and what I can do for them today.  I want to be thoughtful, and helpful, and graceful and beautiful in word and deed and grateful, I so want to be mindful of being grateful today.  And merciful,  yes, I want to be always full of mercy. (probably because I am so often in need of it myself)  And I want to live today hopeful and peaceful and joyful as well.  And thankful, but being full of thanks is the same as being full of “grate”, isn’t it?  I certainly would not want to live thankless or grateless, for that matter.  Would you?

I realize I want to live kindful and heartful and ruthful and pennyful and pitiful and friendful. Because if not,  I will be living kindless and heartless and ruthless and penniless and pitiless and friendless.  None of those are a good way of being or of living.  I know I want to live cheerful and gleeful, because God says a cheerful heart is good medicine.  (Prov. 17:22)   I guess I want to live sleeveful, because it is too cold to be sleeveless. I want to live fanciful, because I don’t want to be fanciless.  I want to live wishful because to live wishless is to live without dreams.  I definitely want to live sleepful because being sleepless makes me tired and cranky.  I long to live clueful as well, I so often find myself clueless in this fast paced, technology driven culture.

I definitely want to live timeful,  to be full of time is a great gift.    There’s one “ful” I definitely don’t want to be however, and that’s forgetful.  I don’t want to be full of forgetfulness.  In order to live grateful, I need to remember often the many blessings of God and the many kindnesses from others that I receive each day.

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits —  who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.”  (Psalm 103:2-4)

yes, I long to live “ful”,  to live fully each day.  And with God that is possible.

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

“And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him (Jesus) to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.”  (Ephesians 1:22-23)

“and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.”  (Colossians 2:10)

” (I pray you) may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  (Ephesians 3:18-19)

sincerely,     Grace Day

 

 

 

There’s a man on my corner, I see him there as I pass by on my way to and from work each day.  Actually, maybe it’s more his corner than my corner.  I’m sure he thinks so, seeing as how he spends more time there than I do.  At any rate, he is there, sitting with his sign, waving to those who pass by and accepting donations from outstretched arms from the cars waiting on the light to turn green.

I have been one of those outstretched arms upon occasion.  But I wanted to be more than an anonymous donor.  I wanted to know his story.  Everybody has a story, we all do.   I became curious about what his story might be.  So I spent time with him now and then on his corner, on OUR corner.  I knew his face, now I know his name.  No one should be nameless and faceless, no one should be invisible.

And so we talked.  He walks with a limp.  He is a veteran, as too many of our homeless are.  But I also discovered that this particular man on my corner is not homeless, just having trouble making ends meet.  It is often such a thin line that separates the housed from the homeless.  The stories of the people that I see not only on my corner but on other corners, were I to know them, would be as different as the individuals to whom they belong.  Perhaps, homelessness has not one root cause, but in each life results from circumstances coming together in a perfect storm of destruction leaving little left of the life the individual once knew.

Starting over must be a daunting task.  As I sat with the man on my corner, there were plenty who offered him “fish” that day.  No one offered him a fishing pole. How could they in the short time before the traffic light changed color and they were forced to move on, both literally and figuratively.  Besides, if you’re going to give a person a fishing pole, you should be prepared to give them fishing lessons to go along with it.

So my friend will probably continue to sit on my corner, his corner, as he has done in the past.  He has a smile and a wave for everyone that passes by and seems content with the small kindnesses he receives each day.  It is enough.  Daily bread. In time, I may learn more of his story and of the circumstances that brought him to my corner.  But for today, it is enough that we have our daily bread and that we thank God for it.

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

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”  (I Timothy 6:18)

sincerely,       Grace Day

 

 

 

I thought I must have heard wrong, so I asked again,  “point to Indiana on the map”.   The student looked up at me and shrugged his shoulders.  I pointed to the second handout, an unlabeled world map and asked, “show me the United States”.  After considering for a moment, he pointed tentatively to someplace in Africa.  I am NOT making this up.  I was dumbfounded.  This was a freshman social studies class in a public high school.  The assignment was to label the fifty states on a map of the U.S.  and to label the continents and oceans on the world map, both of which consisted of outlines but no labels.

I feel certain every student in the room could have told me we were in Indiana. But the fact that they couldn’t identify at least this one state, their home state, on the map was disturbing to me on so many levels.  They had no sense of where we fit in geographically with the rest of our country nor where we as a country fit into the larger environment of our world.

From early on in school students are taught to use “context clues” to help them to figure out the meanings of words they don’t know or are unsure of.  This is a sound learning strategy because context determines meaning for our words. Context is absolutely necessary to determine the meaning of words that have multiple meanings, which seems to be the case for so many of our English words. So context becomes essential in order for a student to identify the correct meaning of any given word in any given sentence.

Actually, it’s not just students; we all need context to determine meaning and not just the meaning of our words.  Our lives need, our lives require context in order to have meaning.  We all crave meaning, we want our lives to count for something. Context determines meaning in our lives just as context determines the meaning of a word in a sentence.  The larger the context, the greater our understanding and the less the chance for a misunderstanding.  This is why the accusation that something someone wrote or said or did, was “taken out of context” is always a serious one and should be a cause for concern.  Misunderstandings are likely to be the result of taking something out of context because it is the context that provides and clarifies the true meaning of whatever was said or done.

I love the dictionary definition of “context” for this reason.  It highlights the importance of context simply by the process of defining the word.  Context is defined as “the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.”  It is only within some type of context that our lives can be fully understood and assessed. We crave meaning and our context provides us that meaning.  Our context determines our meaning.

It was that day in the classroom that I realized something, these students lack context in every sense of the word.  No wonder they struggle to find meaning in their lives.  They have no geographical/physical context in which to place themselves and so to know how they fit in to their immediate community, their country or the global world in which we live.  They simply have no awareness of nor concern for anything or anyone outside of their immediate sphere of influence.  And it is a very small sphere.

They have no historical context for their lives as well.  Without knowing history, those events that have come before, shaping the rise and fall of nations, determining destinies and bringing us to where we are today; without a knowledge and understanding of these things, students have no sense of how they fit now into this time period of mankind’s existence on earth.  They don’t see the big picture, don’t see the continuity from generation to generation, don’t see that they too have a part to play in history’s unfolding.  They lack purpose because they lack historical context.

The students also lack personal context.  With broken families commonplace for so many of us, and no permanent place to call home, they may not know where they fit in as a family member.  And where we fit in our families is the most crucial context of all for each of us.  This context determines our identity, this context IS our identity.   I’m thinking back to the definition of context,  “that which allows something (or someone) to be fully understood.”  Our personal context is what allows us to fully understand ourselves and others if we know their personal contexts.  Context is the key that unlocks understanding.

We all need to know where we fit in the grand scheme of things.  We all need context.  Paul says in Acts 17:28 that “in Him (God) we live and move and have our being.”  Now that’s total context!  It’s this context that allows me to live the life God has given me with meaning and purpose.  God is the context of my life.

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

“The Lord is my Sheperd, I shall not be in want.  . . .  Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  (Psalm 23:1,6)

That’s all the context I’ll ever need.  Who I belong to IS my context.  My Heavenly Father has paid for my past, provides for my present and is preparing my place with Him for an eternal future.   In Him, I am fully understood.

sincerely,             Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.”  (John 1:5)

Quite the contrary, the light has shone all the brighter during these first potentially dark days following the mass shooting.  In an instant, our collective world, the world we all share, changed yet again.  But just as first impressions are not the final reality, this act of evil and destruction will not have the last word.  Not even close.

Rather this single act of darkness unleashed Thomas Wolfe’s “ten thousand points of light”.  Or as C. S. Lewis said in The Magician’s Nephew, “One minute there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leaped out.”  And they are still leaping out, still being made manifest; gaining in strength and number, burning steadily and with increasing power, already outshining the moment of darkness which made their appearance necessary in the first place.  And these thousand plus points of light will outlast the moment of darkness.

It is all these individual acts of heroism, compassion, kindness, caring, selflessness, that are coming to light and being made known to us as we suffer with and for those we do not even know, that we will remember.  We feel their pain because we know what it is to lose someone we love.  We are united in our humanity.

A community has come together to help and to serve those devastated by this tragedy in a beautiful way.  Actually many ways, many individual acts of kindness, a thousand points of light and more continue.  One tangible expression of caring and sympathy is the healing garden/park being created even as I write this.  The park will include a tree in memory of each person who lost their life in this tragic shooting.

“He who plants a tree, plants hope.”  (Lucy Larcom)  That’s what the thousand points of light reveal as they ban together, burning away the darkness, hope is revealed.  She has been there from the beginning, but was momentarily obscured in the darkness of the initial evil act.  H. G. Wells stated, “But never was the black fabric of war so threadbare.  At a thousand points, the light is shining through.”

And indeed it is.  We saw it in Florida and we are seeing it again in Las Vegas. People are coming together, there is an outpouring of kindness and love and cooperation that wasn’t there just a moment before.  One act of darkness has released ten thousand points of light and acts of compassion.

The light overwhelmes the darkness.  The light prevails.  The light lasts.  It is the light that will long be remembered.  It is the light that brings comfort and hope.  It is our acts of kindness that ripple on and on, spreading goodwill and stopping in its’ tracks any ripple from the evil act.  My regret is that it takes such an act of evil to release the light in each of us, to compel us to put aside our perceived differences and to come together for the greater good.

Love DOES overcome hate.  Light DOES overcome darkness.  There is now great hurt, but there will come healing. And always there is hope.  We have witnessed yet again the release of the light and the hope for humanity that its’ releasing reveals.

“In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)

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

sincerely,       Grace Day

 

 

 

when I am on the mountain top, let me remember my journey through the valley, lest I neglect to show compassion to those in the valley; for I will be in the valley again.

in times of abundance may I remember my times of want, lest I forget to be generous to those in need; for I will be in want again.

when I am enjoying the sun, may I remember the rain, lest I forget to be grateful and to give thanks; for I will see the rain again.

when I know joy, may I not forget my sorrow, lest I forget to show sympathy to those who hurt; I will know sorrow again.

when kind words encourage me, let me not forget the wounds of cutting words, lest I fail to speak encouragement to those who need it; I will need encouragement again.

in healing, let me not forget what it was to be ill, lest I forget to care for the infirm; I will need healing again.

when I am rested, let me not forget what is was to be weary, lest I neglect to provide a respite for the tired; I will be weary again.

when my heart is whole, let me not forget how it felt to live broken hearted, lest I forget to show kindness to the broken hearted; I will be broken hearted again.

when my burden is light, let me not forget what it was to carry the heavy load of my cares and my sin, lest I neglect to bear another’s burden; I will be heavy laden again.

when I am walking in Your light, let me not forget the darkness that surrounded me, lest I neglect to share Your light with someone trying to find their way; I will walk through dark times again.

when all is calm, let me not forget the storm, lest I forget to sing Your praises in both; I know the storms will come again.

in my laughter, may I not forget my tears, lest I fail to lighten others’ hearts; for I will need laughter when my tears fall again.

when I am filled with hope, let me not forget my times of despair, lest I have no empathy for those who struggle; I will know despair again.

when I am surrounded by those dear to me, may I not forget my times alone, lest I fail to reach out to the lonely; for I will walk alone again.

when I am filled with faith, let me not forget what it was to doubt, so that I can reassure someone else;  for I may yet doubt again.

when I am home, let me not forget what it was to wander, lest I fail to welcome every returning prodigal home; for I was once a prodigal in need of welcome, I could yet be a prodigal again.

let me remember always, Heavenly Father, Your all sustaining, ever present comfort, that I might share it freely with all;  remembering and rejoicing, in being both the comforted and the comforter.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”  (I Corinthians 1:3-4)

sincerely,      Grace Day

 

duct tape,  don’t leave home without it.  Yes, duct tape truly is a many splendored thing, maybe because it has so many splendid uses.  If duct tape were a person, he/she would be the “jack of all trades” type,  the one everyone turns to in a pinch or when things go wrong.  You see, no matter what the problem, the odds are good that duck tape will be the solution. Whatever the question, duck tape is likely the answer.

Now John Lydgate said, “you can’t please all of the people all of the time.”   His experience may have born that out, but I submit to you, dear readers, that Mr. Lydgate had never met up with duct tape.  This is true of course because Lydgate lived from 1370 – 1451, well before duct tape appeared on the scene during World War ll.  Had duct tape been available during his lifetime, we might not have that famous quote, because duct tape does please all of the people all of the time. Who/what else can make that claim?

Lest you think I exaggerate, dear readers, let’s look at the facts, shall we?  Duct tape was invented during World War ll, was army green and was used for everything from repairing broken windows to temporary bandages.  It was waterproof and it worked.  After the war, it was used to hold ventilation ducts together.  Its’ color was changed to silver/gray and it took on the name, duct tape. Now in 1980, there appeared a brand of duct tape under the name of Duck Tape. (because duck feathers are waterproof)  This has led to some confusion over the years about the name,  duck or duct?   They are one and the same.

This Duck Tape brand began offering duct tape in a wide variety of colors and in 1997, printed duct tape was introduced.  As the uses for duct tape expanded so did the colors and prints available for purchase.  It seems we just keep finding more uses for duct tape.  It’s the answer to our every question.  Who/what would you want in a lifeboat with you?  duct tape of course (it’s waterproof)  What can clothe you in style and keep your bumper from falling off your car?  duct tape, of course!  Duct tape was used in the Apollo 13 repairs needed to bring the men on that mission safely home.  (bet they’re glad they didn’t leave earth without it)

What would you not want to run out of ?    I know you think the answer is toilet paper, but I’m thinking duct tape.  Duct tape is the answer to every home repair, every do-it-yourself project that presents itself to us.  When you don’t know what to do, duct tape it!  The choices of colors and prints just make fixing broken things more fun.  But duct tape is not just for fixing broken things, it’s for creating new things as well.  Everything from clothes to artwork can be created from duct tape. One of my daughters even had a duct tape purse.

Stuck at Prom, the annual competition started in 2001 by Duck brand duct tape is a great example of what duck tape can do.  You wouldn’t believe the clothes these kids create, all with duct tape.  Duck tape seems to have sticking power, it’s been around for awhile and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. It just keeps growing in usefulness and popularity.

Well, I could go on and on, after all that’s what an ode does; but duct tape is blushing, so here I’ll conclude.   Is duct tape right up there with the wheel, electricity and penicillin?  Only time will tell, but duct tape has found her way into every home by being versatile and by making herself indispensable to us all for big and little things alike.

they say that love makes the world go round, but I would add that increasingly, it’s duct tape that holds the world together   ( or at least a fair amount of our stuff)

so long live duct tape!  what would we do without you?

“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)

sincerely,       Grace Day

ps.  Jesus is my duct tape, He holds me together

 

kind words are duct tape for our souls

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”  (Proverbs 12:18)

“Kind words are like honey —- sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”  (Proverbs 16:24)

sincerely,     Grace Day

MERCY MATTERS      in granting grace to others we find the forgiveness our souls are seeking.

sincerely,     Grace Day

take care not to turn your molehills into mountains, they are so much harder to move when they get that big.  Your life already comes complete with more than enough mountains built in.  So it just seems silly to spend your time making more mountains.

instead, spend your time guarding and growing your mustard seed of faith, so that you can move your already existing mountains.  and practice mercy.  mercy matters.  mercy is the miracle that makes way for our mountains to move.

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  (Mark 9:24)

“. . . I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”  (Matthew 17:20)

sincerely,      Grace Day

 

Today I just want to be Mary and sit at Jesus’ feet.  That’s all.  Nothing more.  Oh, Mary had her critics, starting with her own sister, Martha.  But Jesus said it was okay with Him for Mary to sit at His feet. So maybe it’s okay if I do, too.  Just for a little while.  Just for today.

Maybe tomorrow I will slay Goliath or face-off with Pharaoh.  But not today.  Today I just want to sit at Jesus’ feet.  Maybe tomorrow I will be brave like Rahab or faithful like Ruth or forgiving like Joseph or hardworking and rebuild a wall like Nehemiah.  But not today.  Today, I just want to sit at Jesus’ feet.

Maybe tomorrow I will encourage like Barnabas or preach like Paul or share  my lunch with five thousand hungry strangers.  But not today.  Today, I just want to sit at Jesus’ feet.

Maybe tomorrow I will leave my country like Abraham or my job like Peter to follow where Jesus leads me.  But not today.  Today, I just want to sit at Jesus’ feet.

Tomorrow I will visit the prisoner, care for the sick, clothe the naked and give a cup of water to the thirsty, all in Jesus’ name.  Tomorrow I will cry out in this wilderness like John the Baptist that Jesus has come to seek and to save the lost. Tomorrow I will throw off the bushel and let God’s light shine all around.  But not today.  Today, I just want to sit at Jesus’ feet.

Today at Jesus’ feet, I have the green pastures and the still waters of Psalm 23. Today I can listen and learn, rest and let my Shepard renew a right spirit within me.  If I don’t sit at Jesus’ feet, I will be a clanging cymbal.

The valley will be deep and dark, they always are.  But for today I will sit at Jesus’ feet like Mary did. And like He did with Mary,  Jesus lets me stay.  Jesus does not turn me away.

I have many valleys yet to travel in this world and many mountains must be moved.  But not today.  Today, I just want to sit at Jesus’ feet.

sincerely,       Grace Day

“Be still, and know that I am God;”   (Psalm 46:10)

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,”  (Isaiah 30:15)