It was an ordinary day, though not a typical day for me.  I was walking the Lake Michigan beach alone on an overcast day.  I had gotten suddenly homesick for the water, so had taken a couple days to travel, leaving my land locked location behind.  I had the entire beach to myself, which I suspected I would as there were no other cars parked along the highway and this was not a public part of the beach.  Located on the road to the state park,  there was no development.  Sometimes people just parked their cars and hiked down the grassy dunes from the road to the beach below.  It is wild and in its natural state and I have always loved that about this particular spot.

Because of the rainy weather and the fact that it was a weekday, I felt my solitude would be assured and I was right.  I had not encountered anyone other than the numerous sea gulls and other beach birds that seemed to be enjoying the wind and the waves as much as I was.  Time to be still.  No burning bush, just the peaceful comfort of His presence as I walked along, the joy of His creation on this cloudy day singing His praise with every wave that washed ashore and every sea gull that took flight. On one side was the endless horizon of water meeting sky and on the other side the grassy dunes with the occasional tree and the beach with a variety of driftwood and seaweed washed ashore.  I walked in between, with my feet in the water as the waves came and went.

Reluctantly, I decided it was time to leave the beach and I turned back.  I would still have plenty of time to enjoy this pure freedom and solitude, as I had been walking for awhile so it would take equal time to return.  Determined to make the most of my remaining moments on the beach, I remained deep in thought, prayer and praise as I walked along looking out at the horizon.  Eventually, I sensed the beach didn’t look all that familiar anymore.  Although, sand, dune grass  and driftwood pretty much look like sand, dune grass and driftwood,  (I know no two pieces of driftwood are identical, but still), I sensed I had gone too far.

You see, when first I hiked from my car down the dune to the beach, I was aware that I would have to be able to find my car again.  The road is not visible from the beach, so my car would not be either.  All you see from the beach is sand and grass rising up away from the water.  So, (this is the Girl Scout in me),  when I hiked down the sandy path and arrived at the beach I found two pieces of driftwood, put them in the shape of a cross, and pressed them into the sand at the foot of the trail that would lead me back to my car.  Looking up, I made note of one fairly good sized tree to one side of the path and two smaller trees just opposite.  There didn’t seem to be too many other trees in the area.  So with the image firmly planted in my memory, I set off with confidence.

But now I had gone too far, or had I?  How could I have missed my cross marker?  Well, I was walking at the water’s edge, where the waves hit the beach and backed out again.  My cross was in the dryer sand just above, because I hadn’t wanted the waves to wash it away in my absence.  So I wouldn’t have actually walked over it, had I passed it.  And now there seemed to be more trees than before, which trees were my trees?  They all looked so similar to me now.  There were many little access paths along the beach, all of which would lead up to the road.  But once at the road, which direction would my car be?  to the right? to the left?  Had I passed my marker or not?  I was unsure.  I decided I would rather walk on the beach barefoot than the highway.  I had been walking steadily for more than an hour.  How far off was I?  If I could find my marker, the path ended where my car was parked.  Otherwise, I could end up walking long distances on the road and be going the wrong direction the whole time.  This stretch of highway, like the beach, had no defining markers.  There were no houses, no shops, no buildings of any kind.

I decided I was better off on the beach.  I decided I had overshot and turned to retrace my steps, no longer lost in thought or watching the horizon, but scanning the trees up above and the sandier part of the beach as I prayed, thanking God that there was still plenty of daylight left and that it wasn’t raining.  (although the clouds seemed to darken during this time, adding to my sense of urgency).  I was tired by now and ready to rest.  How had I ever covered so much distance?  As I passed different groups of trees I would check the ground for my cross marker,  my sense of unease growing with every disappointment.  I had been so careful, how could this be happening?  Nothing looked familiar nor unfamiliar,  just a diverse sameness to all of this beach landscape.

There was a tree way up ahead that I decided looked taller than the rest.  Could this be my tree?  If so,  I had way overshot.  Keeping that tree as my goal, I made my way down the beach.  I passed several access trails up to the road as I walked and decided that if I didn’t find my cross marker in the sand by the time I got to that particular tree (which was still aways off) I would take one up to the road and begin a new search, this time for my car.

Time that had flown by before, now seemed long as I pushed forward keeping my chosen tree in sight as my goal.  My beloved beach had seemed such a friendly, welcoming place just minutes ago, now it felt less than friendly, a bit ominous, in fact.  As I drew near I was sure this was my tree and the other two smaller trees were as I remembered.  I looked down at the sand for confirmation and there it was,  my driftwood cross laying in the sand at my feet, marking the foot of the trail.  I was found!  I was no longer lost! My heart rejoiced as relief washed over me. Thanking God for His protection and provision I walked up the short trail to my car. (still the only one there)

Still full of gratitude to God and telling Him so, I reached into the bag on my back for my car keys and felt nothing.  Continuing to feel around, I realized I wasn’t feeling my phone either.  Removing the bag from my back and holding it in front of me,  I continued to search for my keys and phone.  Praise turned instantly to panic as the realization of my situation hit me full force.  I couldn’t get in my car, I couldn’t call for help, I could retrace my steps ( which direction?) but were my keys and phone already washed out to sea or buried in the sand?  (or become the proud possessions of a nice sea gull family?)  How much time had elapsed?   I had no idea at what point in my journey I had lost my keys and phone.  With the noise of the wind and the waves I would never have heard keys hitting the sand or the water.

In my panicked state I raised my arm to flag down whoever might pass by.  The first truck sped on but the second passed me, then stopped and backed up.  I don’t think I was making much sense but they dialed the state park office for me,  which was just down the highway.  I felt like I needed to get back to the beach and gave the person on the other end of the line my vehicle description so they could find me.  As I went to return the phone to the people who had graciously stopped for a stranger,  they pulled in next to my car and got out.  They were going to help me search the beach for my keys and phone.  This special couple, Bill and Barb, were God’s answer to a prayer I hadn’t even prayed yet in my panicked state.  As we descended the short path to the beach Bill said Barb had asked God to show her where the keys were.   I pointed out my driftwood cross as we stepped onto the beach.  Bill and I went one direction, Barb the other.  I didn’t know whether to be looking in the shallow water on my one hand or in the sand on my other side. Both were equally possible outcomes.  I was frozen in a panic state.  I was alone, far from home.  What would I do without my car and phone?  (good thing I wasn’t a pioneer, huh?).

As I reached a wooden beam laying across the sand and into the water, I knew I had gone no further than that point, so I turned around.  As I passed Bill, who was searching more carefully and less frantically, I let him know the turn around point and continued on, making my way back to the starting point of the driftwood cross.  By this time the sun had come out (part of the miracle in that it allowed for the keys to glint in the sunlight) and there were some swimmers in the water.  I was in the process of asking them to keep a look out for some keys, when Barb appeared, walking towards me down the beach.  And miracle of miracles, she had my car keys in her hand!

Yes, she had found my keys in the water, against all odds.  This was beyond belief!  I was hardly able to realize the enormity of it all.  Lake Michigan is vast and I had covered a lot of beach that day.  Lake Michigan is huge from my perspective but God created it and knows every ounce of water in it. We serve a big God, He calls every star by name and He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground.  He knows the way that I take.  He knew where my keys were that day and He could certainly guide His willing servant Barb to find them.  My Heavenly Father used Barb and Bill to show His love and care for me that day.  Barb and Bill, I want to thank you for stopping, for caring, for putting that care into the action of helping a stranger in need.  I am grateful for your kindness to me still and always will be.

I faced a molehill, then a mountain.  Through the mercy of God, demonstrated through the mercy of Barb and Bill,  the miracle occurred and my keys were found.  It wasn’t luck, it wasn’t coincidence, it was God’s own perfect timing  that they drove down that highway at the exact moment when I realized my phone and keys were missing, my moment of desperate need.  My panic was replaced with praise to God.  And He wasn’t done blessing me yet.

I had already received a miracle, I didn’t need anything else. Of the two, the keys were the more important.  I could more easily replace the cell phone.  Which I did, and when I did I got a lower monthly bill and more minutes plus texting which I did not have before.  To appreciate the significance of this you have to know that I had/still have a flip phone with minimum service which did not include texting.  (until now)  Also, another miracle.  Of course, as expected all info from the previous phone was lost, such as contacts.  But what was not lost were some old voice mails that I have continued to save over the years because they were funny or sweet messages from my children that I could not bear to erase.  They are all there intact on my new phone.  How miraculous is that?   Our Heavenly Father certainly doesn’t treat us as we deserve to be treated, but with so much care, compassion and mercy.  God reveals Himself to us in the details for sure.  We just need to keep our eyes open.

All this has reminded me of the time I almost couldn’t get off a foreign island because I didn’t have cash for an unexpected exit fee that I didn’t know about until I was ready to board the plane and they didn’t take credit cards.  But that’s another post for another time.

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

“He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”   Psalm 147:4

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”   Psalm 46:1

sincerely,                                      Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

In the discipline of mathematics, the whole is always equal to the sum of the parts. Four plus two plus three will always equal nine, we can count on it (pun intended).   This concept holds true no matter how many the parts, it is predictable, reliable. We can count on the outcome.  This is a good thing.  Without it, I doubt we could have put a man on the moon.  But I don’t think this rule holds true in other disciplines.

Take a choir, for example.  You have your parts; soprano, alto, tenor, bass; throw in a piano, a director, the music (words and notes) of course, the singers themselves and anything else that might be thrown into the mix.  But when the choir sings, most often, the result will be something far greater than the sum of the individual parts, the individual notes, the individual singers themselves.  Because a skillful director will bring all the parts together in performance and the result will be something far greater than a simple sum, as voices blend and bring written music to life, letting it fill the air, bringing joy to those who listen.

Live theater is another example of the whole being considerably greater than the sum of its parts.  You start with a script, add in actors, costumes, lighting, a set, a director, blocking and the actual delivering of the individual lines of the play; but the result or sum total of all this coming together is much more than would be predicted by just looking at the individual parts.  In performance, the characters come to life and the audience becomes a part of the equation as they are ushered into the story and the very lives of the people who have come to life before them.  The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Even in a team sport, such as basketball, the coach counts on the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.  He counts on his team being better as a team, than are his players individually.  When the players combine their talents on the court, the result is more than simple addition would have predicted.  That’s when the magic happens and the unexpected occurs.  That’s what sports fans live for.

People are more than the sum of their individual parts as well.  I was reminded of this when I tried to compose an introduction for myself, for an online dating service.  How do you put a life on paper?  I found the process intensely frustrating, with no satisfactory solution.  In attempting to put a life on paper, something is lost in the translation.What is behind the words?  What is between the lines?  What is left unsaid?  The lines we write about ourselves, meant to define us, are the same lines which confine us, putting limits on who we are as we feel compelled to stay within the lines we have drawn for ourselves, or worse yet, the lines that others have drawn for us.

Is our resume the measure of our life?  We are more than our resumes. We are more than a list of our accomplishments.  We are more than a list of our likes and dislikes. We are more than the sum total of our cumulative life experiences.  We all have a story.  Actually, we all have many stories over time, woven together into the fabric that we wear as our life story.  We are so much more than meets the eye.  Like icebergs, most of who we are is not visible, but hidden beneath the surface, out of view, waiting to be discovered.  For each of us, our whole is greater than the sum of our individual parts.

What is our measure?  Where is our worth?  We are more than the jobs we do, more than the roles we fill, (parent, sibling, friend, neighbor, coworker, boss, teacher, student and on and on).  We are more than our relationships, more than our possessions, more than our activities.  We are more because our identity, our worth, is not found in these things. It is found in our Creator.  And because He doesn’t change, even though our circumstances constantly change, (jobs, relationships, health, finances, etc.),  our worth and value as His creation doesn’t change.  We will always be “more” because we are created in His image.  And we would do well to remember that each and everyone we share this planet with is “more” than meets the eye also, just as we are, because they too are created in His image.

We are more than our physical bodies, with the accompanying abilities or disabilities; more than our physical attributes, upon which our culture puts so much attention and emphasis.  Created in the image of our triune Creator,  we are body, mind and spirit.  These cannot be separated out, but added together are who we are, yet yielding more than can be explained by simple addition.  Even modern medicine acknowledges the connections between the three.  In attempting to treat our physical ailments, the effects of our mind and our spirit cannot be ignored.  They are inseparable, inextricably linked, each to the other.  Our experience of ourselves and others is a result of the interplay and interaction between our three parts.  This mysterious coexistence of our three aspects reveals the unique person that God created us to be.  We are more because He is always more than we could ever imagine or comprehend.  We are more because He is more.  We are more because we are created in His image.

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

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”   Psalm 139:13-14

“what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him?  You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You made him ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet:”   Psalm 8:4-6

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

There you have it.  We are valuable to God, our Creator.  That’s where our worth lies, where our identity resides.  We are more than the sum of our individual parts because He knit our parts together and because we are created in His image.  He created us unique, we are all originals.   When we seek our worth in other ways we will be disappointed.  But God’s love never fails.   take heart,  in Him we are more . . .

sincerely,                        Grace Day

 

 

“I can’t wait ’till I’m bigger,” my young student whispered in my ear.  This got me to thinking, why is it we spend our early years wishing we were older and our later years wishing we were younger?  Are we never content to be where we are in life?  Growing up we are always anxious to reach the next stage, gain the next privilege, such as a driver’s license, or to be tall enough to ride the roller coaster.  We are impatient and life moves too slowly for us.  Then, when older, life flies past us and we wish to slow it down. We spend our days waiting on our future to arrive or longing for our past to return.  In the process, today escapes us.  Contentment eludes us.

In Philippians 4:12-13 Paul spoke to this issue when he said, “. . . I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” We are not a culture that practices contentment, we always want to be where we are not or to have what we don’t have.  We haven’t learned to be content in all situations; employed or unemployed, single or married, young or old, rich or less rich (since by global standards even the “poor” among us are richer than most of the rest of the world just by virtue of living in this country.)  When we are in school we can’t wait to be graduated, when we are out of school we think about going back, thinking life will be more satisfying perhaps if we study something different.

Our constantly changing hair colors could be a clue that contentment continues to elude us in matters both large and small.  We find ourselves endlessly in pursuit, but in pursuit of what?  Until we know the answer to that question,  we are not likely to find peace in the moment.   “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  . . . Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  (Matthew 6:27, 34)

Worry and strife, the thieves that rob us of our todays and leave us discontented and empty.  Worry about things that may never come to pass steals our peace and keeps us from fully living in the moment.  It’s amid the mundane moments of our every day lives that the profound emerges, popping up when least expected.  We must be fully present to recognize, engage and enjoy the profound amid the mundane or she will be gone before we realize she had made an appearance; an appearance transforming an ordinary day into an extraordinary one, making clear what was cloudy for the briefest yet brightest of moments.  But only for those able to behold the appearance of the profound amid the mundane and bid her linger.

What was “the secret” Paul said he had learned?  To trust in God to strengthen him.  Trust and worry cannot coexist, they are mutually exclusive.  We are either doing the one or we are doing the other, we can’t do both at the same time.  We can choose.  If we are worrying we are robbed of contentment.  If we are striving for what we feel we lack, we are not at peace.  We don’t have to live in a constant state of discontent.  That was never the plan.  Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  (John 10:10)  Nothing lacking there.  “You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”  (Psalm 145:16)  “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  (Psalm 37:4)

With our Creator are peace and contentment.  “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.”  (Isaiah 26:3)

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  (John 14:27)

To live content is to live free;  free from worry and constant striving.  Free to live today fully instead of wishing it away.  May you rest content in God’s peace and provision.

sincerely,                            Grace Day

 

 

 

While hope be held in heart or hand,                                                                                                I dare to dream of good things planned,                                                                                         sustained by a promise yet to be,                                                                                                      it is enough, I need not see

the promise fulfilled ’till its time has come.

But when dreams die hope follows after,                                                                                       leaving empty the bright space once occupied so fully, so completely,                                 by promises of what was to come,                                                                                                   promises, such good company,                                                                                                         such comfort and companion, hope,

I feel her absence abiding constant,                                                                                             my new companion sadly lacking.                                                                                                   such a space to fill,                                                                                                                               where hope once lived,  filling full, sustaining, reigning,                                                           making bearable the wait,  more than bearing, caring for and carrying me through days of endless wait, of dreams deferred; being the wings that bring me safe to the hoped for destination,

hope bids me soar and makes it so,                                                                                                  when circumstances would say no;

hope’s home now empty,  the crushing weight of her vacant space requires more of me than hope ever did, this weight I cannot carry on my own.  Who would have thought it so?   Hope carried me when I held her,   but her absence I cannot abide, it is too heavy for my soul to bear.  I will hold onto my mustard seed,  see my mountains moved.

I pray Hope’s empty home again be filled,  and with her presence filling full and flowing free,  the weight of her absence washed away, leaving me weightless in my waiting,  I  wait with hope for hope’s return.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  (Hebrews 11:1)

“We walk by faith, not by sight.”   (2Cor. 5:7)

“. . . those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.”  (Isaiah 50:23)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”   Romans 15:13

sincerely and hopefully,                Grace Day

 

 

 

There are a lot of walking wounded among us.  Perhaps you are one of them.  I know I often am.  Though we may not be recognizable as “the wounded” to each other or to the casual observer,  we are, nonetheless, walking wounded in this world, walking wounded through our days, unnoticed and untreated.  Whoever said, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”,  was seriously wrong.   But whoever said, “the pen is mightier than the sword”,   clearly understood the power of words, both written and spoken.  Words are weapons,  we must wield them with the utmost care and consideration.  Words have more power than “sticks and stones”, more power than knives or guns. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”  (Proverbs 18:21)

Words are a weapon we all have access to and a weapon we all possess in equal measure.  However,no background check is required for this most lethal of weapons, as it is to obtain a gun of any kind.  Because words have more power than we realize,  word wounds are deeper than those wounds inflicted by fists, or knives or bullets.  Word wounds target the heart, word wounds break the heart and destroy the soul. Word wounds may be invisible to the eye but the effect is real and the result can be deadly.  The broken hearted are all around us, but we do not see them.  They walk invisible among us, hiding their hurt on the inside.  We see clearly those “walking wounded” with physical wounds; the cast on the arm, the crutches, the bandages, the wheelchair. All these outward signs signal us to give special consideration, to take special care of the injured person.  We notice the signs and treat each person as their needs dictate, we make a special allowance for their condition.

Not so with word wounds.  Those wounds are invisible to us because they are on the inside.  Internal wounds are more painful, harder to treat and harder to heal.  Also, because the word wounds are internal, we don’t recognize these “walking wounded” as we encounter them in the course of our own daily walk.  They are invisible to us because their wounds are invisible to us.  So we don’t treat them as they need to be treated.  We don’t make any special allowance.   Wouldn’t this be a different place if we recognized our fellow “walking wounded” and “held the door”, so to speak, for them?  Gave them that extra measure of kindness reserved for those who are clearly hurting?  But usually it is not at all clear,  we are masters at hiding our pain, hiding our wounds.

We’ve all been the recipients of word wounds and sadly,  we’ve also been the assailant, wounding others with our words.  “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be”.  James 3:10  Sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintended, we are the one wounding another with our words.  But if words can wound, they can also heal.   “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”  (Proverbs 15:4)  “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”  (Prov. 12:18)  “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Prov. 16:24)   So, this isn’t a new idea, the healing power of words.  It’s been known,  we just need to put it into practice.  Our words will either tear others down or build them up, wound them or heal them.  Every time we open our mouths to speak, we have a choice.  Such power, and we don’t always handle this God given gift very well.

We can use this power to promote peace as well as healing and reconciliation.  “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”  (Prov. 15:1)   Don’t we experience that almost every day in our own interactions with others?  “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Prov. 25:11)  “A man finds joy in giving an apt reply-and how good is a timely word!” (Prov. 15:23)  Our words matter, they make a difference to us and they make a difference to others.  A positive difference or a negative difference, the choice is always ours to make. There are many things in this world we can’t control, but we get to choose our words.  “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37)

Why is there such power in the spoken word?  Perhaps because it has been so from the beginning of time.  “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”  (Genesis 1:3)  That’s right, God spoke everything we know, everything we see, all of creation into existence.  He spoke and it came to be.  There is power in God’s Word, both spoken and written.  Always was, always will be.  “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)  “so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”  (Isaiah 55:11)

“Your Word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”  (Psalm 119:89)  “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.”  (Isaiah 40:8)  God’s words are both powerful and eternal.  Since He created us in His image it stands to reason that He equipped us with words as well, and that they would wield as much power as they do in our lives.  And there’s more.  In Matthew 4:4  we read, “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”   Food sustains our physical bodies and enables us to grow.  In the same way, God’s Word nourishes and sustains our minds, our hearts, our very souls, enabling us to grow in love and mercy, in grace and in kindness, faithfulness, peace;  into the fullness of the person He created us to be.  Yes, there is power in God’s Word.

Consider this, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  (John 1:1,2 &14)  The Living Word walked among us on this earth for a time.  Jesus spoke and people were healed.  Jesus spoke and the sea became calm.  Jesus spoke and five barley loaves and two fish fed five thousand people.  Jesus spoke and Lazarus walked out of a grave.  Words have power because our God is the Living Word.

This war of words continues to be waged around us each day, and we ourselves are participants whether we like it or not.  While there are some defenses against physical weapons, such as taking cover or a bullet proof vest,  the most common defense against hateful words seems to be a hard heart developed over time.  While the vest can be removed when no longer needed, hard hearts seem to remain.  Hardened hearts while impervious to unkind words, are also more resistant to the healing powers of kind words.  I don’t want to live in a world of hard hearted  people, I see the results of this every day.  We all do.  We are all the “walking wounded” to one degree or another.  And yet we keep on wounding each other.  Our words have power.  How will we use this God given gift?  Will we use words to hurt or to heal?  Will we use our words as weapons of destruction or as instruments of peace?  The choice is ours to make every day.  May we choose well.  Our lives depend on it.  It is the difference between brokenness or wholeness, division or unity, cruelty or kindness, death or life.

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, to that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Col. 4:6)

sincerely,           Grace Day

 

 

 

With the Olympics in full swing, this seems a timely topic,  mankind’s indomitable spirit.  It’s knowing the stories of so many of the athletes as we watch them compete that makes the Olympics more interesting, more personal.  It seems each athlete has sacrificed much to be where they are now, each has had many obstacles to overcome, each has faced adversity and won.  To me, it seems, they are all victors already, just by virtue of being where they are.  They are winners before they ever step onto the field, court, track, arena or dive into the pool.  They have persevered and they have prevailed. They are there.

I don’t have to wait four years however,  to be inspired by and to witness an indomitable spirit in those around me.  It is there for me to see every day if I will but take notice of the people I come in contact with every day.  If only I knew their stories, I would realize what they have been through, what they have dealt with and what they have overcome just to be where they are in the moment in which I encounter them. Everybody has a story.  But our stories most often remain unknown.

My exercise class is a good example of a place where I see this “indomitable spirit” lived out on a daily basis.  We have a wide range of ages, from the 40’s all the way to some individuals in their 90’s,  we run the gamut.  Needless to say, those in their 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s are an inspiration and encouragement to us all, just by being there on a consistent basis.  Often, in many circumstances, just showing up is a victory in itself.  I think of one woman who came in spite of her Parkinson’s, which made it progressively more difficult for her to do the routines and another who came until she could no longer drive herself to class.  Another comes faithfully and sits on a chair to do the routines, moving her arms (with weights) and feet to the music and steps of the exercises.  Another young woman comes despite her M.S., which the casual observer would never suspect that she has.  All are daily overcoming their obstacles to good health and a more fulfilling life.  They are an inspiration because they exhibit courage on a daily basis.

Overcoming adversity comes in many forms. It looks different in each individual life. But there are some common threads, shared by all  who refuse to give up, to give in, to quit showing up even though weary.  Adversity can bring out the worst in us or the best in us, it depends on how we respond to our challenging circumstances.  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”  (James 1:2-3)   Perseverance, a common thread necessary to reach any goal.  “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

It is precisely the hard times, the difficulties, the trials, the challenges in our lives that make us stronger and prepare us for what will come next.  Adversity refines us as it forces us to change, adapt and grow.  Without it we would stagnate, instead of growing into who we were meant to become.  We can have hope during our darkest and most difficult times, knowing that God will not only bring us through but change us for the better in the process.  He does not give up on us, therefore we should never give up on ourselves.  “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”  (Lam. 3:22-23)

“. . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  (Hebrews 12:1-2)   We each have a race to run, a race marked out for us, which will look different than the races others are struggling to run.  A race that is ours alone, a race different yet the same in so many unseen ways as the races those around us are running.  We face common obstacles and we face those obstacles unique to ourselves.  All contribute to the refining and defining of our character unless we avoid them or run from them.  A life of ease and comfort would present no opportunity for the indomitable spirit  that lives within each one of us to grow and shine out into this world.  I have seen peoples’ indomitable spirits shine brightest in the darkest of times.  It’s what enables people to rebuild after a natural disaster or come together after a terror attack.

I will be inspired as I watch the Olympic athletes and hear their stories in these next few weeks.  But I will continue to witness and be inspired by the people I encounter every day, living their lives with quiet courage and a smile.  The ladies in my exercise class have something very important in common with the Olympic athletes, perseverance.  That spirit that never gives up, that keeps on showing up, that beautiful, indomitable spirit.  YOU GO GIRLS !

sincerely,          Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, dear reader, how are you today?  Or maybe my question should be, is anybody out there today?  You see, its the age old dilemma, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to witness it and to hear it fall, does it really fall and does it make a sound?  If I write this and there is no one to read it,  did I really write it and does it make a difference?  That is key, I think.  We all want to matter, we all want to make a difference to at least someone, somewhere, some of the time.  We look for our value reflected in another’s gaze.  We all want to be heard.  We all need to be known.

When I started this blog, I didn’t think it would matter if anyone read it or not, I just needed to write.  But I was wrong, already I can see that I was.  It does matter to me, connection matters to me;  you, unknown reader matter to me.  How can this be?  I’m not quite sure. The irony is, I am not now, nor have I ever been on any social media of any kind.  (remember I told you in an earlier post that my technical skills are sadly lacking.  more like non-existent).

But I dare say that many of us live feeling faceless in a face book world.  Face book has replaced the face to face and left us longing for more than it can provide.  Without the personal interaction of conversation in real time with real people, about what’s really on our minds and in our hearts, we are left isolated and alone.  Alone with the images all our “friends” have created for themselves on face book to keep us company.   But, these images do not hear us and these images do not know us.  And what’s more, we cannot hear them and we cannot know them.  For it is both,  we want to hear another’s story and to be heard ourselves.  We need to know another person as well as be known by them.  We were created for community.  We were created for relationship.

In first Corinthians 13:12 it says, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”  Isn’t that what we all want, to be fully known?   Implied in that concept of being “fully known” is the idea of being seen clearly as you are, for who you are and in that recognition being fully understood and fully accepted.  How many times do we feel invisible, or when visible then misunderstood?  Too many times I would guess.  So with whom can we experience this gift of being fully known?

There is One who knows us better than we know ourselves.  The One who “knit each one of us together in our mother’s womb”.  Our Creator, who calls each star by name also knows my name and your name.  Indeed, our names are engraved on the palms of His hands.  Matthew 10:30 says, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”  Psalm 139:4 says, “Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord.”  Job 23:10 says, “But He knows the way that I take;”.  We are known and understood by God, our Creator.  No one is invisible to Him.  No one is unheard by Him. “not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from His notice.”  and “I will be found by you, declares the Lord.”

With this knowing comes God’s acceptance of us,  “He has compassion on all He has made.”,  the Bible tells us.  1 Samuel 16:7  tells us, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  I’m thinking it should be “heart book” instead of face book.  But we don’t have the discernment necessary to pull that off.  (besides, all the pictures would look the same except to cardiologists).  and where’s the fun in that?

This knowledge, that we are fully known, understood, accepted and heard by our Creator could help each of us in turn to make the attempt to understand, accept and hear those who are present with us in our daily lives.  We are not invisible to our God, we are seen and we are heard.  We matter to Him.  “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.  . . . So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”   Matt. 10:29-31

Well, the tree has fallen, the cry has gone out, from my heart to yours. Hold on to your mustard seed of faith, extend mercy to everyone you meet.  May your mountains be moved and your miracles be many.

sincerely,              Grace Day

 

Waiting, not something we do well in our culture, but something we find ourselves doing at some point almost each and every day.  We wait in stopped traffic, we wait in drive-throughs at pharmacies or fast food.  We wait in check out lines at stores and of course we wait in waiting rooms built expressly for the very purpose of waiting.  We wait “on hold” on the phone, listening to music not of our choosing, while waiting for the next available operator.  We probably don’t want to know just how much of our valuable time we spend waiting.

I for one, almost always pick the wrong line at the grocery store.  Its a personal challenge with me to see if I “win” or “lose” each time.  There is a formula that I employ (for all the good it does me).  I take into account first the variable of, number of customers in any given line.  But this doesn’t tell me everything I need to know.  Next, I must consider the number of items in each customer’s cart.  This, of course, has to be a quick estimate as other customers are quickly joining each and every available open line while I pause to consider my options and place my bet on the line I think will move the fastest.  Another variable to consider is the chattiness and or speed of the person at the register.  This is harder to ascertain until you have made your choice and now while waiting have the time to observe the cashier in action.  Then it is too late, unless I really want to gamble and switch lines.  And of course the unforeseen variables of the price check or the non-working credit card are just that, unforeseen, and therefore are difficult to factor in ahead of time.  Let’s just say I’ve lost more than I’ve won, I always seem to pick the slower lane.  Good thing I’m not a gambler.

But we all seem to be waiting on something.  We’re waiting for our luck to change, for our ship to come in, for our lotto number to be drawn, for the promotion at work.  We’re waiting for love to find us, (or us to find love).  We’re waiting for our team to win, for a good report about our health.  We’re waiting to be discovered, we’re waiting for our big break.  Youth are waiting ’till they can drive, college grads are waiting for their first “real” job.  Workers are waiting until they can retire.  We spend the week waiting for the weekend.  We’re waiting for reconciliation with that friend or family member.  We’re waiting for justice to be done, for the wrongs done us to be righted. We’re waiting for healing.  We wait for better days.  We wait for peace in our day.  It seems we spend our lives waiting.

I blame the microwave.  Is that when it all started?  When the microwave replaced the crock pot. Is that when instant became preferable over process?  Or we could blame the internet, with instant access to everything.  We are not a patient people.  Were we ever?  Farmers were and are of necessity.  Everything in its season, there is nothing instant about growing crops or animals.  But so few of us are farmers now.  We haven’t learned the art of waiting well.

In Spanish the word for,  to wait,  is “esperar”.  This word also means “to hope” in Spanish.  The same word for both “wait” and “hope”, which I think is telling.  To wait is to hope and to hope is to be waiting for whatever the object of that hope is.  They are inseparable.  Even while waiting in stopped traffic, I am waiting with the hope that I will eventually arrive at my desired destination.

Isaiah 40:31 reads, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”, in one translation and in another the same passage reads, “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.”   Both end with “They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”   Waiting and hoping, hoping and waiting,  this is the experience of living.  As dreams are realized, new dreams appear to take their place.  We are again waiting with hope, hoping in the wait.

The fourth stanza of the hymn “Amazing Grace” says,  “The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures;”.   Because He is the object of my hope, I can rest secure.  I may grow weary in the wait but He can renew my strength and enable me to wait well.  As I wait for the miracles needed to move my mountains,  may I hang on to my mustard seed of faith and show mercy to all I meet, (even those in the grocery store checkout line).

sincerely,                Grace Day

Time, that ever elusive commodity more valuable than money.  Although there are those who say time IS money.  Time, the one thing we all have in equal measure; sixty minutes in an hour, twenty-four hours in a day.  The same for all of us, nobody gets more, nobody gets less.  Doesn’t matter who we are; rich or poor, famous or infamous, old or young, what race, religion, color or creed; time is no respecter of any person.

There are so many things we do with time.  We spend time, we save time, we take time, we make time, we waste time, we mark time, we bide our time, we find some time, we loose track of time, we buy some time, we have time to kill, we have time on our hands, or we are in a race against time.  And we can do all these things with time in the space of a single day.  Exhausting.

Time itself is a many faceted marvel.  Sometimes time flies, sometimes it drags, or creeps or crawls.  A minute can seem an eternity or a day can pass in the blink of an eye.  We say, “use your time wisely,” or  “don’t waste your time.”  (as if we own Time)  Time – making it, spending it, saving it; all things we do with money.  But time is infinitely more valuable than money.  We can’t get it back.  Time marches on without us,  in spite of us, as if to keep some preordained appointment, scheduled long before our appearance into this thing we call time.

Time is busy, as our conversations reveal.  We say time is standing still, we say time is running out, we say time is passing us by, we say time is slipping away, we say the time is fast approaching or the time has come.  We say we will take time off, we put our kids in “time out”.  We say time waits for no man.

Time – empty hours left to us to fill with whatever we choose.  Or seconds fleeting, eluding our frantic grasps as they pass us by; and we, wanting for a moment’s pause in which to revel in the sound or sight or smell or taste or touch contained in just that moment’s pleasure; needing no past or future, sufficient unto itself alone, the joy contained in that small space of time. It will not stay, but marches on (as time does), leaving us behind with memory for comfort and companion or sweeping us along to we know not what, requiring we leave behind that which time already took from us without consent, ushering us into places new and yet familiar.  Perhaps these places are the same, but we are not the same because time has kept us ever moving.  Time will not rest but carries us ever toward the destination, a destination we chose or didn’t choose, but will arrive at all the same.  A place familiar and unknown, where time never runs out and we are at home in eternity.

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  Psalm 90:12

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”   Ephesians 5:16

“Show me, oh Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.”  Psalm 39:4

thank you, dear reader, for taking the time/spending your time in reading this.

sincerely,              Grace Day

Are you reluctant to turn on the TV or radio these days?  I know I am, not wanting to hear more news that brings with it the sadness, grief, anger and helplessness I feel with each act of violence, each loss of life.  The abundance of statistics about the numbers shot, killed, injured etc. may be mind numbing but the reality that surrounds those statistics is heart breaking.  How then shall I continue on?  Do I live numb and uncaring because to do otherwise is too painful?  Or do I live broken and bleeding, often for those I have never met, because their pain has become in some measure my own?  How can I live with hope and joy when surrounded by death and despair and loss?

From France to Louisiana to Turkey, we are a world weary with our wars. We pray for peace while continuing to hate each other.  Who has the courage to turn the other cheek?  The families of the nine killed in a Charleston, South Carolina church did.  The parents of the five little girls killed in a one room Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster, Penn. did.  Unfortunately, forgiveness is the exception rather than the rule.  And so we witness the perpetual cycle of violence begetting yet more violence.  The cycle continues self-perpetuating and unbroken throughout history.  Nothing I know of is strong enough to break this cycle except mercy, shown in the form of forgiveness.  This, the most powerful of all acts, forgiveness, is the antidote and the answer to breaking the unbreakable cycle.  But it has to be put into practice before it can produce results.

And so we, the world, wait.  Wait in fear?  Wait in hope?  Wait in silence or shout into the din of angry voices already raised?  Who will listen?  It has been said that all that is needed for evil to prevail is for good men to remain silent.  Where do we turn?  Where should our focus be?  Where we look for answers and what we are looking for will determine what we find.  Because somewhere in the world simultaneously, we can find what we seek.

somewhere in the world a children’s choir is singing praises to God while elsewhere others are shouting that He does not exist.

somewhere in the world a mother is abandoning her baby on the street, while somewhere else even now, a mother is laying down her life that her child might live.

somewhere, someone is stealing food from their neighbor while somewhere else, someone is sharing what little food they have with a hungry stranger.

somewhere, in a hospital, there are those dedicating their lives to healing the sick and the wounded while outside that hospital there are those dedicated to wounding those who are whole.

somewhere, some are building up homes, schools, churches and hospitals while somewhere else others are tearing them down

somewhere in the world there are those abusing their power and enslaving others, while somewhere else there are those giving their lives so that the prisoner, the slave, the oppressed may live in freedom

for every person who values neither his life nor any other, there are those who know each life is miraculous and valuable to the Creator.

while some are taking all they can get, others are giving all that they have and all that they are in Jesus’ name.

somewhere in the world people are gathered in violent, angry protests while somewhere else in the world people are gathered hand in hand in prayer and petition, pleading for peace

somewhere, someone is taking an eye for an eye, while somewhere else someone is turning the other cheek, giving his adversary the shirt off his back and walking with him the extra mile.

somewhere in the world, someone is exacting revenge even as somewhere else in the world someone is dispensing mercy

the first results in death,  the second brings healing and restoration and life and peace

mercy is the miracle that will move the mountains of hatred in our world, if only enough of us had the mustard seed of faith to practice mercy daily

mercy is the precursor to peace

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner”   (Luke 18:13)

may we each one be both the givers and receivers of mercy each day,

sincerely,           Grace Day