christianity

irony to the “mth” degree

Posted on by Grace Day

My last post was all about second chances, actually second, second chances to be specific. My days are filled with them. Some are obvious and others I am oblivious to, not realizing the grace I have been granted. However, I don’t want to take any of my second chances for granted or to be unaware that I have received yet another second chance. Being aware of all the different ways God grants me mercy every day, leads me to thankfulness. If I don’t realize the grace I’ve been granted, I fail to appreciate the magnitude (and the kindness) of God’s protection, provision and patience with me on a daily basis. My Heavenly Father’s patience is what allows me all these second chances. I want to remember to thank Him –

“Let them (me) give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Let them (me) sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.” (Psalm 107:21-22)

Now some second chances are more dramatic than others. The near miss in traffic or being spared power outages and property damages in last week’s intense storms, as I was, leads me to “give God thanks with a grateful heart” as the song says. Interestingly, I just experienced a very ironic “second chance” shortly after completing the previous post – “second, second chances.” You can’t make this stuff up.

A few hours after publishing the post, I closed a tab from my “mtothe5th” site on another computer and somehow the “second, second chances” post was deleted except for the first paragraph! I couldn’t believe it. One thousand plus words had just vanished! I was panicked. I checked and rechecked, but the post was now just one paragraph long. All that time and effort gone. Gone where? To the cloud? Had technology stolen the very personal sharing of my heart and life experience?

You should know the backstory on this, dear readers. Technology and I are not on the best of terms. We have a love/hate relationship. I can’t decide whether she is a friend or a foe. She has played the role of both in my life. Still, I often feel that technology hates me without reason. I don’t hate her, but I don’t trust her either. Technology is so fickle and unpredictable. Just when I think I’ve got her figured out, she goes and does something like this. She steals what I labored over for so long. My post had literally disappeared from my blog and from cyberspace. I couldn’t retrieve it no matter what keys I hit on the keyboard.

If technology had stashed my post in the cloud, I have no idea where this elusive cloud resides, nor do I have the keys to gain access to all that the cloud hoards within her mysterious vastness. I thought all was lost. Until I found a way to a second chance. It occurred to me that my post had already gone out a few hours prior and that there were those who would have received it via email. Would their emails have disappeared also? I called a friend to find out the answer to this very important question.

Enter my second chance! My friend had received the email and it did contain the full text of my vanished post. However, technology would not let her forward this email to me. I guess technology was not giving up my post without a fight. BUT – my friend was able to print out her email which contained the full text of my post. I gladly went to her home to pick it up! Now I had in my hands the concrete evidence of my day’s labor. I had not labored in vain!

I now had the opportunity to restore my vanished post to the blog. This was definitely a second chance for this post about, of all things, “second chances”. Hence the irony. The post about second chances that was stolen away from me (or I inadvertently hit some wrong key on the computer) was now returned to me, giving the post its second chance to be published. What remained was for me to retype it into the computer, which I gladly did. My “second, second chances” post was itself getting a second chance! The irony of this is not lost on me, probably because it is off the charts inescapable! And while I totally appreciate the humor in this particular second chance scenario, the initial panic I felt when I thought all was lost, is easily recalled.

My Heavenly Father continues to give me forgiveness and second chances, some are just more obvious or in this case, more ironic, than others. But hopefully each second chance gets my attention, causes me to give thanks and compels me to take advantage of the “do over” and do better. I keep thinking eventually I’ll get some of these repeat opportunities, some of these second chances, right. After all –

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

“new every morning” – that’s the beauty, the hope and the promise of the second chances God gives to me – they are like His manna and His mercy – they are new every morning!

sincerely, Grace Day

second, second chances

Posted on by Grace Day

“Dodged a bullet” – that’s what they say when something bad or harmful or negative could have happened to you BUT – it didn’t. Therefore, you dodged a bullet. It’s a common enough expression, used often, probably because our days are filled with near misses or dodged bullets, even if we are unaware of just how many bullets miss us each day. Maybe ignorance is bliss, but I think not. If I truly recognize how many times I have been rescued, how many times I have been spared from some hurt or harm or danger or disaster – this knowledge should lead me to gratitude every time – gratitude to my Heavenly Father, who watches over me, whose mercies towards me never cease. After all,

“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 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.” (Psalm 121:2-8)

This has been a week of particularly stormy spring weather here, complete with lightning, thunderstorms, heavy rains, high speed winds and even some tornado touchdowns one evening. We have been under weather advisories multiple evenings and I have found myself driving in some challenging conditions this week. I have definitely dodged a few bullets on the pothole filled roads this week, (post – “pitfalls and potholes”) resulting in multiple second chances for me and for my car.

BUT – in truth, is this me dodging bullets, due to my skill, dexterity, wisdom and wits? OR – is this me receiving God’s freely given, undeserved grace, mercy and protection over my daily life? I think we both know this is the latter and never the former. I am not a skilled bullet dodger in the least. But God is a skilled protector and a merciful giver of second, second chances. And I am the thankful recipient of all those second, second chances that His mercy and His protection give to me. My response? I definitely say with the psalmist –

“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, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:2-5)

My Heavenly Father “forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases” cancelling my debt and setting me free again and again. (just like the fellow in my previous post – “second chances”) I experience this on a daily basis, although some of my rescues are more dramatic than others and some of my cancelled debts are larger than others. Nonetheless, I want to be aware of and thankful for each and every one of my second, second chances, of every forgiven sin, every cancelled debt that I never could have paid myself.

Just this past week, I received yet another kind of second chance. It started with a medical test that required “more testing”, meaning – maybe something is wrong, let’s take a closer look. So in the interim between first and second tests, I lived with the possibility of this diagnosis being reality. When the second test revealed “nothing to see here, false alarm”, it was for me a new beginning, a clean slate. I was freed from the burden that this diagnosis would have entailed, a great weight was lifted from me, my debt was wiped away, there would be no “jail time” for me due to illness. I have been given yet another second chance.

Now that I have been set free, what will I do with my new-found freedom? Go back to my old life? Do what the guy in my previous post did when his debt was forgiven and he was set free? FYI – he was so grateful to have his debt forgiven, that his first act as a forgiven, free man was to go out and send to prison the first person he came across who owed him an inconsequentially small sum of money. (Matthew chapter 18 – the parable of the unmerciful servant) No, that is NOT how I want to live out my debt free, sins forgiven, bailed out of jail life.

Maybe I should think about sharing the good news that I have experienced with others, letting them know that they too can have second, second chances in this life. God is not stingy with His forgiveness, nor with His mercy and lovingkindness. In fact, in Psalms I read –

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

It’s not that I have been getting better at dodging bullets, or that I have been dodging bullets at all. The truth is that God is being gracious to me and continues to give me undeserved, unearned second, second chances every day as I walk with Him. I want every second chance God gives me, to conform me a little closer to His image and to His will. So that the next time God forgives me for saying harsh words instead of kind words, His forgiveness will change me, so much so, that when given that next second chance – I will say the kind words He desires, instead of the harsh or hurtful words I might speak if left unchanged by His forgiveness and love.

However, I will allow God’s forgiveness to change me. I will not squander away the precious gift of second chances, (like the unmerciful servant) nor of second, second chances, nor of all the second chances God gives after that. Each second chance is a gift. I will thank my Heavenly Father for each and every one of them that He sends my way. And God gives me these second chances at just the right time. Just when I think I’ve messed up too bad to come back from whatever it is, I’m reminded of others who must have thought this very same thing. They believed that they too, had used up all their second chances with God.

There was the prodigal son, the disciple Peter and the thief hanging on the cross beside Jesus, to name a few. Each one of these had messed up big time with some really bad decisions. BUT – each one was rescued, forgiven, and restored to family, to their calling, and to eternal life respectively. The Good News of the Gospel – you and I are offered a second chance every day. I just have to humble myself, confess my failure and ask God for forgiveness. God is faithful to respond by giving me that second chance. Then I must be brave enough to accept the opportunity and face the challenge that a second chance always brings with it. In humility I pray King David’s prayer –

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. . . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. . . . Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . . Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:1-2, 7, 10 & 12)

Second, second chances – King David received them multiple times. And so did a most unlikely woman – the infamous woman caught in adultery. Her second chance encounter with Jesus was truly dramatic. She was called to account publicly, in front of a large crowd, by the religious leaders of the day. However, this situation intended for public humiliation of the woman and for catching Jesus in some legal misstep, didn’t unfold as the religious leaders had planned. Instead, it ended with the woman receiving a much needed second chance in life. Their law demanded that the woman be stoned to death for her crime of adultery. BUT – Jesus said to the crowd,

” ‘If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ . . . At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’ ” (John 8:7-11)

This woman received her second chance – a clean slate, her past forgiven, her sin debt paid, no jail time, no more death penalty hanging over her head – she was free – free to go and live a new life, a life free from the bondage of sin! Talk about your second chances! Yours and mine, dear readers, our second chances are no less miraculous, no less life changing, no less undeserved, but just as earnestly desired and needed as was this woman’s.

Every second chance is a miracle. Every second chance is a gift from God.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for every second chance You give me. May I not waste a one of them!

sincerely, Grace Day

second chances

Posted on by Grace Day

We all need them – at least I know I do and God gives them to me and to you every day, those wonderful, necessary, life-giving, hope filled second chances. (sometimes called “do overs”)

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103:10)

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

I am so thankful for my Heavenly Father’s limitless supply of mercy towards me. He gives me this on a daily basis, new every morning, just like the life sustaining manna that miraculously appeared new every morning in the desert, keeping the Israelites alive in that barren land. When I realize I got it wrong and I desire forgiveness and an opportunity to try again I trust in this promise from His word –

“If I confess my sin, He is faithful and just and will forgive me my sin and purify me from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

My Heavenly Father’s forgiveness gives me the second chance I so desire over and over and over again. So what do I do with all these second chances? I don’t want to take God’s mercy and forgiveness for granted. I want to be changed by His love for me, a love that never gives up on me. I sure don’t want to be like the guy in this one story – you know the one, right? There was this servant who owed a huge debt to the king, a debt so big he could never repay it, even if he worked his entire life to pay it off. So what happened? Well . . .

“The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.” (Matthew 18:27)

This is unexpected, undeserved and unbelievable. Not only did the servant not go to jail, the debt was canceled, forgiven, wiped away – he no longer owed anything, he was free! So what did this person do with his new-found freedom, his surprise second chance? Well . . .

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he (the forgiven servant) refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.” (Matthew 18:28-30)

Now – some fun facts you might want to know. How much debt had the king forgiven this man who refused to forgive his fellow servant? Here’s the backstory –

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.” (Matthew 18:23-25)

BUT – remember what happened? “The servant’s master took pity on him, (mercy) canceled the debt (forgiveness) and let him go. (freedom)” Now here’s the fun fact, the debt of “ten thousand talents” is a debt equal to millions of dollars! No wonder he would never be able to repay it. In comparison, his fellow servant owed him “a hundred denarii” – or a debt equal to only a few dollars.

The man who had been forgiven an unpayable debt, the man who had been given a second chance – this man could not find it in his heart to forgive his fellow servant even a few dollars. Unbelievable! (remember, he had his fellow servant thrown in prison for owing him just a few bucks) God gives me so many second chances every day. I want to make the most of each and every second chance that God graciously gives me. I don’t want to go back to my old ways after being forgiven. I want every second chance to change me, transforming me little by little into the person God is calling me to be.

It will ultimately require more second chances than I can count to accomplish God’s good purposes in me, but fortunately, my Heavenly Father does not give up on me! And He’s not stingy with the second chances. He keeps on offering me second chances filled with His forgiveness, hope and encouragement. All He asks of me is that I do the same for others.

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

That’s pretty clear. Unfortunately, the servant forgiven of his great debt didn’t make very good use of his second chance. He went right out and had his fellow servant put in prison for an insignificant debt against him. What happened after that? Well . . .

“When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:31-35)

I don’t want to blow any second chances God gives me like this guy did. If God can forgive me of my huge debt, certainly I can forgive other people their very small debts. I am overwhelmed daily with God’s mercy and forgiveness to me, new every morning – yet another undeserved second chance. I cannot keep that to myself. I will give the gift of a second chance to anyone and everyone, forgiving any debt they might owe me, knowing it is infinitesimally small compared to the debt I owe to God.

Thank You, God, for second chances.

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18)

sincerely, Grace Day

pitfalls and potholes

Posted on by Grace Day

Currently my life is full of both – pitfalls and potholes. Both are plentiful and both are unavoidable. Both make navigating the road ahead of me difficult if not downright dangerous on a daily basis. Of course, this is the season for potholes in my city. The winter’s deep freeze is past, the spring thaw has arrived, the snow has vanished leaving behind the “big reveal” of roads now decorated with multitudes of potholes. It is definitely “driver beware” every time I get behind the wheel of my car these days.

Although I’m sure there are potholes all over the city, one of the worst stretches that I am aware of is on the road right outside my neighborhood. In order to get anywhere, this is the road I must travel, (usually multiple times a day) whether going right or left, in order to drive to work, church, grocery – basically anywhere I need to go, I must first pass through the pothole ridden road that leads to all things.

Navigating my pothole ridden road multiple times a day has become (and continues to be) a significant challenge which I am forced to incorporate into my daily routine. Practice does not seem to be making perfect, however. No matter how many times I travel this road daily, I still have yet to avoid all the potholes successfully. Some of them “get” me every time.

There are several reasons for this besides my lack of driving expertise. First of all, the potholes are multiplying on a daily basis. I must constantly adjust my game plan to avoid the known potholes and to incorporate the surprise new potholes into my updated driving strategy. It’s exhausting! Every day the obstacle course, that is the road, changes, always adding obstacles (potholes), never deleting – always becoming more challenging, never easier.

Potholes are a lot like life’s many pitfalls. Some are deeper than others, making them more dangerous and potentially more damaging to my car. Some potholes seem to grow deeper and wider by the day. Some potholes take me completely by surprise, perhaps because I took my eyes off the road to look at surrounding traffic for a moment or because I was going too fast to adjust to the unexpected pothole at the last minute. Some potholes are simply unavoidable, as are many of life’s pitfalls. The potholes are in my path and unless I move over into the lane for oncoming traffic, (also dangerous) I am forced to drive over the potholes or on the side of the road, which is also full of potholes.

By now, I have noticed that other drivers do go into the other lane if there is no oncoming traffic at the moment, which gives me the courage to follow suite and do the same. Otherwise, if this is not an option, traffic pretty much comes to a standstill in a few spots as cars attempt to navigate the numerous clustered potholes without blowing a tire or damaging their vehicle. It is an impossible obstacle course to navigate. I cannot keep all four of my tires pothole free simultaneously and still move forward. Like traversing a mine field, I hold my breath and proceed with caution.

Potholes on the roads I travel seem an apt metaphor for the pitfalls I encounter on my life’s journey. They are often deep, dangerous, unexpected and unavoidable. And they are more difficult to deal with in the dark. I can attempt to avoid the potholes on my street in the daylight because I can see them coming and make a plan. But in the dark, I am defenseless because I don’t see the potholes until it is too late to avoid them.

Light is essential in dealing with both potholes and life’s pitfalls. Therefore, one of my survival strategies is traveling in the light. But this is not always possible, because at some point each day, the sun will set and it will be dark. However, in my life’s journey I never have to travel in the dark, nor alone for that matter. Jesus said –

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

God’s light will certainly help me to avoid many pitfalls and potholes in this life. Light enables me to see them clearly and to go around them rather than falling into them. The psalmist said this about navigating the pitfalls and the potholes that I encounter every day.

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm119:105)

I have God’s Living Word to show me the way safely around and through all life’s pitfalls and potholes, of which there is definitely no shortage! I wish my journey was easier, my road smoother. I find myself wondering why my street hasn’t been repaired yet. Why haven’t all these potholes been filled, making the street safer for us all? Miraculously, my Heavenly Father does do that for me and for you, too, dear readers. He’s been in the building better roads business for centuries. Consider what He says in Isaiah –

“This is what the Lord says to His anointed, . . . I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.” (Isaiah 45:1-2)

Pretty dramatic – I’d be happy just to have the potholes filled. But there’s more –

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” (Isaiah 42:16)

How comforting! How reassuring! Just what I long for – His presence with me, His light guiding me and the rough places now smooth! My Heavenly Father is with me, rescuing me daily from the pitfalls and the potholes that are a part of my daily life, an inescapable part of this life. BUT – He is also busy preparing something better – I just need to hang on!

“Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. . . . Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:1 & 4-5)

no more pitfalls, no more potholes

sincerely, Grace Day

spring break

Posted on by Grace Day

Do those words (spring break) make you think of sunny beaches, warm sand and ocean vistas? Maybe fun, frivolity and time with friends come to mind when spring break is mentioned. After all, spring break is something to look forward to, right? This week I have been on my spring break from school. Jealous? Want to know what words most accurately describe my spring break? Ok, here they are – taxes, mammograms and a summons to jury duty. Now some call a jury duty notice an invitation, but an invitation can be declined. You decline a jury summons – they call that “contempt of court.”

As my fun filled spring break is coming to an end, knowing what you now know, you might not be surprised if I said I was looking forward to returning to school. Today, while reflecting on my fun filled spring break week, these words came to mind –

“give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Ok, I can do that. I want to do that. And I will do just that. I am thankful to have a job which allows me to make money, even if I then have to pay taxes from that money. I am thankful to live in a free country, so I will gladly obey Jesus’s instructions on this matter, which are –

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12:17)

I’ve been doing a lot of grumbling about “rendering unto Caesar” this week but reading anything from “Voice of the Martyrs” puts everything into proper perspective. I don’t want to ever forget how fortunate I am to live here. I will give thanks.

And I am thankful for the access to good healthcare that I have. I am thankful for all the hard working, highly trained medical professionals who work in all the different fields of medicine providing care to me and to you, dear readers, and to countless others. Instead of complaining about a mammogram, I will be grateful for preventative healthcare, including mammograms. I will “give thanks in all circumstances.”

I will give thanks for the privilege of living in a free country, a country with laws and courts and due process protections for everyone when accused of a crime. A jury made up of private citizens is a part of that lawful process of prosecution for wrongdoing and of protection of the wrongfully accused. I will be grateful for the opportunity to serve on a jury rather than see it as an inconvenience or as a punishment. Jury duty is a small price to pay for the luxury of living in a free society. I will give thanks for jury duty. I will “give thanks in all circumstances.”

So my spring break hasn’t exactly been a day at the beach. BUT – it did include a walk in the wild with a friend and other such friend meet ups. And giving thanks in all circumstances certainly does change my perspective about my supposed hardships this week. The simple act of telling God “thank You” increases my gratitude to Him exponentially. And it makes me realize once again –

“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)

Being able to work and earn money is a gift, (even with taxes), having healthcare is a gift, being chosen (summoned) to participate in our system of justice is a gift. (even having a system of justice is a gift) So, today I will give thanks to God, I will be grateful, I will be glad and I will rejoice. And if anyone asks about my spring break, I will tell them it was really something, something to be thankful for! That is sure to leave them wondering where in the world I went or what in the world I did this week! (no need to mention that it consisted of taxes, mammograms and a jury duty summons)

thank You, Heavenly Father, for a wonderful spring break!

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. . . . Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.” (Psalm 107:1 & 21-22)

sincerely, Grace Day

just for today

Posted on by Grace Day

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

Yes, let me rejoice and be glad today! NOW! Not yesterday, not tomorrow – today!

Yes, I know it’s Monday, Lord – BUT – You made Mondays, just like You make all the days – in fact, You have already made “all the days ordained for me, written in Your book, before even one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

so just for today, I will give You thanks – no requests, no demands, no complaints, no whining, no criticizing, no doubting, no questioning, no striving, no plotting, no planning – today, just gratitude to You, Lord, because –

“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)

You give only good gifts – so today I will –

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)

today I will –

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:4-5)

just for today – I will put aside worry – after all, Jesus told His disciples –

“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)

just for today – I will rest in Your green pastures, Heavenly Father and I will thank You for the peace and provision of the still waters that You lead me beside – I will not ask You, Heavenly Father, for more or for something different or for anything at all –

instead, I will thank You for Your mercies (new every morning) and for Your love and Your constant watchcare over me and Your faithfulness to me even when I am unfaithful. I will thank You for forgiving me of my sin and for dying in my place. I will thank You that You have loved me with an everlasting love that rescues me from sin and death. I will thank You for the beauty of Your creation that surrounds me. I will thank You for the promise of Your Presence never leaving nor forsaking me – Your Presence protecting, providing and guiding me today and every day.

today I will rejoice, I will pray and I will tell God thank You – just because – because God instructs me to do this in His Word –

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

so not just for today – I am to give thanks to my Heavenly Father in all circumstances – not only the green pastures and still waters days. Being a Monday (or any day really) this could very well be for me a desert crossing day, a mountain moving or a mountain climbing day, a valley of the shadow of death day, a fiery furnace day, a high waters day, a deep chasm day, a dark pit day, a surrounded by my enemies day, a lost my way again day – BUT –

no matter what my circumstance is today – just for today, I will choose to give all my gratitude and all my praise to my Redeemer – believing soon “just for today” becomes every day – because every day is –

“. . . the day the Lord has made;” every day is – a day for me to “rejoice and be glad in it.” today, I will –

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods. For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (Psalm 136:1-3)

today, I will join with all of creation in rejoicing, in being glad and in giving God praise –

“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!’ Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:31-34)

just for today – I will give God thanks, I will rejoice in Him, I will rest in His Presence.

sincerely, Grace Day

open arms

Posted on by Grace Day

You can’t go home again – statement of fact or the title of a 1940 novel by Thomas Wolfe? Both, perhaps? While those words are the title of a novel by Wolfe, they aren’t necessarily always true in all situations. Sometimes you can go home again. Consider the situation of the prodigal son. He collected his inheritance and left home for good. Or so he thought. He never intended to return home, BUT – when his situation changed, he changed his mind and decided to return home. What happened? How was he received? The following words tell us everything we need to know.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)

Sound familiar? This story of the prodigal son’s return is universal. It gives hope to those of us who feel there is no going back, no way to return because we have burned the bridges that once connected us to those we love. BUT – this parable from God’s word tells us something different. Just as the father welcomed the return of his son with open arms, so, too, will my Heavenly Father welcome me back with open arms.

And there’s more. The father of the prodigal didn’t wait for his son to fully arrive, but when he saw his son “still a long way off”, the father ran out to meet him with open arms. He did not wait for his son to travel the remaining distance between them alone. Instead, the son was able to travel the remaining distance of his long journey in the company of his father – the father he had run away from so long ago.

This son, who had turned his back on his father and on his family, was not only allowed to return home, he was welcomed back home with open arms. This returning son was embraced and he was celebrated. In fact, his father threw a huge welcome home party to commemorate his son’s return. Here’s what happened –

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:21-24)

I guess you can go home again! That’s really good news for those of us who fear we have wandered too far from God, so far that we believe we cannot go home again. But God’s word says otherwise to us. Jesus taught this parable of the prodigal son’s return and the subsequent restoration of his relationship with his father to illustrate what is possible for me and for you, dear readers.

The story of the prodigal son gives each one of us hope. We can know that our Heavenly Father eagerly awaits our return each time we choose to leave like the dissatisfied son did or each time we find we have wandered farther than we ever meant to go. I may have lost my way BUT – I can find my way home again! I can go home again! And when I do, I will find my Heavenly Father running towards me with His arms wide open. I know this because I can count on the truth of these words –

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.” (Isaiah 30:18)

I can know that my heavenly Father will meet me with open arms, welcoming me back into fellowship with Him, forgiving me and giving me right standing with Him once again. To that end, I find these words especially reassuring –

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.’ For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 1:18-20)

I will receive a warm welcome when I return home to my Heavenly Father. So will you, dear readers. All of us prodigals will be welcomed with open arms and a party will be thrown for each one of us – just like the party the father in the parable gave to welcome his son back home. God will throw a party for me. He will throw a party for you, too. It will be a no holes barred, all out celebration of joy and rejoicing. God’s word says so.

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. . . . In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:7 & 10)

Has your life, like mine when apart from my Heavenly Father, become like the prodigal son’s life – a life full of disillusionment, disaster and despair?

“After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.” (Luke 15:14-20)

We know what happened next – his father welcomed him back with open arms. Perhaps it’s time to believe the truth and return home to God’s open arms and warm welcome. Why would I continue living apart from my Heavenly Father when He is watching and waiting for my return and has a party already planned to welcome me home. God’s arms are open. I can go home again!

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

sincerely, Grace Day

the least of these – made in His image

Posted on by Grace Day

The unexpected quiet took me by surprise. Her outbursts were loud and continuous, complete with flailing arms and violently jerking body movements. Good thing she was securely strapped into the seat of this three wheeled device that she was pedaling while I pushed and steered from behind. I don’t know the name of this contraption, but it is used with a few of the special needs students in the high school where I work. Today I was pushing one such student around the empty gym on this “bike” in hopes that she would find the repetitive motion of pedaling soothing and that the act of moving forward at a slow and steady pace would calm her mind and her spirit.

I had pretty much abandoned the idea that this was going to happen, but I continued our laps around the perimeter of the gym anyway. I was singing quietly, more to sooth myself than my student and then I found myself praying over her, praying for her. Eventually it was quiet. I realized that she was finally peaceful, silently enjoying the monotony of the motion as we continued at our own pace around the gym. At this point, I dared not stop.

I decided to keep going as long as I could, as long as it was bringing her much needed relief from whatever was torturing her soul. (her guttural screams sounded like a prisoner being tortured – a prisoner longing to be set free) Which I have to say, I understand completely. I, too, am a prisoner desiring freedom. Aren’t you? Aren’t we all? These words found in Romans explain my situation clearly –

“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. For in this hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:19-24)

You and I are a part of God’s creation. So it’s no wonder that we too are groaning, wanting to be released from our bondage to decay and death, longing to be set free when God redeems and transforms our bodies. We have this promise in Philippians –

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

Something to look forward to – complete healing of body, mind and spirit. As I pushed this precious girl around the gym, the peaceful silence a much more welcome companion than her angry screams had been, I thought about the transformation in store for her and in store for each one of us. It will be dramatic. Just how dramatic is described with these words in 1 John –

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

What a transformation awaits us! As she and I continued walking/pedaling in a silence now filled with peace and prayer, I continued praying for her and the other special needs students I have the privilege to serve at this school. Some are non-verbal or very limited in their ability to use language to communicate their needs and their feelings. Others have physical limitations, one is in a wheelchair, two use walkers. They each have limitations on their mental abilities, some more severe than others. These limits or deficits impact how much the students are able to understand and what information and skills they are able to learn.

Society today does not place a high priority nor a high value on our students or on people who, like our students, are physically and mentally handicapped. They are too often overlooked, undervalued and even discarded or dismissed by those around them. BUT – each person is of infinite value to our Creator, irrespective of their IQ or their physical abilities or lack of physical abilities, because they are created in His image. As I continued to push my now calm, pedaling student, these words of Jesus echoed in my mind –

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Our special needs students may be considered “the least of these” at school and in the culture at large. However, each one of them is “fearfully and wonderfully made” in God’s image, even though in this imperfect world, God’s perfect design is often marred. But when Christ returns, He will set all things right and that includes us! It will happen in the “twinkling of an eye.”

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

Changed! All these bodies healed! All these minds fully restored! All these spirits finally set free! At last, these students will be fully all that they were created to be all along in Christ! What joy that will be! These prisoners, held captive by the limitations of their bodies and their minds, will be set free. What they will be “has not yet been made known . . . but they shall be like Him when He appears, for they shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

Jesus came for the least of these, those made in His image. (that includes you and me, dear readers) We know our Creator cares for each and every one of us, including the least of these.

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

That “twinkling of an eye” moment is going to be spectacular – all of us set free and transformed “to be like His glorious body.” I am able to see the unique personalities of each of our students now. Their special identities shine through even the most profound of their disabilities. Still, I can’t help but wonder what they will be like when they are fully healed, redeemed and restored. Until then, I will continue to serve the least of these in Christ’s name. It is a special privilege.

sincerely, Grace Day

walking on what?

Posted on by Grace Day

What if I told you I was walking on water yesterday? That’s right – I went water walking. Well, ok, full disclosure, the water was frozen, so it was actually ice I was walking on. Although, having walked on said ice without sustaining any falls or injuries, I consider this no less a miracle than walking on water. I found myself wondering, however, if this is what it feels like to go glacier walking?

One of the rules of glacier walking is that you never walk alone, but always in the company of others. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone as I “glacier walked” the sidewalks and the streets of this inner-city neighborhood. My intrepid, all weather, prayer walking partner was with me. Due to below freezing temperatures, the snow and ice have remained on our streets and sidewalks, although there are now increasing patches of pavement between the “glaciers” that still flow across most of the sidewalks and streets that comprise our prayer walk route.

As my friend and I picked our way carefully across the stretches of ice and snow in our path that we were forced to cross in order to get to the next patch of visible pavement, it occurred to me that people actually pay money to do this, walk on snow and ice, that is. Glacier walking is a real thing in places such as Iceland and Alaska. There is a whole tourist industry built around doing just this. Of course, the scenery is a bit more dramatic on actual glaciers, being full of ice towers, deep ice caverns, waterfalls and beautiful views.

The ice patches (or mini glaciers) we encountered on this particular morning weren’t that deep, definitely not as dangerous, but still just as challenging for us to walk across. (in my opinion) Perhaps it is because my friend and I were not properly prepared for glacier walking on this morning or on any morning for that matter. We were not equipped with the essentials of glacier walking which include crampons, rope, a climbing harness, a helmet and an ice axe. We had none of these things. Neither of us had even so much as a walking stick to steady us, nor did we have special shoes. We were totally unprepared for glacier walking.

BUT – we were prepared for prayer walking. Before setting out on our prayer walk this morning, my friend and I had suited up with all the essentials that we would need. How did we know what to put on and what to take with us? Our instructions are given to us in Ephesians chapter six.

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. . . . Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:11&13)

Interesting, the goal is to stand. That was certainly my goal as I was glacier walking on this cold morning. My goal was to keep from falling, to remain upright. My goal was to stand. Our instructions continue –

“Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:14-17)

So my friend and I found ourselves glacier walking while wearing full armor. Seems cumbersome and counterintuitive at best. But, I gotta say, having the sword of the Spirit is even better than having an ice axe. The sword of the Spirit cuts through anything. Here’s how the sword of the Spirit is described in Hebrews – (remember the sword of the Spirit is the word of God)

“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. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Sounds like the sword of the Spirit is sharper than any ice axe, so I guess my friend and I were in possession of the more powerful of the two weapons. And our footwear? (which is pretty important when one is walking on ice) My feet and my friend’s feet were custom fitted with “readiness” – perhaps readiness to face and to flourish in any situation – even glacier walking? At any rate, we were bearers of the gospel of peace – a large load to carry in treacherous terrain such as we found ourselves traversing. A weighty message, the gospel, yet inexplicably light, a joy to carry. Must be why Jesus told His followers –

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)

That’s how we ended up glacier walking in the first place, my friend and I. We are servants of the gospel, commanded NOT to keep this Good News to ourselves but to share it freely, just as it was freely given to us. And so sometimes we find ourselves walking in places that are not always easily traversed. There are deserts and oceans to cross, and valleys and mountains and rivers to ford and sometimes even glacier walking is necessary. No one ever said following Jesus is easy. BUT following Jesus is the ultimate adventure. Jesus told His disciples this –

“If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)

One translation of “must deny himself” says – “you must give up your own way.” That’s how I ended up glacier walking with my friend early on that cold weekend morning. Left to ourselves, we would have been asleep, warm and indoors. BUT – I wouldn’t trade our slippery, semi-perilous, very cold, praying, glacier walking time for anything. Better to be about my Heavenly Father’s business than my own, even if I end up walking on ice!

sincerely, Grace Day

open hands

Posted on by Grace Day

“You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16)

That’s what King David had to say about God’s provision when he wrote this particular psalm. He started by saying –

“The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time.” (Psalm 145:15)

This beautiful image of God as our Provider, God as my Provider, is also expressed in another psalm –

“These all look to You to give them their food at the proper time. When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things.” (Psalm 104:27-28)

This picture of God’s open hand offering to you and to me everything we need or could ever need is profound. God’s provision is available to me. BUT – do I draw near enough to Him to “eat from His hand” so to speak? Or do I keep my distance, preferring what the world or others have to offer me, rather than what God wants to give me? Why would I settle for less when my Heavenly Father’s riches are readily available to me? After all,

“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)

In both psalms, the word “satisfied” describes the recipients of God’s provision. I can’t say the result is the same when I attempt to fill myself with what I think are “good things” or when I look to current culture to satisfy my desires. In reality, only the One who created me, the One who knows me completely, can truly satisfy the longings of my heart. After all, I am created with eternity in my heart. So are you, dear readers. You and I are created for, specifically wired for, an eternal relationship with our Creator.

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

The image of God’s hand, full of His provision, opened towards each one of us, towards all He has created, reminds me of times I have tried to coax or to tame one of God’s creatures by opening my hand full of whatever their preferred food is, in hopes that the allure of food will draw them close to me and get them to return to me willingly again and again, thus establishing a relationship between the object of my affection and myself. “If I could just get them close enough to taste what I am offering them,” I think to myself, “then they would see what they are missing when they ignore my outstretched, open hand, extended to them full of good things. They would see that I mean them no harm.”

I wonder if that’s what my Heavenly Father is thinking about me? (and the rest of humanity) After all, His intention is that you and I and others will –

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8)

I think it is fear that keeps whatever creature I am attempting to tame from coming close enough to me to eat out of my hand. Is it fear that keeps you and I from drawing close enough to our Heavenly Father to receive what His open hand is offering to us? I have to ask myself – do I truly believe these words of Jeremiah, and if so, am I brave enough to boldly approach God’s outstretched, open hand?

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God’s hands are open today and every day, filled with good things, reaching out to you and to me. Will I draw near to Him? Near enough to be fed from His open hand? Will I leave my own pursuits and instead pursue Him? Will I receive from God’s open hand all the good gifts He is offering to me today? The choice is mine. God’s open hands hold an infinite supply of all I will ever need. God patiently continues to hold out His open hands to me, desiring to bring me into relationship with Him as my Provider, my Protector, my Heavenly Father.

God’s open hand is always outstretched toward me. BUT – the question remains – will I draw near to Him, near enough to allow my Creator to tame my wild and rebellious heart? He says to me, to all, and to each one –

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

sincerely, Grace Day