How did we wind up here???


Never let a bad situation bring out the worst in you.
Be strong and choose to be positive. –Anonymous


What a peculiar time we are living in. Truly, some days up seems to be down. Truth is subjective; lies, verifiable and dangerous, run rampant. Beyond the challenges of this nation, the whole world seems, at times, to have gone mad!

How did we ever stray so far from the teachings of Jesus? And more importantly: how do we find our way back? Have we gone too far to turn it around? (Remember? Repent means to turn around, to do a full 180.)

No. Not ever. Not as long as we believe in a gracious God who loves us all unconditionally.

Our task is to accept that grace for ourselves, so that we can then extend God’s love to others.

It starts with the recognition of the value of every person with whom we journey, until we come to the realization and belief that in God’s Kingdom, there is no other. We are all siblings in Christ.

Start small. Start with your words. Speak truth to life. Offer a smile and a hand. Lift each other up instead of knocking each other down.

Life is so very short and precious. What can you do to ease the burdens of those you meet? Just as important: how will you keep from adding to the weight of the burdens we bear? (What would Jesus do, anyway? Do that.)


Monday Start the week with a look in the mirror. What do you see? Do you like what you see? (God surely does!) See the person God sees. Genesis 24:34-38

Tuesday Anyone you encounter today, offer a smile and a kind word. Take note of their response. Pray for them. Genesis 24:42-49

Wednesday Put together a bag of groceries for a local food bank. If you cannot deliver it, ask a friend (or see if someone near you could use some extra food). Psalm 45:10-17

Thursday Invite a friend over for a visit (outside is best). Wear a mask, and sit apart—but enjoy one another’s presence. Genesis 24:58-67

Friday As the weekend begins, you might decide to order in for dinner. Be a generous tipper. Zechariah 9:9-12

Saturday As you pray for yourself on this Independence Day, ask God to show you the best way to be both a Christ follower and an American. Romans 7:15-25

Sunday Check your gut this morning: as you worship virtually or live, are you worshipping God with your whole life? Are you honoring God by respecting one another? Matthew 11:25-30


When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always get worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad, they have to get better.
–Malcolm Forbes

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stepping back. . . .

Image
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and with a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,  even if your whole world seems upset.  –St. Francis de Sales This week, I invite you to simply sit in a quiet space with words of hope and promise, and to remember, as Julian of Norwich knew, that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well . It has been a long, difficult season. Advent and the coming of the Christ is just around the corner. Peace and comfort to your spirit. Monday   “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30 Tuesday  “Is this not the kind of fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6-9 Wednesday  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
Read more

It's that time again. . . .

When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised changed, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness?  Whatever it is,  it’s welcome. –Kristin Armstrong No matter what part of the world you call home, this time of year brings big changes. While my friends Down Under are watching sings of new growth emerge from the earth as temperatures rise, here in Ohio, the leaves are turning from green to gold and orange, red and brown. The winds have taken on a chill; clouds hang heavy, like soggy cotton, reminding us that soon and very soon, we are going to see the snow . Always different, yet somehow, the same. We depend on God’s eternal ways, and trust that again this year, winter will follow autumn, just like it should. So why is it, as we anticipate and appreciate changes like these, when it comes to so many things in life we pull up short, wrinkle our noses and say No! No change! I like things just the way they are! It’s t
Read more

Starting again

“This, then, is how you should pray:" --Matthew 6:9a I have been really sensing lately that there is another blog inside me, one focused on prayer.  Oh, I know-- those elephants are all about prayer. Heck, they  are  prayer. And I will continue there, as well. But what I've been feeling is that people-- maybe you--  have always been told, "You should pray," or "Pray about that." But maybe you feel your prayers aren't "good enough," or that it's just too hard, too embarrassing, too [fill in the blank] to pray. Maybe it feels like no one really talks about how  to pray-- except, of course, for Jesus, in Matthew 6 and a couple parallel passages where we are given what's come to be known as The Lord's Prayer. And it is a great prayer. And there are other great prayers, and other ways to pray that do not involve rote. So "my plan" here is to share, hopefully on a weekly or semi-regular basis, a lot of
Read more