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Colossians 3:16-17

25 Nov

16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:16-17

Dear God, I’ve been reading a biography on Fred Rogers (a.k.a. Mr. Rogers), and the portrait it paints is quite lovely. What a unique man! I mean, really, you just don’t find people like him–even among the most devoted of Christians. I’ve maybe known one personally. His name was Henry Parrish. He was a simple tennis coach from Corpus Christi who exuded your gentleness, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. Exuded it. That was Fred Rogers too. My Henry probably talked more about his faith publicly than did Mr. Rogers, but Mr. Rogers was also in a much more secular environment than Henry was. I would venture that Henry was maybe more circumspect about his faith when he was teaching in the public school. But you just couldn’t stop your presence from shining through him.

I wonder what the barrier is between the level of faith they reached and where I am. Is it as simple as personality? Were their personalities more suited for that kind of display of your Spirit present in their lives than mine is? Or did they have something deeper with you that I am missing?

I have some challenges in my life. How would they have dealt with them differently than I’m dealing with them? How did Mr. Rogers handle friction among co-workers on the set of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood? I know it had to happen. Did he have a producer who handled things like that, or did he get in there directly and address it? Did he exude so much patience that it just fed the whole place? I’ve heard the phrase, “What would Jesus do?” I can’t even figure out “What would Mr. Rogers do?” I think the answers are very similar.

I guess I can try to think back on times when the disciples got crossways with each other, usually involved around egos and grasping for power. In those times, he would warn them about seeking power. Other times, he seemingly did nothing. You get the feeling reading about Judas and the way the gospels describe him that no one really liked him. They knew he was stealing (John 12:6). Jesus knew Judas was stealing. And yet Jesus seemingly didn’t address it at all. And it festered. Do things sometimes need to fester?

Father, as I go through this day, I want to exude you. I want to exude your fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I want to not use power over anyone, but simply pray, serve, persuade, and sacrifice for those around me. I want the joy I’ve found in you to be their joy too. I want them to experience the act of receiving your forgiveness and then granting it to others. I want them to deal with the log in their own eye before they feel the need to address the speck in their brother’s eye. But all of that starts with me. I have to absolutely be your presence in all of this. Live through me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 25, 2025 in Colossians, Uncategorized

 

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Luke 7:18-35

17 Sep

18 The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, 19 and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

20 John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’”

21 At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. 22 Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 23 And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.”

24 After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 25 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. 26 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 27 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,

‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    and he will prepare your way before you.’

28 I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!”

29 When they heard this, all the people—even the tax collectors—agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.

31 “To what can I compare the people of this generation?” Jesus asked. “How can I describe them? 32 They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,

‘We played wedding songs,
    and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
    and you didn’t weep.’

33 For John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.”

Luke 7:18-35

Dear God, two things stand out to me in this passage:

  • Verse 23: 23 And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.”
  • Verses 29-30: 29 When they heard this, all the people—even the tax collectors—agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.

Verse 23 stuck out because this is an interesting tag to add on to his message to John. My wife and I talked about this story at breakfast, and she said something I liked: “Jesus is the scandalon. He is supposed to make us stumble.” It seems that even John was stumbling in his questioning of Jesus’s identity as John himself was languishing in prison and would ultimately be killed there. But it seems to me that Jesus sent one last message to John: Press on. Don’t fall away. Have faith. You have rightly put your faith in me.

Verses 29-30 struck me because this is Luke inserting his own commentary to Theophilus as he writes this letter to him. It’s as if he’s saying, “Just to make sure I’m clear, the people who believed Jesus and drew closer to God because of him were the sinners, but the holy, righteous, and pious stumbled. The scandalon got them.

Father, there are times I stumble over you. There are times when I’m just flat out wrong or stubborn. There are other times when I am selfish. Oh, please help me to be exactly what you need me to be today. Love through me. Lead through me. Forgive me for my thoughts and words. For what I have done and what I have failed to do. Make me a comforter to those who mourn. A guide for those who seek. A learner from those through whom you will teach me. And a teacher to those who need to hear you through me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 17, 2025 in Uncategorized

 

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James 3:13

16 Sep

13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 

James 3:13

Dear God, I was thinking about this while I was in church yesterday. The New Testament reading was from James, and I was thinking about how James gets a bad rap because some accuse him of being “works-based.” But I tend to see it more like the Sermon on the Mount. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is raising the bar and setting a high standard, but he isn’t saying that we have to do those things for our redemption and justification before you. He is saying that we should be doing those things out of our relationship with you and growing into being more and more like you. And they are for our good.

I was reading more of The Year of Living Biblically last night (I know, I’m a slow reader and I haven’t been making much progress lately), and A.J. Jacobs finally got to the New Testament. What surprised me was how nervous he was about it. He is culturally Jewish, so I think there is a natural thought he grew up with that Jesus is dangerous. He is a false prophet and not the Messiah. And he has spend the first eight or nine months being so dogmatic about the commands of the Old Testament, he is now trying to figure out how he will unravel some of it and replace it with Jesus. I have a feeling this might be my favorite part of the book. Watching someone come to you with fresh eyes. Feeling you out. Truly and thoughtfully exploring the difference between what he has spent the better part of a year experiencing and now the unexpected twist you added to the equation 2,000 years ago.

Father, I don’t love others because I have to. It’s because I get to. I don’t avoid temptation because I have to. It’s because I get to. And the closer I get to you the more…well, the words of “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” fit pretty well. 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Help me, Father, to remember to turn my eyes upon you today.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 16, 2024 in James, Uncategorized

 

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P.S.P.S. (Prayer, Service, Persuasion, Suffering)

11 Apr

Dear God, I was listening to an interview between Andy Stanley and John Dickson last summer and that the 40-minute mark Stanley asks Dickson about a quote in his book about how the early church strove to emulate Jesus. Dickson then said that Jesus used four tools and four tools only to influence his world–Prayer, Service, Persuasion, and Suffering–and that is all he left us as well. I didn’t want to lose that concept so I memorized the acronym P.S.P.S. Obviously, it has stuck with me.

So, it’s been about nine months since I first heard that interview. How am I doing?

  • Prayer: I think I am doing well with my quality time with you, but I don’t do nearly enough in intercessory prayer, either for individuals or societal/world issues that should have my prayer cover. I’m sorry for that. I need to come up with a better system for intercessory prayer. My wife is very good at that. I am not.
  • Service: I have actually worked different service things into my life. I could always do more, but I do have some things outside of my work, which is inherently service-oriented, that help me directly touch lives that might need my input.
  • Persuasion: This one is always tricky. I think my life directly influences a lot of people around me. And I think I am able to use that to get people to consider you more. But do I do enough?
  • Suffering: I really don’t have anything here. I mean, yes, I have some sorrows in my life. Some broken relationships. And at least one of them has at least some linkage to my faith. But for the most part, I don’t know what suffering is. Is this a problem? Is no suffering a sign that I’m not putting myself out there enough? Persuading enough? Serving enough? Praying enough?

One interesting thing I noticed as I did this list is that doing all of these things isn’t only good for the world around me, but it is good for me as well. If I pray more–good for me. If I serve more–good for me. If I persuade more–good for me. If I suffer more–good for me. All of these things, even suffering, will help refine me into being more and more Jesus-like.

Father, help me to be mindful of this today. Help me to love you well. Help me to find time to pray for others and your world. Help me to jump into service. Help me to be bold and loving in my persuasion. And help me to not resist or avoid suffering if it means doing something you called me to do.

I offer all of this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 11, 2024 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories, Uncategorized

 

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God and the Planet of Vicious Dogs

15 Dec

Dear God, I heard this sermon illustration at a Christmas service last night by the new pastor at First Baptist Church in our town, Bill Waddell, and I wanted to write about it this morning. I Googled it this morning to see if I could find a source and I couldn’t so I’m going to tell it again here as best as I can:

A man had a dream one night, and he met God in his dream. He had been wondering about the incarnation and how it worked. “Why, God, did you have to come to earth as a man?”

God didn’t explain, but decided to show him why instead. He took the and they started traveling through space. Faster and faster until they started to approach a planet. When they arrived at the planet, still outside of its atmosphere, God stopped to tell the man about the planet. “This planet is controlled by dogs,” God said. “They are the highest life form here. The problem is, they are vicious dogs. They are cruel and mean. They destroy each other. They are filled with anger. But somehow, I want to help them. I want to teach them to love. I want them to know I exist and be in relationship with me. I want to show them how I love them. I want to help them take that love and give it to each other.”

The man replied, “That’s wonderful, Father. How will you do that?” 

“That’s where you come in,” God said. “I need you to do something for me. The only way to communicate with them is to become one of them. So I need you to go down there as a dog, tell them about me, and teach them through your example.” 

The man readily agreed. “Of course, I will do that for you and for them,” he said.

“There is a catch,” God added. “You won’t be able to teach them through coercion. That never works. You will need to come from a position of physical weakness to teach them what I need them to understand. They won’t learn if they are physically intimidated by you. So I am sending you as a chihuahua..” 

This caught the man off guard, but he saw the wisdom in it.

“There is another catch,” God continued. “In order to show them my power, you will have to die and let them kill you. Then, I will bring you back to life. This will show that you are truly my messenger and they should listen to you. It will be painful, but it is the only way. I cannot stand their viciousness with each other. I cannot be around it. So I need your perfect life to be a sacrifice for their sins, so that I will have a way to interact with them.”

Now the man was dreading this assignment for the first time, but he was willing to do anything God asked of him. He agreed to God’s terms.

But God wasn’t finished. “There is one more thing. When you are resurrected, you will remain a chihuahua for eternity. You will come to me and be with me, but you will be the chihuahua at my side. I am not a dog. I cannot relate to being a dog. But after you are a dog, I will need you to remain a dog so that you can continue to be my intermediary with them.”

It was then that the man fully understood what the incarnation of Jesus was all about, but instead of sending another sinful creature to be that intermediary, God was forced to send part of himself to earth. He was the only one capable of fulfilling this mission. This reconciliation with humans on earth. They are vicious, selfish, and cruel. But God loves us and wants to know him and live the lives of love and joy he has for us. So he sent a part of himself to teach us and sacrifice for us. To love us. To teach us about himself and what his love looks like. And to establish a way of being in relationship with us.

Father, thank you for this moment last night. Thank you for the whole service. It was lovely to see so many people come out on a drippy, cold December evening to begin to feel your presence here at Christmastime. Help me to carry this vision of you through the day. This vision of your passion and longing for us. Thank you for the incarnation through Mary. Thank you for Joseph and his willingness to be part of the plan. Thank you for everyone who sacrificed so I might be here this morning. Thank you for loving us dogs so much that you would send your only son to live an impoverished life, teach us, die, and then rise again. Thank you for what the idea of Christmas launched into the world.

I pray all of this through this same Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 15, 2023 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories, Uncategorized

 

Genesis 12:10-16

26 Sep

10 At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. 11 As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ 13 So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”

14 And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty. 15 When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. 16 Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

Genesis 12:10-16

Dear God, this is such a hard story if we stop and spend time with it. It’s easy to kind of read past, but it’s a hard story. First, you have Sarai being offered as a sacrifice by Abram so that his life might be saved. In a relationship where Abram should be her protector, he made her his protector. I cannot imagine what this must have been like for her from a trauma standpoint. It’s tragic.

Then there are the male and female servants that had no agency in the situation. They were given in exchange for this one woman to go to Pharoah. Later we will learn about an Egyptian servant of Abram’s named Hagar. Could this be how she came to be in their possession? All of this so that a man could save his own life at the expense of others.

So instead of me sitting here wondering about how Abram could possibly do this and judging him for it, I need to ask myself if I do this with my wife and children in any way. Have I put my own selfishness above them? I think at least one of my children would accuse me of putting my marriage to their mother before them. I’ve thought about it a lot, and I don’t think I agree, but it’s certainly how they feel. Is there any truth to it? Do I do anything to leave my wife vulnerable and at-risk? Am I the husband you need me to be for her? That she feels like is there to meet the needs she has for love, security, and encouragement?

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I really want to carry you into this day with me. Walk with me with my staff. Walk with me with our volunteer. Walk with me with our donors. Walk with me with our patients. Walk with me with my wife. Oh, Lord, walk with me today. Make me the man you need me to be.

I pray this through Jesus’s name, life, death, and resurrection,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 26, 2023 in Genesis, Uncategorized

 

Mary

02 Apr

Dear God, someone called yesterday and asked that I teach a Sunday school lesson for their class at the Methodist church. It’s an interesting thing to be just a layman, non-Catholic attending Catholic church with my wife and asked to teach a Sunday school class at a Methodist church. I’m honored to be asked. But I definitely need to spend some time in prayer about this. As I’ve thought about this over the last 24 hours, I kind of came to the idea that I might want to focus on Mary’s (mother of Jesus) Easter nearly 2,000 years ago. Her journey as we know it from the New Testament started with her visit from an angel and ended with her being with the apostles after Jesus’s ascension. There are other stories about Mary, but I’m going to just stick with what we know through the New Testament.

The thing that comes to mind when I think of Mary is what I think of when I think of any parent in the Bible–really any parent in general: We have no idea how things will work out for our child(ren) or how you will be involved in their lives. In fact, as I write this my wife is watching Everything, Everywhere, all at Once with a friend in our living room. That movie is about a woman not understanding why her own life turned out the way it did and struggling with her relationships in all directions–father, husband, and daughter.

It makes me think about my own life. I can remember so vividly holding my children when they were born. Not knowing how their lives would turn out. Not having any idea how or if they would have a relationship with you. Not understanding, really, how to be what they needed. Nearly 27 years later, and I still feel that way. I have no idea what you’re up to in their lives or in mine.

Father, be with me as I spend the next week with Mary. Help me to hear your voice. Prepare my words for this group of people who might need to hear something a little different in the Easter story. Something that will bring them peace. Bring me healing through this process as well.

I pray this in gratitude for everything you do for me,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 2, 2023 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories, Uncategorized

 

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Judas

31 Oct

Dear God, I was listening to the Catholic Bible in a Year podcast from Ascension Press by Father Mike Schmitz recently when he was reading from 1 Maccabees. As a Protestant Christian, it was my first time to hear any of the stories. While I was listening, something occurred to me. Judas Maccabeus was a Jewish military hero less than 200 years before Jesus was born. There were two of Jesus’s 12 disciples who were named Judas. I don’t remember reading the name Judas in the Old Testament other than Judas Maccabeus. Is it possible that Judas was a common name to give boys during this era in Israel? Finally–and this one is a big leap–could Judas Iscariot have been wanting to live up to his namesake and frustrated by this fact even more that Jesus didn’t seem to care about Rome’s rule over Israel?

After that, I decided to see who else in the New Testament was named Judas. Just how common was this?

  • Judas Iscariot (we all know him)
  • Judas (not Iscariot): John 14:22
  • Judas, Jesus’s brother: Mark 6:3
  • Judas, called Barsabbas: Acts 15:22 [I wonder if he changed his name because of Judas Iscariot]
  • Jude (author of Jude)–some debate if this might be a duplicate–Jesus’s brother
  • Judas of Galilee: Acts 5:37–rebel leader

Yeah, I think this naming your kid Judas might have been a thing at the time. Of course, that went away over time. Judas Iscariot has become as abhorrent in Christian circles as Benedict Arnold or Adolf Hitler have become in our modern times. I don’t know how many people in Germany currently name their son Adolf, but I would be surprised if it was many.

Father, I don’t know what is in this story for me, but it’s interesting to stop and think about how little decisions, like what to name our child, might impact their lives. I have a few things happening today. Help me as I prepare to go through this day. Let your Holy Spirit go with me. Go with me to work. Let there be healing. Go with me to Rotary. Go with me to San Antonio tonight. Go with me as we strive to bring you glory for all that you do in our lives. Help me to be part of you bringing your kingdom and will being done into the world.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 31, 2022 in Acts, John, Jude, Luke, Mark, Matthew, Uncategorized

 

“Give Me Revelation” by Third Day

21 Oct

“Give me Revelation” by Third Day

My life has led me down the road that’s so uncertain
And now, I am left alone and I am broken
Trying to find my way
Trying to find the faith that’s gone

This time I know that You are holding all the answers
And I’m tired of losing hope and taking chances
On roads that never seem
To be the ones that bring me home

Give me a revelation
Show me what to do
‘Cause I’ve been trying
To find my way
I haven’t got a clue

Tell me should I stay here
Or do I need to move?
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You

My life has led me down this path that’s ever winding
Through every twist and turn, I’m always finding
That I am lost again
Tell me when this road will ever end

Give me a revelation
Show me what to do
‘Cause I’ve been trying
To find my way
I haven’t got a clue

Tell me should I stay here
Or do I need to move?
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without

I don’t know where I can turn
Tell me, when will I learn?
Won’t You show me where I need to go?
Let me follow Your lead
I know that it’s the only way that I can get back home

Give me a revelation
Show me what to do
‘Cause I’ve been trying
To find my way
I haven’t got a clue

Tell me should I stay here
Or do I need to move?
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You

No, oh no, oh no
Oh, give me a revelation
Oh Lord, oh no
I’ve got nothing, now, without You
I’ve got nothing, now, without You

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: David Carr / Mark Lee / Tai Anderson / Johnny Powell / Brad Avery

Dear God, I need some revelation this morning. I needed it yesterday. I’ll need it tomorrow.

Yesterday, I prayed about not getting my branches pulled from your vine. I asked the Holy Spirit to show me when I started to let things of the world disquiet my spirit. I’m glad I did because things ended up happening that definitely disquieted by spirit.

Yesterday, I saw some good people who were in pain. Their only goal in life is to help children and their families, but there is a group of watchdogs in the community who are justifying their existence through their activism and what I think they consider to be righteous anger.

Today, I have some decisions to make. It’s time for me to act. What am I to do? This is where I need your revelation. Show me what to do. I’m trying to find my way. I know I shouldn’t stay here and that I need to move (not geographically move, but taking action instead of blithely standing by). I need to seek out your Holy Spirit and your still, small voice as I work on this issue. I need to seek out Godly counsel. I need wisdom from my wife. I need to know what to do and how to do it. And I need the strength to go through the fallout I will experience from my actions.

Father, I mean this prayer as deeply as I can mean it. Please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Give me the courage to change the things I can, and show me how to act in that change. And please grant me the wisdom to know the difference between what you are calling me to do and not calling me to do. Holy Spirit, whisper in my ear. Speak to me through wise counsel. And please show your love to those I see as causing harm. If they are wrong and I am right then please reveal yourself to them through whatever means you need. If I am wrong then reveal yourself to me. In the likely event we are both a little wrong and a little right, please work to unite us. And don’t let this pain be wasted. Make it count. Finally, for the damaged and abused people I saw yesterday and everyone like them that they represent, please minister to them. Love them. Encourage them. Be God to them. Holy Spirit, use this pain in their lives as well. Don’t let it be wasted. Refine us all for your glory.

I pray this through the love of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 21, 2022 in Hymns and Songs, Uncategorized

 

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“The Dance” by Garth Brooks

10 Sep

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghsgEGBafyU

“The Dance” by Garth Brooks

Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared ‘neath the stars above
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known that you’d ever say goodbye
And now I’m glad I didn’t know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I’d have had to miss the dance
Holding you, I held everything
For a moment wasn’t I the king
If I’d only known how the king would fall
Hey, who’s to say, you know I might have changed it all
And now I’m glad I didn’t know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I’d have had to miss the dance
If our lives are better left to chance
Oh, our lives are better left to chance
Oh, our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I’d have had to miss the dance
Source: Musixmatch
Dear God, I was listening to this song yesterday and thinking about the introduction Garth Brooks gives it in the official music video. The first verse obviously sets the context as being about a romantic relationship, but he explains in that he also likes to think of it as being about living our lives in general and the choices we make to try to do the right things. Sometimes it ends in pain, but the pain or even tragedy is part of the journey and story as well.
Now, I know that not everyone even has the “dance” in their lives. The really joyous good times. I know that some have known nothing but pain their entire lives. But I can claim no such thing. I have had some remarkably wonderful times. There are times I still remember from childhood that were amazing. I’ve known my wife nearly my entire adult life, and we have done remarkable things together as well. When we got married, we had no idea some of the pain that awaited us. I could enumerate the pain we’ve experienced over the last 32 years of knowing each other, but you know it all better than I do. My life, comparatively, hasn’t been tragic my any stretch of the imagination. I’ve had pain to be sure. And there are some specific aspects of my current life that are extremely painful. Frankly, I’m not sure if they will ever be resolved. I’ve done what I can to resolve them, but their future is in the hands of others. So I’ve resigned myself to love them through letting them go and accept the pain as part of that love.
But coming back to this song, there is a lot of brilliance in it. I’m glad I didn’t know 20 or 30 years ago that I’d be exactly where I am now. There is so much wisdom in you keeping me on a need-to-know basis. It’s 8:32 in the morning as I type this right now. I don’t even know what 8:33 will bring. That’s okay. That’s good. If I will just stay in the moment and not worry about the next one then I can fully enjoy the good you are bringing me, absorb the pain, and commune with you.
On this vacation, the vision I keep having is from the 23rd Psalm. This two-week break is a luxury. You are leading me to green pastures and still waters. You are restoring my soul. There will be other times when I will experience the valley of the shadow of death. There will be times when I will be before my enemies. But right now, in this moment, you are restoring my soul. Thank you.
Father, I told you several months ago that I was having dinner with some old friends, and as we shared our lives with each other I thought of the metaphor of each of us having a representational bucket that contained the circumstances of our lives. All of the good and all of the bad. I came to the conclusion at that dinner that if I had the option to put my bucket in the middle of the table along with theirs and then we were each able to choose someone else’s bucket, I would, without a doubt, take my own. Everyone there would probably do the same. Why? As I sit here this morning, I think it is because, regardless of the pain in that bucket, it also contains all of those good and precious memories and moments of which I could not bear to let go. I have more than I deserve. I am grateful for the good and the bad. I embrace the life you’ve given me. Help me to, even in the hard times, worship you as the God who really loves me and can use my life in whatever way helps your kingdom to come to earth and your will to be done.
In Jesus’s name I pray,
Amen
 
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Posted by on September 10, 2021 in Hymns and Songs, Musings and Stories, Uncategorized

 

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