September 27, 2024

                                       Help Others

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

– 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Compassion. Kindness. Prayers.

We will go through hard times. It might be a hurricane that takes away our material possessions. It might be power outages and damage to our home. It could be a broken heart caused by the death of a loved one or a marriage that falls apart. It might be an illness or accident that sends your life down a path you never chose.

Why? That’s the question we all ask. We know that God turns all things to good if we give it to Him. (Romans 8:28) But what does “good” look like? 

Sometimes it’s strength to get through whatever we’re facing. Sometimes it’s peace in the middle of whatever happens. And sometimes good looks like walking beside people who are going through what we survived.

There’s a certain kind of compassion that comes when you’ve been there. It’s not about empty words – however well meaning – or platitudes. It comes from the heart of someone who has made the journey.

God uses people like you and me. Someone from church called me after I was diagnosed with cancer. She had no idea I had cancer. She called about something else. We had a beautiful conversation about God’s faithfulness. She’d walked the road I was on. She understood.

As Christians we are part of a fellowship, a family, that helps others. We have our church family, of course, but we also have others to help. We are called to serve. That’s what Jesus told us to do.

Sometimes that looks like taking a meal to someone who is sick. It might be mowing someone’s yard or changing a light bulb. It could be providing transportation to a doctor’s appointment or including someone who is alone in your holiday celebrations.

And sometimes it’s simply showing up and walking beside someone who is in the midst of hard. Compassion. Kindness. Prayers. We hurt so that one day we might be able to help someone else going through what we once faced.

September 20, 2024

                    Be Kind to Jesus

Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD

And He will give a reward to the lender.

– Proverbs 19:17

Who are the poor? Do they look like you? Do they live in your community? Are they lazy? Are they children with parents who don’t care? Are they women escaping violence? Are they the person sitting next to you on that church pew?

Increasingly, we have no care for the poor. We’ll gather items for shoeboxes. We’ll contribute diapers or clothes to an organization of our choosing. We might even put a few cans of food into a donation box for the food pantry.

But we don’t want to do anything that might get our hands dirty. We don’t want to associate with people who don’t look like us or speak the same language we speak. We really don’t want to see the poor or associate with them.

Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel?

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

The king will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

– Matthew 25:35-40

Our world is filled with hate and entitlement. We proclaim a faith we don’t live. We quote scripture but refuse to live it out in our own lives.

Don’t tell me what the Bible says. Show me. Get your hands dirty. Make a sacrifice for someone you don’t know who can never repay you. Do the right thing even when the wrong thing would be far easier and less costly.

Following Jesus was never meant to be easy. Stop thinking that it is.

February 5, 2023

 

Stop Judging

 

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” – Matthew 7:1-5

 

It seemed like something no one could quibble with. The phrase was simple: Jesus didn’t have to agree with people to be kind to them. Who could argue? Indeed.

 

The comment came: He was good to everyone but He did not except (sp) their sins. And that, my friends, is the problem. Not that other people sin but that we are so focused on their sin that we miss our own.

 

Don’t worry. I didn’t get into it with her. I simply reminded her of what Jesus also said about not judging people and let Scripture make its point. She didn’t reply. There really wasn’t anything else to say.

 

I look around at all the people pulling away from church. I see people doubting Jesus. And, honestly, I understand why. If the only way they know Jesus is through some of His followers, well, it’s a sad thing. Not because we’re imperfect. Everyone has flaws and sins and makes numerous mistakes every single day. It’s that we don’t own our own issues while we loudly proclaim the sins of others.

 

I’ve read the Bible through several times in a number of different translations. No where in the Bible does it give us permission to judge others. If someone strays, we’re to lovingly guide them back. That’s far different than sitting on our self-made throne and throwing daggers at someone God loves just as much as He loves us.

 

Let’s remember that Jesus didn’t choose His disciples from the religious elite. He didn’t call on those who had all the answers. He found His disciples among normal people and outcasts who had hearts open to receive the Messiah. And even they got it wrong time and time again.

 

When you find yourself looking around and looking down on those you see, take a step back. Hit your knees. Ask God for forgiveness. And ask Him to help you remove the plank from your own eye so that you can more clearly see how to love others like He loves you.

 

 

February 9, 2022

 

Slow Down

 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

– 1 John 4:7

 

“I don’t belong here.” Those were my first thoughts as I waited for the nurse. I was just getting a shot. That was all. But as I looked around, all I saw were people with chemo drugs running into their veins. My heart swelled up with compassion and, honestly, with thankfulness. I know how easily I could have been one of them.

 

Timing is everything. How often have we heard that? My cancer was caught early. Their cancers were more invasive, further along, maybe the type that is aggressive. What my cancer would have become had it not been for an early diagnosis. What it could become should it ever return.

 

We talk a lot about being kind. We know kindness is a Fruit of the Spirit but, honestly, we get so caught up in our lives, our own agendas, our own timetables, that we push past those who are struggling. We don’t know what others are going through and deep inside we really don’t want to know. Our lives are filled to overflowing and we don’t want the burden of carrying someone else’s sorrow.

 

Jesus carried our sorrow. He died for our sins, which includes our selfishness. We know life isn’t about us but we so desperately want it to be. We know we’re supposed to love others but that requires time and attention and compassion. How can we manage it all?

 

The Bible tells us to love others. It doesn’t tell us to focus on the cares of this world. It tells us to slow down and focus on what’s important. People are important. Sometimes all anyone really needs is a hug, a card, a heartfelt prayer or simply to be seen. When was the last time you really looked at someone and saw their heart? Slow down. Pay attention. Love others like Jesus loves you.

September 11, 2021

 

Do More Than Remember

 

I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. – Psalm 121:1-2

 

It’s funny how great tragedy makes us cling to God. We ignore Him day after day, waiting for more time and then we are faced with the reality of the troubling end. God immediately moves to first place. Oh, how I wish we could hold tightly to that knowledge in the days that follow despair.

 

We were a different country in the hours following 9/11. We were a different people. We loved God. We extended kindness to strangers. We met our neighbors. We focused on family. Suddenly all that we held dear – our jobs, our bank accounts, our social status – changed. We understood how fragile life is and exactly what we can and can’t take with us when we die.

 

Twenty years. That’s how much time has passed. It seems we’ve forgotten the lessons from that day. We’re an angry people. We believe life is all about us. We hold ourselves high, depending on our money and status to create a clear path to all our dreams. We’ve once again relegated God to an afterthought. We are once again an ungrateful people.

 

Oh, life occasionally hands us a reminder. We understand the frailty of life when the doctor tells us we have stage IV cancer and our days on earth are likely shorter than we planned. We remember how quickly our world can disintegrate when a phone call comes and we hear that someone we love has suddenly died. It’s the Covid death of someone once healthy and strong. It’s the child with brain cancer and the elderly person with dementia. It’s the layoffs and homeless, the outcast and the orphan. All reasons to remember how fragile and alone we are without God.

 

Most on this day share photos and remembrance of our own 9/11 memories. But the Walton County Sheriff’s Office went a little further. “What we must do is act; not just remember. Let it rattle your soul, not just flood your feed. For every post you put up, serve someone in your neighborhood. For every photo you share, call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. For every comment you make today, find a 9/11 charity or non-profit and find out how to get involved. We must be United. And not just today. But, every day. That’s how we honor those we lost.”

August 9, 2021

 

What Does Kindness Look Like?

 

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

– Colossians 3:12

 

Another year, another new school. She was used to it. It was the life of a military child. She joined the throng of teenagers and lined up to purchase her lunch. Where to sit? She started toward an open table.

 

Someone called her name and she turned. She recognized a girl from her morning history class. The girl’s smile was warm as she beckoned her toward a table where several other students already sat.

 

She joined the group, smiling at introductions and good-natured banter. She was included. The warmth of that kind gesture filled her up.

 

The elderly man shuffled to his mailbox. Cars zoomed by. Young families scurried into their homes. He hardly knew anyone in the neighborhood anymore. It was so different from when he and his wife first moved into their new house. Two babies soon followed and they were busy and happy. Life was good.

 

These days it was just him. It had been almost five years since his wife went home to Jesus. His kids and their families had long since moved away. Their lives were busy with careers and children. He rarely saw them anymore. He rarely saw anyone anymore. He just wasn’t able to get out much, especially when it involved driving the busy roads.

 

He noticed a young man cross the street and head toward him. A smile lit his face at the unexpected company. They sat on the front porch rockers and visited awhile. Then something extraordinary happened. The young man invited his elderly neighbor to church and lunch afterwards.

 

The next Sunday the elderly man dressed up and was ready way before the young man pulled his car into the driveway. He’d worried that he’d be too slow but the young man never seemed concerned. He met a lot of nice people at church and afterwards at lunch. The young man insisted on paying. His treat, he said. The elderly man felt his heart fill with warmth. It had been a long time since anyone had chosen to spend time with him.

 

We talk a lot about kindness these days. Be Kind the signs tell us. We know kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. But what does it look like? We’re nice to people, aren’t we? We try to do good things for our friends and coworkers. But strangers? Well, maybe not so much. We really don’t want to be inconvenienced. We’d prefer to spend our free time with “our” people and not invite someone new into the group.

 

But what if we did? What if we intentionally reached out to the lonely, the forgotten, those who couldn’t repay us? What if we chose to be kind not because of what we might gain but because of what we might give? What if we showed up and really loved people like Jesus?

July 17, 2020

Wear the Mask

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. – Philippians 2:3

Before the mask controversy, the “thing” to promote was kindness. Be kind to one another. We don’t know what others are going through. Give encouragement. Smile.

How quickly we forget.

Refusing to wear a mask is a straight way of saying you don’t care about anyone but yourself. Period.

Right now many are reading these words with stiffened backs and scowls on their faces. They’re busy defending themselves and proclaiming the name of Jesus to do it. God is love. That’s what John says. So how can you love someone and not care about whether they contract an awful virus that could kill them or leave them with permanent health issues?

I don’t want to hear about the flu. It’s not the same thing. Yes. The flu can kill. I once had a young, healthy co-worker die from the flu. She was in one of the best hospitals in the nation and they couldn’t save her. So, yes, I know the flu can kill.

But we don’t see the numbers of hospitalizations with the flu. We don’t see patients struggling for weeks on ventilators. We don’t witness this kind of devastation.

Scientists and doctors don’t agree on everything but they do agree almost totally that masks will help stop the spread of this virus. It keeps asymptomatic people from spreading it to others. You can have Covid 19 and not know it. You can spread it to everyone you come into contact with and not know it. That’s why you wear a mask. Yes. Wearing a mask helps keep you safe. But the main reason you wear a mask is to protect others. And, frankly, most people just don’t care about others.

So, don’t tell me you love Jesus and then demand your “right” to not wear a mask. You have to decide who you will serve: yourself or the God who loves us all and tells us to put others before ourselves.

November 13, 2019

Be Kind to Everyone

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

Kindness has become a “thing.” You know. It’s having a moment of popularity in a world that seems increasingly filled with violence and hatred.

Except kindness was always supposed to be a thing. It’s part of the fruit of the Spirit. It’s part of who we are called to be as children of God.

We know that. We do. Except for the exceptions. We don’t believe we should have to be kind – or nice – to people who aren’t kind to us. That whole love your enemies thing just isn’t reality. That’s what we tell ourselves and others anyway.

And surely we shouldn’t be expected to be kind to people who don’t have a job. We don’t need to know their story to understand that they’re nothing more than deadbeats expecting the rest of us to carry them. We don’t care what the Bible says about taking care of the poor. Surely God wasn’t talking about “those” kinds of people.

Let’s not even talk about being kind to liberals (or conservatives). They don’t have a clue of what it’s like to be a real Christian. They kill babies, give everything we’ve worked for to the poor and want to hand our country over to the communists. We don’t need to hear what they have to say.

We don’t need to bother with strangers. Why should we show kindness to someone we don’t know, someone who really can’t do anything for us? We’ll gladly help God’s people so long as they look, act and live like us. But only if we can give money. We’re just too busy to serve in any other way.

Anybody can show kindness to someone we know and love. We show our faith, we show Jesus, when we’re kind to everyone. Remember: It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s about Him. Every time you slight someone, look down on someone, or refuse compassion, you are doing the same to Jesus.

November 30, 2018

Be Different

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” – Matthew 5:13

We want to be like everyone else, don’t we? We want to fit in. Even if we long for attention and accolades, we want to get along with others. We want to be liked.

But we weren’t created to blend into the crowd. We weren’t created to shine for ourselves. We weren’t created to look the other way.

If you make no effort to affect the world around you, you are of little value to God. How can the world see Him unless you are different from what it sees in everyone else?

What does that look like? It doesn’t have to mean selling everything you own and traveling to another country to be a missionary. Though it can look like that, often being different is something we do right where we are.

It can mean that we are simply kind to people. Encourage others. Offer grace. Smile. Look someone in the eye. Refuse to participate in gossip.

Being the salt can also mean refusing to remain silent when we should speak out. Do you voice your opinion when you see someone being mistreated? Do you speak up for the poor? Do you defend the single Mom struggling to work and care for her children? Are you quick to criticize or are you quick to help?

We don’t do God any good when we are more interested in going along with the crowd than in doing what He has called us to do. We also don’t help Him when we’re so focused on our own political views, our own bank accounts, our own lives, that we miss what His Word clearly says.

How often do your actions deny Him? Think about it. When you gossip, you’re denying Him. When you refuse to show mercy, you’re denying Him. When you cling to His gifts, you’re denying Him. When you make excuses for not doing what He has called you to do, you’re denying Him.

We also sin when we don’t share our faith with others. Is it because we truly don’t know what to say or because we don’t want to be bothered? What if we didn’t try and make it so complicated? What if we merely told people our story? What if we simply shared our faith with others without judging or criticizing? And what if we just started with an invitation to an event, a service, a gathering?

There are so many hurting people in the world. People are hungry. I’m not talking about people who live in other countries or who refuse to work. I’m talking about the elderly or those working two or three jobs and trying to support themselves, their children and sometimes their parents. Do you know how expensive a major illness can be? Insurance only covers part of the cost. What are you doing to help?

When we go along with the crowd, when we refuse to be bothered by the lost or hurting, we’ve lost our effectiveness as God’s chosen people. Stand out. Stand up. Live boldly for Christ. Dare to be different.

November 25, 2018

Living a Thankful Life

“Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” – Psalm 50:14-15

The news was awful. A shooting at a mall in a Birmingham suburb. A 12-year-old girl was an innocent victim. She could have been anyone’s daughter, anyone’s friend. Shock waves echoed.

But what was so amazing is how her mom wrote nothing but positive on a Facebook post that was shared repeatedly. Rather those focusing on the scary, the painful, the awful thing that happened to her daughter, she used the post to thank those who helped her daughter and reached out to her. I wonder how many of us would have done the same thing?

She thanked the strangers who rushed forward to tend to her daughter’s wound. She thanked the nearby store clerk who snatched a new shirt from the rack so it could be used to help stop the bleeding. She thanked first responders, medical staff and all those who reached out. She saw the good in an awful situation.

Her daughter should be fine. We are thankful for that. It surely could have ended differently. And we’d be naïve to think there won’t be trauma that lingers for her daughter, herself and the grandmother that was there when it happened. We are all learning to be fearful, watchful, careful in places that once felt so safe.

I don’t have any answers. I’m not diving into the gun control debate. I own guns. I am trained and prepared to defend myself against a threat. But, gosh, I wish we lived in a world where it wasn’t necessary. Don’t you?

But I am thankful for good people who come forward in the midst of chaos. Think about it. Shots were ringing out and yet people rushed forward to help an injured child. No one would have blamed them if they’d fled to safety. But they stayed to help. That’s good making a difference in the midst of bad.

Today several people showed up at a friends’ house and built a ramp. Her elderly parents certainly need it. And last week she fell and broke one ankle and severely sprained the other. She needs it too. Good in the midst of a horrible situation.

I have been the recipient of kindness and I have tried to extend kindness to others. It doesn’t take much to bake an extra cake, drop off a few magazines, or make a phone call. But it means the world to someone else. It matters.

When we learn to be thankful first, it’s easy to extend grace and kindness. We become aware of all that we have. We know that in the midst of awful there is good and we are thankful for it. We cling to the rock, our Savior, the One who never leaves us to face anything alone.

No matter what today or the days that come might bring, be thankful. Find the good. Remember to thank God for His Presence. Don’t ever take your blessings for granted. There’s always something to be thankful for if you open your heart and look.

August 30, 2018

Just Love People

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. – 1 John 4:7-8

When did we get to be so mean? We pass off our words as “our opinion.” We defend our right to “our choices.” We say whatever we want without ever considering the impact it might have on others.

As Christians, we should know better but, apparently, we don’t. In fact, we’re the ones usually leading the charge.

We have no problem these days with calling someone stupid when they disagree with us. We have no trouble slinging lies out to defend ourselves when someone dares to disagree. We get angry and march off with our grudges if someone refuses to do things our way.

It’s not about us. We’re supposed to know that. But it seems as though we’ve forgotten as we focus on “me” and “I” in this fast-paced, cutthroat world.

Jesus loved people. He loved them where they were. They cleaned up their acts, so to speak, because He treated them with kindness and compassion. They were moved by Jesus because He reached out to those society had cast aside.

Today we cast those same people aside and claim we’re doing it “in Jesus’ name.” Today we turn ugly in political discussions and insist that we’re defending the Bible. Today we point fingers and draw lines without showing the slightest compassion or mercy. We’d do well to remember that the only time Jesus truly got angry was at the Pharisees for their rules that excluded or harmed those who were the least.

We talk about kids who bully other kids and we wonder why bullying has increased so much. We need only look in the mirror. Kids hear the anger in our voices as we condemn those who disagree with us. Kids hear the way we ridicule how some people dress or talk or where they live. Kids hear how we put others down and they seek to do the same.

Suicide rates are up. Mental illness rates are up. People go and go and go until there’s nothing left and they fall apart. We struggle to keep up the frantic pace in a world that is way too focused on money and prestige. Whatever happened to helping each other? Whatever happened to encouraging others when they’re going through a tough time?

We become shocked when someone falls apart. We didn’t see it coming. We have mass shootings. We have horrific things happen. And we’re surprised. Why? We are a world of hurting people who have no where to go for kindness, acceptance and love. They don’t have Jesus because we’ve forgotten that we’re supposed to be His hands and feet on this earth.

The next time you feel a “smart” comment about to erupt from your mouth, just swallow the words. The next time you get ready to criticize someone, think something good about that person and shove the criticism aside. If it isn’t good and kind, just don’t say it. Don’t repeat gossip. Don’t be part of the problem.

Imagine how the world would change if we truly lived as Jesus has called us to live. Then be the change that ignites a nation back into loving those Jesus has called us to love.

August 1, 2018

Are You a Pharisee?

The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” – Mark 2:24

Our pastor recently explained that the Pharisees weren’t priests. They were lay people. Folks like you and me. They were doing all they could to keep the Jews, Jews by forcing them to follow man-made rules.

The Pharisees fought hard for what they believed was right. But were they right? They were so focused on their rules, and their power, that they missed the Messiah. Do we miss Him too?

I am reminded immediately of sweet friends who have turned radical in this hurtful political climate. They are conservatives – which is fine – who believe that only they are right and everyone else is “dumb,” “an idiot,” “un-American,” and on and on. In their hearts they think their beliefs justify their commentary.

Newsflash: Jesus isn’t a Republican or a Democrat. Both parties get some things biblically correct and some things biblically wrong. That’s a sad truth that neither side wants to admit.

The Pharisees hated Jesus because they couldn’t control Him. Jesus was the authority and He spoke like it. He came and undermined their laws. He told them things not everyone wanted to hear.

Have you ever been the lone voice against the crowd? It’s not a fun place, is it? Unfortunately, right doesn’t always get recognized. The crowd gets so focused on what they want to believe that they miss the message right in front of them.

Some of the most hateful people I know are active in their churches. They are loud vocalists on Facebook, sharing derogatory story after derogatory story. They aren’t interested in truth. Facts mean nothing to them. If someone says something they agree with, they share it.

Why? They are fearful of what they might lose. Just like the Pharisees, they have an agenda and it’s not following Jesus. He’s just an excuse. Unfortunately, His beliefs and theirs aren’t always compatible. That’s true of both sides of the political debate. We are all so busy being right that we miss Jesus.

As much as we love Jesus, we don’t always want to do what He says. We don’t want to love our enemies and we surely don’t want to do good to them. We want our neighbors to only be Americans who look just like us. We want to keep our money for ourselves or, at least, only use it to help people like us. We want freedom but we define it in different ways. We aren’t willing to compromise, to listen to the other side, to even consider that maybe we don’t have it all right.

And we wonder why our kids are killing each other. We wonder why God doesn’t seem to be around. We demand He be put back in our schools and government even though the first place He needs to be invited back into is our homes and our hearts.

I don’t know your political beliefs. I don’t even care what they are. When I try to determine what is right or wrong, I seek truth from God’s Word. That’s not an excuse to shift words and pull things out of context to justify my beliefs. It’s an effort to really hear what He says. Honestly, I don’t always like what He says but that’s what true faith is all about. It’s putting what God says above what I think.

The next time you’re tempted to turn belligerent or get angry because someone disagrees with you, take a deep breath and consider their words and yours. We don’t have to agree in order to be kind. And sometimes we aren’t as right about what God says as we want to believe.  

July 31, 2018

What Do You Fear?

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

– Isaiah 41:10

What are you afraid of? Oh, come on. Everyone is afraid of something. It might be a snake or a spider. It could be having one of your children or your spouse get hurt. It could be financial loss or a fire. It could be needles or hospitals or driving on the interstate.

Fears don’t have to be rational. Indeed, most aren’t. But they are real. Their impact on our lives is real. That pounding heart inside of you is real.

Last year a sweet friend was rushed to a hospital almost three hours from home. She was fighting serious health issues and struggling to carry her baby to term. Did I mention she is terrified of needles?

I was appalled at the attitude of some of the healthcare workers. They had no sympathy. None. Did she absolutely have to have blood drawn and IV lines? Yes. But a little kindness and compassion would have gone a long way toward keeping her calm and keeping her blood pressure down. Thankfully, a nurse suggested a PICC line and that solved the issue.

I don’t have a fear of needles but I am terrified of snakes. Her fear of needles would be like someone holding a snake and coming toward me. It wouldn’t matter if it was a moccasin or a rat snake. I would be terrified.

Some fears we have from childhood on throughout life. Some fears we get over as we age. Other fears come later in life. And some fears we’re able to work through and reach the other side.

A sweet friend lost her teenage daughter in a car wreck. Her daughter was a passenger in another vehicle. Now, just imagine how hard it was for her to let her younger daughters ride in any vehicle but her own. Imagine how hard it was to teach them to drive, to hand over the car keys, to let them leave her side. Her fear, grounded in a very sad truth, was still fear that could have destroyed so much if she had let it.

Sometimes we have to meet our fears head on. We can’t be the people
God called us to be unless we do. Are you afraid of failure? Are you afraid of success? Are you afraid of change? They can all be stumbling blocks to the best that God has planned for us.

I love this verse from Isaiah. I use it whenever I am afraid, frustrated, uncertain. It reminds me that God is with me always. He never leaves me to face my fears alone. He doesn’t leave you either.

Life is full of fear and uncertainty. It doesn’t matter who you are or how in control you think you are. The one thing we can count on is God. Just like the Mom or Dad who runs to their child when he cries out in the middle of the night, God runs toward us. He pulls us close. He reassures us of His Presence. He calms us in the storm of fear. When fear tightens its clammy hands on you, cry out to God. He’s got you.

July 28, 2018

Who Is Your Neighbor?

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

– Luke 10:29

This wasn’t just any man questioning Jesus. The Bible tells us he was an expert in the law. He wanted to test Jesus. But Jesus always has a way of turning the test back to the person asking the question.

What must you do to inherit eternal life? Love God with all your heart and soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus let the man answer for himself and then assured the “expert” that he had answered correctly.

But the man, much like us, wouldn’t leave it there. He wanted to know who his neighbor actually was. And Jesus, being Jesus, answered with a parable designed to cut right to the heart of the matter. We would do well to heed His words today.

Some Christians believe their neighbor is only an American. What do you believe? Do you believe that Jesus only meant for us to love those like us, those who share an earthly citizenship with us?

When Jesus told us to go forth and make disciples of all nations I guess He didn’t intend for those disciples to be our neighbors. Maybe Jesus never expected us to love them, to have mercy on them, to include them. What do you think? Did Jesus expect us to look down on others, much the way the Pharisees looked down on Gentiles (that would be me) and Samaritans?

We know the parable well. We call it the parable of the Good Samaritan. We understand that someone should help those in need. Just not us. That’s especially true if it means we might have to get our hands dirty or share what we have claimed as our own.

What did you sacrifice to live in this country? For most of us, the answer is absolutely nothing. We are here, enjoying the freedoms and privileges, because it’s where we were born. Most have never served in the military or fought in a foreign land. We don’t have a clue about a lifetime of daily suffering and fear.

Yet we reject those who come to us for refuge. We blatantly cast aside those who are hurting without bothering to hear their story. We tell ourselves they aren’t our neighbors. Jesus didn’t intend for us to love them. They need to follow the law. They have no right to grace or mercy unless they follow the rules.

Was it lawful for Jews to associate with Samaritans? Not really. It made them unclean. Maybe that was why the Samaritan had mercy in his heart. He understood how it felt to be cast aside, to be deemed unworthy, to be condemned because of his birth.

So, while the priest and the Levite went out of their way to avoid a traveler in need, the Samaritan stepped up. He got his hands dirty as he personally cared for the traveler who’d been beat up and robbed. He paid money for a hotel room and, when he left the next day, he told the innkeeper to look after the man and he’d pay him anything extra if the innkeeper had any added expenses.

It cost the Samaritan. It cost him time and money. But he did it because it was the right thing to do.

Jesus asked the “expert” which of the three men was a neighbor to the man who fell victim to robbers. He correctly answered: the one who had mercy on him. What was Jesus’ response? “Go and do likewise.” (v. 37)

We spend so much time trying to sort out who is worthy to be our neighbor. We want to pick and choose who to help and who to cast aside. But that’s not based on the Bible. Who is your neighbor? Before you decide, consider how Jesus would answer. Then go and do likewise.

June 6, 2018

Clothe Yourself in Kindness

The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” – 1 Kings 19:7

Kate Spade died yesterday of an apparent suicide. It was the lead story on the news. Everyone – meaning those acquaintances who thought they knew her – seem shocked. How could this vibrant, colorful and talented woman be in such despair that she would take her own life?

Those closest to her say they saw the signs. Did they push for her to get medical help? Did she refuse? What were the circumstances that led her to this? We want to know all the juicy details. It is none of our business. None of that will change what happened or in any way comfort her family and close friends.

God tells us that if give bad things to Him, He will turn them to good. Will we do that in this situation? Will we look around us and see beyond the veneer of the people closest to us? Will we extend kindness and compassion to everyone? Will we stop boxing people in and realize that everyone hurts and cries and feels sad sometimes?

We have become such a fake people. It’s all about appearances. We really don’t want to know the bad stuff, unless it’s juicy enough for a gossip fest. We don’t want to be bothered with hurting people. We’ve got our own issues. We just want people to be who we expect them to be and save the bad feelings for some other time. So we end up with struggling people who keep it all inside.

The National Center for Health Statistics says that from 1999 through 2014, the age-adjusted suicide rate in the United States increased 24 percent, from 10.5 to 13.0 per 100,000 population, with the pace of increase greater after 2006.

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that in 2016 an estimated 16.2 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 6.7 percent of all U.S. Adults. And, I might add, those were only the depressive episodes that were reported.

And we wonder why violence is on the rise. All that unhappiness has to go somewhere. If it doesn’t have an acceptable outlet, such as therapy, it will find another way to express itself. Is it okay? Absolutely not! But what are we going to do about it?

There is no quick fix when it comes to depression, suicide, bi-polar disorder and any number of other mental illnesses. That’s what they are: Illnesses. Just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean they aren’t real. They are debilitating. They can attack the strongest people, those who seemingly have everything anyone could want.

Despite what you may hear or read, there aren’t any quick fixes. Depression can come from biology. Did you know that? Serotonin levels, for example. Does exercise help? Yes. Does eating healthy help? Yes. Will spending time with God help? Yes. Will any of those things bring immediate relief? No. Unless, of course, God chooses to provide a miracle.

There’s a Facebook thing that gets passed around periodically. It reminds us that we don’t know what another person is going through so just be kind to everyone. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Why, then, is it so hard?

People are hurting out there folks. Love them. Just love them. Stop judging and pointing fingers and pronouncing curses on them because you don’t agree with their lifestyles or their political views or whatever it is you have a problem with. Just love them. That’s what Jesus would do. It’s what He told us to do. So just do it.

February 25, 2018

Live the Change You Want to See

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:21

What should we do? Should we ban assault rifles? Should we make background checks more thorough? Should we throw money and resources at our failing mental health system? What is the answer?

Maybe the real answer, the permanent solution, lies within us. Sure, we need all those things listed above and more. But the only way to combat the kind of anger and hate that ignites mass shootings is to change ourselves.

Only someone who is truly broken inside could do something so horrendous as kill innocent students and teachers. I am not naïve. Some evil will always exist among us. But I truly believe that we manufacture much of the evil in this world by our indifference to those who are marginalized in our society.

Is it any surprise that school shootings have increased right along with incidents of bullying? Is it any wonder that violence has escalated as our families are broken, pulling away from extended families and stable neighborhoods? Are we really shocked that children who no longer grow up with a foundation of faith have no where to turn with their hurt?

Our society as a whole has taken a wrong turn and that means you and I need to be the change. We’re so focused on “my” freedom that we’ve forgotten we all belong to each other. We’re so independent that we’ve forgotten we all need each other. We’re so absorbed with ourselves that we’ve for too long ignored those who desperately need to be included.

We are all just so very busy. We are too busy to reach out to the latch-key children down the street. We are too busy to include an elderly neighbor in our dinner plans. We just don’t have the time for coffee with a co-worker going through a hard time.

We don’t want to be bothered by the troubles of others. We don’t want to deal with the hurts and trials of those around us. What if it rubs off on us? We have enough on our plates without taking on someone else.

Except what we’ve done is left hurting people with nowhere else to go. They become angrier and angrier until they finally erupt. It’s a tough scenario for an adult. Can you imagine how difficult it must be for a teenager?

We fail each other every single day. We just do. We forget to be kind and giving, to be generous with what matters. People. They’re what matters. We seem to focused on stuff, on status, on our own little world, to see those who are on the fringes, desperate to be noticed.

This debate will likely rage for quite some time. There are no easy answers. But instead of focusing on what “someone else” should do, look in the mirror and focus on what you can do. Be kind today. Smile at a stranger. Include someone who would otherwise be alone. Live the change you want to see.

February 15, 2018

Be Careful How You Judge

There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. – Deuteronomy 15:11

Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered. – Proverbs 21:13

She is a good person. A prayer warrior. Someone who is generous with friends and family. She is quick to smile and devoted to her church.

She only turns ugly when it comes to the poor. She has no sympathy or compassion. “They should get a job,” she spews out. “If they couldn’t afford children, they shouldn’t have had them! I’m not going to support them.” Need I go on?

This is a woman who went from her Daddy’s house to her husband’s house. She has never, ever supported herself. Her “work” has been to sometimes help her husband at their business. Her child is an adult. And, yes, she hires someone to clean her house.

I’m not faulting her for her life. As I said, she truly is a wonderful person. But that hard heart!? It sure does dull her testimony.

Before you fault her or justify her words, take a moment to consider yourself. We are all a product of our upbringing, our place of birth, our choices. Our personalities weigh in, with some people weathering storms with little impact while others are destroyed. Why the differences? Does anyone but God know?

Have you ever had someone tell you to “get over” something? Have you ever cried out at the unfairness of heartbreak or job loss or misdirection? Have you ever begged God for answers, for help, for comfort during the storm?

We’re not so different, you and I and those we condemn for their station in life. I doubt they chose to be poor or homeless or addicted. It doesn’t make them bad people. It doesn’t make them lazy. Some of the hardest working people I know work more than one job trying to feed their families and keep a roof over their head. One illness, one extra bill, can send them on a spiral to financial disaster.

Where is our compassion? Why do we think we somehow have the right to judge their story when we have walked a different path? Where is the grace and mercy God has shown us?

I am not excusing those who truly are too lazy to work. I’m not telling anyone to enable someone in the throws of addiction or bad decision making. What I am saying is that none of us have the right to judge someone else’s story.

Watch your words. If it isn’t kind, don’t say it. Be careful how you judge. Let the world see Jesus in what you say and do.

February 8, 2018

Watch What You Share

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is not truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” – John 8:44

It made the social media rounds. It was Super Bowl Sunday and the word was that the NFL wasn’t going to allow the Star-Spangled Banner to be played. People were disgusted with Commissioner Roger Goodell. Some threatened to boycott watching the game.

It was all a lie. Pink sang the National Anthem. Everyone raved about her performance. I only noticed one person come back and post on social media that the information previously shared was wrong. She didn’t apologize for sharing it. She simply noted it was wrong and “someone” obviously got their information wrong.

This woman, along with many others, are wonderful Christians. Except when they aren’t. Did it ever occur to them to check the facts before sharing a lie? Of course not. It’s just too easy to click that share button. It’s not so easy to research the issue themselves.

Everyone knows I’m all about opinions. I love sharing my own and I love to hear different voices debating real issues. We all learn that way. But there’s a line between opinion and lie. So many people don’t understand that.

Another sweet friend defended her right to her opinion. I guess she’s been getting some flack for the hatred she shares on social media. Not from me, I might add. I simply ignore it. I know that very little of what she shares actually has any truth in it.

She is defensive. I understand that. It’s never fun to be criticized. But I think maybe she’s missing the point of the comments. She is certainly entitled to her opinion. But when she constantly shares hatred and then turns around and talks about Jesus, well, she comes off sounding like a hypocrite. And that makes people angry.

It’s a vicious cycle. Hatred begets hatred. Anger begets anger. And lies beget them both. We’re so busy having “opinions” that we can’t hear any voice but our own. We blame it all on Washington but, honestly, it starts right here with all of us.

I wonder what would happen if all those who claim to be Christians simply refused to share hatred and ugliness. It is possible to share your opinion without either of those things. I wonder how our country, and the world, would change if we sought to listen and learn rather than listen and reply.

If your “opinion” is a lie, it comes from Satan. Be careful what you share. Is it kind? Does it show respect for all those created in God’s image? If the answer is no, then don’t share it. Don’t say it. Don’t be a part of it. And, certainly, don’t excuse it as your “opinion.”

February 7, 2018

Are We Honoring God?

And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. – Deuteronomy 10:19

They came again today. Loud honks penetrated the sky, announcing their arrival. They were majestic in flight.

My geese didn’t think so. Their angry squawks met the Canadian geese as they landed. They hadn’t issued any supper invitations and they were not planning to share.

It didn’t matter that there is plenty of corn for everyone. I make sure of it. No matter how much I try to reassure the geese, they simply don’t want to share. At least not with the Canadian geese.

We have lots of wild ducks who hang out around the pond. I don’t allow hunting so they know they’re safe.  The geese rarely have an issue with the ducks. Maybe it’s because they are smaller and, thus, less threatening. Whatever the reason, the geese tolerate the wild ducks even as they hate the Canadian geese.

We aren’t much different, you and I. There are some people we welcome into our midst. They are the ones who look like us and act like us. They are people we can relate to, people we are comfortable with.

And then there are those who aren’t like us at all. Maybe they are a different color. Maybe they work outside with their hands rather than in an air-conditioned office. Maybe it’s their politics, their religion, their attitude. Whatever it is, we just don’t like them.

People who are different than us make us uncomfortable. In a ridiculous way, they threaten us. Not because they’ve done anything specific. It’s just that we don’t want to face our differences.

It wasn’t like that when our country was founded. Out great nation was once known as a melting pot. Not anymore. We forget that it is God who calls us to love foreigners. We somehow think the fruit of kindness only belongs to those like us.

It’s amazing how we can twist God’s words to fit our own desires. We are just so righteous in our minds. It’s easy to believe that fallacy when we’re surrounded by like-minded people. It’s easy to hate when it seems as though everyone else hates too.

I read the Facebook posts of some of these people. They loudly proclaim their faith in Jesus Christ, even as they spew hatred at those made in God’s image. The saddest thing? They don’t see the hypocrisy in it all.

I wish I could convince my geese that their home is safe. I wish they could understand that they will all have plenty to eat, plenty to share with these visitors. But they are so busy feeling threatened and territorial that they will never know what might have been a great friendship.

The same is true of us. Everything we have, whether it be possessions or this great land of ours, belongs to God. Are we honoring Him with our choices, our comments, our laws?