Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. – Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)
Are you suffering? Have you ever been able to rejoice in your sufferings? What has helped you persevere during your sufferings? Have you discovered that character developed? What about hope? What does that love feel like in the middle of the hard times?
I remember this poem from my grandmother’s funeral. It is called “Footprints” by Margaret Fishback Powers.
One night a man had a dream that he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, the other belonging to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints, and that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life...
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it. "LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."
The LORD replied, "My precious, precious child. I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
If we are wondering how we can walk any further in this journey called life, maybe God is carrying us right now. We have all made it through horrible things before, and we will all go through them again, but we will never go through them alone. With God there is always reason to hope, and I suppose then there is always reason to rejoice too.
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
In Whose Hands
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
”Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word…” – Luke 2:25-29 (NRSV)
Why was Simeon so happy? Where did he place his faith? Do you believe in the promises of God the same way? What happens to those who place their trust in the Lord?
I once heard something about how the value of things change depending on whose hands they are in. For instance in my hand a basketball is about $20, in LeBron James’ hand that same basketball is suddenly worth millions. In my hands a tennis racquet is worth $60, in Roger Federer’s hands it is suddenly worth millions.
Or for a different kind of example in my hands 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish are 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. I put those same things into Jesus’ hands and it suddenly can feed 5000 people to satisfaction with leftovers! You get the point, the value of things change depending on whose hands they are in.
The same is true of life. In our own hands our lives are in shambles, and we are walking messes. When we try to go about controlling our own lives and destinies with all the intensity we can muster, we still look in the mirror and wonder why we feel so empty and without value. And maybe in the midst of that emptiness we can hear God’s voice softly saying, “Let me hold you and you will know you are the most precious thing ever.” And if we can’t hear it, God is still saying it.
Maybe Simeon once heard that voice, and if he did he listened. He let God hold him and thereby believed in the promises of God. Simeon could have been an old, tired and bitter man, but instead he was a hopeful and anticipating individual who was able to leave the world in peace. We will know peace when we are in the hands of God and discover that we are of infinite worth in those loving hands. And who knows, maybe one day, like Simeon, we will get to hold our God in our hands.
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Why was Simeon so happy? Where did he place his faith? Do you believe in the promises of God the same way? What happens to those who place their trust in the Lord?
I once heard something about how the value of things change depending on whose hands they are in. For instance in my hand a basketball is about $20, in LeBron James’ hand that same basketball is suddenly worth millions. In my hands a tennis racquet is worth $60, in Roger Federer’s hands it is suddenly worth millions.
Or for a different kind of example in my hands 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish are 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. I put those same things into Jesus’ hands and it suddenly can feed 5000 people to satisfaction with leftovers! You get the point, the value of things change depending on whose hands they are in.
The same is true of life. In our own hands our lives are in shambles, and we are walking messes. When we try to go about controlling our own lives and destinies with all the intensity we can muster, we still look in the mirror and wonder why we feel so empty and without value. And maybe in the midst of that emptiness we can hear God’s voice softly saying, “Let me hold you and you will know you are the most precious thing ever.” And if we can’t hear it, God is still saying it.
Maybe Simeon once heard that voice, and if he did he listened. He let God hold him and thereby believed in the promises of God. Simeon could have been an old, tired and bitter man, but instead he was a hopeful and anticipating individual who was able to leave the world in peace. We will know peace when we are in the hands of God and discover that we are of infinite worth in those loving hands. And who knows, maybe one day, like Simeon, we will get to hold our God in our hands.
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Least of These
And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” – Matthew 25:40 (NRSV)
Who are “least of these?” Why are they members of Jesus’ family? How have you treated such people? How have others treated such people? Why is this important to God? What does it mean to you that however we treat the least is how we treat Jesus?
The following story was recently e-mailed to me:
A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.
One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day.
On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture
Sally's friend drew a picture of who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.
The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.
Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.
Dr. Smith said only these words.... 'In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' Matthew 25:40.
No other words were necessary; the tears filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ.
Everyone is created in the image of the God who is love, meaning that everyone is miraculous to God if to no one else. When we act out of hate or rage we tear into those made in the divine image, and indeed attack Jesus in the process. There are really no other words necessary.
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Who are “least of these?” Why are they members of Jesus’ family? How have you treated such people? How have others treated such people? Why is this important to God? What does it mean to you that however we treat the least is how we treat Jesus?
The following story was recently e-mailed to me:
A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.
One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day.
On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture
Sally's friend drew a picture of who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.
The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.
Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.
Dr. Smith said only these words.... 'In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' Matthew 25:40.
No other words were necessary; the tears filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ.
Everyone is created in the image of the God who is love, meaning that everyone is miraculous to God if to no one else. When we act out of hate or rage we tear into those made in the divine image, and indeed attack Jesus in the process. There are really no other words necessary.
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Minister's Minute from May Issue of the Journal of Hope and Joy
I am writing this as I sit down outside the place where I am vacationing. It is a beautiful day, exquisite in everyway. The sky is crystal clear and perfect blue. I can hear the waves from the gulf gently crash against the coastline. Birds are flying overhead, and the breeze blows through my hair and enlivens me. In the Hebrew language the word for Spirit and wind is the same word. I am always amazed at the wisdom of the Hebrew people for concluding that such a word should be one in the same. When the wind blows I am sure those ancient people were always reminded that God was with them, in Spirit if in no other way at that moment. And as I hear the gulf declare its power while the wind blows and the beauty of the moment declares to me the majesty of love and glory that can only be found in creation, I am also reminded of God resting when creation was completed. I am convinced God rested not because of exhaustion but because of exuberance. There must have been an awesome delight that God felt in those first moments things were completed. When those first waves went crashing into those first shores. When those first stars twinkled and those first birds sang their choruses of joy. When those first flowers bloomed and those first people walked through this paradise we call Earth smiling, or not smiling, but hopefully full of wonder at all that surrounded them.
I was told before going on this vacation that I should turn everything off, cell phones, computer, whatever else that may distract me, and I am sure that someone will read this and think, “I told him not to work while he was away…” This is not work though this is a celebration, and I cannot help but share it, because it is too good to experience alone. I get to sit for a couple of moments and experience the pure ecstasy of creation, and by God’s grace if nothing else, perhaps I get a sense, however brief, of what God must have sensed when it was all done. And that sense as far as I can tell is the pure pleasure of it all, and wherever pure pleasure is there is also love. Maybe that command to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy is what I am experiencing right now. Those few moments we all should take to step away from the busyness of life to recall that life is so much more than what we do each day. Occasionally life is also just taking it easy. To know that we can take a break from the busyness, knowing that the world worked just fine before we existed and somehow will work just fine when we stop breathing, and thereby will go on even if we stop for a moment and just celebrate the glory of it all.
I wonder how much of my life I sat trying to kill time. It is an awful phrase, “killing time,” because the truth of the matter, whether or not we live like it, and we often don’t, is that we only get one life to live. We know that deep inside most of us think that one life to live is enough a lot of the time. The busyness of life has become for us all that life is, and we long for some kind of rest from it all, some type of break, and we ponder if that break will be death. That final moment we all share but no one really understands, other than to know that the busyness will be over and rest will finally come. Therefore even in those moments we could celebrate all that life offers, which is to say much more than busyness, we sit killing time, or not sitting but still killing it in someway to get to that next moment of busyness that we have convinced ourselves is the purpose of life.
But I sit here right now overflowing with joy in this moment when I am not killing time, but wishing with all that I was that life could go on forever, because in some moments when the wind rushes through my hair and I can feel that ancient Hebrew wisdom that God is with me in Spirit I want life to go on forever. I feel like I don’t want to kill time anymore, because when I kill it I will never get it back. Jesus said, “I came to that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” So I write this on my vacation not because I am working, but because I have to write down how abundant life is before I get back to the busyness and maybe forget. Should I forget I’ll have this to look back on and remember how important those Sabbath moments are when God and I sit together and remember that the work will always be there, but I will not, so it is good to enjoy all that there is for at least for a moment. This moment where God and I smile together, and whisper about how it is all so good.
Riding the wave of Holy Spirit,
Garrett
I was told before going on this vacation that I should turn everything off, cell phones, computer, whatever else that may distract me, and I am sure that someone will read this and think, “I told him not to work while he was away…” This is not work though this is a celebration, and I cannot help but share it, because it is too good to experience alone. I get to sit for a couple of moments and experience the pure ecstasy of creation, and by God’s grace if nothing else, perhaps I get a sense, however brief, of what God must have sensed when it was all done. And that sense as far as I can tell is the pure pleasure of it all, and wherever pure pleasure is there is also love. Maybe that command to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy is what I am experiencing right now. Those few moments we all should take to step away from the busyness of life to recall that life is so much more than what we do each day. Occasionally life is also just taking it easy. To know that we can take a break from the busyness, knowing that the world worked just fine before we existed and somehow will work just fine when we stop breathing, and thereby will go on even if we stop for a moment and just celebrate the glory of it all.
I wonder how much of my life I sat trying to kill time. It is an awful phrase, “killing time,” because the truth of the matter, whether or not we live like it, and we often don’t, is that we only get one life to live. We know that deep inside most of us think that one life to live is enough a lot of the time. The busyness of life has become for us all that life is, and we long for some kind of rest from it all, some type of break, and we ponder if that break will be death. That final moment we all share but no one really understands, other than to know that the busyness will be over and rest will finally come. Therefore even in those moments we could celebrate all that life offers, which is to say much more than busyness, we sit killing time, or not sitting but still killing it in someway to get to that next moment of busyness that we have convinced ourselves is the purpose of life.
But I sit here right now overflowing with joy in this moment when I am not killing time, but wishing with all that I was that life could go on forever, because in some moments when the wind rushes through my hair and I can feel that ancient Hebrew wisdom that God is with me in Spirit I want life to go on forever. I feel like I don’t want to kill time anymore, because when I kill it I will never get it back. Jesus said, “I came to that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” So I write this on my vacation not because I am working, but because I have to write down how abundant life is before I get back to the busyness and maybe forget. Should I forget I’ll have this to look back on and remember how important those Sabbath moments are when God and I sit together and remember that the work will always be there, but I will not, so it is good to enjoy all that there is for at least for a moment. This moment where God and I smile together, and whisper about how it is all so good.
Riding the wave of Holy Spirit,
Garrett
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