One more time, I had to learn a lesson. It wasn’t what I wanted. It wasn’t what I had hoped for. But here I was and it wasn’t changing. So with a huge sigh and a reluctant pace, I slipped on my shoes and headed out the door.
I had slept in an extra hour this morning. I don’t know what I was thinking but I just knew that meant it would be light outside. I wouldn’t have to carry the flashlight. I could change the gear to bright gear rather than just reflective for night time. I got up, put on my running clothes, and found myself a bit giddy about it all. Then I walked in the living room and there it was – the darkness. I looked out my window and noticed that apparently I had no idea when the sun actually did rise (not that it matters since we are getting ready to have another time change – ugh). One more time, I put on my reflective gear, grabbed my flashlight and headed out the door. It wouldn’t stop me, it just wasn’t what I was hoping for.
The beauty of the morning is the moon was full, bright and amazingly wondrous. It wasn’t quite as dark as it seemed with the light of the moon flooding the sleepy earth. So there was this positive note waking me. As I was further into my morning run/walk, I noticed the sun was coming up – it was just a slight hue, but it was definitely on its way. It was a gently reminder that the day would begin, just hang on. And then it happened. I looked up and noticed – the moon was big and bright and beautiful on my right. The sun was peeking out with a brilliant orange on my left. I had the best of it all, right outside my home. I wouldn’t have seen the moon and watched a sunrise if I had my way. I was just looking for light. This was more amazing than any light I could have asked. And I got exactly what I needed, not what I asked for.
That seems to be the best way to me. I have in my mind what I want, but I should instead focus on what I have been given. If I lift my head, I might just find that I am enveloped in a sea of goodness. If I put my ideas of how things should be aside, I might see God has made so much better.
What do you need to let go of to see the best around you? Pick your head up – the moon is to your right, the sunrise to your left, and you are stuck in the middle – and that may be just where you need to be. Enjoy the goodness surrounding you today.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 66:1-4
1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; 2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise. 3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. 4 All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.”
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
I decided it would be a good idea to sit on the back patio for breakfast this morning. That always seems to be a great option when the weather cooperates. Most important of all, it gives Leo the opportunity to exercise – chasing bugs, birds and squirrels, of course. All of that is great unless you consider it was still dark. I was up early and enjoying my morning coffee, even catching up on some emails I had missed. Sure, it was dark, but the moon was bright and our neighborhood is always lit up like Christmas. So it’s not like it was actually dark dark – you know, when you say it twice, it is the dark that keeps you from seeing what is right in front of you.
All was going well for a while. Then, something captured Leo’s attention. I saw him sitting by me staring. He is hardly ever still when we are outside. I asked him what he was looking at and he only glanced back at me – but wouldn’t take his eye off whatever for long. Whatever it was finally bothered him enough he began to bark. That means he woke up Gracie (my mom’s dog next door). I don’t think Gracie had a clue, but she decided to bark too – because that’s what Gracie does. And then there was a symphony of barks. I let Leo know he needed to be quiet – he was waking up the whole neighborhood. We ended up having to come inside so he would relax.
What was it? I have no idea. I didn’t see a thing. And if I’m honest, Leo can bark if a tree limb falls. He can also ignore an animal walking by. So I haven’t quite figured out what makes him upset. I can’t always tell what riles him up. I can’t always see what he sees or detect what he detects. I don’t always know what is bothering him.
We meet people all the time that are struggling. They are angry or upset. They are telling someone off or seem to be mad at the whole world. There are people who seem to try to make others upset – to get something started. There are folks that just seem beat down. We tend to make snap judgments. We call them names. We decide they are angry, bitter, hateful people. But we don’t actually see what they see. We don’t have any idea what they are dealing with. We are in the dark as to what they have going on. We have decided based on an outward action what type of person they are. And this isn’t fair. We don’t know what home looks like. We don’t know if they have been laid off from their job or their relationship is abusive. We don’t know if they are dealing with a diagnosis they don’t know what to do with. We don’t know if they are struggling to feed their kids. We don’t know. We simply take what we see in the dark and make assumptions. And we might just miss it all. That’s why it is so important to be kind. That’s why we can’t take the reactions of people at face value. We are not called to judge, we are called to love. And love is what makes the difference, not opinions. May we shine a light of love on someone’s dark situation today. And maybe shine a little light into our own lives, through the amazing love of God.
Focus Scripture:
1 Thessalonians 3:11-12
11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
I think the Psalmist of Psalm 30 gets me. We must be kindred spirits. I have seen some people that would definitely disagree with some of what is contained in the Psalm. There is one particular part of the Psalm that seems to speak to me this morning. “Joy comes in the morning”. Some folks just are not morning people. I get it. I see you. I hear you. But there is just something refreshing about mornings. This morning is certainly no exception.
As I sit on my back patio for a moment, enjoying my coffee, watching Leo catch flies and admiring the sun as it rises, I am filled with joy. Even if it is but for a moment, it is beautiful and it is good. It is a warm morning and the breeze blows gently. The birds sing their sweet song and I can even hear the cows proclaim contentment. It is a good morning. Not every morning is filled with such sights, smells and sounds. But I enjoy those that do. And this is enough. For today, this is more than enough.
Mornings also remind me of fresh beginnings. Beginnings can be hard. We want to hold on to yesterday. We may want to fix what we messed up. We could find ourselves wanting to take back the things we said – or go back and say some things we wish we had. But that has passed. Today is here. And it is a fresh, new start. It is good.
May your day be filled with unexpected joy. May you feel God’s love. May you be wrapped in hope. And may you catch a few flies (that one’s for Leo).
Blessings as you find joy in your morning.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 30:4-5
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Being kind can be one of the most difficult ways to react. In a world filled with hatred, meanness, and the like, it is easy to get caught up. Others can capture us with their anger. We can become a part of a rant we didn’t intend or seek. It happens. And it seems to happen more and more if we spend too much time on social media or watching the news. It grabs us and we are off on a tear before we even realize it. We have joined someone’s cause without ever knowing the motivation. We are fans of someone we don’t even understand. It can get ugly quick. So to choose to be kind in this type of atmosphere is not easy. Kindness should be natural and a part of who we are. But, in reality, it is more often something we have to strive towards. To take a careful step back and choose kindness can seem like the most challenging step. But it is one worth taking.
We don’t need to be hateful. We don’t need to be mean. There is no need to bully or intimidate others. Kindness can be the highest and best response – especially when it is powered by the love of God. There is no telling how much we can do if and when we choose kindness. The lives we can touch and the things we can change are innumerable if we simply choose kindness. But it takes focus. It takes work. And it takes the love of God living in us. Our natural instinct may be to throat punch someone else. But that isn’t how it should work. We should operate from a place of love.
Today, I choose kindness. It isn’t easy. It isn’t the path of least resistance. It is the path strewn with God’s love. And this is the only path I want to be a part. Will you walk with me? I may need someone to put their hand over my mouth…
Focus Scripture:
Proverbs 21:21
Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find lifeand honor.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
It was one of the darkest mornings I can remember. To add to the complications, the earth was weighed down with a heavy and thick fog. This makes for difficult maneuvering. As I went out for my morning exercise, it made for an interesting adventure. I know my road better than the back of my hand. I have run this road so many times I couldn’t possibly begin to count. But in the dark fog, it was challenging to tell where I was on the route. Thankfully I know markers, even places in the road that gives me clues. And it isn’t as if I could get lost. Even I can stay on a straight road. But the miles were quite deceiving when vision was nearly eliminated. It was dark and foggy enough that someone stopped me to ask me what road he was on and how to get to where he was going. I live in the country so this never happens before 6 am on a morning run. This just gives an idea of the deception of the dark film on the earth.
When it is this dark and vision is compromised, we have no choice but to focus on what is right in front of us. We can’t worry about what is up ahead – we can’t see it. We can’t look back and see where we have been. It does no good to look around. Stopping won’t help because then we are just stuck where we stopped with no progress being made. Our only choice is to move forward, focused on the path right before us. No worrying about anything else, head down and focused is the only option.
We may find ourselves in the thick darkness today. We may find that we have no idea what is ahead and can’t even focus on what is behind. All we know is what is right in front of us. We trust that God will light the way – if it is just for a few inches. We believe that those things ahead are good even when we can’t see them. We move forward because it is what we do. But we do not move forward alone. If you remember my writing about running in the fog and a friend always being with me – it still applies (Blog entitled “The Runner”). We do not face this alone. We don’t have to know what is to come. We don’t need to worry what is behind. We just press forward…one inch at a time. Crawl if you must – just move. We will not get stuck in the dark fog today.
Focus Scripture:
Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenlycall of God in Christ Jesus.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
One of my all-time favorite movies is Finding Nemo. I mean, what’s not to love? There is adventure and suspense. There are good and bad – people that want the good for you and some that just do not. Nemo has what most would consider a really difficult start to life – dis-ability and loss of his mom. Yet, he moves forward. And to top it all off – Nemo is orange (my favorite color). So it is all good. But one of the classic lines comes from Dory (the forgetful but adorable friend to all) – “Just keep swimming”. I think of this line often. I say this line in my mind often. Some days, I don’t want to keep swimming. I want to, instead, stay in bed and call it a day before it gets started. Some days I want to swim somewhere else for a vacation. But ultimately, I find the most value when I just keep swimming in the direction God is leading. It isn’t the easy way. But it is the right way.
Following God, for me, is the way of love. It is the way of showing kindness where there has been hatred. It is the way of encouraging rather than tearing down. It is the way of welcome rather than exclusion. But it is the difficult way all too often. I mess up. I get angry and frustrated. I have days when I go off and I should keep my mouth shut (ok – there may a lot of these days). I am not saying I get it right or that I am the example. I am saying Jesus is the example so I am doing my best to follow him. And in doing so, even on my worst days, I just keep swimming.
Which direction are you heading today? May you follow God in the way of love. May you find peace in the middle of the mess. May you find joy in the heap of sorrow. And may you just keep swimming with God as your guide. There is still so much ahead…and it is good.
Focus Scripture:
3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me, 4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
It’s difficult to believe it can be this simple. We try to make it more difficult than it should be. We try to interject our opinions and our ways into it. We don’t allow what is there to speak for itself. It is loud and clear and yet we want to make it quiet and unnoticeable. God has spoken these words over and over and over – and too many times, we just ignore these are his words…or we choose other words we would rather hear or speak or believe. But these words are bold and bright and brilliant. They are challenging and they cause us to change if we take them seriously. We don’t get to live our lives the way we might want to if we follow these teachings. We don’t get to change the words around if we take God seriously. We take them as he says them, as he writes them, and as he shares them.
This morning, I am going to do something a little different. I want to read several scriptures in a row and then bring the message together in a way that I hope will lead us to the teachings of Jesus. So walk with me on this quick journey. It begins early in the Bible…
Leviticus 19:15-18
15 You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slandereramong your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
This is among many laws that God has given his people – these things separate them from all the others in the land. It doesn’t stop here, though. Jesus had some things to clarify for the people:
Matthew 5:43-44
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Love your neighbor…there it is again…
Matthew 22:34-40
34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Jesus clarifies this in the parable of the Good Samaritan…a story he teaches about who is our neighbor. He leaves this teaching with his disciples and thus, with us:
John13:34-35
34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Paul reiterates this to the church at Galatia which was having some issues:
Galatians 5:13-14
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. 14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
And I think John sums it up well:
1 John 3:11, 14-17
11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death.15 All who hate a brother or sisterare murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them.16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sisterin need and yet refuses help?
So there are all these teachings about loving our neighbor. We are called, instructed, and directed to love one another. This teaching repeats itself over and over – love being the central theme of the Bible, in my opinion. Yet, this is one of the most challenging teachings we are called to follow. It is much easier to judge. It is easier to dismiss. It is easier to ignore. It is easier to not love. We even try to devise reasons for not loving. We do this by clumping people into groups so that we can just not love a whole group. It is, after all, easier to dismiss a group than it is to dismiss one person we see and know and talk with. But that isn’t the point…that isn’t the teaching…that isn’t the instruction. We are to love others.
Loving others requires us to push past our preconceived notions. Loving others requires us to reach from a place where we realize we are loved. Loving others comes from knowing that Jesus loves us – despite who we are and where we have been. Loving others is more than a command, it must be a part of who we are and how we live. It cannot be something we talk about – it must be something we live. It has to be how we are known. If it is not, we are missing something.
I understand the challenges of loving others, I do. I get why it can be so difficult. I hear how you struggle with this – so do I. I am not saying this is easy. I am not saying we will get this right all the time. But if we never try, how will we ever change? If we never begin to take this teaching seriously, how will we ever love? If we never really listen to God, how can we expect God to change us? We are loved beyond measure. We are loved, even despite the mess we are or the mess we may find ourselves. We are God’s beloved. God is just asking us to carry this love forward. He is asking us to take what we have been given and share it with others. He is asking us to take this amazing love and put it into action. Instead of ignoring this love or denying it, we begin with welcoming in the fact we are loved. It starts here. When we begin to sense how much we are loved, we have a wellspring of love to share. We can only love others when we sense how much we are loved. Maybe that’s where we start today. Maybe it begins with – YOU ARE GOD’S BELOVED. YOU ARE LOVED. Take it in. Live with it. Let it become a part of you. It will change us. And we just may find ourselves loving others. May it begin with me.
A walk outside provides me with clarity like nothing else. For you, it may be other things you like to do. But for me, being outdoors helps to clear my mind and allows me to breathe in God’s goodness while contemplating whatever it is I may be struggling to figure out. I often feel God’s messages most clearly when I am among his creation. It is a relief and a joy to simply be and to know that God has me no matter what it is I face. The rain reminds me of forgiveness and nurturing. The snow reminds me of new, fresh starts. The leaves falling remind me that today’s beauty must be admired, for it will be tomorrow’s landscape to rake. Sunrises and sunsets are more majestic some days – so don’t fail to pay attention to today. You may just miss it. God just speaks with such eloquence in his creation.
How do you sense God’s presence? Where is it that you find his love most evident? How is he showing you he is with you? Another place I sense his goodness is when I am spending time in the kitchen. It is, I guess, tapping into my creativity he has ingrained in me. To take simple ingredients and combine them in just the right way to make something delicious is just another reminder of creation. God takes simple things and creates something delectable. He has given us resources we take for granted. He has offered us to care for this earth in a way he would. We are given all we need if we just took the time to appreciate it. God’s presence is among us.
Today, my goal is to sense his presence in the ordinary. While I always try to do this, I will be spending a little more time focused on this today. I don’t want to miss his goodness, his majesty or his provision. Open my eyes, Lord, that I may see you today.
Focus Scripture:
1 Chronicles 16:26-27
26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 27 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
In the story of the Israelites traversing the wilderness, God made his presence known so they would know where to go. During the daytime, he led by a cloud. In the night, by fire. His presence was visible. It was intimidating yet reassuring. God had not left them even in their disobedience. He was not going to make them figure this out alone. He would be with them every moment and they would know it. They would not forget it. He was there.
Tonight I am doing something I rarely do. I am sitting around the fire pit, eating dinner, and enjoying the beauty of the flames. Honestly, this takes time and effort So I just don’t do this often enough. I am grateful for a few moments around the fire. Held in the pit, the flames are so majestic. They are dangerously beautiful. As I sit and watch, I am reminded of God. I am reminded that he is still leading and guiding our steps. He is still reminding me of his presence. It may not be in the same way – we, do, after all, have the Holy Spirit as our guide. Instead of the visible fire, God’s fire is living within us. He is guiding us from within. We should, in turn, be burning bright for him. How has God reminded you of his presence today?
Focus Scripture:
21 The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
We can let our fear speak for us if we are not careful. It happens without notice. It isn’t as if we have chosen it. We don’t usually consider when we speak what is driving our words. We just speak. And sometimes when we speak, it is to the harm and detriment of others. This could be the case if our fears are speaking for us.
It is fall and many are thinking about pumpkins and Halloween. I am thinking about cooler weather, but that may be just me. When we think about October, fear is a part of the genre. Halloween is filled with masks and haunted houses. If we are honest, I am not sure that much could be more fearful than this year has been with masks and a frightening pandemic. Two things always come to mind when I think of Halloween – the video from Michael Jackson’s Thriller and the line, “I ain’t afraid of no ghosts” from Ghostbusters. This probably ages me some and I am sure says something about my personality. But my point is that this is a time when we are thinking about fear or the lack thereof. Yet, fear seems to rear its ugly head in so much of our everyday lives and we don’t even notice.
Fear happens when we can’t hear someone with a different view or belief. Fear happens when people bully (it is actually the bully that has the most fear ingrained deep inside). Fear is evident in the political world. It is a part of our decision making. It is a part of hatred or greed. We don’t realize it, though. It is hidden. It seem that the bully fears nothing. Yet, for that person to act like that and live to intimidate others, there is deep seated fear. For people to hate others, there is fear of someone or something different. When religious people spew hatred, it is usually because they are fearful something they believe will be challenged and they don’t know what to do with that. Fear is a part of so much of our lives, yet we rarely talk about it.
The Bible teaches us different. We are taught to live in love, not fear. We are taught real love casts out fear. We are taught that Jesus lived as he did out of love, not fear. We read how those who hated him were fearful because he challenged their beliefs. We hear the fear of those who wanted Jesus dead. There is fear in the Bible – but it wasn’t from Jesus. He lived rooted in love. How are you living? We should check our speech, posts, and thoughts – we may find a whole lot of fear and not much love, if we are willing to dig deep. May LOVE lead you today.
Focus Scripture:
1 John 4:18-19
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 
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