I don’t know how I missed it. I must have read the blog 5 or 6 times, more than usual. It didn’t stick out to me. And I missed an important word – NOT. The word I missed was not. Leaving that word out is pretty significant since it means I was supporting the complete opposite – which wasn’t my intention at all, of course. But I read it as if it were there. When I read the sentence, the NOT was there. Except, it wasn’t. I knew what was in my mind but that didn’t make it true in the sentence. Thankfully, my friend Gale pointed it out. She is so kind and simply mentioned I may have missed it. I am grateful for friends that point out the things I miss.
It doesn’t just happen with sentences though. We miss lots of things because we are in a routine. We miss things because it is a part of our everyday sequence. We miss that we actually pass people (actual humans) every day, not just objects. We miss that the sun rose and that the birds sing. We miss all the normal, everyday happenings that are actually quite significant. We miss opportunities to be kind. We miss the chance to show love. We miss it because it becomes a blur in our lives. It is a part of the normal operation. We are sure it is there just because. We take the good for granted.
Sometimes it takes friends and family to help us see what we have been missing. Children are great for this. They notice things and find such wonder in the simple. People that don’t walk our path notice the obvious. Maybe today, we strive to notice too. Maybe we take a stranger’s view of our little world. Maybe we seek out the things we have missed. There just may be joy, hope and love waiting around the corner.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 27:13-14
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
There are unanswerable questions. Most of us don’t like this fact. We don’t want to accept it. We spend our time and resources and energy trying to figure it out. We wear ourselves out spiritually and mentally, replaying the steps and wondering what could have gone differently. We want to know why. We want to understand what happened and why it happened and how it happened. And for so much of our lives, there just are no answers. That can be frustrating.
We live in the age of Google and nearly every other search engine you can think. If someone is talking to you, you can fact check what they are telling you. And there is a chance you could actually stumble on some facts searching this way. We want to know how to make something, so we look it up. We want to know how to repair something, we play a YouTube video of it. If we want to hear something in a different language, there is an app for that. There seems to always be an answer for every question. There is this thirst to know in a moment, so we search for the fastest network to get us the answer. We want to know, we want to know it now, and we do not want to take not knowing as an answer. There must be an answer. Except, sometimes, there isn’t.
When we grieve, we can replay events or situations over and over. We want to know what would have happened if we tried something else. We want to know why our loved one was in that situation on that particular day. We want to know why he got cancer or she had her cancer return after fighting so long. We want to understand how one day he was doing fine and the next day, no longer here. We have this desire to know and to not know can really hurt us as we seek to grieve our loss.
Since there are not answers to everything, how do we come to a place of peace? How do we begin to heal when the wound is still exposed? How do we accept we will just not know all the answers? It begins with understanding there are some things we were not meant to understand. This world is filled with the unknown. So we begin to focus on what we do know. We do know that we loved the one we are missing. We do understand we did the best we knew to do with the resources we were given. We do know God was with us on the journey and continues to be with us through it all. We can know that although God has many mysteries, his love is not one of them. We can sense his love. We can experience his love. We can see it and share it and become completely overwhelmed by it. His love is bigger and wider and more vast than our minds would ever begin to comprehend. We may be suffering here and now, but that does not mean God does not understand. It does not mean he does not love us. It does not mean we are abandoned. It means there are mysteries we cannot know and we cling to the One that does understand. We cling to God and his love when all else seems to be collapsing around us. We hold tight to the promise that God is always with us, no matter where we may find ourselves in the journey. The greatest mystery is also the greatest comfort – you are not alone, you are loved.
You do not need to have all the answers. It is okay to not understand the process. It is acceptable to feel lost and confused. Just hear that God is with you. God loves you. And God will not leave you.
We tend to make rules that keep people in or out. We create barriers that keep likeminded people together and exclude anyone that dissents from the main view. It starts early, even as young as elementary school. Sometimes the divisions are created for us – boys on one side, girls on the other. Sometimes we create them – think playground picking of teams. We choose people we want to be around and exclude those that we consider different. Unfortunately, we carry this through into our adult lives way too often. We buy houses in places where there are people like us. We choose schools on that basis. We go to social events with people that fit in the group we want to identify. So many of our everyday decisions are based on choosing people and groups to make sure we are with people who think, look and act like us.
Yet, it makes for a pretty boring world. Sure, we may be able to talk about topics and everyone agree. We may be able to rally around a subject and everyone get on fire about it. We may find those that will agree with us, so we feel better about our views. But we never really learn to be followers of Jesus really well. Jesus went outside of the group – all the time. He ate with the wrong people. He went in the wrong houses. He visited those that were excluded – who were even run out of town. He sat down with people that he should have never approached, much less talked with. He broke every one of the cultural and religious rules when it came to meeting people. He didn’t have a group that was made up of the same type of people. Even his disciples were a quirky group of guys that were from different backgrounds. Yet, Jesus changed things because he was willing to listen, see and spend time with those that had been excluded.
What might it look like for us to do the same? What might it take for us to spend time with those who do not look, think, act, vote, or believe like us? It really is a challenge because it is outside of our comfort zone. It pushes us out into places we have not gone. It gives us the chance to listen. We may find we learn something. We may actually find out those people are actually people just like us – just with different views. We are, after all, God’s good creation. Maybe today we discover the good in others.
Focus Scripture:
Matthew 22:36-39
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.’
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
Sometimes when I read particular scriptures, my eyes roll. I understand it isn’t very pastoral of me. I also understand that it isn’t how I should feel about what I am reading. It is just that some scriptures sound so difficult – so out of reach – so unrealistic that I find my eyes rolling before I even think about it. I can imagine that God isn’t pleased with how I feel as I know my parents weren’t okay when I rolled my eyes around them. I’m pretty sure my parents wanted to knock my eyes out a few times – but I am grateful they didn’t. But, for some reason, I feel that God understands my frustration. I think he gets why this makes me so upset. It is like when someone tells you how perfect they are- you know it isn’t happening and you just want it to be over. The problem is that this scripture is meant for us. It is a possibility. It is a part of being one of God’s children. It actually is part of living for Christ. So, here we go – no eye rolls please.
Philippians 4:1-9 4:1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. 4:2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 4:3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 4:5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 4:8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 4:9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Joy in all circumstances. Really? This is what is asked of us? Does Paul not understand that we are in the midst of a pandemic and how much of a strain it is putting on us? Does he not understand how difficult life is right now? Actually, yes he does. He writes these words from prison. That’s right – he is in prison when he pens the words “rejoice always.” So yes, Paul gets it and still writes it.
What do we do with this? It seems so difficult – so challenging – almost impossible. We are to rejoice always and think on things that are praiseworthy. Our response may be – if only. I would rejoice if I didn’t have so many bills. I would think about things that were praiseworthy if I didn’t have this job or this doctor’s appointment or this situation going on. The problem is that when we live with “if onlys” in our lives, we never achieve anything. We hunker down in a hole of excuses that eventually covers us so we see no way out. “If onlys” are dangerous. They are making things and situations responsible for our joy and our praise. We are giving stuff the responsibility for our thoughts and our actions. Is that really where we want to be? Do we want things and people and situations to control our thoughts and steal our joy?
This scripture brings even more interesting parts we might otherwise miss. Paul is writing about a disagreement among church leaders. That never happens, right? He reminds both of them to have the same mind as Christ – to come together for the glory of God – to focus on what God is calling and instruction – to live like Jesus. And in doing that, in the middle of the disagreement, as he sits in a prison cell – Paul writes – “rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.” He reminds them to let their gentleness (or forbearance) be known to everyone. What is forbearance? It is patient self-control – a restraint. It means not self-seeking but a willingness to work with others. It leads to peace, he says.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? But to put into practice is much more challenging, seemingly impossible. Paul must have meant this for someone else. He couldn’t really mean we should do these things, right? Yet, I think we actually make things more challenging than they are. We don’t want to put forth the effort because that would mean we give up our own opinions or ways of doing something. We don’t want to restrain ourselves, it is easier not to. Yet, to work as the people of God in fellowship requires just that. And it isn’t easy – not for a moment. But it also isn’t impossible. If it was impossible, we wouldn’t be given this word as something to do. It isn’t unachievable. It is within our grasp. But it means working together, encouraging one another, and loving even those we may not agree with.
If we monitored our speech and our thoughts by these measures given to us, we might find we are rejoicing more. We might find that even in the middle of a situation, there is so much to be joyful for. We may even find our joy is a part of our everyday lives – despite the harshness of the day. Joy can ignite a fire in us to live as Christ taught us to live. Joy can light up a room when it is otherwise harsh and cold. Joy can change circumstances because it presents a different outlook. There are different possibilities. We are not held to the place where we find ourselves. There is another way. And it begins with joy because it begins with Jesus.
Maybe we begin with reading the scripture differently. Maybe we should read it as something we can do rather than the impossible. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice – it is more than a great set of words, but is a beautiful command that helps us to focus on the Lord and not on us. We rejoice through thinking about the true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, and praiseworthy. Think on these things. Measure our thoughts with these things. Filter our comments through these things. Who knows – we may find peace filling our lives despite our circumstances. We may find we are known for loving others regardless and our selflessness will be shown brightly. We may even bring glory to God. It is certainly worth the effort. And the time to begin is now.
I will never forget it. It is one of those treasured moments I have as a pastor. It isn’t every day that you get an honest response from someone in the pews. Now, I get lots of feedback. I’m not talking about that. I am talking about honesty – pure honesty. So you know it had to come from a child. Adults pretend too much. But children have no illusions of such. They just say how they feel. This particular Sunday, precious Sofie did just that.
I was preaching on the Sermon on the Mount. This was a series of messages to cover the difficult teachings of Jesus. They can be found in Matthew 5-7. They are challenging and a bit overwhelming sometimes. But Jesus meant these words, so I try to struggle through them with the congregation. It helps us to grow. This particular Sunday, I was on the part where Jesus tells his disciples about loving your enemies and turning the other cheek. As I understand it, Sofie was coloring. She never missed a beat – As I was teaching about this scripture, she stopped just long enough to say “nope” and went back to coloring. No fanfare. No other comments needed. Just nope. I still laugh today as if just happened.
The best part is Sofie was telling the truth about how most of us feel. She had nothing to hide. She wasn’t going to love her enemies nor turn the other cheek – not happening – just nope. She didn’t need to discuss it or consider it – just nope. As adults, we might would want to reason or consider how we can do it. But underlying it all, most of us are also thinking – nope. If we are honest, we have trouble loving the people we don’t consider enemies. We don’t really even love the people who call themselves Christians. We haven’t made it anywhere near loving our enemies yet. Some of us don’t even love ourselves. Sophie’s answer is exactly how most of us feel – it’s just nope.
We hide that part of ourselves because we know the right answers. The problem is we never really make any progress. When we fake our way through it, we never make genuine change. We must start with the truth of where we are before we can begin to move forward. If the answer is nope – then start there. Don’t try to pretend we are great at loving others when we aren’t. That’s just lying.
I am grateful Sofie spoke the truth. She helps me to realize beginning with the truth helps us to improve to become more like Christ. Maybe, just maybe, that nope becomes yep. But it doesn’t until we first acknowledge it is just a nope. Thanks Sofie!
Focus Scripture:
Matthew 18:2-4
2 He called a child, whom he put among them, 3 and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
It is amazing what a change of scenery can do to our moods, to lift our spirits, and change our perspectives. It is so simple, yet so powerful. Some people want to ride until the map turns blue. The ocean and the rolling waters provide a sense of calm and relaxation that cannot be experienced elsewhere. Some want to go where the elevation is highest. The mountains, in all their majesty and power, provide the life they need to revive. It doesn’t have to be a destination, either. It could be as simple as sitting on the front porch instead of the back porch to give us a change. It could be we just need to take a walk in the woods for a while to relax. No matter where the change occurs, the scenery change seems to make a difference.
I think that God understood this part of us. Consider how he makes the seasons change in such a unique and powerful way. Flowers bloom, trees produce leaves, grass begins to grow, and the whole landscape comes alive in Spring. Summer brings different flowers and budding of different trees. As Fall approaches, leaves change colors, eventually to lose those same leaves. Flowers begin to fade in replacement of different flowers. The whole landscape becomes a different color. And then Winter brings bareness, yet a raw beauty of hibernation and rest before springing forward into new life. What an amazing change of scenery four times a year God provides. It is a cycle that goes unnoticed for so many of us. We just notice our allergies or that it is changing temperature. But God is providing us refreshment and renewal, growth and unique beauty. He has created this as part of a great big wonderful plan. We get the opportunity to be a part of it all.
Today, take a look around you. You might notice there is a change of scenery going on. If you look carefully, you may be reminded of the power of God. Breathe. Take it all in. Enjoy the creation. God is providing something amazing in this change of scenery. Don’t miss it!
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 104:14-24
14 You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth, 15 and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart. 16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 17 In them the birds build their nests; the stork has its home in the fir trees. 18 The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the coneys. 19 You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. 20 You make darkness, and it is night, when all the animals of the forest come creeping out. 21 The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. 22 When the sun rises, they withdraw and lie down in their dens. 23 People go out to their work and to their labor until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
There is nothing like the quiet in the beginning of a new day. It is that sense of calm before the storm. It is silence, except if you listen carefully, you can hear the birds sing. They usher in a new day with songs of glory. Some voices are louder than others, but when we just simply listen, they all come together. We know the quiet doesn’t last long. Children will get up. There are showers to take, breakfast to eat, preparation for a work day, and the hustle of any morning. But for just a moment, all is calm and peaceful.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to carry that sense of calm with us as we went through our day? It would be a gift to have that peace of a beautiful sunrise filling the sky with an array of colors. There is wonder and hope as the birds belt their latest tune. Why must it get crazy and chaotic? Why do we live in such tension and anxiety? Why do the smallest things cause the greatest challenge?
Maybe there is a way to carry this sense of calm in us. Maybe there is a way to overcome the craziness that we encounter on any given day. What if God has given us all we need to go through our day with love and kindness, peace and hope? What if the resource we need is really inside of us? What if we have an imbedded peace that we just have to reach?
Jesus tells us that he will give us peace that goes beyond our understanding. It is his peace. The interesting thing is that Jesus’ surroundings were rarely peaceful. There were crowds following him all the time. There were people trying to trap him, capture him, lock him up, and kill him most everywhere he went. There were people that were just curious and some that so desperately wanted to just meet him. He had to get up early in the morning to pray and people still came to find him then. But he had an inward peace that carried him through it all.
That is the same peace he promises us. It is a peace that transcends the chaos of this life. It is not dependent on our circumstances or other people. It is peace that fills our lives without regard to the other things we encounter. This is the peace we receive. This is the peace living in us. That quiet moment in the morning can fill us throughout the day. It comes from God and it is simply amazing. Peace Be With You.
Focus Scripture:
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
It only takes a few to change things. Just a few is all you need. A few moments at the start of your day can really make a difference. How do we start our day? What are we thinking about as we begin? Do we dread what is ahead? Are we thinking about the stack of work or the doctor appointments that await us? Are we focused on the chores or the school work that we must deal with? Are we consumed with worry, fret, anxiety and despair?
What if we take the first few moments in gratitude instead of anxiety? What if we look at the joys that are ahead? It may take more effort to see the good. It may take some stretching to find the positive. But it is there, awaiting us. There is always good somewhere in our day. It could completely change our mindset if we began our day focused on the good rather than the tasks or concerns. I am not saying ignore what is coming. I am just looking for a shift. The smallest shift in our mindset can make the greatest difference.
Consider this – how much does it change our day when someone is rude? How do we react when someone treats us unkindly? What do we feel when one person cuts us off in traffic or yells at us for something done wrong? One action…one moment can change everything. It changes how we feel, how we act, and how we respond. So why not allow that to work in the opposite direction? Why not start our day looking for the good and focused on the positive? Why not begin with the joy? It just might make all the difference as we move forward. We just might find we are more loving, kind and peaceful ourselves. And those appointments may go better than expected. That work may not be as bad as it seemed. The day just may turn out great. It is certainly worth a shot.
Focus Scripture:
Matthew 6:25-26
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
I try to be attentive to the everyday gifts in my life. I focus on being grateful for the moments I experience. But when a moment is part of normal routine, it can pass me by. It is often in hindsight that I realize how special that time really was.
Last night was one of those moments for me. It was a simple, uneventful evening. After work, I came home and started dinner. That is different because Wendy almost always has dinner ready when I get home. But she had plans so I came home and got started. I knew what we had in the house, so that helped me to consider what I could make. I don’t mind throwing things together and hoping they turn out okay. Kelli is home for a couple of days, so she came in the kitchen to help. She was going to make part of the meal she wanted and we would share the rest. Maia walked in as we were cooking, wanting to know what I was making for dinner. Luckily Maia is flexible and willing to eat most anything I prepare. I don’t make the “normal” southern dishes, so my meals tend to be out of the box for Eastern North Carolina. I told her what I was making and although she had not tried most of it before, she was willing (she was hungry so that helped).
The three of us sat down and enjoyed our meal together. It was normal and nothing out of the ordinary. But it was a joyful time for me. I didn’t really realize it in the moment, though. I was thinking about cooking and everyone eating. But in hindsight, it was one of the moments I will treasure. It reminded me of when Wendy was in school. She earned her BS degree in a one night a week program. That one night, the girls and I would go out to the local Chinese restaurant. They knew who we were and what we wanted. Now they are adults and here we are, gathered around our own table enjoying a meal once more. These are the gifts that last a lifetime.
God has given us treasured moments we may be taking for granted. Take some time today to consider the gifts that are around you – in the simple moments of the day. Give thanks for the incredible treasures right before you.
Focus Scripture:
Ephesians 1:16
16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
We had to start Leo on a healthy eating plan. According to the vet, he is carrying more weight than he should. I think he looks just fine, of course. But he is my buddy. And he gets pretty much anything he wants. He can talk any family member into giving him whatever just by looking so cute. He hangs his sweet head over your arm and it is difficult to resist. Leo doesn’t get that he needs to lose weight. He doesn’t understand that we have to cut down on the amount of treats and snacks he gets. So we had to make some adjustments for his good.
Now we give Leo green beans and carrots where we would have normally given him bacon and french fries. I know, it sounds almost cruel. Don’t be fooled, he still gets some of these things – just not as much. But for his health, we had to help him make better decisions. We had to help guide him in the right direction – in a way that would keep him with us for as long as possible. He brings so much joy to our home and we just want the best for him.
As much as we love Leo, I am amazed at how much more God loves us. I am not near as cute as Leo. I am much fussier and a bit mouthy. I am not always easy to deal with. And yet, God still does more than tolerate me. He loves me with a love that goes beyond my human comprehension. And God wants the best for me, too. Sometimes that means I don’t always get what I want. Many times that means the things I think I want are actually harming me. I need God to help me to make good decisions so that I can serve him as long as he would have me to serve. I need him to help me take care of his creation and not just do what I want. Sometimes he has to replace my french fries with green beans. I may not see that as a good thing. But God understands what is best for me and my job is to trust him and love him. I know God has plans for me and they are good. I know because he loves me. And he loves you too.
So today may be filled with green beans – but that may be exactly what we need. Enjoy the goodness God has given you. Smile at the joy in the simple things. And know God is trying to help steer us to what is best.
Focus Scripture:
Matthew 7:11
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
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 
You must be logged in to post a comment.