SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

Author: J Brad Mitchell

  • the Pause

    It can be difficult to pause, to stop for a moment and just breathe. My nature is to simply keep pushing until I collapse. But pausing can be so refreshing and important.

    When I pause, I open my ears to hear what is around me. I can clear distractions to see what God may be teaching me. I notice good things which would have been otherwise overlooked in the rush of life. I can focus for just a moment and hopefully adjust my path to reflect following God.

    When I don’t pause, I feel anxious and rushed, overwhelmed and chaotic. It’s hard to focus when there are constant distractions vying for my attention. Because my attention span is short, I tend to simply go from one thing to the other without recognition of the valuable. It’s ultimately unproductive.

    So I pause. For a moment, a day, or whatever it may take. I seek to redirect my path, find peace in the journey, and follow God on this amazing thing called life.

  • Won’t He Do It

    I enjoy Sunday mornings so much.  This is the time when I can slow down and take my time.  I sit with my coffee by the window and watch the world awake to another day.  I can slow long enough to hear the birds sing and pause the rush of my otherwise busy life.  It does my soul good to simply be still for a few moments.  

    Music is an important part of my life (though I don’t sing or play).  It is in these moments I hear a message in my mind from something that has become stuck throughout the week.  I’m sure you know how tunes or phrases can begin to play in your mind and continue despite your best efforts to move them along.  Today, that tune is “Won’t he do it, yes he will.”  It’s a fairly new song with upbeat music. It plays in my mind today and I let it.  It takes on a unique message for me on this day.  

    One year ago today, we opened the bakery.  I had no idea what would happen.  If I’m honest, I had very low expectations.  This past year has shown me that I was dreaming way too small and I just need to hang on for what’s next.  That’s exciting and scary, all wrapped into one.  But if this year has taught me nothing else, it has taught me that I can’t do this alone.  

    There have been so many people who have stepped up in my life and I am overwhelmed with gratitude.  I have an incredible family and friends who have become a vital part of my family.  I have watched folks put in long hours and do amazing things.  And again, I have learned I could not have done this alone.  

    For someone who is a driven, independent person, this has been a beautifully difficult lesson to learn.  I could not do this without those who stand with me every single day.  And I have realized, most importantly, I could not do anything without God.  I’ve tried, I must admit.  I’ve tried to do it all by myself.  But I can’t.  And the best part is, God doesn’t expect me to, and neither does anyone else.  

    So as challenging as it may be, I seek a deeper relationship with God.  I seek more moments where I can sit and be, listening to where he may be leading.  I seek to live in gratitude for the people who walk with me on this journey.  And I seek to live in community with amazing people who will not let me do this alone.  Won’t he do it?  Yes he will.

  • The Table Builder

    The phrase “I want to be like Jesus” has caused many people to do great things, and also some pretty horrific things.  We all have an interpretation which leads us to act in a particular way.  Most of the time, if we are honest, we really want Jesus to be like us.  In other words, we would like to do what we want to do and feel justified in it.  We want to think and act, believing this is the way of Jesus.  It might be – or it might be an illusion we have created to make us feel better.  All too often, it creates a wall, deciding who is “in” and who is “out” – and it is interesting, in the wall we build, we are always “in”.  I am not a fan of walls and here is why:

    As I read the Scriptures, I hear a message of welcome.  Jesus was, by trade, a carpenter.  His father (Joseph) was a carpenter.  He grew up building things.  He was a master of the craft, taking lessons from generations of hand crafted builders.  I have to imagine that at some point, he built a table (or a lot of them).  I can only wonder if this informed his theology as he began to preach.  His ministry was, after all, about being a table builder.  He wanted to make room at the table for all people.  His table began as a space for God’s chosen, the Jewish community.  He didn’t kick them out.  He built bigger tables.  And this was not a welcome sight in the judgmental eyes of those around.  His table building caused anger and made people generally uncomfortable.  They didn’t want THOSE people at THEIR table.  How dare he?  

    Remember who he invited to the table?  Yes, he ate with the religious leaders.  But he never stopped there.  He didn’t even consider that was all who were welcome.  He actually didn’t want to give them the prized place at the table.  They thought more of themselves than they should anyway.  He gave the place at the table to the tax collectors – those who were despised and disgusted so many.  They were the problem children.  He gave the place to the sinners (the Bible says this and I’m wondering – wasn’t this EVERYBODY?).  Those who clearly had sins which were open for all to see were given a place.  He gave a place at the table to those who thought they should be washing feet, not partaking of a meal.  He gave a place to those who knew they needed love.  And they found love at the table.  He gave a place at the table to those who would walk away and those who would betray (remember Judas sitting at the table?).  He was the master table builder and this scared those who thought they deserved and earned a place.  He included where the religious people had excluded.  

    I am so thankful he is the master table builder because this means I have a place.  I don’t deserve to sit at the table with Jesus.  I haven’t earned it.  I’m not better or more qualified or more chosen than anyone else.  I’m mostly a mess and yet, Jesus built a table which includes me.  

    So I want to follow Jesus – I want to be a table builder.  I want to invite and sit down and dine with those who have no idea they have a place.  I want to sit with the despised and forgotten and excluded.  I want to sit with the betrayers and the sinners.  These are my people.  Come sit at the table with me.  There is always room.  Jesus built a table big enough for us all.  Welcome.

  • The Other Way

    It seems to me that we live in a world with so many angry people.  Anger fills our TVs, social media, the highways, and the streets.  It is even more pronounced when some event takes place which ignites fear.  Anger is a by-product of being fearful.  When people are scared, feel as though they are losing control, or simply don’t know what to do, they can easily find anger as an enduring friend.  Anger causes us to lash out, to stop listening to anyone who opposes us, and to ultimately drive a wedge which should have never been created.

    This, though, is not the only way.  It is the easiest and most convenient.  It will show up with no effort and is fueled by the fire of others (there are always other angry people to get something stirred).  It happens almost instantaneously and just grows like the forest fires in the dry heat of summer.  But there still is another way.  I’ll admit my first response is to cut it all off – it seems to work better for me.  I can cut off the news, I can turn the other way, I can stop looking at social media – all in an effort to cut it out.  That works for a while, but, if I’m honest, angry people show up in all areas of life (and feel the need to vent about all their anger).  

    The other way can seem soft and cheesy.  But it reality, it is the only real way.  It is love.  If we stop to consider what whole groups we may be slandering to make a point, we may pause.  If we think of those we point our fingers and yell at for their supposed stupidity or imagined immorality, we may not be so quick to point.  If we pause to get to know someone who we have demonized or considered “the other”, we may find they are more human than we initially thought.  If we choose the way of listening rather than lashing out in fear, we may find real people have real lives and real love which may look different than ours.  It may just be we could live together, even if we don’t agree (what a concept).  

    I know this can sound ideal and a bit of a utopia.  But if we don’t work towards something, anger becomes our chosen output and no progress is actually made.  We simply become a bunch of angry, hateful folks who don’t even know what we are really angry about anymore.  And I just don’t want to live in a world like that.  So, today, I’ll choose love.  Maybe you will too.  That’s how change begins.

  • To Be or Not To Be

    I love to sit on my front porch with my cup of coffee and just breathe.  I don’t do this often enough and there is one simple reason…life.  Life seems to throw things my way which interrupt my moment of peace and quiet.  I think of things I should be doing other than sitting.  The time tells me I should be somewhere soon.  There are places to be and people to see, so the saying goes.  So I let the quiet go in exchange for the fast paced life I have not only grown accustomed, but have set up for myself.  I did this. 

    One of the reasons this happens is because I tend to value busy over rest.  Too much of either can be a problem, but I always tend to lean towards the “too busy” side of things.  Taking it easy doesn’t come naturally for me, it requires actual effort.  While this may sound odd to some people, my fellow doers will get it.  We were made for doing, or so I tell myself.  That is all great until I am reminded that sometimes we have to simply be.  I am told we are human “be”ings not human “doers”.  I’m not comfortable with this and I’d prefer to ignore it.  I’m fairly good at ignoring it until I completely run my body down and I am forced to be rather than do.  Crazy how that happens.  

    Today, though, I wasn’t forced.  No one made me sit here.  I am not sick or in pain.  Today, the breeze is perfect, the temperature just right, and the view from my front porch, medicinal.  If I’m honest, I don’t know when it will happen again…I’m not suddenly a changed man.  But just for this moment, I breathe and enjoy THIS moment.  Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn’t promised.  Today I take a moment to be.  Maybe you can too.

  • Big Excuses, Little Accomplished- January 23, 2024

    I’ve got big plans.  In my mind, I can accomplish so much.  But I also have big excuses.  When it comes to exercise, I want to run every day.  The excuse is I’m tired or it’s too hot/cold outside or I have to be at work early or I can sleep for another hour instead of getting out of the comfy bed and running.  These excuses are legitimate, at least in my mind.  And, this is just the beginning.  I have a plethora of them, especially when it is 445 am.  I am super creative then.  Actually, I have more excuses than a mechanic has tools.  I’m equipped for any occasion.  The problem is excuses don’t really get me anywhere.  They actually just leave us stagnant and stuck.  We don’t get to where we need to be when we ride the excuse train.  

    It isn’t just exercise for many of us (me included).  We have excuses for our spiritual lives, our work lives, our home, our dishes, those clean clothes that will not jump out of the clothes basket into the drawers…and whatever else we find more excuses not to do.  We don’t start out like this.  We often have good intentions.  We get tired, and if you are like me, we get creative…creative with the excuses so we don’t have to do the things we should.

    The issue is when we live with excuses, we don’t find the land of freedom or peace or joy.  We don’t have a chance to live out our lives as God has created us.  We don’t get the opportunity to truly become better and live each day to its fullest.  We just find excuses.  I know I do, even though I know better.  So I come back to my favorite verse.  It is a reminder of how we are God’s handiwork and we are created for good things.  God made something beautiful and remarkable (that’s you and me).  We just have to use what he has given us for his glory.  And if we do that, we may find there are fewer excuses and more life lived.  

    May we see how good God has been to us.  May we see our opportunities as gifts.  May we feel encouraged to move forward with fewer excuses and more intent to follow God.  And may it begin with me…because I sure need it.  These excuses need to go.

    Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

    Photos included in Devotions by David Cain of The Cain Gallery.

  • Forgiveness To Follow

    Making mistakes, speaking before thinking, jumping the gun, and reckless abandonment are all his attributes. He was far from perfect, actually he was pleasantly imperfect.  He seemed to enjoy life and when he was in, he was all in.  So when he fell, he fell hard.  ‘Go big or go home’ seemed to be his life motto.  But he was also the one you wanted around if you were struggling.  He seemed to know what to do to help.  He was that kind of friend.   And this time, he has been hurt.  He let his fears get the best of him.  It was irrational, he knew it as soon as it happened.  It wasn’t part of his character, anyone who knew him would know this.  Regardless, here he was, trapped in his own despair, understanding the mistakes made and wondering if redemption was even possible anymore.  All he once knew had been pulled out from under him and he was left trying to catch himself.  He just wanted to be free – free of the guilt and shame, free of the despair, free of the fear, free of the chaos.  He simply wanted to be free.  So he did what many of us might do when he found himself in a difficult spot, a place where there seemed to be no resolve, he went fishing.  It was in his blood.  The water was his resolve.  He could clear his mind and focus when he was in the middle of the water simply waiting.  He wasn’t alone – good friends know when company is needed.  Fishing seemed like a good first step in a situation which felt more like a whirlwind of grief, despair, with an all too dim glimmer of hope.  It was all so confusing.  Maybe the water would have the answers.  

    Most, if not all of us, have been there.  We thought things were going great.  We felt good about our path.  We were on the right road.  Then, out of nowhere, it all fell apart.  Everything we knew collapsed.  Life as we knew it simply exploded into unrecognizable pieces, scattered as far as our eyes could see.  It’s a frightening place to be.  We long for something familiar, something to take our mind off the things which cause such despair.  We just want things to return to normal, so we seek some sense of normalcy in a place where our hope and faith is wavering, maybe now more than ever.  We cling to the things which hold familiarity and cause us to have some sense of control, even when we actually have none.  We look for solutions as we cry out to God.  

    This is the place I feel Peter has found himself in this scripture.  Jesus, his best friend, teacher, faith guide, and Messiah has abandoned him.  Jesus called him out of the ordinary and to the extraordinary and wow, had it been a ride.  He saw demons flee, dead men rise, lame people walk, blind people see.  He watched Jesus out-smart those who were in control, over and over again.  It was crazy but it was also very peaceful.  Jesus’ presence had made all the difference.  He had given him everything and just being with him made everything better.  It felt as though they could conquer the world – until they didn’t.  Peter was ready to fight for Jesus, only to have Jesus tell him this wasn’t the right way to fight – no swords allowed.  What do you do when your only weapons are not physical?  You run, that’s what happens.  You run for your life and take out anything in your path.  It was the most frightening time ever.  And you run so far that you forget the destruction you leave in your path – denials and such.  At least that’s what Peter did.  It all came apart so quickly.  And now, Jesus is back, sort of.  All of it doesn’t seem to make sense just yet – this here but not just yet.  And what does Jesus think of all this running Peter did?  Surely he knew.  Peter knew and that made all the difference.  So, he went fishing.  

    John 21:1-19

    It wasn’t really about the fish, was it?  Peter wasn’t really fishing to feed his family that day.  He just needed the familiar, something he could hold on to.  He needed to find his place one more time.  So the fact nothing was caught wasn’t necessarily a problem, probably just an annoyance – fishermen who can’t catch fish seems about right for where they are in life at that moment.  And Jesus did what Jesus does – he begins to turn it all around.  Fish appear, John proclaims it is Jesus on the shore, Peter swims ahead of the group.  The others had to be thinking – it would have been nice of Peter to help with the fish.  But they also likely weren’t surprised, this is Peter.  

    There is breakfast – Jesus made them breakfast.  Jesus spent a lot of time around a table, sharing meals with so many others.  He ate with the most despised and avoided.  He gathered around wedding tables and preparation for death tables.  He ate with friends and enemies alike.  He shared bread with those who were willing to sell him for a price.  And he loved immensely around those tables.  This breakfast would have been no different.  There are fish and bread and most of all, fellowship and love.  The table – whether a plot of sand around a fire or an actual structure in a home – was a place where stories are shared.  I don’t know this, but I am guessing Peter probably did a little more listening at this table than usual.  What did he have to say?  They had abandoned Jesus but Peter ran with full force in the other direction.  Peter had denied him.

    And Jesus continues to do what Jesus always does – he begins to heal Peter.  He begins by asking him of his love – it isn’t that Jesus doesn’t know how much Peter loves him.  It is more that Peter doesn’t know how much he loves Jesus.  And so the questioning isn’t to convince Jesus but rather Peter.  It is a part of the healing process.  It is forgiveness.  Jesus’ love doesn’t change.  It doesn’t fail.  It is perfect in every way.  It is our love that seems so fragile and situational.  It is our love which is often so flimsy and flippant.  Jesus restores Peter because he isn’t done with him yet.  Peter’s sins, his flaws, his fears, do not stop Jesus from loving him and calling him.  Jesus’ love isn’t dependent on us.  He loves us despite ourselves.  And this is what forgiveness looks like.  It looks like restoration, redemption, and healing.  It looks like Peter being called to follow, one more time. 

    We can feel so broken, so unworthy.  We can beat ourselves up for things not said or too much being spoken.  We can give up on ourselves, knowing we are not the disciples we are called to be – it’s too hard, there are too many things going on, our lives feel in utter chaos.  We may run to the safety of what we know.  But that urge, that deep longing to follow, will remain.  We can’t run far enough to escape God’s love – the Psalmist reminds us of that over and over.  There is no where we go where God is not.  We haven’t run too far or become too hopeless.  Our situation does not define us and neither do our mistakes.  We are not useless or abandoned. We are God’s.  And he isn’t done with us yet.  

    Despite what our situation may tell us or the lies in our minds may feed us, we are not too far gone.  We are a child of the King.  We are God’s beloved.  We are made for good things and called according to his purpose. We may look like are nothing more than a hot mess, but God doesn’t see what we see.  He knows our heart and our longing.  And just like with Peter, he restores us and calls us to follow.  Follow me – he says to us even when we feel like we have let him down.  Follow me – he calls when feel unworthy.  Follow me – when everything else has collapsed.  Follow me. 

    What restoration and healing do you need today?  Where have you run so far only to find there really isn’t any place to go?  How have you felt unworthy?  God is not done with you.  He sees something in you that is beautiful and treasured.  He sees good where you see flaws.  God knows you and he calls you to follow.  What will your answer be?

    Peter followed all the way to death – may we do the same.  

  • Breathe On Me

    A message for the Sunday after Easter –

    Easter Sunday was the kickoff – the beginning of an exciting time.  We should still be in the mode of celebration – the excitement of Easter – the reminder of how Jesus has arisen.  We have been invited to see the empty tomb and walk with the disciples as they ran directly to the place where Jesus’ body once occupied.  We had the opportunity to tell the good news that Jesus is not dead, but is alive.  These are all exciting revelations of how God has conquered death and the grave!  It is life changing.  But for the disciples and Jesus’ closest followers, it also brought fear.  It wasn’t as if the following days were filled with big meals and confetti.  They didn’t run through the streets shouting – I told you he was the Messiah!  

    Actually, it seems to be quite the opposite.  There is confusion and dismay.  The disciples lock themselves in a room in fear.  They are trapped between the teachings of Jesus and the future.  They don’t know what to do next or where to go.  Their lives are out of sorts and this in-between stage is more than difficult.  It is terrifying.  So they sit and wait – for what, they are not sure.  Where do they go now?  Who are they?  Jesus was dead – they witnessed it.  Jesus was put to death because of the things he proclaimed, which they also believe.  Jesus was hung on a cross for being the person they loved.  He arose from the dead but there aren’t instructions for this.  This is unprecedented, unknown territory.  They don’t know what to do with this or where to go from here.  So they re-group, in fear.  And as he promised, Jesus shows up.  This isn’t the end, after all, this is just the beginning.

    John 20:19-31

    There are a couple of things I want to get out of the way before we get too far in this scripture.  First, we don’t want to misunderstand what is being said.  We read how they, the disciples, were fearful of the Jews.  They are not fearful of all Jews – they are, after all, Jews themselves.  This isn’t a time for hating Jews (and there, by the way, is never a time for hating Jews) – these are their people.  They have family and friends – they have loved ones who are Jewish – they have neighbors and those they eat with on a regular basis whom they adore- that are Jewish.  They are not fearful of the Jews in general.  The Jews are not the enemy as we might pick up at first glance.  They are afraid of the leadership – those in charge – those who are given the position of power to enforce what they consider to be the rules to keep things the same.  They are afraid of those who seek to hold onto the control they most value – those who want control more than they want love.  They are fearful because the One they have followed all this time – the One they have been associated with has been killed – and surely they would be the next target.  If the leadership wants to eliminate a problem – they would be among the problem.  So they are scared for their safety because those in charge of the church do not have a place for them any longer – they are not welcome here anymore.  Jews are not the problem – those in power who thrive on control are the problem.  

    Second, Thomas gets a bad rap in this Scripture.  We have dubbed him to be doubting Thomas.  That’s really an unfair assessment.  If we really look at what is going on, Thomas is the only one missing out of the first encounter in the locked room.  They are all terrified.  They are all wondering what in the world is going on.  They are all doubting.  There is a general fear which permeates the entire room.  When Jesus shows up the first time, he shows them his hands and his side.  They do not have to ask or wonder.  Jesus shows them.  Now, Jesus doesn’t just do things for the sake of doing them.  He would show them his hands and his side because he knew they needed to see to believe.  He understood their confusion and their general mode of disbelief.  He went ahead and showed them what they wanted to see.  They had seen the evidence.  Thomas wasn’t there – so all he knows is what has been told to him.  And let’s be honest, Jesus overcoming death and the grave wouldn’t have been easy to comprehend – remember, we know the end of the story.  He was living in the moment.  He knew Jesus had died.  He knew the body was missing.  This is all the obvious.  Now the disciples are trying to tell him that Jesus is alive, scars and all.  

    If we are honest, we would have likely thought they were crazy too.  I mean, they are locked in a room for fear but Jesus appears in a locked room?  You can see how this conversation would be challenging.  Thomas just happens to be the one who wasn’t there to see the first time.  He isn’t the only one who needed to see – he was the only one who didn’t have the opportunity the first time.  And notice – there is a whole week delay in him seeing.  He goes a whole week without getting the chance to see Jesus as everyone else has.  He isn’t the doubting one.  They were all doubting.  They all were scared.  Every single person had their lives turned upside down and they are struggling to understand it all.  Thomas is not unique.  He just happens to have been absent at the first chance to see the hands and side.

    Ok – now that we have that out of the way, I want to look at one of the most beautiful gifts of this scripture.  Because we can get hung up in the fear and the doubting, we may miss what is actually going on here.  Jesus appears in his new resurrected body in the locked room of the disciples.  What Jesus says and does is most important.  Follow him in the scripture.  Don’t miss his actions.  Let’s look at the gifts that are given at Jesus’ appearance:

    -Jesus speaks peace.  We have recorded at least 3 times Jesus tells them – Peace Be With You.  Why is that important?  Jesus speaks peace where there is none.  If they were peaceful, he wouldn’t need to speak peace to them.  If they were filled with peace, this would be redundant.  Jesus’ words speak to their situation.  He speaks peace because they are so at a loss.  He speaks peace because they have found themselves in turmoil and confusion.  Jesus speaks peace to them because he is the peace they so desire and truly need.  Jesus brings peace to their challenged and hurt souls.  He speaks peace over his people with the love of one who was willing to give his life for them – even though they do not yet fully understand all this.  

    Peace is the most powerful gift when all we sense is fear and confusion and turmoil.  Peace can soothe the wounds of those damaged by hatred and anger.  Peace can heal the brokenness.  The peace of Christ can change everything in our otherwise chaotic lives.  Peace be with you.

    -Jesus breathes on them.  Now, this may not sound like such a big deal at first glance. Breath is something we take for granted until we struggle for it.  To breathe is something that happens automatically for most of us.  Until someone challenges us to stop and take a deep breath, we can easily just forget the value of breathing.  A breath can calm us.  But this breath changed everything.  This was not any ordinary breath.  This was the breath of God.  What happens when God breathes?  Life happens when God breathes.  To remind us of this, I want to go back to the beginning – you know, the ‘in the beginning’ stuff we see at the start of creation.  

    Genesis 2:4-7.

    God himself created, formed, shaped humanity – and breathed his own breath into us so that we might have life.  God’s breath is our life.  From the beginning, God’s breath has meant and brought life to the lifeless.  And here we are again.  

    Jesus speaks peace to them and then….and then he breathes on them.  God breathed on them once again.  What did he bring?  He brought new life through the Holy Spirit.  He brought forgiveness.  He brought love.  He brought peace and comfort.  His breath brought exactly what he had promised all along.  He told them earlier that the comforter, the helper would come.  He promised them the gift of the One who would lead them and bring them peace.  He promised to live within them.  And here he is, breathing new life into their weary, fearful souls one more time.  Life was really just beginning for those first disciples.  And God’s been breathing life into his children ever since.  

    Do you know what that means, beloved?  Do you understand what this means for us, followers of Christ?  It means we have been given life, new life through the breath of God.  We have been given peace in our most fearful situations.  We have been offered more than we could ever understand.  We are given breath so that we might have life – and have life more abundantly.  

    May a fresh wind of God’s amazing love bring you peace and life today.  May God breathe new life into you and your situation.  May you understand the enormity of his love, even in a small way, so that you might go from here and live.  Breathe on me, breath of God.

  • The Darkness of Friday, The Brightness of Sunday

    There are days that feel like the rain never ends and the clouds will not roll away.  We have a sense that we are in the comic strip where the cloud looms overhead and it is just on us.  But not all days will be like that.  It doesn’t continue like this forever.  It is the season of Easter and Sunday is coming.

    During Easter, so many Christians concentrate on the resurrection, the stone rolled away, the empty tomb.  But in order to get there, death had to happen.  In order for there to be a resurrection day, there had to be a crucifixion.  Jesus had to die.  He was gone, life was in him no more.  One that was loved and followed and adored died.  For those that loved him, it was a time of loss and deep despair.  Easter is first about death before it can be about life.  Thankfully, that was not the end.  Friday brought a thick darkness but Sunday’s light would overcome.

    What does that mean for those of us that grieve?  Easter reminds us of several important lessons we should carry with us:

    –We are not alone in our grief.  God understands what loss means.  He understands our heartache.  He understands our pain and despair.  He walks with us through our darkest times.  

    –We may go through many dark Fridays.  When someone we love so much has died, we often find we relive that experience…with all of the pain and sorrow.  We relive the loss and the wound is as fresh as the day our loved one left us.  

    –Sunday is coming.  In the Christian faith, Good Friday is remembered as a day of death, of crucifixion, of darkness.  Holy Saturday is a day of reflection, mourning, and waiting.  Sunday is celebrated for the resurrection of Jesus.  He overcame death and the grave so that we would have life now and for eternity.  Sunday is a time of celebration and excitement and thanksgiving.  Friday’s darkness is overcome with Sunday’s victory.  In faith, we are grateful that death is overcome because it gives us hope of something beyond this end.  It gives us a glimpse of light in an otherwise weighty, smothering darkness.  It is as if we are in a very dark room, so dark we cannot see our own hand in front of our face, and someone lights a match.  It is all that is needed to bring an overwhelming brightness to a very dark circumstance.  Friday does not have the final say.  There is a light in the darkness.  It is a hope that cannot be explained, but is so deep it cannot be denied.  

    –There are celebrations.  There will be days when the sun will shine and we will have the opportunity to celebrate the life we have been given.  While life will not be the same ever again, it will go on and there will be celebrations.  There are times when we will have a smile on our face, a joy in our heart, and an extra boost in our steps.  There will be times when we clap and sing and celebrate.  It may not be today…but Sunday is coming.  Easter reminds us that while we mourn, there is a glimpse in the darkness.  Just open your eyes a little…and let the light in.    

    Blessings,

    Brad Mitchell

    Aftercare Coordinator

  • Blooms Await – Grief Writing

    Spring reminds me of a time of miracles.  They are subtle miracles we may not even notice.  They happen without any interaction from us.  There is no requirement we pay attention.  It just happens and if we choose to tune in, we can be completely amazed.  Most of us simply move on.  But for those of us who are grieving, these undetected miracles are actually signs of great hope.  

    I am sure most of us have said how odd this year already has become.  Things were already out of sorts and it feels like they are coming back together very differently than we expected.  I can even sense it in my own home.  My Christmas cactus is currently blooming.  Yes, it is March and this is the first time it has bloomed twice in 4 months.  It is absolutely beautiful, but really quite odd at the same time.  I’ve just decided to appreciate what is before me and move forward.  No need to question it, just enjoy it.  

    It does remind me we will be seeing new life spring up all around us very soon.  There will be small buds beginning to appear on plants and trees which seemed to have no life.  What we did not see was the process happening in the roots, all beneath the surface.  Plants and trees were preparing to bloom once more.  They had promise and hope waiting to burst open at just the right time.  If they opened too soon, the frost would overtake them.  If they opened too late, the heat could become too much.  They have been preparing for this opening all winter long.  It will all happen at just the right time.  And we get a front row seat to the hope which awaits.

    It may not feel like it but God is working in you as well.  You may feel quite dormant.  You may feel lost or hopeless.  You may be experiencing so great a grief you wonder how you will take another step.  There is something happening within you.  God is helping you through your grief.  He is sheltering you from the storm. While you may feel like all has collapsed, he is really helping you to retreat until it is time.  

    Grief is so different than many of us expect.  There is no timeline.  There is no set ending.  There is no program we go through so we get our certificate at the end.  It is an experience.  We all experience grief slightly different.  We have unique connections to the ones we have lost.  We have our own ways we react.  Some may talk through their pain.  Others may stay completely silent.  Some may weep openly at any moment.  Others may never weep where anyone sees.  Some may seem to spring right back while others stay dormant for quite a while.  The most important thing to know is we all experience this differently.  There is no comparison.  There is no right or wrong way to grieve.  We shouldn’t impose our way of grieving on anyone else or expect ourselves to react like others have (or tell us to).  It is an experience we must go through.  

    No matter where we may be in our grief, there are buds of hope waiting to spring open at just the right time.  There are small miracles in our lives which help to soothe the pain.  There are gifts which we get to experience when we look around.  Blooms will appear, not too early and not too late.  We don’t go around opening up blooms on plants.  That would be devastating.  We can’t go around forcing ourselves through this grief either.  Hope awaits.  We will bloom at just the right time.  When we bloom, we will know God has been with us through it all.