SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

Author: J Brad Mitchell

  • The Gift of Others – Devotion 45

    It can happen when we least expect it.  That person…that particular person shows up just when we need them.  It could be the person that helps us when we have a flat tire on the side of the road.  Maybe it is the lady at the register that provides encouraging words.  The man that we pass on the street offers us help when our arms are full.  These people come at just the right time – as if God knew exactly what we needed at that moment.

    This happens in friendships as well.  We may be struggling with a decision.  We might find ourselves worrying about the next day’s tasks.  And that friend, you know the one, shows up.  It is the friend that calls or checks on us at just the right time.  The text arrives or the messenger dings with the words we are starving to hear.  These are gifts.  These are people that we value in our lives.

    I believe that as God hears our cries, our grief, our calls out to him, he answers us with those in our path.  He understands our pain.  He grieves with us.  And he provides the love we need through others.  He answers us through the gifts of others.  He answers us through his own beloved.

    These people are willing to walk in this way because they have been loved by God.  They have felt and been overwhelmed by his amazing grace and all powerful love.  When we are overflowing with love, it shows.  We are able to be a light for others we might meet.  We are able to be an answered prayer because we are listening for God’s direction.  We are seeking ways to love because we can’t do anything else.  We are loved and we love.

    Whether you give or receive today, I pray that God’s love would wash over you like a mighty waterfall.  I pray that God provides you love and that you share that love with others.  May we become a gift of God today.

    Focus Scripture:

    John 8:12

    12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • No Prayers – Devotion 44

    Distraught, grief, pain, turmoil, unrest, fear – these can lead us to a place where we do not know what to do.  We do not know where to turn.  We do not know what is next or who to call.  We do not always understand.  When our lives are turned upside down, we may feel abandoned and lost.  When we feel betrayed, we don’t know who to trust.  When we lose a loved one, we feel a void that is forever implanted.  When test results are pending and we await surgeries, we can find anxiety creeping over us.

    The answer that we may hear or may even think to ourselves is that we should pray.  We should take the time to pray about it.  We hear that if it is worthy worrying about, it is worth praying about.  But what if we have no prayers?  What if the words are not there?  What if we do not know what to ask for and we do not understand our situation?  What if it is so all-consuming that we are speechless?  What if we are struggling with who God is and where he is?  What if we are struggling with our faith?  What if God seems so very distant in our time of greatest need?  What do we do then?  We may know in our heart to pray, but that may not translate to words. It may seem empty.

    What if God hears us in our tears and our exasperations?  What if God walks with us in our silence?  Could it be that God understands that we are struggling with our faith and is simply with us?  God does not need our words, he hears our heart.  He doesn’t need us to have the correct things to say or the right ways to say them.  He doesn’t require us to pray a certain way.  Resting in him may be the only prayer we need.  He may just provide shelter from the storm, no words needed.  He feels our pain.  He has watched us struggle.  He knows we don’t get it.  And in those times, I find that there are no prayers needed.  Just to find refuge in him is enough.

    Today, no matter what you may experience, may God remind you he hears your cries and he provides a refuge.

    Focus Scripture:

    Psalm 61:1-4

    1 Hear my cry, O God;
    listen to my prayer.
    2 From the end of the earth I call to you,
    when my heart is faint.

    Lead me to the rock
    that is higher than I;
    3 for you are my refuge,
    a strong tower against the enemy.

    4 Let me abide in your tent forever,
    find refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah

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  • Press On – Devotion 43

    Our souls, our minds, our bodies can become so tired.  We can become weary and overloaded.  Life can feel as though it will swallow us whole if we just stand still long enough.  Getting up in the morning can be difficult and functioning through the day can require all our effort.  When we are constantly faced with grief, loss, injustice, and unrest, we feel the magnitude of it all.  It envelopes us to the point that we simply want it to all stop.  But often, it doesn’t.  Sometimes it doesn’t need to stop.  It could be a point of cleansing, a time of reframing, an opportunity to be molded.  And sometimes it is a time to simply be, knowing we are not alone.

    Success is measured in many different ways.  If we find ourselves tired and weary, success may look like one more step, facing one more day.  If we are overwhelmed with grief, success may be one more tear and one more memory.  If injustice is haunting us, it could be more time standing up for what is right and becoming a voice for those suffering injustice.  If we are beat down with depression and anxiety, success may be getting up, getting dressed, and taking care of at least one thing on our list for the day.

    We keep on keeping on.  We strive for a new day.  We work to see the promise of another sunrise.  We look forward to days when things will be different.  We press on to the calling that we have been given.  We seek some reprieve.  We look for those that are walking with us.  We feel the presence of the Lord who promised he would never leave us.  We simply keeping breathing…one breath at a time.  We press on.

    May God give you strength for your success today.  May you press on toward your calling.  May you know that you are not alone.  May you feel loved.

    Focus Scripture:

    Philippians 3:12-14

    12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal;[a]but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved,[b] I do not consider that I have made it my own;[c] 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 heavenly[d] call of God in Christ Jesus.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • Do We Value Life?

    Today, as I seek God’s word, I struggle.  I struggle with the right words – how do I speak in times like these?  What do I say when tragedies continue over and over again?  I understand my words do not matter – but God’s words do.  So I pray that in the myriad of words I will bring to you today, you will hear something from God.

    I can’t help but wonder….Do we value life?  Do we really value life?  Is one person’s life less valuable than another?  Does one person hold more value because of who they are, where they live, their status, their color, their sex, their sexual orientation?  Does this change the value of a life for us?

    Embedded in our society is the belief that some lives hold more value than others.  The events this week of one man killing George Floyd while handcuffed as he pleads for his life, just to simply take a breath, remind us that racism is still as real and alive as ever.  George Floyd’s life held no value to the one that held him down.  Regardless of whether he had a criminal record, what he had been arrested for or anything else, the bottom line is that his value as a person was diminished.  In our recent past, racism was out in the open – where one goes to the bathroom, where one sits in an establishment or on a bus, what access to education and employment – these were all out in the open.  It was apparent that white supremacy was real, obvious and prevalent.  Since that time, it is still prevalent but hidden…it has been taken out of plain sight.  Anyone can go to any bathroom supposedly or sit anywhere in theory – but you could be looked at differently, and potentially treated differently.  You likely won’t be made to move, just a general wish you had not come.  And let’s be honest, the only reason that this racism is in our face now is because someone recorded it.  If it had not been recorded, it would have likely been swept in someone’s drawer as a closed case in favor of the white man.  Racism is held under such a cover that it is only when exposed that we come face to face with reality.  And reality is, in this case, quite ugly.

    We cannot make excuses for what is happening.  We cannot pretend that it doesn’t happen.  When those we love around us are fearful for their lives and the lives of their children, it is way past time to act.  And as the church, we should know better.  We should be the difference.  We should stand out front and fight against racism and sexism.  But we are often the last to say anything – one because we often find racism in ourselves and two because we know those who are racist.  What this really says is that we do not value all life.  We hold that some lives have more value than others.  Because of the color of skin or the lifestyle chosen, there is more value?  I don’t need to hear stories of where white people have been hurt or where black people have done something to be seen differently.  Bottom line…heterosexual white people have privilege because of ingrained white supremacy.

    Yet, church, this isn’t at all what we are taught.  We are not taught a difference in the eyes of God.  We are not taught that one group is superior to another – or even that there are groups.  There are not divisions based on color.  Jesus never gave us an example of division among his created.  Yet, here we are again.   We are not taught to hate.  We are not taught to decide who is worthy.  We are not taught to judge someone based on looks or appearance.  We are not taught that Jesus loves one group more than the other.  We are not even taught that God loves America more than he does any other country or any other peoples.  We have taken that on – and I cannot imagine that God is pleased with hate, bigotry, racism, sexism, or any of the like.  This is God’s world, not simply God’s country.

    It may be that you are saying we don’t know the other part of anyone’s story.  I am saying we don’t need to.  There is never a reason to hate.  There is never a reason to discriminate.  There is never a reason for white supremacy.  There is never a reason to devalue life.  And again…there is never a reason to hate based on the color of someone’s skin, their culture, their background, or their sexual orientation.  Hate is not the answer.

    I hear in the scriptures this:  For God so loved…God created…The Holy Spirit came upon them…Power was given to them.

    For God so loved the world…the whole world.  We know the scripture and verse.  Many of us have said it since we were children.  We have it memorized.  Even if you have not attended a church, you have likely heard of John 3:16.  Yet we are not hearing John 3:16.  For God so loved the whole world that he gave Jesus.  God loved the whole world.  It does not say that God loved white skin – side note, remember Jesus was not white.  It does not say that God loved those that we think should be loved.  It does not say that God loves those who follow the rules.  It says that God loved the whole world…all of it…all of us.  Jesus was sent because of God’s great love for us.  To devalue a life is to devalue someone God loves.  It is to devalue someone that God sent his son to die for.  Money and privilege and skin color do not change God’s love.

    God created…God created humanity with his own breath.  He breathed life into us.  To take that breath away is to take life away.  To stop breath is to stop life that God has given.  To not see someone as God’s beloved is to take God’s creation and tell God he doesn’t love this life as much.  I don’t see that in God’s word.  But I sure see it in our world.  If we truly believe that God created, then we will work to have equal value for all of God’s creation.  No life is less valuable.

    Today is Pentecost Sunday.  This is the Sunday that we remember the day that the Holy Spirit fell on God’s people – something promised by Jesus as a guide and a comforter.  I want to direct your attention to the scripture where Jesus describes the Holy Spirit.

    John 14:25-29

    25 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 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. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

    This is a portion of the description that Jesus offers about the Holy Spirit that is being given to the believers.  In Acts 2 we see the fulfillment of this promise.  As believers, we hold that Jesus offers us the Holy Spirit.  We understand that when we choose to follow Christ, we are given the Holy Spirit to live in us and through us and around us as we seek to fulfill God’s will.  I think that most of us could agree.  But what does the Holy Spirit do?  If the Holy Spirit is living in us, we are guided, helped, taught, courageous, loved, and given peace.  If we are led by Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, I cannot see where we can be anything but love.  I cannot find where we can be anything but peacemakers.  I cannot see where there is room for hate or judgment.  I cannot find a place for racism or hatred or devaluing life.

    Christians, if we truly believe that God so loved the world…if we believe that God created…if we accept that the Holy Spirit is living in us…how can we tolerate hatred, racism, or the devaluing of any life?  I don’t see how those can be together.  I do not believe that God has filled us with his presence to make us feel superior or full of hatred or supreme to any other human being.  I cannot see how we cannot stand with our black and brown sisters and brothers in a time when there is struggle.  We should be standing with those that are hurting.  We should be fighting for justice.  This should be a time when we are showing that the world may be acting like fools, but the church stands with you, supports you, loves you.  The church should be leading the way.  Where are we church?  What are we doing in times like these?  Do we really value all life?  God created…God loves.

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  • For a Moment – Devotion 42

    This morning’s view was spectacular.  I wasn’t at a popular vacation destination.  I didn’t wake up in a new town or new venue.  I didn’t hear the sounds of waves crashing.  It was a quiet, rural road I have traveled many times.  It was an ordinary morning.  But for a moment, the view was remarkable.  It was a painted sky that was pulled together by traveling clouds on a windy morning topped by a slowly rising sun.  This time I was paying attention and I caught it.  I am sure I have missed similar on many occasions.  But today, I caught it and it was beautiful.

    I find that when I see views painted in the sky, my best option is to stop.  When I stop, I can take it all in.  I can allow the Artist to speak to me from his work.  I don’t need to do anything else, just stop.  Since photography is not my gift, it is never helpful for me to try and capture the painting in a snapshot.  It ends up looking like trees, skies and clouds.  And later I wonder why I took such a picture.  Instead of pulling out my phone to take the picture, I am better able to absorb the message when I stop.  It is unique and it was meant for that time and that place.  I can see the magnificence when I accept that it is only for right this moment.  It is better than trying to hold on to something that will soon pass.

    Life is like that.  We are given what seems like small fleeting moments that are really changing and shaping our lives.  We see milestones and we want to capture them.  We want them to last forever.  But they are given to us for just a moment – and wow is that moment life changing.  We want to hold on to people, times, events, experiences…we want them to last longer.  God has given them to us for right this moment, though.  So instead of wishing they would last forever, why not just stop…and allow the magnificence of this moment to wash over you?  Why not just enjoy this moment as if it may never come again?  We just might find ourselves extremely thankful for this day…moment by moment.

    Focus Scripture:

    Psalm 46:9-11

    9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
    10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I am exalted among the nations,
    I am exalted in the earth.”
    11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

     

  • No Words – Devotion 41

    For someone that writes a blog and speaks publicly, it is difficult to say that there are times when there are no words.  Words are used to describe beauty and strength, nature and awe inspiring views.  We use words to relay feelings of hurt and anger, along with excitement and joy.  Words can destroy another or can lift others.  But sometimes, words are simply not sufficient. There are times when there really are no words.

    Words often fail us when we are overjoyed.  The birth of a child is one of those moments.  We may use words, but there really are none to express the birth of another living being.  Words also fail us when we are grieving.  There are none adequate for the feelings we have when we lose someone we love deeply.

    The problem is not that there are no words for these times of our lives.  The problem is more often that we try to use them when we should not.  When we are supporting someone in their grief, it is often better to say nothing at all.  Simple expressions to let them know you are with them can be sufficient.  Presence means more than anything spoken.  Prayers that are offered are powerful.  But these do not require words.  Even our prayers can be offered in silent moments as we commune with God.  Sometimes there are no words.

    The events of these past few months and especially this past week leave me speechless.  I try to write and do my best to express my support and solidarity to those that are suffering.  I do my best to let others know that they are not alone.  I know that there are many that are struggling with sickness, grief, hurt, anger and pain.  I hear you.  Ultimately, I have no words that are adequate.  I simply offer love.

    Focus Scripture:

    Philippians 1 (selected scriptures)

    3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.

    9 And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10 to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11 having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

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  • A Peek of Hope – Devotion 40

    Hope can appear as a peek in the clouds on an otherwise dreary day.  It doesn’t need to be spectacular.  Just one open spot can shine promise of better times.  It may be all that is needed to survive the day that is otherwise weightier than a hundred rainy clouds.  It just might be the needed reminder that God has not left us to fight these fears alone.  This moment can sing a song with perfect harmony when all our chords are mired in tears.

    This glimmer of hope comes in the form of an ‘I love you’ note.  It is seen in a phone call to check on someone.  It is felt in dropping off money to someone struggling to pay the bills.  It is encouragement when no encouragement could be found elsewhere.  Hope is a reminder that you are God’s child, his beloved.  It is a smile, acknowledging someone’s presence that is often forgotten or ignored.  It really can be the smallest light that brings the brightest hope.

    You may be the vehicle for bringing hope to someone else today.  There may be a person on your mind today that needs to be reminded that there is still hope.  Take the time to help others see what God sees.  Encourage rather than tear down.  Love rather than judge.

    If you are struggling today, hear that you are not alone.  God has not left you in this fight.  There is a light shining in the distance, don’t give up looking for it.  May you feel the warmth of his presence, become wrapped in his love, and realize that you are a valued gift.  May hope appear to you today.

    Focus Scripture:

    Romans 15:13

    13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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  • Help My Unbelief  – Devotion 39

    We all struggle with unbelief.  Even the most faithful, lifelong Christians will confess to moments where they have struggled with belief.  It isn’t always easy to believe.  We may read that God is good and faithful and just.  And then we look around and wonder why our experience does not often match the goodness of God’s creation.  We may hear that God loves us but not feel all that loved.  We may see that God is at work in other people and feel as though he is not at work in us.  To struggle with unbelief is okay.  It means that we are not taking what someone else has told us and making it our own.  We are seeking God ourselves.  We are searching and aching for something more.

    In the Bible, there is a story which resonates with me.  A father is struggling with an illness that has debilitated his son since birth.  I can only imagine this father has spent days, weeks, months, years watching his son battle.  It must have been devastating each time he had an episode, never knowing if this is will be what ends his life.  I hear in his words desperation and fear.  He just wants to see his son healed.  To see his son in such torment is more than he can take.  He begs for help from the disciples.  They try.  They really do give it their every effort.  They do all they know to do.  It doesn’t work.  The wind had to be knocked out of the father, hearing one more time it was impossible.  He could not be healed.  The father meets Jesus and simply begs for mercy.  He is fine with pity.  He just wants help.  He just wants hope.  Jesus tells him belief is the key.  What comes next shouts from a place of genuine despair with a glimmer of hope.

    “I believe…help my unbelief” – I believe this can be better but I have tried everything and I’m so broken.  I believe there can be a better day but I haven’t seen a better day in so long I don’t know if it is still possible.  I believe this is my son and I love him but I’ve loved him since birth and this hasn’t changed anything.  I want to see a new day, a new life, a new opportunity…help me as I wrestle with this unbelief that has overwhelmed me for so many years.

    Help me with my unbelief.  This is my prayer.  When we see tragedies happen…when we see loved ones struggle…when we find ourselves without words and searching for an ounce of hope…help me with my unbelief.  When we don’t know where God is through it all…help me with my unbelief.  When we just need a word to remind us we are not alone in this…help me with my unbelief.  When we simply do not see that anything will ever get better…I believe, help me with my unbelief.  Help me…Help.

    May God answer our prayer…with hope, love, and healing.

    Focus Scripture:

    Mark 9:21-24

    21 Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

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  • Ordinary People – Devotion 38

    Do you ever feel like you just don’t belong?  Ever find yourself lost in the crowd with the idea that you should not be there?  Most of us can relate to feeling quite ordinary, even unworthy.  We can feel unworthy of God’s love.  We can feel unworthy in the church or around church people.  We can feel as though we have no place even despite the search.  We can even feel that way when we read the Bible.  When we read about the faith of Moses (although not as great as we want to make it – just read it)…or we hear about the heart of David (also not as strong when we read his whole story)…or we consider the patience of Job (he didn’t endure without great struggle and never fully got answers to his questions) – we think we are unworthy.  We can’t be like any of them.  I would say we are more like them than we want to believe.  But, even if they seem out of reach, I find myself at the table with Jesus.

    Jesus spent time with ordinary folks, people like me.  He spent time with the people who knew they were not perfect and struggled to get it right, a lot.  He ate with people who needed more than a meal.  He loved people who didn’t realize God would ever see them, much less love them.  He invited people in who thought the invitation was only for the righteous (or self-righteous as many who thought they were invited were).

    In the focus scripture today, I find myself.  I realize that Jesus does have a place for me at the table.  Despite what the world thinks of me, I have a place.  Regardless of my past or how many times I have struggled, the chair is there for me.  And it is there for you too!  Here it is: “And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples.”

    Do you see?  The sinners that were invited – those were sinners from everyone else’s perspective.  Jesus saw more.  He sat down to dinner with many people that would have been considered invaluable.  He saw value where the world did not.  He welcomed ordinary people.  He welcomes me.  And he welcomes you as well!  Come, sit down at the table – ordinary people invited.

    Focus Scripture:

    Matthew 9:9-13

    9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.

    10 And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • Love THAT neighbor – Devotion 37

    When we consider loving others, our minds can easily be drawn to loving those around us.  We may find our focus on loving those we come in contact with on a regular basis.  They are the people in our circle, so to speak.  And some of those people, even though they are around us, can be really challenging to love.  It could take all you have to simply tolerate them, much less love them.  And we hear Jesus teaching us to love one another.  So we think he is probably pushing us to consider loving this person that really grates on our last nerve.  But what if that is only scratching the surface of the type of love he is describing?  What if that is just the beginning and we have considered that the ultimate?  What if we are missing what it really means to love our neighbor because we get hung up on the people that we struggle to spend five minutes with.

    One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the one of the woman at the well.  She is struggling.  She is seeking, even if she doesn’t realize it.  She is searching to be seen and loved.  She meets Jesus.  Jesus isn’t like her.  He isn’t from her group, her tribe.  He is a man.  He is a religious teacher.  He is everything that she is not.  And so there is no good reason for Jesus to see her, much less talk to her.  But Jesus goes beyond both – he sees her, he talks to her, he loves her.  He sees her value and her worth. He offers her all she is seeking and more.   He offers her life.

    The key for me is this woman is not at all in Jesus’ circle.  She is from a different region.  She is among the despised.  She is a woman with a questionable reputation.  She would be anything but his neighbor.  We might think that Jesus should worry about loving the 12 knuckleheads he called to follow him, and that would be challenging enough.  But Jesus sees this woman and loves her.  Oh, he loves the 12, but doesn’t stop there.  So why should we?

    It just might be that Jesus is calling us beyond our circle.  To love others may be a call to love those not like us.  It might be that loving others is a call to love those that don’t look, behave or believe like us.  These might be just the people we are called to love.  Who is outside your circle that you can begin to love?

    Focus Scripture:

    John 4:5-9

    5 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery