SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

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  • Called Out

    We have heard a lot about the church in the last few weeks.  Lengthy discussions have been carried out over locking up the church.  Many are angry that they cannot come to church in person.  As churches begin to reopen their doors, many changes must be made that will make church services unlike anything in the past.  It will not be the same, at least for now.  That makes many upset.  Singing carries issues farther than talking.  Shared hymnals can cause problems.  Even something as simple as opening a door can be potentially serious.

    All of this has certainly caused us to rethink church.  What is the church?  Why do we go to church?  How do we worship as a church in a way that is safe and protected for everyone?  What does the church even do?  Is the church necessary?

    Today’s scripture helps me to begin in the search for these answers, and I hope it begins to help you as well.

    Ephesians 1:15-23

    1:15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason
    1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.
    1:17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him,
    1:18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
    1:19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
    1:20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
    1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
    1:22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,
    1:23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

    Do you hear anything about the church?  I do hear an intent and purpose.  Look closer.  Listen to what is being said.

    Christ is above all – ruler, guide, all powerful.  He has immeasurable greatness of his power that is given to those who follow him.  And his power changes things.  He is the head of it all, and that includes the church. The church is his body – his vehicle for doing his work.  The church is about wisdom and growth and seeking but it is also about going and living and loving.

    Maybe we have been shut up in the walls of a building too long and have forgotten that to be the church is to live for Christ.  Maybe we have gotten so comfortable in our pews that we haven’t allowed ourselves to follow Christ when we leave those pews.  It could be that we have grown so accustomed to the way things have always been that comfort was all we were seeking.  Could it be that we have made the church more about us than about Christ?  Could it be that we have made church what we wanted it to be – comfortable for us to sit with a group of people that look like us and agree with us?  Maybe, just maybe this is our time to be the church.

    IF we are the body of Christ, that seems to be a movement forward – a carrying out into the world.  It seems to me that this would be living out the vision and mission that Jesus lived as an example.  I do remember him gathering in the place of worship, but I don’t remember that being the only place he went.  Actually it seems like he spent more time with those that were discarded and forgotten than those that claimed to be devout.  He spent more time loving those on the outside that had never experienced love before.

    Do not misunderstand me – there is great value in gathering.  Jesus did it.  He taught in the place of worship and spent time there.  We gather to gain knowledge, we gather to seek wisdom, we gather to pray together, we gather to worship.  All of those are vital for our spiritual lives.  We gather in community.  We gather in resources and gifts to carry further the cause of Christ.  But this is a gathering.  This is not the end all, be all.  Gathering is only part of the equation.  And I think that we have gotten comfortable with gathering only because it makes us feel like we are doing what we should do – it is a box to check off on our holy list.

    But what if gathering is to prepare us for something more?  What if we have been taught how to worship and now we are being called out to worship in the world?  What if we have been given what we need to go out and serve?  What if we are being called to live for Christ as a unified body that isn’t in a building right this moment?  What if we are so worried about not gathering in a building because it is the only time we serve?   Could it be that we have been called out for times like these?  Could it be that we have been equipped to be God’s people right here and right now?  Could it be that we are to serve faithfully until we gather again?  And might we be changed when we do gather to value serving in and out of the building?  Maybe it will make us uncomfortable enough that we don’t get too comfortable when we return to the building.  That might just be an important gift in it all.

    The writer of Ephesians helps us to understand that in knowing Christ better, our heart is enlightened, we are given hope, and we are given a spirit of revelation and wisdom.  We have been given what we need.  Are we serving with a heart for Christ?  Are we filled with hope?  Do we live in wisdom?

    We are in this together, church.  And I mean more than Trinity.  I mean THE church.  We are all in this together.  We have been given all the gifts we need.  We have been strengthened for service.  We have been given courage to do as Christ calls.  Until we can safely gather in this building, it does not mean you are free from being the church – unless you feel that being in this building is the only time you are a follower of Christ.  You are actually given a great responsibility to seek to serve in this time.  You are called to encourage, pray, study, and above all else – love like never before – not from a comfy pew but out in a world that is starving for Christ.

    We will gather again in a building…and when we do, I pray that God has so filled us with his power that we are even more eager to go back out.  I pray that our pews are no longer comfortable and our worship reminds us that we are in this together, for Christ.  When we return, I pray we return changed, challenged, and called.

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  • In Secret – Devotion 35

    Do good in secret.  Don’t let anyone know what you are doing.  Keep it to yourself.  Not even the recipient needs to know what you are doing.  Just go about doing good.  The point is not the recognition, it is the love that is shared – secretly.  Just do good.

    These are the lessons I receive as I read Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 6.  These sound so easy.  Just do good.  But for some many, these are really challenging words.  It isn’t the fact of doing good.  Most of us want to help others.  We want to do what we can to lift someone else up.  The issue isn’t the giving so much as it is the secret part.  We are not accustomed to this.  We are taught to put tags on gifts with the ‘from’ and ‘to’ sections filled out.  We are brought up to put our names on things that we donate.  It is important for us to have recognition for the good things that we do.  It helps us to feel better about what we have done.  If nobody knows what we have done, why do we do it?  Some even give so that they can receive recognition.  So the thought of doing this in secret is mind blowing.

    Yet, Jesus calls us to live differently.  He calls us to do things without any fanfare.  He asks us to give because we have been given so much.  He asks us to love our neighbor because it is an outpouring of love from God.  We are called to release the treasures of this earth for treasures that mean so much more.  Jesus calls us to give and the reward will be from him.  Nothing else needed.  No one has to know.  You give from the heart as he taught and only he has to know.

    Things might look a little different if we begin to live this out.  We might even find that there is so much more joy in giving secretly than we would have ever realized.  It just might be that giving secretly brings us closer to Jesus.  And, who knows, it might loosen our grip on this world’s treasures.

    Today, find a way to give in secret.  It doesn’t have to be big or extravagant.  It only has to be from your heart.  Give in such a way that only God knows it was you that gave.  It just might change the life of someone else (and you).

    Focus Scripture:

    Matthew 6:1-4

    6 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

    2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

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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

  • The Fun of a Sand Castle – Devotion 34

    I am not sure what it is about the beach that draws me in.  It could be the seemingly endless rolling waters that remind me of God’s great majesty.  It could be the peaceful sound of the waves that could put me to sleep in just a few moments.  The feel of the sand between my toes and laid back in a chair without a care in the world is always appealing.  Whatever it may be, there is definitely a pull for me towards the beach.

    Have you taken the time at the beach to build a sand castle lately?  It only takes a bucket and all of a sudden, you are a kid again.  You begin to dig ravines.  You may even compose a mote around the castle.  It can quickly become a family activity as everyone comes to put their own special touch on the production.  You can lose track of time when you are building a sand castle.  We get everything perfect.  We can be so pleased with our work – it may even be our best work yet.  But if we pause for a moment, we know what will happen.  Eventually the tide will roll in.  Eventually the waters will rise and will wash right over our creation.  So why do it at all?

    Building a sand castle is one of the momentary joys in life.  It isn’t meant to be permanent.  We don’t create to make a structure that will stand for all time.  That isn’t the point.  We are simply making something fun in the moment and allowing our creativity to take flight.  We are spending a little time in our day to just be in the moment.  We don’t do that enough in life.  We don’t spend our time on the frivolous, the simple pleasures.  But sand castles teach us to differently.  They teach us to spend time to build something just for the sake of building.  No long term investment needed.

    At the end of the day, the waters will rise.  I wonder, though.  Does the water destroy our creation?  Or does the water provide us a clean slate to build something else beautiful, if just for a moment?  I think we are given a smooth, clean slate that invites us to be a kid again.  We are given the opportunity to just have fun.  Nothing permanent, no investment needed.  Just enjoy the moment.

    Today, enjoy.  Simply find joys that can transport you to childhood.  Build your sand castle.

    Focus Scripture:

    Matthew 6:34

    34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

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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

  • Beautiful – Devotion 33

    That is so beautiful!  I cannot believe how beautiful this has become!  Look at how beautiful that is!  All of these expressions conjure up different images for us.  What one person sees as beautiful, another may not feel the same.  There is a saying ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’.  So what is beauty and how do we recognize it?

    Let’s begin by looking in the mirror.  I know, that may not be the first place many of us would look or consider finding beauty.  But, did you know that you are beautiful?  Really, you are absolutely beautiful.  Some may agree with that.  Some will not.  The majority will want to change something about themselves first.  But I am confident in my assessment that you are beautiful just the way you are.  Do you know how I can be so confident?  Because I know you are made by an amazing Creator that calls you his beloved.  I know that you are not a mistake.  I know that you are loved and adored beyond your wildest imagination.  I know because you are a creation of goodness.

    Yes, we have many flaws.  We have many things we would change if we could.  There could be a list of things we would do differently if we were the creator.  We probably wouldn’t make donuts have calories so we wouldn’t have a gut.  We might would make sitting on our couch a vital exercise to keep six pack abs.  It could be we would want wrinkles to disappear when we laugh.  It might become limitless on how we would change things.  But those things – those extra pounds hiding our six pack – those wrinkles that replace our smooth skin – these are all things which are on the surface.  God sees so much more.  He sees our heart, our love, our intentions.  He sees our kindness and our joy.  He sees us as we really are.  He isn’t worried about the things we spend so much time concerned about.  He loves us because we are his.  He loves us because we are, indeed, beautiful.

    So pick your head up.  Carry yourself with determination.  Smile – you are one of God’s beloved and he thinks you are beautiful!

    Focus Scripture:

    Colossians 3:12

    12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

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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 Not Fear – Devotion 32

    I have heard this phrase many times in my life – Do Not Fear.  These three simple words should take care of it all, I suppose.  Attached to the phrase may be “everything will be okay” or “there is nothing to fear but fear itself.”  I know these words are meant to be affirmations, a way of providing an assurance.  But if someone is telling you this, chances are you are fearful.  And if you are fearful, it doesn’t help a lot to hear you shouldn’t.

    Fear can be good.  It can keep us from getting into dangerous situations.  Our bodies may be giving us a clue that we are in an unsafe environment.  But not all fear is good.  We can become fearful to the point that it completely paralyzes us.  It keeps us from functioning and living.  There isn’t any one thing causing fear, it is simply where we find ourselves.

    Do not fear – I even hear this phrase from God.  His people are obviously fearful, often for very good reason.  It could be they are coming against an army or the enemy.  They might be fearful because they are taking on a new journey where the unknown is scary.  He tells this to people who are given new messages and directions.  For me, though, the key is not in the phrase – Do Not Fear.  It is what else is said and whom else is saying it.  If God is saying it, there is something to it.  When the Creator, Sustainer, and Life Giver says for us not to fear, we should probably take notice.  But that is not all.  He often continues…for the Lord, your God is with you (and often implied if not said).  And that part is the most important part for me.  That is the part that speaks loudest to my fears.  Not only should I not fear, but I should not fear because God is with me.  When I follow him, I should not be fearful because he is with me.  When I take on new challenges he has presented, I should not fear because he is with me.  When I am overwhelmed with life’s situations, I can rest in him knowing that he is with me.  That really means something.

    May God remind you not to fear today…because he is with you.  May you be filled with his presence and guided by the Spirit.  May you not fear, God is with you.

    Focus Scripture:

    Joshua 1:9

    9 I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

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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

  • The Fall of the Bird – Devotion 31

    As I understand it, birds learn to fly right from the nest.  Their first expedition is the flight into the world.  They do not need instructional videos or Powerpoint slides to teach the best way to get wind under their wings.  They just fly.  It is an ability God has given them from an early age.  And they have a community to help them as they soar into the future.

    This is all beautiful until it doesn’t work out.  Leo chases birds often – he was created to hunt.  I think that most birds in our yard tease him a bit.  They will land on the ground inside the fence or on the rail and just wait for him to come their way.  As soon as he gets close, they take off.  It is a game they have played over and over again.  I often watch, knowing what will happen.  That did not happen today, though.  I saw the bird in the yard.  I watched as Leo pointed her out.  He bent down in his stealth mode and he begins to creep forward.  This is the same scenario I have watched hundreds of times.  This time, though, the bird didn’t move.  I saw her squawk at him but not move.  Because I love nature, I rushed over to check out the bird and called Leo off of her.  He found her fascinating, of course.  It is his job.  I noticed that it was a small bird that was not yet prepared to fly.  She had apparently dropped out of a nest in the tree above.  And her parents and fellow community were flying around with desperate attempts to instruct her.  They were doing their best to distract Leo and hopefully save the little one.  She was screaming, mouth wide open for rescue.  I was able to get Leo away from her and she hobbled to safety.  Her little family greeted her on the other side of the fence.  For now, she was back with those that could care for her.

    Sometimes we fall out of trees before we are ready to fly.  We may have a community that loves us that tries to rescue us.  It may take an intervention for us to make it to safety.  It may be that God provides just the right person to come to our aid, to love us, and care for us until we are ready to fly.  If you have fallen from your tree, may you find rescue in the arms of the Creator.  He can teach you to fly once more.

    Focus Scripture:

    Psalm 31:1-3

    1 In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
    do not let me ever be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me.
    2 Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily.
    Be a rock of refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me.

    3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
    for your name’s sake lead me and guide me

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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

  • Sticky Rest – Devotion 30

    Observing what is going on around us just might bring unexpected surprises.  I enjoy sitting outside and just watching.  Some find that “people watching” is interesting.  But for me, “nature watching” is way more fascinating.  If we just take a few moments and look, listen, and feel the rhythms of the earth, we might be pleasantly awakened.  We may become entranced by the simple.

    Today, I find myself watching a tree frog.  To me, they are cute little creatures.  They are small yet resilient with an innate ability to cling to most any surface.  They can almost fly when they jump.  These are also all the reasons they frighten my wife.  She is always trying to avoid them while I am trying to watch them.  One tree frog found herself on the exterior wall of our house today.  She was probably leaping to get away from the dog torturing her.  But I noticed her as she made her way along the siding.  Around 8 feet up, she looked as though she effortlessly made her way.  She continued to move until she found just the right spot.  She actually disappeared from my sight (which is why I knew she was comfortable there).  She slid into the side of the window pane, unnoticed by other animals or passerby.  It was her safe space for the moment.  She could breathe, relax, and find reprieve.  She won’t be able to stay there forever – food awaits in other places.  But for now, she can simply rest.

    This taught me that rest is important, even vital for our survival.  Sometimes we simply need to find our safe space and settle there for a moment.  Sure, we will have to leave that space eventually – we will get hungry.  But we can find a moment of rest and peace we often so desperately need.

    Have you found your safe space to just rest?  Are you missing the value of a reprieve?  Is God’s creation speaking to you to take a time out?  May we find rest.

    Focus Scripture:

    Exodus 20:10-11

    10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.

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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

  • Joy Discovered – Devotion 29

    Leo has been my key to discovering joy.  He has such a vibrant personality and finds excitement in what I would consider the dullest things.  He loves to chase bugs, most of which he will never catch.  He finds pleasure in making lizards run around the yard.  If he finds a way, he will take something of yours and run around the house with it just to get you to chase him.  He doesn’t really want whatever it is, he just wants to see you work for it.  It makes him happy to be chased.  If you haven’t guessed, Leo is our 2 year old baby which also happens to be a dog.

    Recently we discovered something else that Leo loves.  Water is his new friend.  When we put water in the container outside, it is difficult to get any water in there because he is biting at it and putting his whole head in the stream.  He absolutely is all in when it comes to water.  My mom decided to hook up a sprinkler for him (yes, he has everyone doing something for him – he’s cute like that).  I cannot explain the joy he found with this new toy.  He chased the water round and round.  He jumped to reached it.  He ran up to it to take in the full experience.  He would back off and observe what was happening, and then jump back in for more.

    I don’t just see my dog running through a sprinkler.  I see one of God’s creation finding such joy in the simple experience of chasing water.  When we watch him, his joy is contagious.  We laugh and find ourselves joyful through him.  It is a beautiful shared time.  And it is found in something so simple.  All the parts of this joyful experience have been there all along.  We didn’t realize it until Leo.

    What joys are we missing?  What could be right around us just bursting forth with joy that we haven’t even noticed?  May God open up the possibilities of joy to experienced.  And may we dance in the sprinklers.

    Focus Scripture:

    Psalm 148

    1 Praise the Lord!
    Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights!
    2 Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his host!

    3 Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars!
    4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens!

    5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for he commanded and they were created.
    6 He established them forever and ever;
    he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.[a]

    7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you sea monsters and all deeps,
    8 fire and hail, snow and frost,
    stormy wind fulfilling his command!

    9 Mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars!
    10 Wild animals and all cattle,
    creeping things and flying birds!

    11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
    princes and all rulers of the earth!
    12 Young men and women alike,
    old and young together!

    13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his glory is above earth and heaven.
    14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
    praise for all his faithful,
    for the people of Israel who are close to him.
    Praise the Lord!

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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

  • Doing Right and Good

    Act like you know.  Make the right decision.  Do what is right.  Follow the right path.  You were raised to do better.

    We have all of these directives in our lives.  They are often vague.  What is right?  How do we know what is right?  What if we have been raised one way but haven’t actually explored any other way?  How do we know we are doing the right thing or even thinking the right way?  What if the way we have been shaped has so influenced us that we cannot see past that?

    These are all questions that help us to begin to explore doing the right thing.  If we aren’t asking the questions, we may take for granted what we know is the right way.  We may be missing what it means to be just and kind and loving if we are simply basing our decisions on what someone else has told us.

    It reminds me of when I am talking to people about a popular Bible story.  I will mention this story and they might mention…yeah, I remember when that happened.  What comes after that may not even be correct Biblically.  It may not be what is actually even written.  We can remember what people have told us in different ways than may actually be true.  It isn’t the fault the other person or of us.  We interpret what we hear based on our background and circumstances at the time.  It may be that we have learned some things completely wrong and have held fast to a notion that doesn’t really exist, except in our own minds.  We might be surprised if we took the time to read the Bible for ourselves and search deeply for what God is teaching in his Word.  Truly read it without trying to read into it what we think we know…that is the key.

    1 Peter 3:13-22

    3:13 Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?

    3:14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated,

    3:15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you;

    3:16 yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.

    3:17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil.

    3:18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit,

    3:19 in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison,

    3:20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.

    3:21 And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you–not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

    3:22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

    This scripture presents for me questions – Where does your hope come from?  Why do you have hope?  What is it about you that is so hopeful?  What is it that makes you different?  Why is your outlook so unique?

    All of these are based on a couple of things.  First, that we have hope.  And second, that others recognize that we have hope.  Those may seem simple enough but especially in times like these, we don’t often appear very hopeful.  We may appear more angry or disturbed.  We may appear more entitled or belligerent.  We could simply appear anything except hopeful.  But as followers of Christ, hope is a part of us.  It is a part of our lives.  It is a part of how we function in difficult times.  But in times like these, we are really pushed.  So where does our hope come from?  What about the hope that is living in us?

    We find genuine hope when we discover Christ.  Hope comes through Christ and in him.  Hope is found not in our circumstances but in the One who created us, loves us and offers us redemption.  We find hope in Christ.  He offers us hope because we can have a new life in him.  We can find forgiveness when we have gone wrong.  We can find joy where we thought joy was no longer possible.  We can realize that we are loved beyond measure because he loves us so greatly.  This gives us hope that things can be better.  This gives us hope that no matter our situation, God is with us and promises us a new way.  He did not come in anger.  He did not come in spite.  He did not come in fury.  Jesus came to us in love.  And through this, we find hope.  It is also how people can discover the hope in us – by the way we follow Christ.  We are to be known by our love.

    When our hope is genuine, we are often more compassionate because we are not trying to defend something we do not know…something that someone has given us.  We are not trying to create something or contain something that is not truth because we know the truth, and he has set us free.

    When hope is genuine, we do good because it is a part of us because Jesus is a part of us.  We do good by doing what he has called us to do.  Good and right are not defined by our standards.  Think about it – what I may consider good may be different than what you consider good.  What I may determine is right may not be the same as what you determine as right.  So to know what is good and right comes from following Jesus.  He knows what is good and right because he is.  He knows what love is because he is.  He knows how hope feels because he is.  So to know what is good and right, we follow him – not our ideals or feelings.

    As I mentioned last week, good and right does not equal superiority of one person above another.  It does not favor a race or an ethnic group.  Jesus offers true life to all and he sees what is in the heart, not what we see.  So hate, racism, sexism, or any of the like are NEVER a part of what is good and right.  If we are going to follow Jesus, we are going to find the good, but it might be in places we would have deemed wrong.  Be prepared to have our world turned upside down and some of the truths we have so long held to be taken down in favor of the truths of God’s Word.

    When hope is genuine, we will find that we listen.  We listen to God and how he is leading us.  We will listen to where he is guiding us and when he calls us out for our sins, our wrongdoings and our shortcomings.  We will also listen when he calls us his beloved, his child, his disciple.  When we listen, we will read his Word with fresh eyes.  We will hear his commands to love others with fresh ears.  We will live our lives with fresh perspective.  We will be challenged to follow what he has for us.  It will probably mean we begin to mend fences.  It will likely mean we find we have been wrong and ask forgiveness.  It may mean we make amends where we never thought possible.  We may even be convicted for things we held onto so tightly.  We may find we were wrong.  But in the end, we will find what is good and right.

    I pray that we begin to find hope.  May we live what is good and right and may our lives be changed.  May others see the hope in us and may we show them Christ.  And may it begin with me.

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  • Root Bound – Devotion 28

    Things really changed in just one short day.  I have a hard time believing it only took a day for them to shine, as if they had taken a long breath of thanks.

    Yesterday, I decided it was time to plant flowers in planters on the back porch.  I spend a lot of time there and my dog is at the age where he may not eat the flowers now.  So my youngest daughter took on the adventure of picking out and bringing home some new flowers.  She did a beautiful, colorful job of selecting just the right ones.  My mom came to help me plant them – we both love to dig in the dirt.

    I had two flowers that were inside that needed to be planted in bigger planters.  They needed a bigger home and to be outdoors to receive all of God’s goodness.  One of them, in particular, was looking very sad.  The flowers were dying out, as they always do at some point.  The leaves looked good, so I was excited to see how they might flourish.  If you have ever re-planted something, you know there is usually a time of transition.  It takes the plant a little time to get accustomed to its new home.  It may even look a little pitiful before it begins to take shape.  So this morning, I expected to walk out onto the patio and see some transitioning plants, especially the one from inside the house.

    What I found instead was that this plant seemed ecstatic about its new surroundings.  Even the seemingly dead flowers were standing tall.  It had taken on a new life.  The problem was the former pot was too small. The flower had become root bound.  It could not grow any longer.  It could not produce or even sustain what it had to offer because the life was held down so tightly.  It needed a place where the roots could spread out and life could begin anew.

    As I found such joy in the new progress of this plant, I found something similar in my own life.  In our world, we try to buy stuff and surround ourselves with things.  We feel like if we have one more thing or have the latest gadget, all will be good.  When we hold onto those things and continue to fill our lives with stuff, we may just be squeezing the life out of ourselves.  We may be trying to find life in things that are actually constricting our life.  We just might find that life is really found when we are not being smothered by objects.  They might be making us root bound.

    What might you need to get rid of in order to grow?  What things are holding you back from finding true life and joy?

    Focus Scripture:

    Matthew 6:19-21

    19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

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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