SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

Tag: faith

  • Listening and Loving

    Listening – it’s one of our most difficult tasks.  This is especially true when we feel like we know what’s coming.  We are a part of a conversation and we know, we just know what the other person is about to say.  If it happens to be something we disagree with, we begin preparing ourselves for battle.  We can also find ourselves deafened by our anger over what is being said.  We don’t actually hear what the other person is saying.  We decide they are wrong, we are right, and that is that.  So we stop listening.

    We can find ourselves shutting out all the voices we don’t agree with.  If something comes our way, we quickly assess whether we want to continue to hear what is being said.  If it bothers us, we can just walk away.  The problem is we never really hear.  We don’t listen to the other person or group.  We simply label them with any label that will make us feel better about what we are thinking and how wrong they are.  

    Yet, the Bible teaches us to be quick to listen.  Listening is a gift we give to someone else.  We are taking our time to simply be present and hear.  This means shutting off our own opinions for a moment, and taking ourselves out of the situation to simply pay attention to the other person.  It is challenging.  And some of us won’t make the effort.  But for those who do…what a difference it makes.  When we pay attention, we may begin to see the humanity in another person.  We may see their fear or their hurt, their pain or their anger.  We may see they are not different than us, we simply have a different view.  Different views aren’t bad, unless they become how we define ourselves completely.  Different views and opinions are beautiful unless we belittle others who do not think like us.  We can have different views and different beliefs and still love each other.  Jesus did it his entire ministry.  But, it takes the extraordinary effort to genuinely listen and to love.  

    May we find ourselves quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger today.  And may that spark love in us like never before.

  • The Power

    It’s almost as if the earth shakes beneath me.  The whole room moves for just a moment, but long enough to get my attention.  There is no denying the power, it is electric.  As we approach summer, the hot and humid weather ushers in thunderstorms.  Most any day can be interrupted by the rush of a storm.  Today is no different.  Yet, today, it feels as if the thunder is erupting from where I sit.  The rumble, followed by a series of hard rain showers,  reminds me of the power our earth holds.  Circumstances change in an instant.  

    Our life can change in an instant, too.  One moment, it seems as if everything is moving along so well.  The next moment, a storm of difficulties seem to wash away all of our plans.  The rumble of disruptions can derail us.  What felt like a great plan falls apart way quicker than it took to compose it.  What do we do when the power of the storm seems to overwhelm us?  How do we adjust to the unpredictability of life?  

    Today, I’m thankful for shelter – a strong roof and a solid foundation which protects me, in some way, from the harshness of the storm.  In life, we have those shelters, too.  We have our faith, which reminds us of how we are never alone and just how much we are loved.  Our faith shows us we are children of God and despite the storms, we are held by almighty arms which will never let us go.  This is a strong foundation.  This is the peace which allows us to sit through the rumble of the thunder without fear.  This is the comfort that even when all else collapses, we are held.  

    My prayer is today you feel the protection from the storm, even when it floods your plans.  I pray you feel the comfort of arms extended wide, even when an embrace seems so unlikely.  I pray you feel the peace despite the turmoil which rages all around you.  And I pray you hear your privileged name, Child of the Most High God.  May it begin with me.  Amen. 

  • 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.