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Held in the Dark

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I heard a sermon in which the preacher included a story about his young daughter who recently began to walk and spoke only a few words. She’d just learned to close doors and was bent to close each one in the house. But she hadn’t yet learned to open them. The father was sitting on the couch and listening to the pitter-patter of her little feet. He knew where she was heading. Through the kitchen and to the interior laundry room where he knew there was no window. There she went straight into the laundry room and tested her new door-closing skills. Except, when she closed this door, suddenly she was shut inside a strange room in the dark and didn’t know how to get out. Of course the father followed her and before he rescued her, he heard quietly from the other side of the door: “ Dada…? ” It was one of her first learned words, and the way she said it could be summarized by her father as: Dad, are you still there? I got myself stuck. I’m in the dark, and I’m alone. Please help. But she wa...
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A Classic Case of Human Nature

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We see what we want to see and ignore all the red flags.   When you want something to work out so badly that you overlook potential dangers to make it happen. You discount the inner checks that tell you not to proceed. You might even hear a friend’s voice behind you say, “Go left not right.” Ach, if only you’d registered their words, listened, and gone left then you might not have experienced the drama, distraction, or frustration that erupted. And while God often protects us from greater danger even when we do make the wrong choice or bullheadedly push our will our way, we might not come out of it without some suffering.   I’ve been pondering lately on choices. The many times when I’ve done just that. I saw what I wanted to see and ignored the flaming flags warning me this isn’t the right thing, the right situation, the right choice for me. Yet before I know it, I’m involved. Or things get complicated the longer I don’t deal with something I know is less than ideal. When the ...
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GOD IS FOR THE UNDERDOG

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Based on the title, you might think this blog is about the  “Super Bowl LX”  since we’re close in time to the event, and that I’m a New England Patriots fan. Except, I was born in Seattle and loyal as a dog, so there. Go Seahawks! Nevertheless, I’m more into the Super Bowl for its commercials and the snacks. Sorry to disappoint. Instead, I got to thinking about a sign I saw along the road. I don’t mean a spiritual sign or vision. Well, maybe I do. We’ll see how this blog goes as I write while waiting on my car to get serviced that I bought used and have driven for ten years already. I’m starting to call her Old Faithful; she’s just like me (knock on wood). Anyhoo! So there used to be a sign along the road when I went anywhere. Because I live in an area where if you want to get basic groceries or decent gasoline, it requires a bit of a commute. There’s a main road that takes you one way or the other, in or out. I’m by no means in the boonies. I’ve lived in boonies a few times...
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Thrived? I Only Survived, and That’s Okay!

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At the onset of last year, especially among Christian communities, I heard the slogan: Thrive in 2025! And what a motivational concept. Who wouldn’t want to thrive? Last January I was excited. I was ready. Ready to thrive in 2025. To not just witness but experience a year that was new and fresh and prosperous. The notion became a regular refrain among the prophetic voices well into the months. So as I now look back at a year that has come and gone, I ask myself, “Did I thrive?” Well, that depends on perspective.   Increasingly, I’ve grown to understand that we must be careful with prophetic words or reinforcements when it comes to our current season of life. Because we all know that life is full of ups and downs, highs and lows, challenges and celebrations. In which of these currently are you? If it’s not your season to “thrive” in accordance with how I’d often heard others proclaim what thriving is supposed to mean (another inner checkpoint) or even meant for at this present time ...
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A Little Something About Animals (From a Biblical Perspective)

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While in a small group setting, several years back, a conversation turned to Noah’s Ark with the focus on human behavior and how humanity was eventually saved. Since we were also among horses, I casually mentioned how important animals are to God because look at what he instructed Noah to build for the sake of the animals and to repopulate the earth. The ark was estimated to be well over 500 feet long, close to 90 feet wide, and approximately 50 feet high. Some say it was close to the size of a football field and had the capacity to accommodate two of every kind of land animal…. or, from another perspective, at least 113,000 of one kind.   This immense size and purpose for saving the animals he created. Wow. Of course, with humans he reserved for the best, but he was sorely disappointed in this part of his creation, because we’d proven to be such willful and sinful creatures, and he wanted to start over. A fresh slate. With the animals.   Among our group, a couple said...
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A Life of Austerity and Softness

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I took a walk, and I don’t know what possessed me to stop at a certain moment, but I did and was instantly drawn to a single strand of Broomsedge grass. The words filled my head, a life of austerity and softness . In fact, I wasn’t sure the words weren’t audible. In my first reaction, I thought, Lord, are you speaking to me right now? My second reaction was how strange it was for these two words to be brought together, because they’re descriptive antonyms. They have opposite meanings. Austere refers to a lack of warmth, color, or empathy, while softness conveys comfort, richness, and compassion. And then, why am I looking at this stalk of Broomsedge? Why did I climb over a high-banked ditch to get to it? There must be a message here. I studied the stalk. Then I heard the words I knew were from a certain verse in the Bible. Fortunately, I had my phone with me, so I looked them up.   ~James 1:2-3: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many ...
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To the Socially Awkward: It’s Okay!

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You step away from a conversation, inwardly cringe, and think: “Ach, I shouldn’t have said that.” Later that night, as you lie awake dwelling on something better you could’ve— should’ve —said, it dawns on you that you just might be socially awkward. If not all the time, then maybe once or twice in life you’ve imagined a better verbal comeback or healthier line of encouragement after the fact. I’d had a week of those kinds of interactions. Although I’m naturally a reclusive introvert, I’ve learned to get along when I must. I don’t hate people; in fact, I love people how God has commanded us to. People are interesting. It’s just that I’m more of a thinker and observer. When I feel the need to say something, I prefer to spend time pondering it first. Anything abrupt isn’t usually my mojo; I don’t have the gift of gab. A one-on-one is great, or with a few I know well, and I can be quite talkative then. But add a few more or a group setting—especially among people I hardly know—and I can ...
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