Quiet

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10- NIV)

I used to hate the quiet. It felt uncomfortable. I needed noise. I remember when I was in school and had homework to complete. Instead of isolating myself from the rest of my family, I would turn on the television and do my homework in front of it, with all my books littered across the living room floor. It helped me to concentrate. Or else I would play some music. The noise helped me be more productive.

I remember visiting my grandparents and how much they actually like the quiet. And the dark. Picture this; my grandparents sitting in silence, not speaking to each other while they stared out the window. As the sun faded and it was about to become too dark in their living room to see, they would finally turn on the lamp. And just like a scene from a movie, the only noise at their house was a grandfather clock and you could hear the slow ticking sound with the occasional chime, marking the hour and half hour. And they seemed to be liking it.

So, fast forward a few decades, and I catch myself sitting in my living room without a sound. No television, no music, no phone, looking out the window. But, not in the dark- I can’t do without the lights! And I am finding that I am starting to like it too just as my grandparents had. Why? Maybe my age? Maybe I’ve had too much noise before? I’ve raised three kids before after all! I’m not sure exactly. But, I do know it does wonders for my mental health. Maybe the older generations knew something they we don’t.

It isn’t always easy to be still. I want to keep busy. To keep distracted. So I don’t have to stop and overthink. To overthink and attempt to solve all my problems. This overthinking and solving becomes consuming at times and adds to my anxiety and stress. Sound familiar to you too?

The more I think the more I get stressed and worried. If only I could be quiet and not over think so much. Awe…. I get what my grandparents were doing…..shutting out the world’s noise……and being still. Stopping to enjoy the moment in silence. To stare out the window and view God’s creation and admire it. Maybe to reflect on days past, but not to be so busy they couldn’t stop and turn off the noise.

The verse above is from the Book of Psalms- one of my favorite book of the Bible. I researched the verse a bit further and found that in some versions, the verse reads “Stop fighting and know that I am God” (Christian Standard Bible) Interesting.Verse nine from the passage speaks about God’s destruction of weapons of war and of causing wars to cease. And then verse ten tells the audience to stop fighting. Verse eleven explains that God is with His people.

Did you notice it too? God ends the war and destroys the weapons and then instructs the reader to stop fighting, or be still and know that He is God. He is with His people. God had stopped the war, but the readers needed to be reminded to stop fighting. To be still. Isn’t it just like us to keep fighting in our minds, even though the war is ended? God’s got this, but we seem to forget that fact. No matter how much we keep warring in our minds- ie anxiety and worry, God is God and He knows our fighting with our own thoughts won’t change anything. That might be a stretch in interpretation of the verse, but God’s commanding the reader to be still and stop fighting seems to fit. Be quiet. Shut out the noise. Shut down the anxiety. Just let our minds be quiet. So we can reflect on God and His goodness. To stare out the window and see His creation. To see the goodness in what He has done for our enjoyment.

When we quiet ourselves, something else happens; we can listen for His voice. The still, small voice of God, guiding and directing us. Helping us. Don’t let the noise and busyness drown Him out. – God Bless – Nancy

Carrying A Burden

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light– Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew 11:30, NIV

Sometimes I try to carry too much at one time. This usually happens when I am either loading or unloading clothes from the washer or dryer. Or as I grab all the empty food bags or half empty fast food drink containers. Most of the time it works out. But, then there are times when I leave a trail of clothes on the laundry room floor or spill my half full drink as I juggle the bags, packages and my purse. I usually either drop the empty bag full of used food wrappers or I spill my drink. My phone is usually in my hand also, so the sacrifice of a dropped bag is a much better choice than dropping my cell phone. But, why is it always the clean sock that fall from the laundry basket?

I realize that I needed to take more trips from the car and grab fewer clothes. But, in my hurry and overconfidence I had tried to carry it all at one time. I realize that I tend to do the same with all my stresses as well.

I want to carry it all and figure out how to solve each and every problem, or perceived problem I encounter. I say perceived because if there isn’t a problem, I can sometimes find one because I tend to overthink everything. And I also tend to solve others problems- even if they too do not realize they have a problem. Any one else do the same?

I need reminders daily that I do not have to carry everything by myself. I do not have to solve each and every problem or stressful situation. And more importantly, I do not have to believe that they must be solved quickly. I have to be reminded to turn them over to Jesus and ask for His help. I need Him. I am not designed to go it alone, carrying it all.

I remember hearing a sermon once about taking Jesus’ yoke upon us. It might sound like a burden, but in reality it is Jesus who bears the burden and we are just attached to the yoke alongside Him to be guided by Him. Only one side of the yoke needs to do the pulling. If we try to pull it our way we will struggle. If we let Jesus lead, He will take the burden.

It sounds simple to do, but when left to ourselves we tend to default to carrying the yoke alone. We don’t want to admit we need help. We all need reminders that Jesus promises help and sent the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us even when we are so over burdened that we do not know what to pray. May this be a reminder to you today, to give your burdens to Jesus. Let Him direct and pull the weight. There is no need to figure it all out yourself.- God Bless, Nancy

Guardians of the Synapses

Overwhelmed. Exhausted. Anxious. Fearful. Pushed past the breaking point. Done. I’ve heard others recite these words, and also myself. There is a sense of uneasiness that seems to have arisen since we have all made it through the worldwide pandemic. It has felt as if the world has turned upside down and hasn’t righted itself yet. Many people I hear from are feeling very anxious. It is as if we are waiting for the next “bad” thing to happen, whether a disease, recession, war, or another type of violent act.

This anxious feeling has not spared people of faith. Mental health issues affect those without faith and those with faith. The only difference is that help can come from both the church and from professional mental health workers. Mental health is not a secular issue with secular solutions. It is a human issue that God understands and offers help for.

This isn’t to make light of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, but rather to realize God actually cares about these issues. The Bible speaks about anxiety, fear, worry, and the healing and peace that comes from following God’s ways. It speaks of taking hold of every thought. It speaks of shifting our focus from ourselves to God. And of practicing meditation on God’s word, bringing our requests to God, leaving them with Him, and offering thanksgiving.

Here’s an example;

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6, NLT) The result is this:

“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7, NLT)

And Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34, NIV)

Solomon in his wisdom made this observation in the Book of Proverbs, “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” Proverbs 12:25, NIV)

These verses are just a few of the ways the Bible speaks about anxiety. And this isn’t to make light of anxiety, but to point to a God who understands and cares about us, His creation.

God has given us wonderful bodies that can do amazing things. We have emotions and feelings. We have minds that have powerful abilities to control body functions in milliseconds that we are not even aware of consciously. Our brain is amazing and has been shown to grow and change with new research into neuroplasticity. We have truly been fearfully and wonderfully made. Our thoughts can overwhelm us and bring about neuro and physiologic responses. Some responses mimic heart attacks and are so convincing it sends many to the ER.

Our thoughts are wonderfully executed blends of chemicals, neurons, dendrites and synapses. This is according to my brief research from Google. I’m not a brain expert, but just someone who wonders how it all works. And it all is amazing. And powerful.

The good news is that we don’t have to go it alone whenever we feel overwhelmed and our synapses are all firing randomly. We can find a peace from God. We have this amazing ability to stop and breathe to get ourselves and our minds back down from the over firing of neurons.

Studies have shown that prayer and meditation can lower our heart rates and blood pressure. Reciting Bible verses that bring God’s peace and hope can help us to shift our focus off of the fears and toward God. Stopping our thoughts from wandering toward the negative can be done by stopping and making a list of our blessings. A gratitude list can do wonders for our attitudes. It is hard to complain when you are thanking God for all He has done so far. This attitude of thankfulness reminds us of all the times God has come through for us, or has gotten us through the tough times before and we stop looking at the storm around us and fix our gaze on Him.

We can not stop the stress of the world from affecting us, but we can limit its affect on our minds and bodies, by guarding our thoughts and shifting them to God when they start to go south, into a place of overwhelm and worry. -God Bless You – Nancy

Who Are You?

Sometimes I ask myself this question when I find myself at some sort of impasse. I want my circumstances to change or maybe for others to change so I can proceed. So I can move forward. This soul searching often times yields some interesting answers. My mind drifts into the what ifs. And considers what I might do if I were only smarter, richer, happier, friendlier, or more content. If only I were someone else, then maybe I could handle life better and move through this impasse. But I am me.

I let my mind wander further and imagine what I would have done differently when I put myself into a movie I am watching or a book I am reading. It is easier to feel smarter then. We can anticipate the ending of the story line and shake our heads at the miscalculations of the characters. It makes us feel smarter and confident that we would handle the problem or antagonist better than the hero. We seem to be able to handle other people’s problems better than we handle our own.

We believe that we would know what to do until we are faced with a problem personally. Then it is different. We are not sure what to do so we make the best decision with the information we have. Sometimes we will succeed and at other times we will only make things worse.

We really are no different than the characters in the movies we watch or books we read. As a viewer we can fast forward, or as a reader skip to the end of the book. But, in life we simply cannot.

This question plagued me further this week as I considered Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Both of which fall on the days leading up to the writing of this post. It made me stop and consider whether I would be in the crowd on Palm Sunday or with the group, only a few days later, when Jesus was condemned to die by crucifixion.

It would be too easy to say, “Of course I would have recognized Jesus as Messiah, the long awaited Yeshua, riding on a donkey into Jerusalem. I would be waving my palm branch and yelling Hosanna!” Maybe I would have had I been there. It is what the Jews expected. A triumphal entrance of their king, the one to sit on the throne of David. The years of oppression would be ended ad they would be free. Or as they thought it would be. They hadn’t anticipated a crucifixion and a resurrection as a way to salvation, not only for the Jews, but also the Gentiles.

A few days later, as we know, the crowd’s chant turn to “Crucify him” and “Give us the other prisoner, the murderer, as a gift for Passover.” We know this because we have watched the countless portrayals of Easter, and read the end of the story in the Bible.

But if we are honest, how many times is it much easier to praise and raise our hands when we see Jesus working in our lives as a triumphal King. We celebrate and praise. We post on social media for our answered prayers. And rightly we should. But, isn’t also like us to get frustrated when prayers go unanswered? Do we praise then? Or if we are honest we really have no answers, only more questions. Who are we then?

People who celebrate and praise and yell Hosanna and then turn into the angry mob a few days later? We try to convince ourselves that we would never be like that. But, in a way in our own times and own circumstances we might be exactly like the people who lived a long time before we arrived on planet earth. Human nature hasn’t changed.

Who are we then? People that God loved, both Jew and Gentile, from every background and ethnicity. People who He was willing to save. People who He knew would continue to make mistakes and mess up, but whom He would send His very son to die for. People who might praise, and also get frustrated. People who impatiently wait for His return. Who are we? His beloved. And that is enough.

Still Counting

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds– James 1:2, NIV

So, maybe if you are like me, there are a few Bible verses that I know and have memorized, but which give the most difficulty to follow. Like the one above from the Book of James. I first memorized the verse as “Count it all joy” I like the word consider better. But still. I really struggle to consider any type of trial as a reason for joy. James tells us why we should as he continues in verse 3; “because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.…” Okay. I get it. Our modern version of the verse might read, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That part I understand. We go through trials and struggles and we get stronger. But counting it s joy is my struggle.

Another version of James 1 reads”My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.”( NKJ) It always seems as if we are falling into trials. It is not something we desire, it just happens. And the word fall describes how I feel sometimes; like I am losing my footing; my security and falling into misery and a stress out state. It is difficult to feel joy when you are completely stressed out and anxious.

Struggles hit us all. Trials, as James writes. He knew then as we know now- human nature and its struggles hasn’t changed much- life is full of trials, struggles, and difficulties. We all could come up with a fairly long list of the stuff we have had to deal with in our lives. We surely can count those. But joy? I need to be deliberate about that one. Can I really count them and place them under the heading of “joy”?

But, what James was getting at is the opportunity that these struggles give us to draw closer to God. We are probably more drawn to prayer when we have problems we want help with. We get overwhelmed and cry out to God. As we call out to Him, we are placing more of our trust and faith in Him. We realize our struggles are more than we can bear on our own. When life is going well for us, we forget how much of that is not our own doing, but the grace of God. But, trials and struggles can be God’s grace as well if it draws us closer to Him. He desires this close relationship with us and wants to grow us into the people He created us to be; stronger when we are leaning on Him and fully focused on Him, and not on ourselves.

Trials and struggles will come and go in this life, and over the years I can look back and realize that during the most difficult times in my life are the times when I spent more time reading the Bible and praying and letting God grow and stretch my faith. We cannot escape the difficulties of this life, there is no way to avoid them. So for now I will keep trying to count them as joy, even when I don’t understand the joy yet. -God Bless You- Nancy

Things I Don’t Understand

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy- Proverbs 31: 8-9, NIV Bible

I admit that I had to look twice today when I saw the verse above in a Facebook post. Wait, I thought Proverbs chapter 31 was about the wife of noble character, I don’t remember this part. I squinted at the Scripture reference and yup, it listed Proverbs 31. Hmm, didn’t know this was part of it, let me check it out. And Yes, it is Proverbs 31: v 8 and 9. And yes it is important.

The post I saw today was referencing the 18th anniversary of the forced death of a young woman named Terri Schaivo. It was a great tragedy and injustice for her family. She was a woman who after an injury had been bed ridden, receiving her nutrients through feeding tubes. Her husband no longer wished to take care of her and won the right to withhold food and water from her, which ultimately ended her life two weeks later.

I remember this drama as it played out on the news. The parents fought for the right to continue care, but sadly lost the legal battle. I wish I could say that this is an isolated event, happening years before legal rights and inclusive rights became a buzz word.

But, it keeps going on, turning a blind eye to the rights of the loved ones involved in cases such as these. Parents of children with compromised physical and or intellectual health have little to no rights in protecting their children. It is as if we as a society have returned to the days of the Roman Empire, when unwanted children could be left out on rocks to perish to the elements.

I really have a difficult time understanding this lack of compassion, especially towards children. And those who are disabled or medically vulnerable. This hits me personally in many ways. I have learned that modern medicine is very much profit driven, rather than compassion driven. And I volunteer with a group of intellectually challenged adults, who amaze me everyday. To think that a court could decide whether they have worth or value is beyond my scope of understanding.

I just don’t understand. The cruelty of people. The greed of some. The heartlessness of others. Rules and legalities should be beneficial and protective, but it seems at times the only ones benefiting are the greedy, proud, and selfish. They turn a blind eye to the cries of the poor and helpless. They protect big business and the rich.

But as long as I am able, I will take the advice of Proverbs 31 and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Humans were created with value, purpose and worth. We are all made in the image of God. Let us not try to wipe out these images. They are loved as much as whole, healthy people. Let us speak up, protect, and support the families of those who are physically and intellectually vulnerable. Whether young or elderly. Let us not forget the evil being done, yet forgive. Let us pray for those who put profit over patients. I may not ever understand the depth of depravity or self deception it takes to purposely end a life, but I keep hope that someday this practice will end.- God Bless You- Nancy

God’s Move

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.– Paul to the Galatians, (Gal. 6:9, NIV)

So, I’m not that great a waiter. No, not the kind that serves hungry people at restaurants, but a wait-er. A person who waits on God to make the next move. You might call it patience. I kinda run short on it. I can be short sighted at times and start to convince myself, that any current situation I might find myself in is taking way to long to do one of two things: change, or resolve.

I might be waiting on finding a full-time job, resolution from a financial issue, or healing for myself, or a loved one. If you’re like me you can probably fill in your own thing you are waiting for; I am waiting on God to __________, in my life. You might keep asking God to either change or resolve your current situation. And you wait. And you do what you can to change your circumstances. But then you wait. And wait some more. After you realize that you have exhausted every chance to change or resolve your issue, you turn to God and wait.

Last week, I learned a valuable lesson on waiting. You see, after awhile of following this pattern : 1)ask, 2)wait,3) try it on my own, 4) resign back to waiting on God’s move, I finally understood, that I really do not understand God’s timing or His ways at all. He might move quickly, or very slowly. It is all up to Him, not me.

So, how did I learn to just wait?I was stuck waiting for a bus at a popular amusement park. (the kind that run between hotels and the park) And I wasn’t alone waiting for this particular bus, but rather accompanied by about fifty other weary park visitors.

When my husband and I walked towards the bus stop, I quickly realized that there must be a problem with the bus. I had been to this particular stop before and knew the route. It should be a quick ten to twenty minute wait with usually a handful of others waiting for the bus. It was a continuous looping route every twenty minutes.

But, with the 50 plus people trying to cram into the stopping area, I knew something was wrong, and we would be waiting for awhile. As we approached the stop and find a place to stand, I noticed a woman on her cell phone. She was calling whoever was in charge of the buses and complaining about the delay. She ended her call and turned to me to let me know that she had requested two buses be sent. I didn’t know her, but she felt the need to confide in me of her actions, so I nodded my head as I listened to her complaints. I realized she wasn’t very happy (although it was supposed to be the happiest place on earth!) with the situation as she kept talking to those around her and voicing her displeasure with the bus company.

I saw a bus finally approach and the crowd began to push together like a swarm of bees around a new hive. My husband and I decided to stay back and wait for the next bus as common sense told us it would be impossible to fit everyone in the small bus. I also noticed the security guard from the amusement park quietly walk in front of the bus and call from his cell phone.

It was quite the scene as the impatient horde of bees tried to push and squeeze their way into the bus. A few had to step off the bus, because there was simply no room at the inn, or the bus, that is.

I watched as the over filled bus pulled out from the space, drove past us and I prepared myself to wait. Though my feet were tired, I looked around and saw others who were tired as well, but they, like us had stayed back, to wait for another bus. And to our surprise, the second bus, pulled right in behind the first. Amazing.

Now there were only about eight of us, for some had given up waiting at the stop, once they saw the bus fill up. None of us could see the second bus approaching, being hidden by the crowd and the first bus. We all gave a cheer and boarded the spacious bus. All eight of us. We made it quickly back to the hotel and pulled in front of the first bus, that was still unloading the swarm of people. We actually went through the entrance of the hotel, before many of those on the first bus.

Amazing. I wouldn’t have thought the second bus would get us to the hotel first. It wasn’t logical. It didn’t make sense. But that’s what God showed me. That sometimes we try to make our circumstances change, like the lady on the phone. It’s true she did call for another bus, but I wonder if it wasn’t really the security gentleman on his phone that moved the bus along. I also believe maybe he was aware of the disgruntled passengers and was there just in case it got out of hand.

The woman with the phone got lost in the crowd, but I think she got on that first crowded bus. She was probably happy with herself for calling in and complaining as she rode the crowded bus to the hotel. But I wondered if she was still on that bus as I walked into the hotel, past the still full bus.

I’ve been like that woman. Trying to fix the wrongs of the world, making things happen on my own, in my own strength, in my own timing, believing that I was getting somewhere, when in reality I was actually slowing my progress.

I have waited patiently before, and given up on waiting, like the people who walked away from the bus stop when they saw the first bus full. It’s not coming, so I’m going somewhere else. Patience is a virtue they say. I say patience is rewarded. God will move.

We can’t see His ways sometimes, as we are too focused on our own solutions to our problems and situations. We grab the first bus, because we don’t believe another one is coming. But, then, there it is, just behind the first. It isn’t always like that to be sure. It might take years, not a few minutes, like in my bus story.

That’s the main point to remember, we can’t see our circumstances as God sees them. Waiting on God’s move is hard. But, when He shows up, it’s amazing. There’s no struggle, no pushing, or shoving, it’s not standing room only, but a seat by a window. – God Bless You, Nancy

Crossing The Line

When I was a young girl, I remember reading a book titled’ The Emperor’s New Clothes”. It was funny to me at the time that a person, (the Emperor) could let himself be so caught up in what others thought, that he ignored the obvious, that he was naked, until a little boy from the crowd told him the fact. All his advisors and his clothes maker, told him that his new suit was so fabulous, that only the most sophisticated people would be able to see it. Fearing that if he, the Emperor, admitted that he could in fact NOT see it, would mean he was not sophisticated, he went along with the clever opportunist clothes maker.

If we were in a similar situation, would we tell the truth, risking our own reputation, or remain silent? Would we be willing to speak up when something we saw crossed the line of decency? Would we know if something crossed the line? Or have we become too desensitized to it, that we wouldn’t even recognize that there was in fact a line, and that it had been crossed?

We might be quick to answer, that we would never, but yet slip up and not notice when a line is crossed. We might claim artistic interpretation when we sit and watch a streaming show, or view movies, that would be called into question, so that we could not incriminate ourselves. We, like the emperor, do not want to admit we do not like what we see for fear of not fitting in with the crowd.

I was recently at a screening event for short films. It is something I enjoy and look forward to every year. My companion, my son, also a filmmaker, and I had selected a set of movies that we wanted to view and settled down into our sit in the crowed auditorium. The lights dimmed and the movie short began.

We were lulled into the movie with its interesting camera angles, characters and imagery. And then something so bizarre happened that it left my son and I shaking our heads as we looked at each other.

On screen, a young boy, aged 11, according to the script, flashed onto the screen with a pool of blood leaking onto the carpet from a slashed stomach and on the floor a pair of scissors. It was a horrific scene of an unfortunately common sight in our world. My son had known it too eerily similar, as he had once been in situation in which his roommate attempting suicide by slashing his abdomen. My son, covered in his roommates blood, intervened and saved the man’s life, driving him to the hospital.

But, then it happened, part of the crowd actually laughed. Yes, that’s right, laughed. When the woman playing the boy’s mom collapses, another burst of laughter. It wasn’t the whole crowd, as others, around us also let out quiet gasps, at the sight of the apparent death of the 11 year old and the collapse of the mom. But, the majority were laughing. The boy had actually, been staging the suicide, but in a twist, reaches for an Indian spear and plunges it into the mom’s neck, and this time and actual death. And once again there was laughter. I can’t repeat my thoughts at that moment, but my son remarked that this movie is terrible.

My son and I were dumbfounded that people would actually laugh. My son whispered “They must be privileged people”, meaning that in their lives, such a sight would be amusing. They had never seen something like real life in which people struggle with mental health issues. It was simply a funny acting scene, worthy of an award, which it had received. Like the Emperor’ naked clothes, they were following the crowd and not realizing just what was being shown. The line had been crossed. In the name of art and amusement. An interview later with the producer and writer, confirmed that this was just another well written script. They had been blinded by the form and function to not realize what message was being sent out into the world. They were patting themselves on the back for their artistic genius and awards.

Some might call it dark humor, but this wasn’t a horror film, or a drama, or a murder mystery, and there is simply no humor in childhood suicide, or murdering ones’ mom. It is not artistic expression, meant to be laughed at. It is a tragedy faced by too many these days. It is not humorous. Too many people face mental health issues to make it a subject of humor so dark. It really makes me wonder what is happening to the world.

But, before you rush to judgement about the young Gen Z, or millennials are to blame; the crowd that laughed were baby boomers. I hear so much from Gen Z that boomers are to blame for many of the world’s problems, and I can agree with that, given the lack of compassion over suicide and a failure to understand the world in which we live. They laugh at the world from ivory towers, far removed from the pain and problems.

My prayer is that young filmmakers will take up the mantel to create new, fresher material for movies, and that we, the audience will turn off the streams that cross the line, and walk out of movies that do the same. Let’s be the little boy in the crowd that calls out the Emperor of the arts. “Hey, you’re naked and you just crossed the line!” – God Bless Nancy

Love Note

Love never fails– 1 Corinthians 13:8

So, I’m not a morning person and I didn’t really see the card or boxes of candy at first. They were from my husband to me on Valentines day. Today to be exact. He was working the early morning shift at his work and had gotten up much earlier than me. I heard him get up and go out to our kitchen, but I, in this early morning hour, remained in a fog of consciousness and sleep. While he prepared for his day ahead.

But, I did hear the water running in the sink. He’s probably washing out the food dishes for our two cats before adding new food, I thought, and I drifted back to sleep.

When I finally woke and stumbled my way into the kitchen, the first thing I noticed was the clean sink- that is free from the dishes from the night before. So, that’s the noise I heard, he was washing the dishes for me. Nice! And then I noticed the card on the table at the spot where I usually sit and eat my breakfast.

For me it was the perfect message of love on Valentines’ Day. It was love doing something. Not just nice words, but really speaking my love language- at least one of them.

It also made me reflect upon God’s love for us. God’s word says He loves us. But, would that have really mattered much, without Jesus actually doing love? That is, healing and caring for people during His earthly ministry and then finally the ultimate action of love, dying for us? Giving Himself for us. Not just telling us with His words, but showing us what love looks like. What His love looks like.

Love is not just a feeling or a bunch of words, but Love is action. Love does. Love is not just words; its a demonstration of what those words mean. Love like that never fails.

I hope you enjoy Valentines’ Day this year and find someone to show God’s love to. Don’t just tell them; show them. God Bless You – Nancy

Subdivisions

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.”– Paul, in his letter to the church at Corinth (1 Cor. 3:1, NIV).

Sometimes, what brings us together can also tend to divide us. Take for example the places we choose to live. The mid twentieth century brought the advent of the suburbs and with it the blessed wonder of subdivisions. Neighborhoods that collect houses under a specific name, either from a natural landmark, such as a river or bluff, or point or hollow. The houses are generally all the same with small differences, usually in house exterior color, number of bedrooms, baths, per floor plan, but are generally the same and draw certain people to purchase homes within its boundaries.

There is something that brings people to gather in the neighborhoods, maybe its the walking trails, home designs, nearness to schools or stores. Neighbors collaborate together to create little towns and small home businesses within larger cities and towns. We help each other out when someone gets sick, has a tragedy, or needs their pets watched when we are away.

But, all this closeness to each other can also bring out the worst, as well as the best. The community Facebook page is filled with praise and criticism. Love and hate. Support and controversy. See, despite, what has brought us all together to live in the subdivision, controversy is not absent. We are all opinionated and believe our opinions are the only ones that count. Words can be exchanged over the simplest wrongs and oversights. Cars idling too loudly, music too loud, pets barking too loud, trash not picked up, trash picked up but trash cans left out at the end of the driveway too long.

Reading the comments offers an equally divided opinion on the proper way to handle difficult situations and even on the way to vote, or how to bring up our children.

Is this just a new problem in society from living too near each other? No, people have been living close for centuries. It is just a weak human nature. The sinful part of our nature.

And as you may have found out by now, Christians are not immune to divisions and differences of opinions. It has been a part of the church for a long time.

The Bible verse above is from Paul’s first letter to a group of believers in Corinth, believed to be written around AD 56. The city was not some small place back in Paul’s time, but a city known for academics. It held a strategic location as well and enjoyed the wealth its location provided. And maybe it had subdivisions. Maybe.

But, Paul wrote to the church because of its divisions, not its academic achievements, or because they were great tithers. He told them they were babies. Or at least acting like babies- mere infants in Christ. Why? because they argued over who’s teaching to follow. They were still trying to figure out who was right, Apollos or Paul? Paul couldn’t share with them the deeper truths of Christianity, because in his words, “In fact, you are still not ready, because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans?” (1 Cor. 3:2-3, CSB).

Paul further explains to them that when they declare their particular allegiance “I belong to Paul, or I belong to Apollos!” they were demonstrating that they just plain immature. Paul was trying to explain to the church that it was only belonging to God that mattered, not to a particular teacher or preacher. If you read through chapter three you will see Paul explains that he and Apollos are mere servants, not to be followed as though they were more important than God who is the real cause of church growth.

We might find this amusing, until we consider that we, as the modern?, more mature? church of Christ do the same things. We find fault with one preacher and embrace another. We criticize how each other does worship, church and faith. We divide over theology and interpretations of the Scriptures.

I believe Paul would call us out today, if he were here. We put too much focus and energy on what divides, rather than realizing what has brought us together, our faith in Jesus Christ. We do not need to follow a particular preacher as if he or she is more important than God’s teaching in His word. Preachers are mere servants of God, the people He has called to share His message, and sadly, mere humans who are capable of falling short of other’s expectations.

Would Paul call us babies, today if he visited our churches or checked out our social media posts? Maybe. Would he find us serving God and growing in our faith, or bragging about what denominations we belong too, or what mega church we attend. Would he find us criticizing other Christians and their pastors? Would he find us raising up worship bands as though they were above reproach, and worthy of our following like they were Hollywood stars? So that we choose to be entertained at worship rather than joining in worshiping God? I wonder. I think we can do better.

God Bless You, Nancy