The View From the Porch

 

I stood on my front porch the other day and did something I rarely do

Ok, I never do it.
I stood still
Looked
First one way and then another.

I looked up and down

Side to side
Back and forth.

It was not a profound act

It is something that I could do anytime I choose

But I never

Or rarely do,
Choose that is.
Choose to stop on my front porch and look
Look with the intention of seeing

But what if I did

Choose to look, that is
Choose to see

From a place

That I usually
Simply
Or quickly
Pass over
Or through

What if I stopped

What if I looked

What if I chose to see

And then,

What if I did it again

And again

And again

Day after day

Week after week

Month after month

What would happen

To the porch

To me

To what I see?

I think it’s time to find out

Won’t you join me?

God's Valentine

When I was a child, one of my favorite Valentine’s Day treats was the box of candy hearts. You know what I mean – the little heart-shaped treats with special Valentine’s Day love messages imprinted on them. Some of those messages are as timeless as “I love you,” or “Be mine.” Others, I have learned, change over time so that message “fits” with a specific era. The most popular candy heart sayings last year included “text me” and “tweet me.”

On this Valentine’s Day, I have been wondering how God’s message for the world might look, imprinted on a candy heart. What might God’s sayings be? In my thoughts, I have turned to one of my favorite passages. “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. ² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. ³ For I am the Lord your God…you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you” (Isaiah 43:1-4).

So, what is God’s love message for you on this Valentine’s Day? Do not fear! You are mine! I will be with you! You are precious! You are honored! I love you! May you know that these words of God for you are not merely cute sayings for a given day that comes and goes: these are God’s words for you every day, every moment of your life – in all times and all places. These are the words written on God’s heart and poured out for you in perfect, unending love.

God Bless Your Valentine’s Day!

Enough for Today

I awoke with a start in the early hours of Saturday morning. Like an old-fashioned record player stuck on a scratch, my “to-do” list for the next few weeks was playing over and over again in my mind. I could see my calendar in my mind’s eye with very little “white space.” The series of tasks needing to be accomplished scrolled through my thoughts like a video on a repeating loop. I was certain that I was done with sleep for the night.

Then, almost as quickly as I awoke, a verse from scripture started to overtake my feelings of dread. “Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34). A simple verse within Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, this became my prayer amid those anxious early morning hours. By grace, sleep returned, and in the morning, it was that verse – today’s trouble is enough for today – that was still in my mind.

It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the Christmas holiday season, and here it is the second week of February. Life is full to overflowing with what can seem like endless demands – personal and professional. All that is required at any given time can certainly by overwhelming, but it is good to remember to live day-by-day, one moment at a time, one task at a time. In such, there is freedom to simply “do today,” trusting that tomorrow can indeed wait until tomorrow.

God Bless Your Living, Today!

Forgiveness

We had not parted on good terms. Though his words and actions had intended good, they had caused great harm. Nearly seven years ago, we parted company with a heavy silence between us. At one time we had worked together for a common purpose in a place that we both dearly loved, but with the pain of words and deeds creating a chasm between us, we simply went our separate ways.

And then because of circumstance, rather than intention, about ten days ago, we found ourselves in the same place again. Without hestiation, and with tears streaming down his face, he sought me out and asked me a simple, yet profound question, "will you please forgive me?" In a renconciling embrace, by the grace and mercy of God, a burdensome weight was lifted from both of us.

In those moments, I realized the powerful truth contained in the saying of an unknown author, "to forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you."

Turning

Overnight they appeared --
yellow
red
orange
over-powering the green
to cling
then slip
then fall
one-by-one
and many at a time
turning warmth toward winter
to release the fading light
in a benediction
of repose