Kissed by the Spirit

“But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me;”

John 15:26 (RSV)

The Holy Spirit has many names, the Counselor, Comforter, Helper, and Advocate. Whatever name we call Him, He is always eager to bear witness to Christ, and He finds interesting ways to do it. He seems to work mostly through conversations and occasionally will redirect the topic to center on Jesus. 

When I was still working, I used to pray a short prayer before starting the day. I asked the Holy Spirit to come into the room that I was working in. If I remembered to pray that prayer, He never failed to hijack a conversation, turning it to a topic about Jesus or God. If people try too hard to do this on their own, they could become obnoxious, but when the Holy Spirit does it, it’s not only amusing, but awesome as His Presence enters that room.

He gives us our cue to say a few words at the right time. Jesus gave His church a mission, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15)

That mission is not only for clergy, but for everyone who believes in Jesus as their Savior. His words were not meant to burden us with a difficult responsibility, but a call to listen for our cue each day.

Bearing witness to Jesus is the Holy Spirit’s job, since it’s His area of expertise, not ours. He lives in us now, so we can listen for His gentle nudge and say the right words in season with His perfect timing. To start the day by inviting Him into a room with us is not a vague, general request. It’s a specific invitation to a specific place, and He will come.

I can remember one time when the Holy Spirit came into a room and took over a conversation, suddenly making Jesus the main topic. I did not initiate it, nor did I plan it, but I received His cue.

A conversation at work landed on a topic of mass murderers and one coworker was adamant that mass murderers, including tyrants who commit genocide, will never be forgiven by God. It’s a topic that triggers emotion but when I heard him mention God and forgiveness, I knew it was my cue. I just said, “But Jesus forgave all of His murderers from the cross.” 

My coworker rejected my answer, but how often do we have a segway to present an image of Jesus on the cross, forgiving all of His murderers, especially in the midst of a busy work day. Not often do we have a chance to share the boundless mercy of God and His forgiveness in a routine day at work. 

That conversation took place inside an operating room as five or six of us were setting up for the next case. 

The Holy Spirit so desires to be with us, to partner with us and bear witness of Jesus, but He still depends on us to listen for our cue and speak with complete reliance on Him. 

There was a godly Christian man named John of Avila who lived in 16th century Spain. He said that the poor in spirit, is the one who mistrusts their own opinions, their own strength, and their own gifts, but places all their reliance on God and His Holy Spirit. 

That’s what we do whenever we ask the Holy Spirit to come into any room with us each day and take over. It’s a way of saying that we do not depend on our own abilities, gifts or strengths, but on Him. Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

(Matthew 5:3)

The Holy Spirit came into a specific operating room that day. He has been coming into rooms ever since He came into the Upper room on the day of Pentecost. He intervenes in our conversations and bears witness of the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus. He does all the work as we pray and then listen for our cue. 

Lord, help us to invite you into every room and to listen for our cue, to draw others to your love and mercy. Amen

“Uphold me according to thy promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope! Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for thy statutes continually.”

Psalm 119:116-117 (RSV)

A newborn baby is carried out as the lone survivor of her family. A father continues to hold the hand of his deceased fifteen year old daughter. An entire family is rescued, as several children survivors are carried out of the rubble. 

These were the tragic scenes and images on the world news the night after an earthquake struck Syria and Turkey in 2023. 

Those images of lost lives and destruction are contrasted by images of miraculous saves, and reunited family survivors. The scenes of first responders holding up people of all ages, lifting them from the rubble and into safety, fits what this scripture verse is saying, “Uphold me that I may live….” Thank God for all first responders who tirelessly labor to uphold survivors and save lives. 

The images of the earthquake  evoke a dichotomy of emotions. We feel great sorrow in seeing the extent of the wreckage and loss, but at the same time, we feel deep gratitude for the lives that are miraculously pulled from the rubble and saved against all odds. 

Feeling sorrow and gratitude at the same time may be God’s way of helping us cope with tragedy. Every person can think of a time when a situation evoked feelings of sorrow and gratitude at the same time. 

My husband, Stephen, found the most rewarding phase of life to be those years, after retiring from his sales job, spending time coaching youth golf leagues and giving golf lessons to the younger population. It was a fulfilling time of his life, throughout his latter years until he became ill and passed away. 

Ryan was one young man that Stephen coached for a few years who received a golf scholarship. He was away at college when Stephen died, but he sent me a sympathy card with a hand written note expressing his feelings that Stephen was more than a golf coach to him, but a life mentor.

Though it was sorrowful to watch a debilitating illness like ALS, remove so much quality from his life, I also felt deep gratitude for the help and support that he received from friends, family and therapists. His family and friends were so supportive, that we had someone visiting him in our home, every single weekend.

Among the blessings of regular visits by friends and family, there were occasional coincidences that stirred feelings of gratitude. 

In looking back, I know there really are no coincidences, but only blessings sent by God at the right time. 

Nurses and different kinds of therapists were coming and going from our home every week. One day the physical therapist sent to him that day, turned out to be the mother of a boy who once was in his youth golf league. It was a pleasant surprise and she told him how much her son benefited from his coaching, which lifted his spirit for the day. It appeared as a coincidence, but I know that God sent her to be his therapist that day.

Gratitude is readily felt in the small things and small things leads us to be grateful for all things. In the end, it’s God’s way of upholding us spiritually and emotionally, as we combine our sorrow with gratitude. 

The earthquake survivors were physically upheld by the first responders and volunteers who lifted them out of the rubble. God spiritually upholds us by sending  small coincidences, which lift us up from whatever weighs us down.

In all things, we can be sure that God’s got us. He is holding us up and lifting us out of the rubble of distress. Scripture confirms that God loves to receive our gratitude, since gratitude draws us closer to Him, keeps our perspective on Christ and gives us peace in the storm.

Lord, thank you for helping us to find the small things to be grateful for, as you uphold and strengthen our spirit each day. Amen

“He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.”

Acts 10: 3-4 (NIV)

This scripture passage is lengthy but necessary in order to understand that Cornelius, though a gentile, was not like the typical Roman citizen of his day. 

He was a centurion who was part of an auxiliary group of archers of the Roman army, called the Italica. Being successful and wealthy, he had many servants and soldiers serving under him. Although raised in the polytheistic faith of Rome, to believe and worship multiple gods, something changed Cornelius. 

He began to seek the one true God, possibly after hearing the disciples preaching  about Jesus, the Messiah, crucified, but risen from the dead. Cornelius is described as an upright God fearing man. He influenced everyone in his immediate circle to believe in God as well, even though he knew very little about Jesus. God’s heart was moved by Cornelius and He sent an angel to him to commend him for his prayers and giving. Then the angel told him to send for Peter, who could tell him all he needed to know about Jesus. 

Cornelius shows us that any man or woman can move the heart of God, even without knowing all the facts of the faith. Since Cornelius hadn’t yet grasped the full gospel message or every detail about Jesus as a sacrificed Lamb, Peter was sent to help give him clarity in his faith and to baptize him and his household. This was a great challenge for Peter, since he never before entered a gentile home, so he had to step outside of his comfort zone to obey God. 

Cornelius and Peter both put their faith into action, in different ways, but both were pleasing to God. Cornelius did it by daily prayers  and generous giving.  Peter did it by opening his heart to go into the home of a gentile, which was a first for him.

Cornelius inspires us to seek to move Heaven through steadfast prayers and giving. We can also be inspired by Peter, to recognize who the “Cornelius” is, in our lives. It may be a person who is not from within our particular faith, or who is of a completely strange culture or ideology, which would require us to step outside of our comfort zone, as Peter did. 

Reading about Cornelius and Peter, inspires me to put more faith and love into action, since we have such an awesome, beautiful God, who has put His love into the greatest action of all, by sending His only son to die and rise for us.

Lord, help us to put our faith into action, and to recognize the Cornelius in our lives, that we may do your will, whether inside or outside of our comfort zone. Amen

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 (NAB)

The “Prince of Peace”, is one of many titles in the book of Isaiah, referring to Jesus, who made it clear that His peace is not the kind of peace this world offers. The peace Jesus gives us may not always change the situation we are praying about, but it will change us, because it’s the kind of peace that “surpasses all human understanding.”(Philippians 4:7)

While we continue to do our best as peacemakers, to care for the weak, for the least among us, and to stand against injustice, Jesus was trying to tell us in today’s scripture that His peace is not the kind the world offers. It’s a peace that transforms a human being, from within and changes the world, one heart at a time. For centuries, His peace has brought comfort to the poor in spirit, and victims of war, tragedy, suffering and injustice.

There have always been godly believers and heroes of the faith, beginning with the early church in the book of Acts, and it continues through to today. People have found His peace in the valley of the shadow of death, or random moments of danger, and have survived to tell their stories and give glory to God. 

I know of one such story, about a young female rookie pilot, who was taking off in a small plane one day, in Pontiac, Michigan. It was only her third solo flight, and after she took off, a veteran pilot noticed that her front landing gear fell off. He immediately contacted her by radio to tell her what happened. 

With a calm, confident voice, and years of skill, he guided her step by step to make a safe landing, even without landing gear. She was shaken up but followed his instructions, listening to his calm, confident voice as he guided her to a safe and successful landing. If she had tried to land the plane on her own, it could have flipped upside down and burst into flames. 

Having a veteran pilot there at the perfect time, to guide and help her stay at peace, was a miracle. Peace comes from God, and His Spirit was speaking through that veteran pilot on her radio. Jesus also speaks to our hearts as we tune in to Him. He might speak to us in prayer, or through a certain scripture, or through people that He sends to us at the perfect time. There is an unseen kingdom of Heaven within all of us who believe, and the ruling Prince of that kingdom is Jesus. 

He is not only the Prince of peace, but our veteran Pilot who can identify with every type of stress or problem that we have, since He lived a human life and went through the same struggles. He connects to our spirit and speaks to our heart, guiding us through every crisis with a calm, confident voice.

It’s easy to forget that His Spirit dwells within us, whether we are on a plane, having a medical procedure, or at the bedside of a critically ill friend or loved one. Jesus is always with us and in us, no matter what is happening around us.

A few years ago, I was visiting a  friend who had Pancreatic cancer. Her husband died of a cardiac arrest three weeks earlier. They had no children and her cancer advanced so that she was placed in hospice. We were friends for over fifty years, and her hospice nurse called to tell me that she became unresponsive, so I was hoping to get there before she passed away. 

As I arrived to her room, I reached for the door handle and said to myself, “Here comes the Prince of Peace”, believing that the Spirit of Jesus was entering the room with me. I went to her bedside, took hold of her hand, and she immediately opened her eyes and looked at me. She couldn’t speak, but there was no doubt in her eyes that she knew who I was. I was surprised, since the nurse told me she would not respond, but I was thankful to get there in time.

I spoke to her about the Prince of peace, and then prayed for her. Two days later she passed away, but I trust that God gave her His peace in that transitional moment. I often wondered if she saw Jesus at her bedside, but I trust that she did. 

Jesus is the veteran pilot, who speaks to our soul and quiets our fears in the chaotic moments of life. His calming voice can help a pilot land a plane without landing gear and His Presence can bring peace to any human soul before breathing their last breath.

In some sense, we are all like rookie pilots, navigating through life. It may feel like we’re flying solo at times, but the Prince of Peace is always with us, speaking to us and guiding us with a confident, calm voice, leading us to a safe landing through any crisis that we face. If we tune our ears in to listen, His voice is speaking to our heart every day, offering us His peace, which the world cannot give or take away. 

Lord, thank you for being our veteran pilot, and help us tune in to hear your voice of peace above all the chaos of this world. Amen 

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

God dwells in every human being when they received the breath of life, just as God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living being. If we are a living being, then God breathed into us, meaning that He is technically living in every single person. 

God dwells in every soul in a different way, depending on how they respond to Him. In the souls who welcome Him, He shares His peace, joy, love and contentment. In the souls who treat Him like a stranger, He earnestly desires to share Himself with them but He waits for permission. Until then, He may lie dormant in a person, until they respond to Him.

God dwells in some people as an unwelcome  stranger, giving Him limited access to the places within them. It’s like having a guest stay at your house but leaving them only one place to sit, restricting them from the refrigerator, bathroom, front porch and bedrooms. He is there but not welcome into the entire home. 

Our soul is like our inner home that God breathed life into. He still dwells there, but He politely waits for us to invite Him into all the other parts of it. I was one of those people who once treated God as a stranger with limited access, until the day I recognized how much He always loved me. Then I invited Him into all parts of me, but still find new areas that He needs to be invited into. 

Someone once said that when darkness surrounds us, it is there that we discover God’s true light.

Whatever darkness is in our lives, if we invite Jesus into all the areas of our soul, He brings His light into our hearts.

Many well known preachers, like Billy Graham and Mike Evans have said that prayer is an intimate conversation with God, but it was first said by a 16th century monk, called John of the cross. He defined prayer as an “intimate conversation with God, and a dialogue of love.”

The dialogue of love can only be found within us. We were created to have an intimate conversation with the one who first breathed life into us, otherwise we may spend our entire lives searching for joy and peace in futile things. It reminds me of the song from the 1980 film, Urban cowboy, “Lookin for love”. The lyrics say lookin for love in all the wrong places, searching for love in too many places, and too many faces etc. 

It’s a great song, and a common theme that rings true to every soul, because everyone, at some time, has mistakenly looked outside of themselves to find peace and happiness. God gently calls us from within, where He first breathed life into us. His Spirit dwells in us and is constantly whispering to us, until we respond. God is love and we can never find love until we find God and invite Him into every area of our heart.

Lord, we thank you for breathing life into us and we invite you into every part of our soul, so that we may have a dialogue of love with you. Amen

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 (NAB)

The “Prince of Peace”, is one of many titles of Jesus, found in the book of Isaiah, but He made it pretty clear that His peace is not the kind of peace that the world gives. The peace Jesus offers us may not change the situation that we are praying about, but it will  change us, because it’s a peace that “surpasses understanding.”(Philippians 4:7)

We should continue to do our best as peacemakers, to care for the weak, the least among us, and to stand against injustice, but Jesus was trying to tell us in today’s scripture that His peace is not the kind the world gives, and the world cannot take it away either. It’s a peace that transforms a human being, one heart at a time. It comforts the poor in spirit, and all who suffer as the victims of tragedy, war and injustice.

For centuries, Jesus has given His peace to believers, even while they suffer through hardships and trials. We read about heroes of the faith in previous generations, beginning with the early church in the book of Acts, and continuing to today. There have always been true stories of people who found His peace in the valley of the shadow of death. Some survived to tell their stories and give glory to God. 

One such story I shared before, was about a young female rookie pilot, who was taking off in a small plane one day, in Pontiac, Michigan. It was only her third solo flight, and after she took off, a veteran pilot noticed that her front landing gear fell off. He immediately got on the radio and told her what happened. 

With a calm, confident voice, and years of skill, he guided her step by step to make a safe landing, without landing gear. She was shaken up but followed his instructions on her radio. She later said that his calm voice kept her at peace, helping her to land the plane successfully. If she had tried to land it on her own, it could have  flipped upside down and burst into flames. 

Having a veteran pilot there at the perfect time, to guide her in calm confidence, was a miracle. Peace comes from God, and His Spirit was speaking through that veteran pilot on her radio. Jesus also speaks to our hearts as we tune in to Him. He might speak to us in prayer, reading a scripture, or through people that He sends to us at the perfect time. There is an unseen kingdom of Heaven within all of us who believe.

Every kingdom has a Prince, and ours is Jesus. He’s not only a Prince, He is our veteran Pilot who can identify with every type of stress or problem that we have, since He lived a human life and went through all the same things. He speaks to our hearts to guide us through every crisis with a calm experienced voice.

It’s easy to forget that the Spirit of the Prince of peace dwells within us, whether they are on a plane, at a doctor’s office, or visiting a critically ill friend or loved one. Jesus is with us and in us, no matter what is happening around us.

A few years ago, I was visiting a  friend who had Pancreatic cancer. Her husband died of a cardiac arrest three weeks earlier, they had no children and her cancer advanced so that she was placed in hospice. We were friends for over fifty years. Her hospice nurse called to tell me that she became unresponsive, so I was hoping to get there before she passed away. 

As I arrived to her room, I reached for the door handle and said to myself, “Here comes the Prince of Peace”, believing that the Spirit of Jesus was entering the room with me. I went to her bedside, took her hand, and she immediately opened her eyes and looked at me. She couldn’t speak, but there was no doubt in her eyes that she knew me. I was surprised since the nurse told me she would not respond.

I spoke to her about the Prince of peace, and then I prayed for her. Two days later she passed away, but I trust that He gave her His peace. I often wondered if she saw Jesus at her bedside, but I trust that she did. 

Jesus is the veteran pilot, who speaks to our soul and quiets our fears in the chaotic moments of life. His calming voice can help a pilot land a plane without landing gear and His Presence can bring peace to any human soul before breathing their last breath.

In a sense, we are all like rookie pilots, navigating through life. It may feel like we’re flying solo at times, but our Prince of Peace is always with us, speaking to us and guiding us with a confident, calm voice, to a safe Heavenly landing. If we tune our ears in to listen, His voice is speaking to our heart every day.

Lord, thank you for being our veteran pilot, and help us tune in to your voice of guidance and peace that is above all the chaos of this world. Amen 

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)

God sends us His small graces along the way, during some of our most difficult trials in life. In all things, at all times, He gives us what we need, and He does it in small, subtle ways. 

It all started in September of 2023, when my adult son, Jon, had a motorcycle accident. Sometimes we get so preoccupied looking for the one big answer to our prayers, that we neglect to see the small graces that add up along the way. It’s truly therapeutic to meditate and reminisce on the small graces that God has given us.

Immediately after the accident, Jon’s motorcycle was impounded at a towing yard, and no one was allowed access to it for a month. When I finally received access, I found his cell phone fully intact, in a compartment of the motorcycle, which was the first small grace. 

By having his phone, I was not only able to contact his landlord but was able to text his customers who were sending him messages asking why he didn’t show up according to the schedule. Jon had a small business of seal coating residential driveways, which he did for about twenty years. Having his phone, allowed me to call his customers and explain why he never showed up as scheduled. They all responded with kindness, one of whom was a pastor of a church, who promised to pray for Jon, which was another small grace.

Jon was self employed, but chose not to purchase health insurance, and had only vehicle insurance, with some minimal medical coverage. The hospital social worker told me I needed to obtain guardianship in order to apply for him to obtain Medicaid insurance. 

The hospital paid the legal costs for the process of making me his legal guardian while Jon was hospitalized, which I later heard was very unusual. I never asked them to pay for anything and it was a different hospital than the one I was employed at, yet they paid the legal costs. That was another small grace along a difficult journey. 

One of the hospital’s best surgeons happened to be on call the day of Jon’s accident. When he arrived at the ER, his pupils indicated a serious brain injury. After surgery, the surgeon was surprised that Jon survived and did as well as he did. Having that surgeon was another small grace. 

Jon also had the most caring nurses while in the intensive care unit of the hospital. One of his nurses turned out to be an old childhood friend who grew up across the street from us. Angie was much younger than Jon, but she remembered him because all his Mexican friends used to call him “Guerro”, meaning white boy. Having Angie as one of his nurses, was another small grace from God.

“All things at all times, and all we need…..” that is the promise of God for each of us. Whatever type of storm or fiery trial we are going through, we can look for those small, subtle graces, when God gives us what He thinks we need. He may not do it through a big earth shaking miracle, but the small graces, that occur along our journey, will add up to one powerful truth, that God is with us.

Lord, open our eyes to see the small graces that add up as you give all we need at all times, so that we may abound in every good work, and give you the glory. Amen

“Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Romans 13:10 (NIV)

After visiting the Nursing Home for three years since my son’s accident, I became friends with a certain group of residents. Within that group is a couple who met and grew close to each other over time at the facility. They lived in separate rooms, along the same hallway, and though they never married, everyone in that unit of the Nursing home, knew that they loved each other.

He was an Iraq war veteran with a Purple Heart, who never married. She was a divorcee, recovered after years of substance abuse, but now in a wheelchair with failing eyesight. I once wrote about both of them in a past meditation. For privacy reasons, I will call her, Jan and him, Jim. 

Jim had chronic lung problems which steadily worsened over time. He was never religious, but over the years, Jan rubbed off on him, since she had a humble faith, devoted to Jesus, being a grateful recipient of His grace and mercy.

In the past year, I observed an obvious change in Jim as he began to put his hope in God, and developed a deeper faith. His social worker and I both saw that Jan was the positive influence on Jim, and he seemed to have a new sense of peace.

Last week Jim was admitted to an intensive care unit of a hospital after both his lungs collapsed. Jan, who is wheelchair bound, was very grieved that she couldn’t be at his bedside in the hospital. He was immediately intubated and couldn’t speak to her, so making a phone call would also be futile. 

Last Friday, Jan told me that she awoke in the night and saw Jim standing in the doorway of her room. We both knew that this was impossible since he was in a hospital seven miles away from the Nursing Home. She insisted that it was not a dream, but that she actually saw him. I figured that it was a vision, knowing how difficult it was for them to be separated. Three days later, Jim passed away. 

Love is a funny thing, and there is a strange power that it creates between two people who are apart, yet strongly desire to be together. We’ve all heard of elderly couples who have been married for so long, that after one passes away, the other passes away only a few weeks afterward. 

I wondered if God, through His grace, permitted Jim to say goodbye to Jan through a vision, before he passed away. I have no intention of backing this idea up theologically, but I do think that love is a powerful force, and since God is love, He understands the strongest of our human bonds and connections. 

When Jan called to tell me the sad news, I reminded her of that vision she had, and how good it was that God granted her the blessing of letting Jim appear to her to say his final goodbye. It helped to give her closure and she felt blessed to think about it that way, while grieving his loss.

The verse in today’s scripture says that love can do no harm and is the fulfillment of the law. It could mean that love transcends the limitations of the usual laws of nature, like seeing a vision of a loved one who isn’t physically present. We are thankful that Jim found faith and peace in believing before he died. His last desire was to say goodbye and tell Jan he loved her, one last time, and the God of love made it happen. 

Lord, thank you for the blessings you give to us through your gift of love. Help us to always see your love in others. Amen

“Rise up, Lord God, lift up your hand!

Do not forget the poor!

Why should the wicked scorn God,

say in their hearts, “God does not care”?

But you do see;

you take note of misery and sorrow;

you take the matter in hand.

To you the helpless can entrust their cause;

you are the defender of orphans.”

Psalm 10:12-14 (NAB)

This is one of many Psalms of David, that is considered to be a Psalm of lament. The dictionary defines a lament as a passionate expression of grief and sorrow. 

Every believer has at some time poured out their heart in a lament to God. 

I was listening to a Christian podcast recently, and heard a better definition for lament:

To lament is to give all your negative emotions to God. That’s it, so simple, yet so cleansing, deep and meaningful. We don’t need to clean ourselves up before approaching God, we come to Him as we are, and our honest lament brings us peace and renewal.  In reading this Psalm, we see that David’s lament was an outpouring of all his frustrations, or in other words, just giving it all to God. 

Jesus never said “Come to me all you good and perfect people,” He didn’t come to call the righteous ones, but sinners. (Luke 5:32)

Lamenting is pouring our heart out to God, by gathering all of our sorrow, anger and our frustrations, in an honest lament. He hears us and leads us into His rest. Jesus specifically called the weary and heavily burdened to come to Him, and lamenting is a good way to respond. The Psalmist lamented and found his peace and rest in the Lord.

Many people avoid going to church because they think they aren’t good enough, as if church is a meeting place only for the righteous. Jesus would say that the church should be a hospital for the wounded. In the psalm of today’s scripture, God is the One who sees and takes note of all the misery and sorrow in the world. The helpless and the orphans can put their trust in Him. The people who are suffering most in this world have already learned this. 

I recently heard the testimony of a man who lived under the tyranny of Iran’s government for decades. He has lost friends and relatives, who were among the 36,000 civilians killed by government controlled security forces to date. 

He managed to escape the country and is finally living free, but through his new found faith in Jesus, he has started a digital outreach ministry to bring the gospel message to his people in Iran. When asked how he balances his passion for Christ with his passion to support the resistance there, he said that he prays Psalm 10 every single day. 

In hearing this, I had to look up Psalm 10 and read what he was referring to. It’s a lament to God on behalf of the suffering of the poor, the orphans and all the innocents in the world. He laments daily on behalf of his own people, and there are signs that God is listening.

He started a digital ministry which is now reaching about 25,000 Iranians each month through online church services, prayer rooms, Bible studies and more. Despite harsh persecution, or because of it, churches in Iran are meeting secretly in homes and thriving. No one would know it, but Christianity is growing faster in Iran than anywhere else in the world. It is estimated that one million or more Iranians have secretly converted to Christianity. 

Other similar ministries are doing the same, by bringing the love of Christ to Iran, Afghanistan, Africa and beyond through digital and underground ministries. Secret churches are thriving in China as well. It’s like the book of Acts, all over again, as the fruit of these ministries are producing people who are passionately devoted to Jesus, despite knowing it could cost them imprisonment or their lives. 

The Lord hears the cry of the poor as the psalmist said. He sees the suffering of people everywhere. Although we don’t visibly see how God is answering their cries, He is doing it. There is a beautiful work in progress among the souls who bring their honest lament to God.

Lord, we pray for the conversion of souls everywhere in the world, so that your transforming love and peace will sweep over all nations to save, heal, protect and free all who suffer. Amen

Church meetings in homes of Iran

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 (RSV)

Those of us in a particular age group will remember these words from the hit song by the Byrds in 1965. The words were derived from eight verses in this chapter of Ecclesiastes. King Solomon wrote the lyrics and Pete Seeger was the first to turn it into a song in 1959. The Byrds later adapted it and it became the popular hit song, called  “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

People read the seasons, signs and cycles of nature in order to adjust and plan accordingly. Professional golfers know how to read the greens of each golf course. Fighter pilots use OODA, a code which stands for Observe, Orient, Decide and Act. It helps them make quick, accurate decisions while flying at high speeds. 

Farmers read the phases of the moon, since some are better for planting, when the gravitational pull is best for plant growth and root development. Physicians observe a patients’ symptoms to decide which diagnostic tests to order and how to best treat them. 

God created a beautiful world with cycles and systems of nature, which mankind has learned to navigate according to their own field of interest. He has made everything beautiful in its time, and He created us to hunger for the pleasures that last forever, which only He can satisfy. 

Just as there are cycles and seasons in the universe, there are also cycles and seasons in our personal journey of life and faith. We all experience seasons of joy and laughter, as well as seasons of mourning and weeping. If we can read the seasons in our lives, as we do in nature, we will have a better sense of divine providence, and the security of trusting that God works everything out for our eternal good.

True joy has little to do with the absence of problems, but is the result of a grateful heart. Trusting that God is in control, gives us a sense of gratitude and makes it easier to transition into the next season. Nothing stays the same, change is always difficult, but the biggest challenge is when we are in a season of sorrow, loss or discomfort.

Peter tells us not to be surprised by the fiery ordeal that we may be facing, because we will share in Christ’s suffering in some way, but we will also find inexpressible joy at His return and revelation of His glory. (1 Peter 4:12-14) 

We were meant to seek the lessons God has for us through all the seasons of our lives. 

My two older brothers were only eighteen months apart and were very close growing up. As the only girl and the youngest, I felt like an only child at times. Now, when I reflect on their relationship, I can appreciate it much more after raising twin boys, who grew up with the same kind of closeness. 

My brothers shared a bedroom as well as the same group of friends. They laughed together, played sports together, shared their first car, attended the same college and had the same best friend, who stood up at both of their weddings. They both had a first born baby daughter, born within two months of each other.

Three years after his daughter was born, my oldest brother Ted, died suddenly at the age of 35, in his F-16 fighter jet. He was a skilled Air Force instructor pilot, but crashed during a routine training mission, caused by an electrical wire chafing problem, common in F-16’s at the time.

(A movie called Afterburn, released in 1992 tells his story)

The loss of my oldest brother was a sad season in my family’s lives. Although my brother John kept a stoic exterior, I have come to understand that he suffered the loss in a different way than the rest of our family.  He not only lost a brother, he lost his best friend, the one person who knew him best and was supposed to be his lifelong friend. Today, he has a family of his own and a close relationship with his own son and grandsons, which has been a gift of comfort and blessing for him. 

In thinking about faith, families, siblings and the seasons of our lives, I have come to realize that Jesus is an older brother to all of us, who stays with us throughout every season of our life. We can have peace, knowing that His arms are always around us, in whatever season we are in. 

Life is filled with seasons of joy and sorrow, but if we learn to read the change of seasons, we can trust that God is always with us, using every season to transform and strengthen us, while working all things for our good.

Lord, help us to read each season and cycle of our lives, and give us the grace and peace to know you are with us in every season. Amen