Kissed by the Spirit

“When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”

Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he. He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. “ 

John 9:35-38 ( NAB)

The blind man was healed by Jesus, and his sight restored, but afterward he was interrogated by the religious authorities in the temple. When they were not satisfied with his answers, they questioned his parents. Finally, they threw them all out of the temple. 

The man couldn’t understand why he and his family were being punished just for being healed. Jesus approached him a second time, asking if he believed in the Son of man, and his answer was, “Who is he, that I may believe?” Then Jesus said, “I am He,” and he professed, “Yes Lord, I believe.” 

Even after a prayer is answered, we may still have questions, not understanding the way that prayer was answered. The man in the story was confused that such a miraculous healing got him interrogated and thrown out of the temple. He didn’t even know who Jesus was, which is why Jesus intervened a second time, to  comfort him and clarify who it was that healed him.

God may be doing things in our lives that we don’t understand. He is answering our prayers, but maybe not the way we expected. We pray, but the answer seems completely different from what we imagined. In those moments, we ask God, “What is happening?”

Jesus still comes to us in our confusion and despair, answering our questions, though we may still not understand the answers. He comforts us with His peace, while clarifying and revealing more of Himself to us. 

When the Israelites were hungry in the wilderness, God answered by giving them a different kind of bread, that had to be gathered from the ground each morning. Their first question was “What is it?” Then each day as they went out to gather it, they asked, “Where is it?” Questions don’t indicate a lack of faith, but are a component of faith.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, even asked a question. When Gabriel appeared to her and said that she would conceive the Son of God in her virgin womb, her first and only question was, “How can this be ?”

It’s okay to ask questions because God’s ways are far above our ways. We believe that He will answer us according to His will even when we don’t fully understand His answer. In the meantime it’s natural to ask who, what, where or how.

Before my son, Jon’s motorcycle accident, he estranged himself from his faith, family and friends for no reason. In retrospect we wondered if he had mental health issues, since there were no conflicts that led up to it. Regardless of many unanswered questions, friends and family constantly prayed for him, until the day we received the news of his accident, coma, and brain injury.

It was not the kind of answer we hoped for, but God works His will in each person, even through traumatic circumstances. If a person is running away from God, the Good Shepherd never stops chasing after them. He answers prayers according to His divine purpose, allowing what is best for a person’s soul. It may cause us to ask questions, but we must keep believing because only God sees the big picture. 

Through all of our questions or confusing circumstances, the Lord may be asking us the same question He asked the blind man, “Do you believe in the Son of man?” It’s how He reminds us to keep trusting Him as we answer, “Yes Lord, I believe.”

Lord, we believe and trust in you, and ask for clarity in the midst of our questions, knowing that your purposes are always good. Amen

Restore to me the joy of thy salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

Psalm 51:12 (RSV)

The psalmist calls upon God to uphold him with a willing spirit, 

but what is a willing spirit? It sounds like a spirit that is willing to stay aligned with God, giving Him permission to have His way with us. 

Scholars say that David wrote this Psalm after committing the heinous act of taking Bathsheba for his wife, and having her husband killed. David repented later of the evil he did, and asked not only for God’s forgiveness, but for something else as well, a “willing spirit.”

Repentance doesn’t mean much if the person hasn’t changed. Prisons were made with the intent to do more than punish, but to rehabilitate. A willing spirit is one that is open to rehabilitation. The Christian life is an ongoing rehabilitation process, not because of crimes committed, but to transform us into the likeness of Jesus. 

Transformation is central to the Christian faith. Conversion starts in the heart and works outward. It is best described as someone once said, “You are not what you do-but you do what you are.” 

Paul wrote to the Galatian church, “I am in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” (Galatians 4:19) 

It sounds funny for a man to use the metaphor of being in the pain of childbirth, but spiritual new birth is referenced throughout scripture. Paul was saying that a spiritual rehabilitation is being birthed in us through Christ.

God doesn’t need anyone, but He wants everyone. He doesn’t force His way on us, but desires that we have a willing spirit and respond to him. The Spirit of God asks, invites, beckons and tirelessly pursues us, but He never forces us. He waits for our response to Him.

God asked who would go and be a messenger to the people, and Isaiah responded with a willing spirit, saying, “Here I am, send me!” 

God called Samuel three times, but waited for him to respond, and with a willing spirit, he answered, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”

Mary was set apart for the great role of mothering the Son of God, but God still wanted her honest response, and her willing spirit replied, “Be it done to me according to thy word.” 

When my mother once had a small stroke, and was admitted to the hospital, the neurosurgeon entered her ICU room, and told me that her scan showed a small amount of blood on the brain, but he did not recommend surgery, saying that the blood would eventually be reabsorbed. 

I had only one question to ask him, “If this was your mother, what would you do?”He looked directly at me and said with sincerity,

“If it was my mother, I would not recommend surgery.” That was enough for me because I saw his willingness to give an honest answer, and my mother recovered without any deficits. 

A positive response is a good thing but it’s even better when it is truthful. A willing spirit is not only willing, but honest, giving God permission to do His will in our lives, whatever that means.

Lord, open our hearts, uphold in us a willing spirit, and transform us into the image of your Son, by whatever rehabilitative process you choose. Amen

“‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise.”

Matthew 21:16 (NIV)

Most of the time, the theme for a 

meditation comes to me through circumstances that occurred days before. The spontaneous ways of children may be one trait that Jesus was talking about in today’s scripture, as it took hold of my thoughts and inspired this meditation.

Last weekend, while walking my dog, a lady with two toddlers were walking towards me. One little boy carried a little toy dinosaur in his hand, and although we never saw each other before, he looked at me with excitement and started telling me all about his dinosaur. I said, “Wow, that’s so cool!” as he looked so proud. His friendliness and spontaneity reminded me of how Jesus said that God’s praise is on children’s lips. He might have been referring to their natural joy and spontaneity in speaking out. 

That same weekend I decided to go to a matinee of the newly released Pixar movie, Toy Story 5. Since I’ve done some free lance art work for children’s educational filmstrips in my earlier adult life, I have always had a special appreciation for the art of cartoon film animation. In fact, putting my history aside, I think it’s just the child in me that still loves the art of animation.

So I went to the 1:00 matinee and found a seat, before anyone else arrived. First there were only three persons in the whole theater, but later it was packed. I was the only adult sitting shoulder to shoulder between two families with young children. The movie started, and when the character, Buzz Lightyear, appeared, the youngest kids on both sides of me shouted out, “Buzz Lightyear !” Their parents quickly shushed them, trying to keep them quiet.

Each time they had an outburst, their parents kept reminding them to whisper. It seemed as if they were trying to keep them quiet in consideration of me, the adult stranger, sitting next to them. Instead of being irritated by the kids’ responses, I was actually amused and enjoyed listening to them. If a creatively animated film could spark such unbridled joy in young children, no harm is done.

There is something special about children being honest, joyful and uninhibited. Whether they’re excited about a new toy dinosaur or a very familiar character like Buzz Lightyear, they shout it out, without reservation or self consciousness. 

Children reflect unrestrained pure honesty, enthusiasm and simple joy, which may be what Jesus was referring to, when He said that we must become like a child, in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven.

As adults, we have long since transitioned from childhood to adulthood, yet in the area of our faith walk, we are called by Jesus to continue implementing some of those childhood traits. We may do it by keeping things simple, being honest with God, ourselves and others, and not bridling our enthusiasm to serve or speak of Jesus or His kingdom. 

The children next to me, showed spontaneous joy in recognizing Buzz Lightyear when he first appeared in the film. Jesus would probably like to see that same joy in our response to Him, who is our hope, our strength, and the hero of our salvation. He promised to return to us one day, and when He does, the child within us will look up, point and shout, “Jesus!”

In the meantime, the Lord seems to bring young children into our path at times, as a reminder that they have something we used to have, but must never lose. 

Lord, we praise you for reminding us that we are all children of your kingdom, and are to live our faith in simplicity, honesty and enthusiasm with unbridled joy in you. Amen 

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

John 10:27-28 (NIV)

Jesus wants everyone to know Him, but not in the same way a historian or theologian knows Him. He wants us to know Him in the intimacy of a relationship, which could be as a father, a brother, or a friend, but first and foremost as a Savior who gave Himself for us. 

Everything we go through in our life is meant to help us know Jesus better, and to live in the confidence of being fully known by Him. When Jesus talked about judgement, He said that on that day, He would need to say to some people, “I never knew you.” 

(Matthew 7:23)

That may be the most sobering scripture in the New Testament. It makes anyone want to ensure that we are known by Him.

A few years ago, I learned a lesson that relates to the theme of being known. It happened through a birthday cake I ordered from Dairy Queen. It was for my niece’s 40th birthday party, and I paid in advance for the cake, planning to pick it up on the weekend. The young man who took my order seemed new and unsure of himself, but he wrote down everything as I told him to put on the cake. Then he gave me a receipt and I left. 

Later that day, it occurred to me that he never asked for my name or phone number. So I quickly looked for my receipt, knowing it would be my only proof, but to further complicate things, I couldn’t find the receipt anywhere. 

I retraced my steps, but realized I might have accidentally thrown it away. So I now had no receipt to claim ownership of the cake, while they had no name or phone number of the person who ordered it. 

I called Dairy Queen and asked if they had an order for a cake that read “Happy 40th birthday, Seanna.” They confirmed that they did, and it was marked paid, but without any name of the customer who ordered it. I was able to identify the cake as mine by knowing the name on the cake, and they assured me it was proof enough. No stranger would want a cake with someone else’s name on it, so Seanna’s name was my saving grace.

What a bizarre situation that was. I paid for a cake and then lost my receipt. The young man took the order for the cake correctly, but forgot to add my name or number to the order. The two of us were a hazardous combination for any business transaction.

I knew there had to be a deeper meaning to all of this. Technically, without a receipt, no one can claim ownership of anything, and a name means nothing if it was never written down in the first place. The whole debacle reminds me of a scripture that says, Jesus is the only name given among men, by which we are saved. 

(Acts 4:12) 

When we stand before God one day, we will have no receipts to show, because salvation cannot be bought with money. Even if someone is famous, their name won’t be enough unless Jesus knows them. Names matter. As the name of Jesus is our saving grace, He actually writes our name in a book of life. 

(Revelation 20:15) 

To hear Jesus call our name, will probably be the most satisfying moment in eternity.

Jesus wants to know us even more intimately today than He did yesterday, and He waits for us to invite Him into every part of our life and being, simply because He loves us so much. Like any other ongoing relationship, it involves knowing each other more over time. 

Lord, we give all of ourselves to be known by you and held in your hand, and we pray to know you more intimately, to spend eternity in your presence. Amen

“I will glory in the Lord;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the Lord with me;

let us exalt his name together.”

Psalm 34:2-3 (NIV)

We all want answers but some questions will never be answered until we are on the other side of eternity. There are so many unexplainable things that happen in this world that make us ask, “Why Lord?” 

People tend to ask the following questions, 

Why would a good God allow:

….a parent to outlive their child?

….adult children to neglect their aging parents?

….an adult to betray a child’s trust? 

…..or a person to die without receiving justice?

These are good questions, but there are no good answers on this side of eternity. Scripture gives many examples of people who suffered, experiencing affliction of all kinds, and yet they exalted the Lord. So, I wondered who are some of the “afflicted” ones today, that are faithfully exalting Him. 

I can think of people I know in the Nursing home, whose lives fit every one of those questions listed above, but unfortunately they aren’t exalting the Lord. There are residents who have adult children who have abandoned them, and others who have outlived their only child. Some have suffered abuse as children, being betrayed by an adult they trusted. There are so many sad stories, and some have given up on their faith, while others have an unstable faith, which changes from day to day. 

Then, along comes a young man who seems to have a heart born to exalt the Lord. I only met him about a month ago, and he never ceases to honor Jesus despite his own afflictions and disabilities. He is in his mid forties, like Jon, but was born with cerebral palsy, a condition caused by damage to the brain before birth. 

His symptoms include trouble with movement and coordination, but his brain function is normal. For reasons unknown to me, he has lived in that Nursing home for the past twenty years, about half of his lifetime. I am going to call him Anthony for the sake of privacy. 

Anthony is someone who stops to pray for others all around him. He ambulates with great effort, using a walker, and despite his own disabilities, he shows compassion and an interest to know other people and their stories, whether they are afflicted emotionally or physically. I’ve watched him put his hand on the hand of another disabled resident, to pray for him. He talks to my son to encourage him in faith. 

In addition to the challenge of cerebral palsy, Anthony had a stroke about a year ago. The stroke drew him closer to God, and he has recovered without any deficits. Anthony’s mind, memory and speech are fully in tact, although he has to exert a lot of effort to make his faint voice heard.

One day we had a conversation and then he took my hand and prayed for both my sons and for me. He also told me that he had a talk with Jon, and he believes that Jon understood everything he said. Anthony exalts the Lord, in whatever he says or does, with residents and visitors. He is applying to hopefully attend Moody bible college this year, which is in the Chicago area, where he will be able to live on campus. 

None of us have any say in what happens to us or the afflictions we are born with, but we can decide how we will respond to everything. Exalting the Lord is a decision of the mind and spirit. It doesn’t depend on our mood or abilities, because it’s a choice we make. We cannot control physical pain, illness, weakness or our disabilities, but like Anthony, we can control how we think and respond to it. 

I learn from observing Anthony that the difference in a believer is that they trust God in the storms of life as well as in the sunny days. To question God in the storm is a very human reaction, but to have persistent faith, is a spiritual choice. When Jesus lives in us, His Holy Spirit merges with our human nature, to give us strength to find gratitude and exalt Him, in the midst of our afflictions.

So Anthony walks around that Nursing home, limping with a walker, speaking with a strained voice, but giving others the gift of dignity, hope and a prayer. He is a constant reminder for me, that whatever happens in our lives, if Jesus is our daily bread and we choose to exalt Him, we are being held in His hands forever. 

Even when we are broken, we are still blessed, and God desires to shares us with others, so that we may exalt Him together.

Lord, give us the grace and strength to exalt you together with others, today and always, in spite of our afflictions. Amen

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.”

Acts 2:17 (RSV)

The apostle Peter spoke these words in a sermon at Pentecost, while quoting the prophet Joel. There are many instances in scripture of God speaking to people through a vision or a dream, but Joel said that God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh in the last days and there would be many dreams and visions, among young and old. The “last days” actually began at Pentecost. 

One of my favorite scenes in the Chosen movie series is Season 5, Episode 3. Jesus is grieved over the religious authorities’ rejection of Him. While He was praying, He began to weep with compassion for those in Jerusalem who totally rejected Him. While filled with sorrow in that scene, He suddenly hears harp music and someone singing a psalm. He walks a few yards away and sees a vision of David, singing and playing his harp in front of him. David, who died 1,000 years earlier, looks at Jesus and smiles at Him, which brought Him comfort, in his sorrowful state of mind.

Even though this scene is not found in scripture, it’s a beautiful reminder that Jesus grieves with the same emotions we feel. God will give us moments of comfort and blessing through visions or dreams directly from heaven. 

He does it at the precise moment that we need it to refresh our faith.

I heard of two true stories about people who were given a special gift of comfort in a time of sorrow after losing a loved one. One story was about a grandfather who passed away in his late sixties, whose family was devastated by his untimely death. 

While his adult daughter was still grieving over her father, she went into her two year old son’s room one morning, and the lively toddler said, “I love you, Mommy” She answered, “I love you too.” Suddenly, the two year old’s eyes were focused on something behind his mother and he said, “And Papa loves you too.” 

She turned around and saw nothing, yet she knew something very unusual just happened. God granted the toddler a vision of his late grandfather, her father, who sent a message of love that only a small child would be receptive to. Since only the pure in heart can see God, they can occasionally see our loved ones and be the channels for loved ones who are in Heaven. 

The second story is about a friend whose aging mother had been in the ICU, due to kidney failure and diabetes. She was not permitted any water to drink by mouth, since she was receiving IV fluids. It was difficult for her loved ones to hear her ask repeatedly for water, but be denied. She eventually passed away and went to be with the Lord.

Shortly afterward, while riding in the car one day, the family’s five year old young son, Christian, said something that stunned everyone. He said, “Grandma told me that she can have all the water that she wants now.” 

Christian never knew anything about his grandmother’s medical condition, he never even saw her in the ICU. His parents asked him to repeat what he just said and he did. They wondered how Christian could have known information that was never revealed to him. The only explanation is that his grandmother visited him in a dream or a vision. 

Children have pure hearts and they don’t lie about supernatural phenomena. God promised through the prophet Joel, that both young and old people, our sons and daughters would dream and see visions. In these two cases it was the grandchildren. 

Most of the time, God sends regular people, like you and me to help someone at a specific time in their life. Children are more receptive to visions, and God uses them to be the earth angel to send a special message to someone during a grieving period of their life. 

Lord, open our hearts and the hearts of our sons, daughters and grandchildren to receive your Spirit’s messages from Heaven. Amen

A two year old with his Papa

“Call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

Psalm 50:15 (NIV)

It’s helpful to remind ourselves of  those times when God came through for us, after we called on Him. It encourages my faith to recall an experience I once had after Jon’s accident and brain injury. Three years ago, I acquired legal documents that declared me Jon’s legal guardian, and I was preparing to bring them to the bank.

The morning before I left the house, I remember praying, “Jesus, I surrender this situation to you, take care of everything.” Being named as Jon’s permanent guardian, would give me the right to pay his bills and apply for his Social Security disability. I was relieved to finally have the legal right to manage his expenses and future benefits. 

Instead, I hit a roadblock when the bank informed me that the situation is more complicated than they first thought. I had no idea that the only bank account Jon had was a business checking account. For twenty years, he had his own small business, patching or sealcoating driveways in the Lake County area. 

The legal glitch was that his account was in a business name and my guardianship did not give me access to a business account. They said even if they closed the account, the check would have to be made payable to the business name, and Jon was unable to sign a check. So I was in a stalemate situation. 

I asked the banker how this could ever be resolved, since Jon is disabled and cannot speak or care for his own state of affairs.  Silvia, the banker, said she felt bad, but it was out of her hands, since it was the decision of their legal department.

When I heard Silvia’s answer, I said to the Lord in my mind, 

“Lord, I surrender this to you, take care of everything.” Then I felt peace, thinking God may have a better plan that I don’t yet understand. 

Just after I said that prayer in my mind, Silvia, the banker, said, “Wait, I’m going to call our legal department once more, and maybe a different person will have more insight and help to find a better solution.” 

It was so nice of Silvia to go the extra mile and be so persistent in solving this problem. The Holy Spirit was guiding her, because she made the call and spoke to a totally different person in their legal department. They requested all the documents be sent to them for review. The legal department then forwarded those documents to their chief legal expert over all the bank branches. 

Silvia assured me that either she or someone else will get back to me with an answer. That same evening I received a call from the bank saying that they will be able to close the business account and open a new account with my name as his guardian. After hanging up the phone I looked up and said, “Thank you Lord for taking care of everything.”

After all the phone calls that were made that day, Silvia calling her legal department twice, and the legal department calling their  chief expert over all the branches, the decision was finally made to permit me to handle Jon’s account. Jesus took care of everything, because of all the calls made that day, the most important call was the one I made to Jesus, before leaving the house. 

The prayer, “Jesus, I surrender to you, take care of everything,” is a short, simple prayer that brings amazing results. As I remember those stressful days after Jon’s accident, I give God the honor and glory for tending to all the glitches  and many more that came up afterward. He really does take care of everything when we ask Him to.

Lord, may our first call always be  to you. We praise and thank you for being ready to hear and deliver us from all our troubles. Amen

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

A biblical example of new beginnings was when Moses made a new set of stone tablets for the Ten Commandments. The old tablets were broken when Moses threw them down, out of frustration with the people, who fell into their old ways, after all the Lord did for them. 

Instead of punishing the people, God instructed Moses to make a new set of tablets. This was a tangible sign of God’s mercy, forgiveness and grace for renewal. We leave the broken tablets of our lives behind, as God constantly gives us opportunities for new beginnings.

God always finds a way to rework His original plan for us, by rerouting our souls back to Him. Broken tablets are symbolic of broken dreams, crushed hopes, wrong choices and anything that pulls us away from God, yet, God never walks away from us even when we walk away from Him. 

He simply redirects us like a GPS does when we make a wrong turn. 

If we miss a turn while driving, a GPS will reroute us, leading us down streets and intersections, all to set us back on the path to our destination. In a similar way, God’s mercy meets us wherever we have lost our way, and leads us back on the path of His will, through a new beginning.

Since last week, my son, Jon, is experiencing a new beginning with regard to facial recognition through family photos. His new attention to people in photos is a small but new area in his recovery process. 

When Jon was a child he had a favorite stuffed animal, which was  a panda bear, he called “Pandy”. 

I ordered a similar one on line and brought it to him, hoping it would trigger more memories. I gave him the stuffed panda, and he smiled. I asked if he remembered “Pandy,” and he nodded yes. Then he spent time looking through more family photos. 

One photo that he seemed to like most, is now taped to his closet door. It’s a photo of him with Michael, his twin, at his wedding. 

Before leaving for the day, I pointed to that picture, and Jon reached out and took my hand, smiling with tears in his eyes. We hugged each other and then I left. 

God has given Jon a new beginning just as He gives every believer new beginnings in our faith walk. As Jon is awakened to photos of his family, our souls are awakened at times to God’s presence working in our lives. 

Jesus said that His eye is on the smallest sparrow, and He doesn’t miss a thing. His love and mercy is always looking to re-route our path and draw us closer to Him.

Lord, we leave our broken tablets at the altar of your grace. Thank you for giving us new beginnings, and a constant hope for a fresh start in your name. Amen

“Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

Genesis 18:10-14 (NIV)

There were three angelic beings who visited Abraham one day to bring important news. One angel gave him the message, but first asked, “Where is your wife, Sarah?” Sarah was listening from the tent, as the angel went on to tell Abraham that He would return the following year and Sarah would have a son.

Sarah, in overhearing these words, laughed to herself, at the words of that messenger, since she was in her late senior years. 

Sarah didn’t laugh out loud for an anyone to hear, but she laughed to herself, in her thoughts, but the angelic messenger heard Sarah laugh.

He said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh?” He heard her thoughts just as God hears every thought that passes through our minds. He reads our motives, our doubts, fears, the true intention of our heart, our heartbreaks and deepest anxieties.  

Sometimes, like Sarah, we can easily think of all the reasons that God might not answer a prayer. In Sarah’s case, it was logical for her to doubt, since she was way past child bearing age. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90, when she gave birth to that miracle baby, Isaac, in the following year. 

Sarah had doubts, but not total unbelief. She didn’t have the same quality of faith that Abraham had, but on the positive side, Sarah was honest in her doubt, and had a sense of humor about it. The Lord is not offended by doubt, nor did He reprimand Sarah or change His mind about His promise. He just asked, “Why did Sarah laugh?” Sarah laughed because she didn’t know how amazing God is. She grew in faith later, when she realized He is the God of the impossible. 

He never punishes us for doubt, but He does ask questions. He asks us “Don’t you trust me?” Three months passed by before Sarah became pregnant. God fulfilled His promise, and nine months later she held baby Isaac in her arms. 

Some years ago, a friend of mine was diagnosed with a type of cancer in the connective tissue of her leg. When she was first diagnosed, she went to her empty church and sat alone in a pew, praying. She was filled with anxiety about what would happen next. In the silence of that empty church, she heard God’s voice within her, ask, “Don’t you trust Me?” That’s all He said, but it changed something within her. 

That question melted her heart, and she surrendered all her anxieties to the Lord, from that day on. She figuratively left all her doubts with Jesus, on the altar that day. She went on to have surgery and survived. Today, she walks with a limp but her faith is stronger than ever. 

God knows our thoughts and He hears every prayer, but He also knows our doubts, fears and anxiety. Doubt doesn’t disqualify anyone from God’s love or stop Him from fulfilling His promises. We were meant to grow in our faith, and much of that growth comes through our doubts. 

A 19th century Scottish evangelist wisely explained the difference between doubt and unbelief:

Doubt is can’t believe. 

Unbelief is won’t believe. 

Doubt is honesty. 

Unbelief is obstinacy. 

Doubt is looking for light. 

Unbelief is content with darkness.

(Henry Drummond)

Lord, help us who struggle with doubt to keep our trust in you with hope, faith and patience, while we wait with peace for the light of your promises to be fulfilled. Amen

“When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”

Deuteronomy 24:19 (NIV)

The most ancient teaching of the Mosaic law, says that whoever helps strangers, foreigners, orphans and widows, will be blessed by God. This was taught from the earliest days and carried through to Jesus’ day, although the religious authorities seemed to forget those teachings, when Jesus reached out to foreigners, strangers, and gentiles. 

God has always been in the business of calling strangers and foreigners to Himself. God once selected Ruth, a Moabite woman, a gentile, to be a part of the ancestry of Jesus. Rahab, a gentile and a harlot, became a believer and changed her life. She was also part of the ancestry of Jesus. God always has and always will call foreigners and those outside the tribes of Israel, to join His kingdom. Any person, whose heart turns to Him, is welcomed.

God is still faithful to His chosen people, Israel, because of His promise to Abraham, but He has other children called into His flock as well. We are God’s children, called to labor in our Father’s family business. It’s a business that goes into the highways and byways, finding the alienated, the foreigners and the poor in spirit, who God wants to reveal His goodness to. As in any family business, those who work for their father, cherish family relationships more than monetary profit.

When Jesus came into the world, He worked in His Father’s business, inviting foreigners, the the meek, those who mourn and peacemakers. Jesus reached out to His own people first, but when religious leaders rejected Him, He turned His attention to those living on the margins of society, like the despised tax collectors, gentiles, harlots, and lepers. He simply followed Mosaic law, by reaching out to anyone estranged by society. 

Jesus started a revolution of dignity, targeting anyone treated as outcasts, by making them feel seen and loved. He gave them a sense of dignity that they never had before. He never formed opinions, based on someone’s political allegiance or ethnic background, but rather by looking in their heart. 

Visiting a Nursing home each week has taught me to appreciate people as they are, even if their words are unfiltered, or if they lack soundness of mind, and barely have a working memory. In one way or another, they are all poor in spirit, souls that God is seeking. 

Jesus came to bring dignity to people just as they are, which helps me to better appreciate Jon’s state of being-as he is. Instead of hoping he will return to how he used to be, I have learned  to enjoy who he currently is. Jesus bestows dignity to people, in whatever mental, emotional or spiritual state they exist in.

I remember a resident at the  Nursing home, named Tawana, who shared her faith in any conversation, always finding a way to express her gratitude to God. She survived brain surgery and the Nursing home was to be her temporary rehabilitation place. She was far from her home on the south side of Chicago, so visits by her family were rare. She was always cheerful, yet praying for the day she could leave and to go to an assisted living facility. 

One day, while she was talking about Jesus, she said He told us to take one day at a time, and not to worry about tomorrow. A female resident who was sitting next to her at the table, asked “Really, did Jesus said that?” 

Tawana assured her, always giving hope to the residents, despite knowing that living in a Medicaid facility was no vacation. 

Tawana was an example of laboring in her Father’s business, and letting her light shine on the outcasts and poor in spirit. Her day finally came to leave, and go to an assisted living facility, close to her children and grandchildren. She was blessed to leave the Nursing Home and we were all blessed to have known her during her time there. 

God uses us to labor in His family business, wherever we can be most fruitful. He places us where we are, for a reason and a season, because He knows what is best for His children and the family business of Heaven. 

Lord, help us to have gratitude even in the places we don’t want to be in. Open our hearts to see the heart of strangers among us and to share hope with them. Amen