Kissed by the Spirit

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

I love this scripture verse, since there are many places in the New Testament, where believers are compared to runners in a race. Life is like a marathon and we who believe, are the runners. All the runners in a marathon look good at the starting point. Then challenges come along the way, and by the time each runner reaches the finish line, they are exhausted and dripping with sweat. It was worth it all as they break through the finish line and win the prize. 

Paul gave us this metaphorical image, which is how he lived his entire Christian life of faith. In his letter to Timothy before he was sentenced to a martyr’s death, he wrote, 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”(2 Timothy 4:7)

Bible characters like Abraham, Moses, and Joseph all had the mindset of a marathon runner, who ran by faith, through their exhaustion, pain, and doubt, yet always keeping their eyes on the finish line, and nothing else. 

Moses kept his people focused on  the promised land, despite the many hardships encountered in the wilderness. The theme of the New Testament is to stay focused on Jesus as we run the race of life, all the way to the finish line. We don’t have a geographical promised land as the Israelites did, but we possess a land of God’s promises, which is the kingdom of God dwelling within us. Trusting in His promises gives us endurance as we run the race. 

Like any marathon runner, we face challenges and persevere through unexpected obstacles. A good runner doesn’t let themself get distracted, but keeps their eyes on the finish line. Jesus put His focus on His Heavenly Father during His life on earth, and it helped Him to overcame and find fortitude through so much betrayal and rejection. We overcome everything by keeping our focus on Jesus who lives within us. 

We all experience blessings and disappointments in the walk of faith, but disappointments are not the final evaluation of our faith. God is able to bring great blessings and purpose through disappointing circumstances. Rewards come to those who keep the faith, as the marathon runner diligently runs toward the finish line.

When we feel worn down with doubt, we remember the promises of God, and He renews our strength, lifting our spirit while we wait for the answers. Christian living is mostly about waiting. 

Answer to prayer usually takes time, and waiting can be very frustrating. Everywhere I go lately, seems to involve waiting. I wait at the doctor’s office, at train stops, at red lights, and in grocery store lines. It seems that God allows waiting in our lives to teach us something. We learn to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, putting our hope in His promises, more than in what we see, and we also learn patience as we wait for God’s timing.

It reminds me of the promise;

“They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

God is love and everything He permits in our lives is out of His love for us. In all of the waiting and trusting, we keep running the race, with our eyes fixed on Jesus at the finish line. He is cheering us on and we hope to one day hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Lord, give us strength and fortitude to run, while fixing our eyes on you, and to wait patiently as we trust in your promises. Amen

“And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was “hovering”over the surface of the waters.”

Genesis 1:2 (NASB)

No matter how desolate, dark or empty a situation is, the Spirit of God is there, hovering. Hovering is an interesting way to describe what the Holy Spirit does. 

Webster’s dictionary definition of the word “Hover,” is “to position a computer cursor over an image or icon before selecting it.” Before computers existed, the definition of hover was “to move about to and fro, wavering over a person, place or object.”

The word, hover, has been around for centuries, and it appears in the book of Genesis, written around 1400 BC. The Spirit of God was “hovering over the waters” moving to and fro, over the dark, desolate, formless stages of creation. He is called the “Ruach Elohim.” Ruach is Hebrew for Spirit and Elohim is the plural form of the word for God. The mysterious thing about this name is that the word for God is El, but the writer of Genesis uses the plural form, Elohim.

So, the very first time God is ever mentioned in scripture, His name is in plural form. It makes sense to Christianity, that God introduces Himself as a Trinity. The plurality of His name is seldom talked about, yet in the story of creation, God refers to Himself in plural,

“Let us make man in our image.”

Christianity has always taught that God is a Trinity, one God in three persons. The actual word Trinity isn’t found anywhere in the entire bible, but the earliest fathers of the church, who knew the original apostles, were taught the Trinity by them, and then went on to teach it to others.

We may never fully comprehend the concept of a Trinity, but we can gain a deeper appreciation of each person in the Trinity. Jesus said that He would ask the Father, and He will send us another Helper, to be with us forever, who is the Spirit of truth. (John 14:16)

The Holy Spirit is this Helper, the same one who was there at the beginning, hovering over the dark waters of creation. He was sent to us by Jesus and His Father, and He hovers over us forever. Since the Holy Spirit is still hovering over us today, it seems only natural to invite Him into every aspect of our life and every situation of our day. 

The hovering Helper hovers over all of us especially when we feel like we are going through some dark, desolate situations in our lives. I can feel the darkness that my son is feeling, while currently going through a divorce, but I am trusting that the Holy Spirit will hover over all who are affected by it, and send His peace.

The same hovering Helper, moves  over every human soul on earth, pursuing them in the power of God’s love, because that’s what He does by nature. He is the One who makes God’s love knowable, regardless of how much suffering people may go through. He hovers over victims of poverty, injustice, loneliness, illness or depression. He even hovers over those who reject Him, and express no need for God at all, because His love is relentless and He never gives up on anyone.

This is the nature of the Ruach Elohim, the same Spirit who was first revealed to us in Genesis. He is the One who hovers over the whole world, and reveals His truth to anyone who asks and seeks for Him with their whole heart. Jesus asked for the Spirit to come to us, and now we can pray and ask the Spirit to come to our children, our friends, and all our loved ones. 

We can ask Him to hover over our homes, places of employment, or any area that needs to receive God’s love and truth. 

He hovers eagerly over all of our efforts to serve others. Leaders can ask Him to hover over their city or nation. Ministers and Pastors can ask the Spirit to hover over their churches and places of worship. Surgeons can ask Him to hover over their hands during surgeries. Scientists, inventors and doctors of faith, throughout history, have asked for His wisdom and discovered cures, treatments and vaccines. First responders can ask the Spirit to hover as they serve, save and protect others. 

While He hovers, He gives us comfort, hope, peace, wisdom and strength. Even in the darkest situation, the Spirit has infinite ways of helping us because God is infinite, and His love keeps persevering on our behalf. 

Come Holy Spirit and hover over us, in every aspect and area of our lives. Please have your way in our hearts, and in the whole world now and forever. Amen

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;

he makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters;

he restores my soul.”

Psalm 23:1-2 ( RSV)

Emil Kapaun was a US army captain, who became a chaplain to an army unit in the Korean War. He was a large built man who went beyond his normal call of duty as a chaplain. When the Chinese volunteer army joined the fight, the Army gave Emil the option to leave and go to safer area, but he chose to stay with the 800 men that he served. 

Whether there was a need to find food for his men when they were starving or to pray at the side of the wounded or dying, Emil went out of his way to give hope and raise the morale of all his men. 

One day Emil saw a Chinese soldier aiming his rifle at a wounded US soldier lying helplessly on the ground, and he rushed at him, shoving the Chinese soldier aside, then picked up the wounded man, and carried him to safety. 

He was expecting the Chinese soldier to get up and shoot them both, but for some reason, he never did. Emil waited to hear the sound of gunshots, while carrying the wounded soldier, but the enemy soldier never fired at them. He carried the wounded man to safety, where he received medical aid, and lived to tell the story of Chaplain Emil’s bravery.

In 1951, Emil became ill and died in a Korean prisoner of war camp at the age of 35. Three unnamed US soldiers got together and buried his body in a rocky area of Korea as the war waged on. 

After the war, no one knew exactly where Emil was buried until 70 years later. One of the veterans who helped to bury him, was browsing through a veteran’s magazine in a doctor’s office waiting room one day. In the magazine, there was an article about Chaplain Emil Kapaun, whose remains were never found. The man was one of the three who buried him and immediately contacted the Army authorities to tell them where they buried the chaplain. 

Emil’s grave in Korea was found, and DNA tests confirmed that it was him. They brought his remains back to the US soil for burial. Emil, who was a good shepherd to his men, received an honorable burial on the green pastures of the National Memorial Cemetery in Hawaii. He was also posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor, Bronze star and a Purple Heart for his bravery in helping to rescue many men. 

As Chaplain Emil fulfilled his role as the Shepherd to his regiment, the Lord was a good Shepherd to him, by bringing his body back to be honored in his own nation, after lying in an unknown grave for seventy years. 

Jesus, is also our Good Shepherd, who stays at our side throughout the spiritual battles we face. He lifts our hearts up in faith, comforts us and heals our wounds. He keeps us safe from evil, and though the world forgets people, Jesus never forgets anyone. 

Lord, thank you for being a Good Shepherd to us all, and please bless all the good shepherds, like Emil, who follow your example and give themselves wholeheartedly, for their flock. Amen 

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Luke 2:19 (NIV)

I come from a patriotic family, and in honor of Memorial Day, this meditation will share thoughts about one veteran in my ancestry. My father served in the army, my uncle (my mom’s brother)was a Marine in WWII, and my oldest brother was an Air Force fighter pilot, during the Viet Nam war. Both my uncle and my brother died serving their country, but this meditation is in memory of my uncle.

As a child, my first introduction to a war hero was the picture of my grandmother’s only son, John, a Purple Heart Marine war hero, who died in World War II. He was killed by a hand grenade, in Iwo Jima, as he rescued a fellow marine. 

I remember spending time in my grandmother’s small, humble home, where I still recall an entire area of her living room, dedicated to her son, John. It was like a shrine filled with his photos, war medals, letters and a newspaper article, all in honor of an uncle I never knew, who died eight years before I was born.

I remember browsing through my grandmother’s scrapbook, which was full of photos of people who were special in her life, like her deceased husband, parents and siblings, even though I never met any of them.

My grandmother kept a letter from the Marine chaplain, who knew her son in Iwo Jima, which I now have in my own scrapbook today. 

He wrote to my grandmother, to say that her son was a man of faith, and a good man, who made the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus described it well, “Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

A scrapbook is special to the one who puts it together, but even more meaningful when it can be  shared with others. It becomes more than a collection of photographs, but a memorial of a loved one’s values and character. Although her son lived only 24 years on this earth, his memory was kept alive for many years afterward, through my grandmother’s scrapbook.  

Mary had a place in her heart where she stored every cherished memory of Jesus, keeping His memory alive, long after He ascended to Heaven. She had a mental scrapbook filled with memories, conversations and miraculous images that she treasured, as scripture says that she pondered everything in her heart. 

When Mary and Joseph searched for twelve year old Jesus and were surprised to find Him in the temple, He told His parents that He had to be in His Father’s house. Mary treasured those words in the moment, putting it in the scrapbook of her heart, where it remained long after He was gone.

We may have our own memories of how we once searched for and found Jesus. We also have a scrapbook in our hearts of the most meaningful moments that impacted our faith and our relationship with Him.

A scrapbook has a twofold purpose, it’s a comforting reflection for the one who keeps it, but it’s also meant to be shared with other people, throughout the years. My grandmother’s scrapbook was a memorial to her only son, and made me feel like I knew my uncle even though I never met him. 

The memories we hold sacred in  this life, are a treasure, and by sharing them with others, we remind ourselves that we will all live forever. Jesus promised that all who believe in Him will live, even if they die. The shared memories of our loved ones today, and our hope in the resurrection, will continue to bless and comfort  our friends and loved ones, for many days to come.

Lord, we honor the memories of all loved ones and veterans, who live in the scrapbook of our hearts. As we share their memory, we hold on to the hope of eternal life. Amen 

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY🇺🇸

“Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”

The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.

There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Luke 10:40-42 (NAB)

Bethany was a common stop for travelers, going to Jerusalem from Nazareth. Jesus and his parents traveled to Jerusalem throughout the years for religious holidays. They likely stopped over in the town of Bethany to spend time with the family of Lazarus, who befriended and hosted Joseph, Mary and Jesus in those earlier years. The friendship between Jesus, Lazarus, Mary and Martha developed and grew deeper over the years. 

The parents of Lazarus and Jesus’ father, Joseph, are not mentioned in this gospel story. The children are now young adults and very close friends. Jesus is just beginning His ministry and is the guest at their home along with His disciples, as Martha serves them. Mary appears to have abandoned Martha, while sitting at Jesus’ feet, in adoration. Perhaps she is seeing Him for the first time as her Lord and Messiah, and not merely her childhood friend.

There has always been debate over differing viewpoints about these two sisters in the gospel. Both sisters knew and loved Jesus, but Martha was busy serving, as Mary was listening to Jesus reveal Himself and His teachings. 

Some interpret this story to mean that service means nothing without true worship and others say that worship means nothing without true service. Both views are true and understandable, so we look to see what Jesus said about it. 

Jesus looked at Martha and told her that she was way too anxious. He wasn’t saying that service is not meaningful. In fact, He said  that there is a great need for more laborers to work in His Father’s harvest. (Matthew 9:38)

Jesus just wanted Martha to understand which response comes first. Our personal time spent with Him needs to come before our service and labor. We were meant to worship and to serve, yet Jesus said that Mary chose the “better”part, because it cannot be taken away. 

Chris Stefanik, a Christian lay speaker, once said;

“Lord, help us to be more like Mary so that we don’t have to work like Martha.” He didn’t mean that we shouldn’t work at all, but that there is a proper order to follow, so that we can serve God with joy, and not with all the anxiety that Martha carried around. Adoring Jesus and spending time listening to Him, comes first. It prepares us to serve Him in the spiritually healthy way, freed from the anxiety that leads to criticizing others.

Martha thought Mary wasted time sitting at Jesus’ feet, and she urged Him to tell Mary to help her. The difference between the two sisters is that Martha wanted Jesus to talk to Mary and correct her, but Mary wanted and needed only to listen to Jesus talk to her. 

Jesus told Martha that Mary has chosen the “better” part, which will not be taken from her. Jesus ended His sentence, indicating that there is something better that precedes all service to God, that will never be taken away. 

Jesus was warning Martha that we can lose ourselves in our labors, even when our labors are for Him. Hospitality and service is valuable, but some people can go through all the labor but still not know Him. Jesus asks us to abide in Him, which requires time spent with Him. 

We need Mary’s hunger to spend time with Him in prayer. To know Jesus is the better thing that produces the best servants, who listen to what He is saying before going out to labor in the world. It’s the “better”part that prepares us for eternal life with Him. 

Lord, help us to follow Mary in choosing to first spend time with you, so that we may serve like Martha, but without anxiety. Amen 

“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24 (RSV)

Jesus advised us to keep our hearts, minds and over all focus on the present day, as He is quoted in Matthew chapter 6, saying,

“Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life?” That’s pretty strong advice to stay focused on this present day. 

It reminds me of a short prayer that I start each day with, called the “Permission prayer,” which goes like this, 

“Lord, I give you permission to use me today in any way you desire, and show me your hand in action, so that I can give you all the glory.”

This prayer keeps the focus on today, and what God wants to do this day, instead of thinking about all the things we need to do. It makes us revolve around God’s perfect timing, instead of ours. When unexpected obstacles hinder me from accomplishing what I planned to accomplish during the day, I pause and say, “Okay Lord, thank you for your perfect timing.”

Only we can surrender ourselves to permit God to use us as He chooses. He gave us free will, and He never forces anyone to seek His purpose. When we offer Him our words, our hands, and our path, for the day, He works in our hearts and minds to fulfill His purpose. Then exciting things start to happen, because God has people to introduce us to and plans to unfold, by using us. 

He may bring someone into our path, so that we show them some simple act of kindness. We might otherwise be oblivious to that particular person, if we didn’t first pray and offer ourselves to be used by God during the day. It’s so fulfilling to know that something special awaits us because this is the day that the Lord has made. 

While sitting at the table, visiting nursing home residents this week, I noticed a very tall young man walking around in the large Day room. He walked back and forth looking kind of lonely and lost, and I never saw him before. He struck my attention because he was not only a young man but even taller than my son, Jon, who is 6’4.” 

I called him over to talk to him and introduce myself, inviting him to pull up a chair and he seemed happy to speak to someone, although his speech was slurred and required repeating. He is 6’6” tall and 28 years old. For his privacy I will call him Muhammad. He said he’s been living in that Nursing home for 5 months, but I never saw him before. 

Muhammad told me he has Wilson’s disease, which is a rare genetic illness where copper builds up in the body, causing damage to the brain, nerves and liver. The liver is the organ that removes unused amounts of copper in healthy people, but it’s unable to remove copper in one out of 30,000 people with the rare Wilson’s disease. 

It is treated with medication, but I don’t know much more about it or the prognosis. Muhammad has some difficulty articulating his words, and a slight tremor in his hands, but he is very polite and sociable. He also told me that he used to teach autistic children for a living. Now he lives in a Nursing home and his mother visits him, so I hope to meet her one day. 

I told him about my son, Jon, who was taking a nap in his room while I was visiting that day. I hope someday to introduce Jon and Muhammad to each other. 

That same day was also the day that Jon put his hoodie jacket on all by himself, which was a first for him. It was really the day that the Lord has made, by introducing me to the newest and youngest resident at the Nursing home, and showing me Jon’s latest progress in dressing himself. 

To focus on the present day, as Jesus advised, removes our attention from our problems and shows us the new things to be grateful for. When we start each day with the belief that God cares for us enough to bring joy to our day through others, it makes every day an adventure. 

The residents in a Nursing home have no choice but to live one day at a time. None of them can make a single plan for their future, and any satisfaction that they get, comes in the blessing of the present day that the Lord has made. Muhammad made a new friend that day, and Jon put his jacket on by himself, which brought joy into their day and mine.

If we, who are living independently and in good health, can find as much joy in the present day, as the residents in Nursing homes do, we will discover the joy of living in the present day that the Lord has made.  

Lord, make us aware that you make each day special, by the people you bring people into our day, restoring our joy with gratitude. Amen

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 (RSV)

We have all experienced scarcity in something during our lives. A scarcity could refer to something other than a financial or material undersupply. There are scarcities of faith, hope, love, peace, health, patience, courage, and the list could go on.

God may meet our scarcity in an unexpected way, during the time of greatest need. If we look at examples throughout scripture, when anyone struggled with a lack of something, their faith was rewarded with an unexpected manifestation of God’s presence. 

As a young man, Jacob fled from his brother, Esau, who was out to kill him. It all started when Esau exchanged his birthright to Jacob, for a bowl of lentil stew, in his moment of hunger. Later, Esau regretted that exchange, felt cheated and his anger burned against Jacob, as he pursued him.

Jacob was living like a fugitive,  frightened and running from Esau’s wrath. He had neither peace nor security. While in that state of anxiety, Jacob fell asleep and dreamed of a ladder that led all the way up to heaven. God spoke to Jacob in his dream, promising that He would always be with him, and one day make out his descendants, a great nation.

Jacob woke up from that dream, saying, “Truly, the Lord is in this place and I did not know it,” and from that time onward, he found new peace and security believing everything will be alright. He  eventually reconciled with his brother and lived in peace, though he faced many more trials ahead. Problems still arose but Jacob found new mercies each morning.

God often spoke to people in scripture while they were in dire need. After the day of Pentecost, a poor, crippled beggar called out to Peter, asking him for help in the form of money. Peter, filled with the Spirit, boldly told the beggar, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” (Acts 3:6)

Then taking him by the right hand, the man was healed, jumped to his feet and began to walk. Peter had new courage to exercise his faith since Pentecost, and Jesus became present to that beggar through Peter, declaring him to be healed. God showed new mercies to both Peter and the beggar. The church that Jesus formed with His disciples, had become His body on earth. 

When the friends of Mary ran out of wine, early in the evening of a wedding celebration, she knew that God was present at that wedding feast through her son, Jesus. As the hosts of the party surrendered their lack to Him, Jesus turned their jars of water into jars of the finest quality wine. When God shows up, His new mercies are always focused on the quality of His blessings.

The world is full of scarcities, but God desires to keep introducing His son to the world, so that whoever turns to Him will receive new mercies. We never know how God is going to show up for someone, but He will find a way to make Himself present in a time of need, restoring the quality of life through faith.

His new mercies came to Jacob in a dream, giving him a peace beyond understanding. His new mercies came to a poor, crippled, beggar and through Peter, spoke strength and healing to him. Water was turned into wine through a wedding guest that no one knew was the son of God, except Mary, his mother. In every example of some lack or scarcity, God shows up and His mercies are new every morning.

Lord, we surrender all that is lacking in us, and trust you to meet us where we are, and to shower us with new mercies so that we can say as Jacob said, “Truly the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.” Amen

“And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.”

Mark 10:16 (NIV)

Renee Hendrix is a neonatal nurse from Georgia, whose 33 years on the job, was more of a calling than a career. Ever since she was a little girl, when visiting relatives in the hospital, Renee’s mother would take her to see all the newborn babies in the nursery through a window. She knew then, that she wanted to be a neonatal nurse when she grew up. 

Renee did just that and her whole career involved caring for premature babies in the (NICU) Neonatal Intensive Care unit. She started to develop a routine of silently praying over every new baby as they were admitted into her care. One day, a 28 week old premature baby girl was placed in the NICU. A routine ultrasound of the baby’s brain revealed a grade 4 brain bleed, which is very critical. If the baby survived, she would likely develop serious neurologic impairment. 

Renee stood over the baby girl and began to pray her usual prayer as she did for all the babies in her care, but that day, she felt the Lord telling her to place her hand on the baby’s forehead. It wasn’t her routine style of praying, but she obeyed. As she laid her hand on the baby’s forehead and prayed, she felt a rush of intense heat filling her own body. She kept praying, while feeling that heat, as her breathing began to be in sync with the baby’s breathing. After that prayer, she went about her usual duties for the day. 

I have heard testimonies of people who received a miraculous healing, and they all claim to feel a sensation of intense heat running through their body. When that infant girl had her follow up exam, her cranial ultrasound revealed no bleeding at all in her brain.

What Renee felt during prayer for that baby was a miracle healing. The Holy Spirit was filling the baby while she felt the heat of divine healing. After learning that the baby’s follow up ultrasound showed no bleeding of the brain at all, it was a confirmation that a miracle happened in that moment. She was thankful to God, but never told anyone about her experience until the timing was right.

The baby was discharged and went home, but a year later, the parents returned to visit the NICU, to greet the nurses and doctors, and show them their healthy one year old baby girl who was once cared for in that unit. 

Renee was pleased to see her and then pulled the parents aside to privately tell them her story of praying that day. They shared tears, hugs and friendship since then. Today, that baby is a healthy seven year old girl, whose parents are raising her to love God and others, trusting that her destiny is in God’s hands. 

The Lord has a purpose for every human life, even those who are not healed. Babies who survive, to live with neurologic impairment, have a purpose as much as any other life that God creates. They become lessons of love and patience for the parents, who are given a special grace and strength to handle whatever is ahead.

The gospels give us the image of Jesus, taking little children in His arms, placing His hands on them and blessing them, and He is still doing it today. He also does it through people like Renee. 

We may not fully understand it now, but whether babies live very brief lives, or spend a lifetime with impairments, they are in the arms and hands of Jesus who blesses them, as He once said, 

“Let the little children come to Me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

Lord, thank you for your divine will for every life and how valuable all life is to you. We have all once been helpless infants, so help us to trust that we are in your arms always. Amen

“Like apples of gold in settings of silver,

Is a word spoken at the proper time.”

Proverbs 25:11 (NASB)

As I was reminiscing about my

retirement, the joy and fulfillment I derived from all my years of working at the hospital, I remembered what actually drew me to the health care field in the first place. 

I was an art major in college but after getting married, a few years later, I became a stay at home mom until my boys were six years old. While staying home, I worked at various summer festivals doing portraits, and contracted a few art jobs, doing illustrations for a company at home, but we still needed a more steady income, so I got a job as a bank teller at a small family owned Savings and Loan in the neighborhood. 

The hours worked perfectly with school hours and I was home by 3:30 every day. It was a very family oriented bank, so they hired college students for the summer, allowing me to take every summer off to be with my children. During the nine years of working there, I listened to elderly customers tell me about their stroke or other health issues, and developed an  increasing interest in the human brain. I used to read books about neurological disorders during my lunch breaks. 

One college girl who I worked with asked me one day, “Why don’t you ever read normal books?” 

She asked me why I continued to work in a bank, while being so interested in neurology. I never thought I had the opportunity to change direction and start a new career, but she told me about a Medical career institute in Chicago, where she enrolled in their Ultrasound program. That brief conversation totally changed the direction of my life. 

I was 41 years old at the time, and my boys were 13. I checked out the school and enrolled in the program to study neurologic testing. I learned about all the medical tests and procedures for the brain and spine. We had the equipment in the room to perform hands on testing on each other, and I knew this was what I wanted to do. I finished the course, found a position in a large trauma hospital, worked there for 25 years, and retired three years ago.

While reminiscing about all this, I wondered what that college girl is doing today, 32 years later. Of course, she is no longer a college girl, but probably in her fifties. Since she inspired me and I still remembered her full name, I decided to search for her on Facebook, which is a good way to find and reconnect with past acquaintances. 

Surprisingly, I found her and messaged her after all these years, not sure if she would even remember me. I was shocked when I received an answer from her, saying “Maria!!! How funny that I am seeing your message since I was just thinking of you and the days when we worked together.”  

Wait, what? I was stunned that she was thinking about me on the same day that I messaged her. We were not even friends throughout the years. We were coworker acquaintances, who haven’t seen or spoken to each other in 32 years, and yet we were both thinking of each other at the same time? That is the Holy Spirit.

We exchanged phone numbers through Facebook messenger and she lives about 15 miles away from me, but we agreed to meet for coffee someday. 

It’s funny how a person from the past pops into two people’s minds simultaneously. It’s a lesson to teach us to pay attention to “who”is passing through our thoughts, because the Holy Spirit brings people into our minds and He does it for a reason. He’s a networker, who connects people according to His plan, purpose  and precise timing. 

I was so glad to finally tell her through FB, how much her words and our brief time together was a positive influence in my life. People perceive their true sense of worth when it’s reflected back to them by another person. It took 32 years, but I was able to let her know that her words were of great worth to me, and still echo in my heart. 

We are all here to lift each other up, and helpful words echo in our hearts forever. It pays to take note of who is passing through our thoughts at any moment, because it’s probably coming from God. Life is truly be an adventure, since the Holy Spirit is full of surprises. 

Lord, thank you for the people you send into our lives, networking through us and our words, so that we find deeper meaning in our purpose here. Amen

“For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Hebrews 4:15 (RSV)

It’s easy to say “I’m only human,”when we feel angry, insecure, depressed or tempted in some way, but sometimes we forget that Jesus was human too. He was 100%  human and divine. We usually focus on His divinity and miracles, but Jesus had a human side that He lived for thirty years before the ministry phase of His life ever began.

When we do the math, His brief ministry of three years was only 10% of His entire life, but 90% of His life was lived as a man in Nazareth. The gospels tell us very little of His earlier days. We know the story of how He wandered into the temple at 12 years old, leaving His parents to search for Him. His neighbors in Nazareth knew Him as the son of Joseph, the carpenter and Mary. 

His ministry took place during the last three years of His life, but what about the first thirty years of His life? 

We can gather some information about His earlier days, based on the traditions of the time He lived in. Most sons learned the trade of their father, so Jesus most likely worked at Joseph’s side, learning the skills of carpentry during His youthful years. He grew up in the Hebrew faith and customs of His family, faithfully observing all Mosaic teachings, as well as celebrating every feast and holiday of His culture.

Carpentry would have taught Jesus the skills that also shaped His character for ministry. He learned patience from Joseph, as they smoothed the roughest edges of wood, while handling it gently. He learned problem solving, in making the corners and joints of wood to line up perfectly  in order to construct and finish a beautiful product. A carpenter in Nazareth would have interacted with the small town community as they were consulted and contracted to build products, which taught Jesus His people skills.

No one knows for sure when Joseph passed away, but Jesus learned carpentry skills from him throughout those years, which helped Him in His ministry later. He managed to mentor His twelve disciples, with the gentleness of handling raw wood, that needed to be smoothed and sanded with great patience. 

He taught His disciples how to fit together in love and unity, despite their different backgrounds and opinions, in order to build His church in the same unity as when adjusting the corners and joints of wood to fit in building a beautiful piece of furniture. 

Jesus had people skills needed to connect with all types of people, whether it was a prominent synagogue official like Jairus, whose daughter He healed, or the woman at the well, who was a Samaritan, from a community alienated from Israel. 

In His humanity, Jesus felt the emotional pain of betrayal, rejection, and disrespect by some who might have even been close childhood friends, respected religious leaders or His own relatives. Some who rejected Him were those He knew and loved during his thirty years in Nazareth. He felt the pain of rejection but never sinned, and forgave everyone.

God loved us so much that He clothed His own divine Son in a human body and temperament like ours, in order to have a Savior and Intercessor who can identify fully with us. The next time we feel exasperated and have a tendency to say, “I’m only human”,  Jesus reminds us that He once was as human as we are. 

His Holy Spirit is speaking to our hearts, every day, assuring us, 

“You can do all things through Me, because I give you My strength.”

Lord, thank you for your humanity, and for your Holy Spirit that lives in us, giving us strength to do all things through you. Amen