Month: February 2024

“They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.”

John 19:40-42 (NAB)

Lent is only a few weeks away, and as we take extra time to remember the events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, we first focus on His suffering and His passion, which reminds us of our atonement and forgiveness. It better prepares us to appreciate His Sunday morning resurrection.

 During the first nine months after conception, Jesus occupied Mary’s womb. For three days after His death, He occupied a new unused tomb, donated by Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus went from a virgin womb to a virgin tomb. It was all part of the plan of God’s love for us. 

It felt like the world stood still for the disciples during those three days. They forgot what Jesus said to Martha when they stood with Him at the tomb of Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die. (John 11:25)

The prophets foretold everything that the Messiah would suffer and Jesus knew all those prophecies, but He also told His disciples that He would rise from the dead. (Matthew16:21)

Jesus knew that His suffering and death was part of the plan, and He shared it with His disciples, but it didn’t resonate, and they seemed to lose heart after He died. It’s difficult to focus on infinite truths when we are thinking in terms of the finite situation.

God’s purposes and plans are eternity based, and in His love for us, all things work together for our good. No one is a mere victim of circumstance. That’s why Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy will be done.” 

At the end of the day on that Friday, Jesus was laid in a sealed tomb. His disciples no longer saw Him, or heard his voice, and were uncertain of what to do next. Like frightened sheep without a shepherd, their hearts were filled with a lot of disappointment, but only a small amount of hope. 

Sunday morning changed things and that hope was fulfilled through the bodily resurrection of Jesus.

Whatever challenges and sorrows we face on the Fridays of our lives, Sunday is still coming, and that’s why Friday is good. Hope kept the disciples from Friday through to Sunday morning, when Jesus rose from the dead and walked out of His tomb.

With all our hope in the infinite God, we believe that Sunday is coming. It’s coming for all of us who have survived the difficult Fridays of life. Hope is what keeps us through all our disappointments, our faith shaking trials or the silence that makes it feel like Jesus is separated from us, and still buried in a sealed tomb.

We are trusting in His love for us and every promise that Jesus spoke through the gospels. Friday is good because Sunday is coming. God promised us that weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning.  (Psalm 30:5) 

Lord, thank you for Sunday morning hope. Refresh and comfort all who are grieving any kind of loss today, and assure their hearts and minds with the hope that brings us all to Sunday morning joy. Amen

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 ( NLT)

Although the word “resilience” is not mentioned in these scriptures, everything written in them, certainly implies it. Webster’s dictionary defines resilience as the ability to recover, bounce back or recoil after some sort of compressive stress. 

This translation refers to us as fragile clay jars, that are pressed by stress. Compressive stress can be any kind of loss, illness, strained relationships or a stressful situation that we never planned for. It can cause us to feel stretched or pressed beyond our capabilities, yet by God’s grace, in time, we will recoil and spring back. 

I believe that we are all more resilient than we admit to. We don’t always feel like we are going to recoil and spring back when we’re in the eye of the storm, but resilience has a way of emerging within us, over time. 

If we stop and think about what we have overcome over the years in our lives, we will admit that a strength has somehow developed in us, and that strength comes from Jesus. Paul says, “This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”(2 Corinthians 4:7)

The beauty of resilience is that we have it, yet don’t always recognize it within ourselves. Like David, we will each face a Goliath of some sort, at some time in our lives. We humbly face our giant with a little faith in our heart and a simple stone in our hand, and as we put one foot in front of the other, moving forward, God does the rest. The power comes from God, not ourselves.

Then one day, someone tells us how strong our faith must be, to handle what we are going through, but we never thought of it as strength at the time. We only know that there’s no other option than to keep moving forward, trusting God, as we go. We may feel like our clay jars are going to break, but God always steps in and resilience emerges from deep within us.

This resilience from God is placed within all of us, whether we face a Goliath in the form of a medical diagnosis, loss of a loved one, unexpectedly becoming a caregiver, suffering a financial loss or going through intense emotional anxiety. 

Even though we feel fragile, Jesus is within us, building our resilience through every trial. The scripture says that we are being pressed against from every side, but we are never crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We might be briefly knocked off our feet, but we will rise and stand up again, because there is an enduring light that dwells within us. It shines through our frail clay vessels, and it’s the Spirit of Jesus. He is the one creating the quality of resilience within our fragile clay jars. 

 Peter wrote, “And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”(1 Peter 5:10)

In other words, we may suffer for a little while, but we will recoil and find restoration, because God doesn’t allow us to be tested beyond our endurance. He makes us resilient, and we give Him all the gratitude and all the glory.  

Lord, thank you for making us resilient, despite how fragile and  weak we may feel. Continue to strengthen us, as we face giants and overcome all things in the power of your name. Amen

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”

Matthew 10:29-30 (RSV)

I ask God for His perfect timing before leaving the house each day, and it never fails that something always happens to confirm that whatever I do, or wherever I go, the timing has been perfectly prepared. 

Yesterday, I arrived at the Nursing Facility, a little later than usual. My son, Jon, was sitting in the day room, next to the usual table of residents, I’ve come to know each week. As I greeted them, I noticed that Amber was also sitting at the table, which was unusual. She ordinarily sits on the other side of the room. A new nurse assistant, named Michelle, was spending time with both Jon and Amber that day. 

As I sat down I noticed Amber was softly singing, even though no music was playing. The other residents at the table told me she was singing like that all day. We were all so amused, watching her sing and respond for a change. When I commented to Michelle about it, she told me she spends extra time with the non verbal residents, and can often get them to speak. I thought, what a blessing Michelle will be for Jon one day in the future. 

As I watched Amber singing softly, she turned to Martin, who was sitting next to her, and said, “I’m having a good day.” I couldn’t believe my ears, to hear Amber talk was astounding. She usually sits by herself, looking at the floor or ceiling and doesn’t answer anyone. 

I quickly searched my phone for the songs that she was already singing and started playing those songs on my phone for her. I turned up the volume, playing hit songs by James Taylor, Cindy Lauper, Bon Jovi, The Bee Gees, Beatles, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, and the Beach boys. We all sat watching her, amazed as Amber sang every single song, knowing all the lyrics of each song. She sang with animation and performance quality. She was so cute, and all residents at her table joined with her on the chorus of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”

It’s a small thing, but a huge breakthrough, because God is in all those small things. When I left to go home and said goodbye to everyone, I even heard Amber answer me, saying, “Goodbye”.

If God cares about the smallest sparrows, how much more does He care about non verbal people like Amber and Jon. God speaks to us through small signs, and then He sends special people like Michelle, to help others find their way of expression. 

It reminds me of a story told by a young priest, when he once boarded a plane to Boston for a speaking engagement. Flying is not within his comfort zone, and as he found his assigned seat, he silently prayed for a safe flight, and then he curiously felt like he was being watched. 

He looked to his right and to his left, and turned around, but only saw people staring at their cell phones. Then he looked out the window next to his seat, and on the wing of the plane sat a tiny sparrow, looking at him. He thought of the scripture that says, as God watches over the sparrow, He is also watching over us as well. He felt that God sent him a sign of comfort through that small sparrow, perched on the wing of that plane.

When he arrived at his destination in Boston, the host led him to his room, and as he entered the room, a plaque on the wall instantly caught his eye. It was a picture of a sparrow with today’s scripture verse on it. It may be a small sign, but to him, it was huge, because God used a sparrow to speak comfort to his heart that day. 

When we wholeheartedly rely on God, He will reveal Himself through small signs. Whatever doubts or fears we may have, He sends us a sign of comfort just at the right time, to connect and confirm to our hearts that everything will be okay.

Signs from Heaven are all around us. We only need to ask Him and keep our eyes open. It may be through nature, like a sparrow looking at us, or a person we encounter at the right time and place. Timing belongs to God, and when we ask for His perfect timing, we end up in the right places at the right time to meet the person we were meant to meet that day. 

Yesterday, God showed everyone how He is working in Amber, who found her expression by singing hit songs for hours. As we take notice of the small signs, it helps our faith to grow so that we can believe God for bigger things tomorrow. 

Lord, as you care for every sparrow, we know how much you love and care for us as well. Help us to take note of the small signs you send us each day, to remind us of your great love for us. Amen

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.”

Matthew 5:3-5 (NIV)

God has a business, which He is working throughout this world. It’s a “not for profit”business, because He gains nothing from it, but our friendship. If God is our Father, and we are His heirs, then we are in the family business with Him. We partake of His goals, doing our part, to show others His compassion. We labor in our Father’s  business, in various ways, to a world of the poor in spirit, the meek and those who mourn. 

Jesus worked in His father’s business by befriending those groups first. He went to the home of Matthew, the tax collector, and called Zacchaeus, to have dinner with them. Jesus first showed them dignity and later they became believers. They didn’t instantly convert from hearing Jesus preach.

Each person has a unique way of showing God’s compassion and dignity to others. It might start with a conversation and giving them respect. Relationships in the Nursing Facility start with respect, by visiting the sick and the lonely.

It has taught me so much about enjoying people in a present state of being. I’m learning to find joy in the present, instead of mourning for who they were prior to, or could become after a healing from mental illness, stroke, trauma, or a chronic disease. It is helping me to see Jon as he is here and now, not looking at him and always wishing he could be more. 

Everyone needs the dignity of being appreciated in the state of being they are currently in.

I enjoy my time spent talking with the residents in that day room. I routinely greet them, especially Amber, who is usually non verbal. Yesterday, as I walked over to greet Amber, she looked at me and said something, but I couldn’t hear her, so I leaned in and asked her to repeat what she said. She said, “Hi, you happy dog.”

I was so amused to hear Amber form a sentence, by not reciting song lyrics. She called me a happy dog, and I took it as a compliment. Then I played music for her and watched her come alive. She didn’t sing as much yesterday, but the rest of the people at her table were singing. 

So many residents are poor in spirit, which simply means acknowledging their spiritual poverty. Some residents seem depressed and in a state of mourning, but most of them have a meekness about them. Jesus blessed the poor in spirit, the meek and those who mourn, and I’m certain He desires us to bless them as well.

Tawana, who sat at the table with me and others yesterday, talked about her dependence on God and His goodness. She is the one who had a brain tumor removed a few years ago, and is still recovering. We talked previously about both having twins, but yesterday we talked about our mutual faith in God. In all that we discussed at that table, Amber sat quietly listening as well as another lady, I met for the first time, named Sherry. God’s perfect timing always places the right people at the right table for His good and perfect purpose. 

Sherry listened as Tawana and I were talking, and I casually mentioned how Jesus tells us to take one day at a time, not to worry about tomorrow. Sherry, asked “ Really, did Jesus say that?” She was absorbing all the hope that Tawana and I were sharing about the Lord. I believe Amber was quietly listening the whole time. 

I am delighted to be the happy dog that Amber sees a few days a week. God has a place and a purpose for all of us to labor in His family business. I just retired three months ago, but I’m sure I’ve found the place, while I’m still learning what my purposes are there. 

God wants to touch the poor in spirit, with His compassion. I would never have known I could feel such a connection to a Nursing facility, if it wasn’t for having a son who resides there. It has opened my eyes to a harvest field of souls. I have been able to see people through the eyes of a happy dog, according to Amber. In thinking of what that means, a dog is happy in the present moment, they are never thinking about the past or the future. They live in the joy of now. Thanks Amber, for reminded me to find joy in the moment. 

Lord, we pray you will bless others through us, and help us to touch their lives as they touch ours. As we labor to show compassion to the poor in spirit, meek and those in mourning, fill us with your joy to share with others. Amen