Author: Maria Barroso

“Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith.”

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)

The Christian life is compared to running a race. We are told to throw off anything that hinders us, so that we can run freely. We can get emotionally weighed down by various kinds of losses, or by people who offend us, or tragedies that distract us from staying focused on Jesus and the finish line. 

Whatever is encumbering us while running this race, needs to be given to Jesus, or we will end up wearing our troubles like a heavy garment. A heavily burdened, distracted runner will eventually slow down and lose sight of the finish line all together. 

The marathon race metaphor is meant to remind us to fix our eyes on Jesus. Anyone who has run a marathon knows not to be distracted by the activities happening on the side lines. Jesus is the author of our faith since He began a good work in us, and He is the finisher of our faith by inspiring us to focus on the finish line, at all times.

Scripture tells us that God will never allow any trial to push us beyond the limit of what we can handle. If He permits it, we can endure it. 

(1 Corinthians 10:13)

We can trust Jesus to be with us and get us through whatever we are facing, because He gives us His strength and peace.

One way to stay focused is to share with others the good things that God has done. Whenever we speak about God’s goodness to others, we not only encourage them, but ourselves, as well. It’s a way of keeping our focus on Jesus and the finish line. 

One of the most inspiring true stories of a person who suffered, but kept her focus on the Lord, is a young lady named Ali Truwit. Her story was on the news a few years ago. She is a bright, athletic twenty three year old, who was on the Yale swim team. After graduating college, she went on a Caribbean vacation with her friend to celebrate. While swimming in the water near their boat, Ali suffered a sudden shark attack. 

With her left foot and part of her lower leg bitten off, Ali had the fortitude and soundness of mind to swim 50-75 yards as fast as she could, to get back to the boat. 

As shocking as it was, she did not freeze in panic and extreme pain. 

She didn’t resign herself to stay still and wait for help, nor did she give up and expect to die. She swam away as fast as she could, without the lower part of her left leg, heading straight to the finish line, which, on that day, was the safety of her boat. 

As I read more about her, I learned that Ali was raised in a family of strong Christian faith, who believed in keeping their eyes on the Lord at all times. Her faith prepared her to stay focused and act quickly, but her story doesn’t end with that horrific shark attack. One year later, with a prosthetic left leg, Ali swam for the US in the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she won two silver medals. Nothing can distract, slow down or discourage Ali, because her eyes are always fixed on a finish line.

Today, she visits hospitals, to inspire children who are learning to live with a prosthetic limb. Losing a leg could have been overwhelming enough to lead her into a deep depression, and lose her focus. Instead, Ali kept her eyes on Jesus, and today she inspires others to do the same. 

A Bible verse that she relied upon during the hardest times is: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 
 (Philippians 4:13)

Jesus is leading all of us to our finish line, while a great cloud of witnesses in heaven, watch and cheer us on. We may reach several kinds of finish lines in our lifetime. A finish line could be a single decision of faith put into action, putting us on the right path, or a long term goal that is finally achieved, or the ultimate finish line of arriving in Heaven one day and standing before Jesus, face to face. We don’t need to lose a limb to know that life requires all the endurance and focus we can muster up, to keep our eyes on Him. 

Jesus, saints and myriads of angels rejoice from Heaven, watching all of us run this race of faith, as we keep focused, believing like Ali, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and He is with us forever.

Lord, thank you for believing in us, and giving us strength to focus on  reaching our finish line, by keeping our eyes on you at all times. Amen

Ali Truwit

“Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

2 Kings 5:2-3 (NAB)

A young girl was taken captive by a band of raiders. She was removed from her homeland, her family and her way of life, to become a servant to the wife of a high ranking Syrian military officer. The nameless little girl was raised in the faith of the one true God of her people, the Israelites. She believed in the God who did many miracles for her people. 

Now she was far away from her family, her freedom and her home, but she managed to keep her faith through the calamity of war, human slavery, and adjusting to a new culture of people who did not know her God. In her new life as a servant, she had no choice but to make the best out of where she was living. 

Instead of pining away in loneliness, thinking of her past and her family, as a captive in a strange land, she sought the heart of God, believing He was with her wherever she went. The little girl developed compassion for the people in her present life and circumstances. She told her mistress about God and all the signs, wonders and miracles He has done through their prophet, Elisha. 

The husband of the girl’s mistress was the high ranking Syrian officer, Naaman, but his life drastically changed on the day he found out he had leprosy. Naaman heard his wife’s servant girl speak about their prophet Elisha, who raised the dead and called fire down from heaven. Naaman went to his king and asked him to arrange for a meeting with the renown prophet. 

The meeting was arranged and when Naaman arrived at the house of Elisha, with an entourage of servants, horses, chariots, and payments of gold and silver, Elisha was asked to heal Naaman’s leprosy, but he did something that no one expected. Elisha told Naaman to go plunge himself seven times in the Jordan river. That’s all the prophet said and then went back into his house. 

A man of power, pride, and prestige doesn’t take well to the advice of

“Go jump in the river seven times.” Naaman wondered if it was all a joke, an act of vengeance or a payback for conquering their nation. Driven by his ego, he was about to give up and walk away, but he had a humble Hebrew servant, who pleaded with him to do exactly as Elisha advised. The people of Israel knew the power of their God and how He worked through the prophet, so the servant finally persuaded Naaman to obey Elisha.

In this story the servants were the true heroes of the faith. It started with the young girl as a messenger of hope and then with Naaman’s servant, who persuaded him to put faith into action and obey. It all culminated with Naaman plunging in the river seven times, and on the seventh plunge, his body came out of the water, completely healed of leprosy. It was a happy ending for all, and Naaman and his household believed in the God of the Israelites.

The servants were both in the places they were, not by their own choice, but as captives, being conquered by the Syrian people.  By faith, they found a way to adapt to a new culture, yet retain their faith, and live out their captivity as servants of God. 

Everyone, at some time in their life, finds themselves in a place that isn’t what they would ever choose. Like those servants, we need to find a way to adapt right where we are. It’s easy to become discouraged when things don’t go as planned, but God is still working His divine purpose through us. 

The servants in the story looked for the heart of God in their calamity. The more they searched for God’s heart, the more compassion they had for the people in their present circumstances. As they permitted God to renew their minds, the more He used them to help others to have faith. God works in unexpected ways, but it usually starts right where we are, instead of where we wished to be. We all tend to ask God to change our circumstances, but He is trying to change something in us through our circumstances.  

This story reminds us to be more like those two servants, to embrace our faith in the place where we are at, and allow God’s truth to transform us during any calamity that feels like captivity. Both servants in this story are nameless, but their examples have shined throughout the centuries, teaching generations after them. 

Lord, help us to live by faith during any calamity so that we may bring praise and glory to your name, in the places and circumstances you lead us into. Amen

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.”

John 14:12 (RSV)

Jesus promised that greater miracles would come after He was gone, but sometimes a miracle is first described as a coincidence. Coincidences are merely God’s way of performing miracles anonymously. The following is a true story about an anonymous man wearing a yellow sweater, seen by only two people, yet leaving many unanswered questions. 

James Moore was driving at night one Christmas Eve, on the way to a relative’s home when he suffered an asthma attack while driving. His wife searched for his prescription inhaler, but realized they left it at home. They stopped at a convenience store and James quickly went in to buy an over the counter inhaler. His wife saw a man in a yellow sweater go inside the store at the same time that her husband did. 

As James was struggling to breathe, the stranger in the yellow sweater, walked over to him and handed him an inhaler that was the exact kind he used. James briefly hesitated, but being desperate to catch his breath, he used it and felt relieved. He turned to thank the man, but he was gone. James asked the store clerk where the man in the yellow sweater went, and the clerk said “You’ve been the only customer in here.” 

James stood holding the inhaler, puzzled by the whole event. He saw the man in the store but never saw him leave. His wife saw the man go into the store, but never saw him exit the store, and the store clerk never saw the man at all. 

Did a human stranger happen to be at the right place and time, with the exact inhaler that James needed, and then slip out the door without anyone seeing him leave?

Or, did God send an angel, disguised as a man, wearing a yellow sweater, with the exact inhaler needed, arriving just in time to save James’ life? 

We may never know, but I believe the latter explanation. Angels appeared to Shepherds on the very first Christmas night, so who’s to say they cannot be sent to someone who was praying for help that Christmas Eve as well. Paul tells us that angels may be disguised as people. They don’t always appear wearing a glowing halo, illuminated clothing or feathers. An angel can appear as a stranger in a yellow sweater, and God sends angels to us in response to our prayers. 

Many more miracles are happening in the world today, in response to prayers, which are not limited to anonymous angel visits. Jesus is going into the highways and the byways of this world, bringing His presence to people through many miraculous healings. We are so distracted by bad news in the world that we never hear much about all the miracles God is doing today. 

The Global Medical Research Institute bridges the gap between science and faith. It was started by Drs. Josh and Candy Brown. Josh is a PhD. Neuroscientist and Candy is a PhD. professor of religious studies. They are from Indiana but have traveled across the world to witness and document miracle healings, using scientific and medical investigation methods. Josh’s curiosity about divine healing began when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and miraculously healed fifteen years ago. 

Josh and Candy traveled to nations where miracle healings were often being reported by missionaries. Josh has himself prayed for blind and deaf people who were healed, in countries like Mozambique, Cuba and Brazil. The people in those nations were introduced to Jesus through videos and preaching, and they received the faith with such passion, that God is miraculously healing many of  them. 

Josh and Candy documented the many scientifically investigated healings that merged faith with science through their research. I have attached the 34 minute introductory documentary of Josh and Candy’s story.

(ignore the commercials in the beginning and watch, it is amazing)

It’s from a new series produced by  Angel Studios, called “Miracle,” where you get a glimpse of the medically documented miracles that God is doing around the world today. 

Lord, we all need a miracle in our lives, and we look to you, believing your words, that greater works will be done by faith in you, in these present times. Amen

https://link.angel.com/Lf0WtgNQ2Xb

https://link.angel.com/Lf0WtgNQ2Xb

“Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you are serving the Lord Christ.”

Colossians 3:23-24 (RSV)

Last week, I met a new nurse assistant, a young man, who puts God first in everything he does, and is very open about his faith, as well. He was born in Belize and has been recently hired at Jon’s Nursing home. I will call him Adam for privacy reasons. 

Last week Adam was assigned to my son, Jon, who was due for a shave. It takes two people to shave him, one to hold his left arm down while the other shaves him. Jon resists everything that people try to do, and although his right arm is paralyzed, he has very good strength in his left arm, which he’s adapted to using daily.

Adam came to me one day and apologized for only shaving half of Jon’s face, since he was trying to do it alone, without help, and wasn’t able to finish. I told him I understand, and then the next day, I noticed Jon was totally clean shaven. Adam persisted by asking for help from another nurse assistant and finished the job. 

In the past, when nurse assistants struggled to accomplish a task with Jon, I would occasionally give them a $10 tip, which they really appreciate.  I only do it once in a while, knowing how hard they work, since Jon is so much more challenging than other residents. 

Before leaving that day, I looked around for Adam, to give him a tip and thank him for shaving Jon. Adam refused to accept the money, saying he does his work for God and could not accept a tip. I tried to insist, but he kept saying that all his rewards come from God. I told him sometimes He rewards us through other people, but Adam still turned it down. 

A sweet older lady resident, who was watching the whole thing,  called me over and said, “Maria, just put the money in his pocket.” So, I turned back and quickly put the $10 inside Adam’s shirt pocket, saying, “Let God give you a little reward through me today, Adam.”

He smiled and finally accepted it. Adam reminded me of today’s scripture, the letter to the Colossians. He is so dedicated to doing a secular job for God, for rewards that are lasting and eternal, instead of the ones from people. It’s so rare to find people like Adam, and he definitely left an impression on me. 

It reminded me that every task I do should be from my heart, to serve God first, more than people. The rewards which the world gives can distract us from our mission. We can be so delighted by the praises of people, or the money we earn, or the material blessings we acquire, that they can eclipse our central purpose of serving God for Him and His rewards alone. 

In a more perfect world, everyone, especially political leaders, would do their jobs to reap rewards from God, and not from their ego or pride, or for the praise and popularity of people. Seeking God’s rewards would precede 

political ambition and the drive for financial prosperity, but it’s obviously not a perfect world. 

Each believer can still seek God and His promises to reward what we do from our heart, to serve the Lord and not men. God gives us a reward, beyond the monetary or material ones of this world. We have an inheritance that awaits us in heaven, by serving Christ during this lifetime. Adam is one example of that kind of humility that maintains a God centered perspective, in living for the rewards that last eternally. 

Lord, help us to remember to do every task with our whole heart, doing it ultimately for You, which reaps those eternal heavenly rewards. Amen

“Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

James 1:19 (RSV)

In a book I once read, an impactful point was made, about listening to understand, rather than listening to respond. Some people are good listeners by nature, and others need to make a conscious effort with the intention to understand. I believe anyone can learn to become a better listener, and I plan to start now. 

Everyone needs to feel heard and understood, but when we listen to someone with understanding, it’s more than a gift, it’s life changing.

Nothing illustrates this truth more than the many stories of a retired California Highway patrolman, who has confronted hundreds of people, who intended to take their own life. In the thirty years on his job, his assignment area was the Golden Gate Bridge, in San Francisco, which is the most utilized suicide spot in the world. 1,600 people have jumped to their death since the bridge was built 88 years ago.

He has successfully prevented over 200 people from committing suicide, in the span of his own career. He had no psychiatric training, no counseling expertise, no clever words of persuasion, and no set of convincing phrases to speak. He just listened to the person on the bridge, but he listened with a sincere intent to understand. 

When the potential jumpers left the bridge and later were asked, what changed their mind, they said it was because of the officer who listened to them.

It was more than a job for him, because that patrol officer was motivated by compassion, stemming from a family memory. He regretted not being there to listen to his own grandfather, who committed suicide many years ago. God gives people various gifts, both spiritual and natural gifts, but listening is a gift that anyone can offer.

He also pioneered changes, so that all the officers in that particular patrol area, now receive extra training and learn the skill of listening.

Sometimes the most profound advice, sounds too simple. James tells us to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. If we are quick to hear, then we shouldn’t have the time to plan a response.

Solomon, the wise king, once said, “Fools take no delight in understanding, but only in displaying what they think.” (Proverbs 28:2)

I’m going to keep Solomon’s warning deep within my heart, so I will desire to understand more than I desire to display my thoughts. 

Jesus inclines His ear to us, which He proves every time a prayer is answered, that has been asked in His name. The psalmist knew that God hears us with understanding, saying

“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1-2) 

It’s amazing to imagine, that the all powerful and eternal God is inclining His ear to each of us every day. If every person in the world could know that they are truly heard and understood by God, it would change the world. 

That California patrolman gives us just a tiny example of the way God inclines His ear to listen to us. God has been listening for a long time, hearing us with outstretched arms. Now He wants to send us into the world to reveal His love to those around us.

Some people cannot hear the redemption message of Christ, until they first feel heard and understood. It starts by listening to the soul who is standing on the bridge near us.

Lord, we love you and thank you for always hearing our pleas. Help us to share the gift of true listening, and to listen with love. 

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me.”

John 14:6 (RSV)

Today is Halloween, and the only ghosts I am thinking of today, is the Holy Ghost, who gave courage to the souls of saints, disciples, and apostles who were martyred in the first century persecution of Christians, under the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. 

It reminds me of an old movie which depicts this historical period. The movie was Quo Vadis, made in 1951, and contained historical facts mingled with a fictional story involving a young couple, named Marcus and Lygia. She was a convert to Christianity through St. Paul’s ministry and Marcus was converted through her. 

Their lives were caught up in the times they lived in, when Romans owned slaves, Christians were blamed for all bad things that happened and Emperor Nero had an intense hatred of Christianity.

Paul and Peter were pillars of the early church, who encouraged the faithful during a tough period. 

A secret code was developed for early Christians, as a fish symbol, which we still see today on pins or bumper stickers. It’s a symbol developed by that first century church. Greek letters that spelled out the word for fish, was the secret acronym that stood for “Jesus-Christ-God-Son-Savior.” 

If a Christian saw the fish symbol on a home, they knew that another Christian lived there. 

Halloween is the eve of All Saints day, although it’s better known for horror movies about gruesome deaths, ghosts, and haunted houses. The Quo Vadis movie led me to think about a different side of death at this particular time of year. 

After watching a movie older that’s older than me, it was surprising to see how Christ centered that secular Hollywood production actually was. It depicts Christians being  rounded up, thrown to lions, crucified or burned by the orders of Nero. The Christians were united in faith, singing hymns and worshipping Jesus, as they died in peace, with smiles on their faces. Roman citizens never saw such bravery in people of any other faith.

Remembering all those saints in the first century who sacrificed their lives for Christ, the very first martyr was Stephen, who was stoned to death. The disciple known as little James was also stoned, Big James, the son of Zebedee, was beheaded, while Matthew, Thaddeus, Thomas, Nathaniel, and Simon the Zealot(Zee) were killed by sword, arrows, ax, or spears. Philip and Andrew were crucified. Peter was crucified upside down and the apostle, Paul, was beheaded. 

John, the younger brother of James was the only apostle not martyred, but he was banished to the island of Patmos, where he wrote his epistles and the book of Revelation. He was set free and at the age of eighty eight, and died in Ephesus.

The disciples, whose lives were transformed by Jesus, grew in faith and maturity over time, and they all lived holy lives to the end. 

“Quo Vadis ?” is a question in Latin, meaning, “Where are you going?” It makes me want to ask myself the same question. I hope to go in whatever direction the Holy Spirit can best lead me to a deeper faith, staying close to Jesus. 

The Quo Vadis movie is not morbid or frightening like most Halloween movies. It’s a classic, which memorializes the saints who gave their lives to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 

This Halloween is a good day to draw our inspiration from those heroes of the faith who lived and died long before us. We remember the brave martyrs who shed their blood to follow Christ, and reaped an eternal reward in heaven. 

It’s a day to reflect on courage, instead of fear, on the Holy Ghost, instead of haunting ghosts, and on eternal life, instead of death. 

                    ><{{{{*>

Lord, may we always have the faith and courage to go in the direction that leads us closer to you, as we honor the legacy of our loved ones and all those first century martyrs. Amen

“On my bed I remember you;

 I think of you through the watches of the night.

Because you are my help,

I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I cling to you;

your right hand upholds me.”

Psalm 63:6-8 (NIV)

David wrote about praying to the Lord for help, through all the watches of the night, indicating either very early in the morning or very late at night. Whether early or late, there is a special and sacred time to talk to God, in the quietest hours of a day. 

A group of 25 Christians in South Korea started an early morning prayer meeting in 1980. The pastor believed that there is something special about early mornings, since the Exodus deliverance, falling walls of Jericho and resurrection of Jesus, all occurred in the early morning hours. Today, that morning prayer group in South Korea has become a church of 100,000 members.

For some people, the early morning hours are special and for others, the late night watches are favored for connecting with the Lord. Whatever time of day our hearts are most open to focus on God, is a time when something special is going to happen, as we talk to Him in those quiet, sacred hours of the day.

A true story about someone’s late night prayer, was when a young college student was studying for an exam in her dorm. After studying all night, she was unable to unwind and fall asleep, so she decided to take a walk. Being raised in a Christian home, she prayed, asking for an angel to protect her as she prepared to take a very late night walk. 

After walking for a while in the peaceful moonlight, she spotted a man leaning up against a tree, looking at her. She was startled to see anyone outside at that time of night, but she kept walking to her dorm, looking straight ahead, grateful that the strange man never followed her. 

The next day she heard about a rapist in that particular area, so she notified the police to tell them about the man she saw, and after arresting a few men, they needed someone to identify the suspect in a line up. Since the victim was unable to do so, they called the young college student to come in and she identified the man she saw that night. After pointing him out, she asked the police for permission to speak to him. 

With detectives at her side, she asked the man if he remembered her and he did. Then she asked him why he didn’t attack her that night. The man scoffed, and answered, “Attack you? With that big dude by your side?” In that moment she realized that the 

“big dude” was her guardian angel, who was walking along side her. Each one of us has a 

“big dude” guardian, walking beside us every day of our lives. Praise God for our guardian angels.

Another true story is about Sheila Walsh, a Christian singer who was also once a host on the TBN television network. She struggled with depression for years, since her father committed suicide when she was only five. One day in 1992, her depression brought her so low, she checked herself into the psych unit of a hospital. While placed on suicide watch, a nurse would go into her room to check on her every 15 minutes throughout the night. 

In the latest part of the night, a man she never saw before, stepped into her room, stood beside her and handed her a little toy stuffed lamb, saying to her, 

“The Shepherd knows where to find you, Sheila,” and then he disappeared. 

Sheila woke up the next morning, wondering if it was real or all a dream. Then she saw the stuffed toy lamb lying on the floor next to her chair. Sheila believes that the man who came into her room was an angel, who left a gift behind as proof. She has since recovered and shares her story with many others. 

Nothing can stop the good Shepherd from comforting His lambs, no matter what places their distressed mind or heart leads them to. The Lord is a fortress and refuge in our times of sorrow and brokenness. When we pray in the quiet watches of the morning or night, He touches our hearts. If He thinks it necessary, we may see our angel in some form of disguise, since they are assigned to always guard and hold us up. (Hebrews 13:2)

Lord, thank you for how you meet us during our prayers in the quiet early morning or late hours. We believe you are always with us, protecting, blessing and healing us in every way that we need it. Amen

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Ephesians 5:1-2 (RSV)

Being called to be imitators of God,  means to walk in the kind of love that Jesus demonstrated. God is doing a continuous renewal project in each of us, with the goal that we all learn to imitate the sacrificial love of His son. It’s a lesson that requires a lifetime to learn. We may have a heightened awareness of this lesson during the most challenging times in our life. That’s because God does His deepest work in us during the hardest trials. 

People spend a lifetime, pursuing education, wisdom, meaningful relationships, and financial success, all to attain a level of contentment during our brief life span. When we are facing a crisis, all those things seem to fade into the background, being reminded of our own mortality. The only essential question after all is said and done, is whether we have walked in the kind of sacrificial love that Christ asked us to imitate. 

I’m sure there are many people on this group reading list, who could share their own personal stories of how they once experienced self giving love, at a difficult stage in their lives, and I wish I could listen to all their stories. 

Two years ago, I came across a true but difficult story about sacrificial love. It happened on October 7, 2023, at the kibbutz in Israel, Kfar Aza, where the first wave of mass murders took place, by Hamas terrorists. Hadar and Itai, who were in their early thirties, were parents of ten month old twin boys, at the time. They quickly hid their babies in their safe room as Hamas terrorists were breaking down their front door, on that fateful morning. 

Sadly, both parents were instantly killed, but I can imagine their last prayer to God was for Him to save their babies. The twins were in that safe room for thirteen hours until found by an IDF soldier who is in the photo below. As first responders searched through the remains of a once vibrant community of young families, that soldier heard babies crying and found their twins in the safe room. The parents acted in sacrificial love, placing themselves in harm’s way, praying that their babies would survive and they did. 

Jesus sees each person as those babies, hidden in a safe room, scared, confused, hungry, and alone. His love for us is sacrificial, as those parents who gave their lives to protect them. God is also like that heroic soldier who found the babies in a dark place, 13 hours later, and brought them into the daylight, carrying them safely in His arms. 

The twins, Roy and Guy, who are over two years old today, are being raised by their aunt and uncle who had three boys of their own under the age of seven. I attached the only pictures I could find of the twins today.

As I looked at these photos, I was moved, because I could see Jesus in that soldier’s picture, like a good Shepherd, carrying those helpless babies to a new chance in life. 

Then I looked at the picture of the twins walking side by side, and recalled the close bond that all twins have. Those boys will be blessed to have each other for the rest of their lives. 

God loves us with a much greater love than any natural parent has. He tells us through this scripture, as He speaks to all who have ever felt alone or abandoned:

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you.”

(Isaiah 49:15)

There will always be a new day of hope, despite the inexplainable sorrows of yesterday. God gives us new mercies with many new chances to walk in His love. As we put our trust in Him, we have hope for every new tomorrow that He gives us. 

Lord, help us to remember that there will always be a new day to walk in love, by imitating you, for the glory of God, every day of our lives. Amen 

“Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water.”

“The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, “Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Messiah?”

John 4:14-15; 28-29 (NAB)

I forget that the woman at the well was so excited about Jesus, that she left her water jar behind, when she ran off to tell her friends about Him. She came to the well as part of a daily routine to draw water. She met Jesus there and everything changed. Sometimes, what starts off as very routine, can become a providential moment, when we leave our empty pursuits behind, to seek the more lasting gifts. 

The woman at the well became a living gospel of persuasion to her friends and neighbors. Because of her enthusiasm, people listened to her news of meeting the Messiah. She had the kind of zeal that makes others stop and listen, because she found not just something, but “someone” who changed her life that day. 

I once had a coworker who was so excited about a cookbook he read, he revised his entire lifestyle and dietary habits according to it. All the recipes were based on a list of foods which keep the brain and heart healthy, while eliminating a list of foods that do not. He was convinced that those recipes guaranteed a long healthy life, and he couldn’t stop sharing the author’s perspective in  that book.

My coworker’s zeal to change his lifestyle based on a cookbook, got me thinking. He treated a cookbook with a reverence as if it were a guarantee of eternal life. He was willing and ready to revise his entire lifestyle, and persuade everyone he knew, about his new found beliefs. 

It all reminds me of another book, one with a recipe that guarantees eternal life, whose author is God. Within the gospel of John, Jesus shares His recipe for eternal life, and the main ingredient is living water. Only Jesus can give us that living water, just as He told the woman at the well. I wondered if my coworker would be as zealous to change his entire lifestyle to follow Jesus’ words in the gospel.

If only I could be as persuasive of the gospel as he was about a cookbook. I wish I could persuade people of words that Jesus spoke, that not only give us wisdom for this life, but promises for eternal life as well. The woman at the well had the same kind of persuasive enthusiasm as that coworker, except her joy was grounded in hope of eternal life, not nourishing her temporary body.

Some people reject the words of Jesus in the gospel because they don’t want to be governed by a code of conduct written by someone else. Whether they acknowledge it or not, they are already living by a code of conduct written by someone else. People follow rules for health, fitness, parenting, management of finances and ways to achieve happiness. Everyone hopes for a long, healthy and prosperous life, by following some set of rules in order to achieve those goals. 

Christianity is so much more than following a set of rules. It’s a daily, living relationship with Jesus, whose Spirit lives in us. Our faith might have started out as a routine, but turned into a lifestyle that brings inner peace and joy. Knowing Jesus leads us to leave our empty, shallow goals behind us, just as that woman at the well, left her empty jar behind.

Jesus wants to give everyone His living water and shine His light in the dark, thirsty places of this world, and we just might be the only gospel some people will ever read. Instead of investing our energy in trying to lengthen our lives, we invest our energy in following and trusting Jesus, whose presence brings peace, joy, meaning in this life as well as for life eternal. The Holy Spirit will always guide us to discern which ingredients are good for our souls and which ones are not.

Lord, we ask you to give us a wise  balance in caring for our bodies as well as seeking your living water, to nourish our souls, so that we may live better lives, and not just longer ones. Amen

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

Here’s a thought to ponder; 

We will all meet Jesus one day, and will stand face to face before Him. 

It will happen on the day when we transition from this temporary life to the eternal one. What if, on that day, Jesus says to us, “Thank you for visiting Me in my loneliness”, or “Thank you for giving me something to eat,” or “Thank you for giving to Me, sacrificially, from your heart”. 

We might at first wonder what Jesus is talking about, but this scripture describes an after death life review. He will remind us of those times in our life, when we visited someone who was sick or lonely, or when we helped someone in desperate need, or gave a sacrificial, monetary gift from the heart. As Jesus said in the gospel, He will also say to us on that day, 

“As often as you did it for the least of them, you did it for Me.” 

We all know that we are supposed to see Christ in others, but one of the last places we look for Him is in our own place of our pain. When a crisis strikes, it’s very difficult to see Christ at all, much less in others. 

Since my son’s motorcycle accident, I learned early on, that I have a choice. I can either dwell on the tragedy, or search for the face of Christ in the midst of that tragedy. Jon’s traumatic brain injury and disability, is what first led me to the inside of a Nursing home, where he now lives. Prior to that, I never gave much thought to Nursing homes. My mother took care of my father and my grandmother in our own home. Years later, I took care of my husband and my mother in my home. Fortunately, my family had very little need for Nursing homes at all.

The Nursing home became an eye opener for me. I became more aware that God wanted me to look at the faces of lonely people who are living where Jon now lives. I needed to decide what part of reality I would permit my mind to dwell on. Instead of dwelling on how or why a tragedy happened, I needed to find the face of Christ in those faces all around me. Once I looked outside of myself, the Holy Spirit showed me that Christ was right there, in each resident of that Nursing home.

There is a scripture that has always been like a compass, guiding me in certain times of my life. Jesus said, “Whoever has been given much, much will be required in return…”(Luke 12:48)

Being “given much,” can refer to many things. Most people think of wealth, but we are given many other gifts like wisdom, knowledge, faith, talent or innate skills attributed to various personality types. The more we are given by God, the more we are required to share with others. God almost never gives us gifts to keep for ourselves. 

The body of Christ in the world is composed of many people, many parts but one body. We all have a role to fulfill in order for His body to function successfully in this world. Staying alert to what I have been given and how to share it, has always been a guiding principle that helped me focus on the path that God laid out for me, even after a crisis of some kind.

Jesus referred to Himself as the King, who will return in glory, to sit upon His throne and separate the sheep from the goats, in the final judgment. He said that the sheep will be blessed by His Father, for the kind deeds they did for His son. Jesus then explains that whatever kindness we do for the least of people around us, we are actually doing for Him.

As long as we wake up with breath in our lungs, and a beating heart, it’s another day to look around, and see who God has led into our lives. In spite of the hardships or sorrows we have overcome, we need to remind ourselves that we are here to serve the king of Kings, and until He returns, He shows us how to do it, with the instructions He left us in the gospels.

The “least among us” may mean something different to each person, but that’s the beauty of the body of Christ, different callings to help different people, but all of us working as His one body.

Lord, awaken us to see your deeper purpose in the painful complexities of this life. Show us your face in others and help us to be your hands and feet in this world. Amen