Author: Maria Barroso

“If I forget you, Jerusalem,

 may my right hand forget its skill.”

Psalm 137:5 (NIV)

For a moment, forget about all the wars and violence in the Middle East,  past or present, in order to meditate on what Jerusalem has meant to all believers throughout the centuries. In other words, let’s recenter ourselves on our Jerusalem state of mind. 

“Yerushalayim,” as pronounced in Hebrew, means “Foundation of peace.”  It’s the physical place on earth, where the story of salvation all began. God connected with mankind in a way that He never did before, when Jesus became the incarnate, final sacrifice for our atonement, bringing true peace to all who believe in Him.

Jerusalem was known for the great temple built by King Solomon 967 years before Jesus came into the world. Solomon prayed, asking God to grant the prayer requests of all who prayed facing the temple in Jerusalem.
(1 Kings 8:29-30)

To this day, people pray facing east, toward the site of the only remnant of that temple, still standing in Jerusalem today, called the Western wall. 

We no longer need to stand at the temple site or look toward the east when we pray, because the first step to a Jerusalem state of mind is knowing that we have someone greater than the temple, living within us. So we pray from wherever we are, asking everything in Jesus’ name, just as He told us to do.

Jerusalem is also the place where Jesus wept over those who were unwilling to be gathered to Him. A Jerusalem state of mind empathizes with God’s love and laments over those who reject Him. 

(Matthew 23:37-39)

On His way to Jerusalem, ten lepers approached Jesus, begging Him to heal their leprosy. Jesus healed all ten of the lepers, yet only one leper returned to Jesus, bowing down in worship, to thank Him. 

In a Jerusalem state of mind, we think like that one leper who returns to God in gratitude to worship and thank Him.

A person’s destiny can change for the better, in an instant, like the woman who had a twelve year hemorrhage, but was instantly healed with one touch of Jesus’ garment. Others lived in bondage for years, until Jesus rebuked their demons and set them free. A Jerusalem state of mind recalls every turning point in our lives when we were touched by Jesus, and set free from years of suffering or guilt. 

Jerusalem is a place of beginnings and endings, where Jesus ate the last supper, but talked about a new heaven and a new earth. It’s where we received the first installment of the hope and promise of our own bodily resurrection one day. A Jerusalem state of mind is the spiritual place where our faith and our choices today, determine the rewards of our eternal destiny.

When we try too hard to fit into this present world, Jerusalem reminds us that our true citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20)

Until then, we center ourselves on a Jerusalem state of mind, which is as near to us as our right hand. 

We can never forget the lessons of Jerusalem or the words that Jesus spoke, saying, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” A Jerusalem state of mind is where we find our rest in Jesus. It’s where we express our gratitude for how He loves, heals and forgives us, recalling those turning points when He touched our life and set us free. Then, like that one leper, we keep returning to bow before Him, in thanksgiving and praise. 

Lord, as we center ourselves on our Jerusalem state of mind, help us to find our rest in you, filled with faith and gratitude, as we remember all the ways you have touched our life and set us free. Amen 

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

Romans 11:29 (NASB)

This is one of my favorite scripture verses, and one of the reasons my license plate reads ROMNS 11. God has called each of us to something good, and regardless of how many times we fail or become distracted on the journey, His calling is still irrevocable, which I find to be a soul inspiring truth.

God has a long history of using arrogant and flawed people to do His will, and reveal His grace to those who need it most. It’s seems like a paradox, but there are many stories in scripture, about people called by God, who were selfish, arrogant or weak, and yet they were used to accomplish God’s will. Despite our human failures, the calling of God is an irrevocable call.

God chose people who we would never choose, if it were based upon their resumes. He chose Moses, a murderer and a fugitive, to deliver 600,000 people, leading them out of the bondage by pleading with the ruler of Egypt, a super power nation in the world at the time. Moses proved to be a leader of courage, faith and patience, despite his past history. 

Balaam was a prophet, who sought his own personal advancement. He delivered messages in God’s name, while cursing groups of people, who God never told him to curse. He did it to gain the political approval of men in powerful positions. One day, Balaam was on his way to give another false prophecy, when God sent an angel to stop him on the road. Balaam didn’t see the angel but his donkey did. God gave his donkey the ability to talk back to Balaam, which changed his heart, leading him to prophesy only what God commanded him to say, from that day onward. (Numbers 22:30)

Jonah was an arrogant man, yet he was called by God to go to the city of Nineveh and preach a message of repentance to the people who lived there. Jonah refused to obey God, because he didn’t think the Ninevites were worthy of God’s mercy. So he booked a cruise going in the opposite direction, far from Nineveh. A storm arose and the ship almost sank, and one thing led to another, which involved a whale, until Jonah was tossed onto the shores of Nineveh, the exact place he tried to run away from.  

Jonah finally did what God asked him to do, and the Ninevites responded in great numbers to Jonah’s preaching. Even after an outpouring of grace among the Ninevites, Jonah remained angry at God, for showing mercy to a group of people that he absolutely despised. 

It’s unbelievable that God used such flawed men to help others find His grace and mercy. The men who God called, all learned their lesson in the end, and lived their lives differently, but God had to use some unlikely means to reveal His will to them.

These examples reveal the grace and mercy of God in His irrevocable calling. He uses imperfect people, and never changes His mind based on our flaws or shortcomings. Even if we wander off the path for a season, it never changes the original calling God has on our lives. His calling is truly irrevocable. 

We can also see this with Peter, the rock of His church, who once denied knowing Jesus three times, but it didn’t change the calling that God had for him. Peter, like Moses, Balaam and Jonah, had more than one chance to renew his faith and be restrengthened. God shows us that He works within our flaws and failures, because the calling of God is irrevocable. It is written that where “sin increases, grace abounds all the more.” (Romans 5:20)

What a beautiful God we serve. 

Lord, thank you for your faithfulness,  even when we are faithless. Guide us in the path and direction that we were born for, and refresh in us, a renewed sense of our calling. Amen

“What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”

John 2:11 (NIV)

How special wine is, to be chosen as the first public miracle to reveal the glory of Jesus to others. The miracle of changing water into wine, served the purpose of spreading even more joy at an already joyful event. 

In all other miracles, Jesus met basic human needs, such as hunger, in feeding the five thousand, or relief of suffering, like healing the blind, the lepers, paralytics or setting the demoniacs free. All of the miracles of Jesus met a desperate need of some kind, except the miracle of turning water into wine. The miracle at Cana was different. 

No one was dying of thirst, no one was sick or suffering with pain or illness at the wedding of Cana. Wine wasn’t even a food staple required for daily nutrition. It was simply a product that enhanced a celebration of joy. Jesus chose to reveal His divinity to the world for the first time, with joy, through the gift of wine. So, His first miracle was not about healing, nutrition or deliverance. It was the gift of joy. 

When we think about the planning on God’s part, in choosing a miracle of wine to reveal His Son to the world, there should be no doubt that God considers joy to be more important, than we realize. The thing about joy is that it’s not only important to receive it, but to spread it to others. 

One day last week, I was walking out of a Target store, carrying my bag of groceries. As I headed toward the exit door, I passed the cafe area, and a frail looking old man was sitting by himself at a table. He glanced up at me, and although I never saw him before, for some reason I decided to smile at him. He immediately shouted, “Thank you for smiling !”

I was so surprised that a common smile would mean so much. I started to think of how many lonely people are all around us every day, as we go about our daily errands. Since that day, I am more conscious and aware that a smile can be a huge gift to someone. 

That experience fine tuned my sensitivity to the strangers who are around me every day. If a smile can be a gift of joy to a stranger, there is deeper meaning to Jesus changing water into wine, and adding more joy to that wedding feast in Cana. 

At the Nursing Facility I visit regularly, there is a young catatonic woman who is usually non verbal. She never talks or responds to anyone, except when a Neil Diamond song, “Sweet Caroline”, is played. All the residents would sing the refrain together and she joins in each time to sing along. That song brought so much joy to all the residents in the room, because of the joy of singing together in unison.  

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and God is always looking for ways to increase our joy. We are meant to have a healthy relationship with God, rooted in love, which brings a joy which we were meant to spread to others. Jesus said if we remain in His love, His joy will be full and complete in us. His joy is the kind of joy that also spreads His love. (John 15:11)

Our joy really matters to God and He wants us to spread it to others, as Jesus did at the first miracle at Cana. 

Lord, we pause to remember the first sign you performed which involved a gift of wine, and a celebration of joy. Make us aware of how we can spread your joy to others each day. Amen

“David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

1 Samuel 17:45 (NIV)

Using a slingshot, guarding his flock from predators, playing the harp, writing and singing songs of praise, were all David’s natural gifts, but it required a supernatural gift of faith and courage to approach the nine foot giant, Goliath. David refused to wear heavy armor or to even carry a spear. He walked up to Goliath with a few stones and a slingshot, in simple confidence that God was with his chosen people. The Israelite army was terrified of Goliath, but God saw something in David, which was faith and genuine love for God and his people.  

There are many giants to fear in the world, but David had faith that he was a part of something bigger. God is always looking for some Davids, who believe they are a part of something bigger than the many things to fear all around us.

We are a part of the church, founded by Jesus, who promised that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. We may not have warrior skills, advanced weapons, the highest credentials of education, but like David, we stand in the name of Jesus, who leads us to victory. 

In spite of our fears and insecurities, God is with us as we rise up and become giant slayers. 

David never saw himself as a chosen “person”, but he knew he was a part of the chosen “people”, who received the promises of God made to Abraham. David’s confidence was rooted in every promise that the Lord made to Abraham.

His motive to defeat Goliath had nothing to do with bringing honor to himself, or to be hailed as a hero, but to bring honor and praise to the God of his people. As we read Peter and Paul’s epistles, we find in them, the same spirit of humility and the same giant slayer confidence that was in David. 

Peter reminds Christians of who we are as a people, saying, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that you may announce the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

(1 Peter 2:9)

Paul was a physically frail looking man, but his preaching was full of bold confidence. He said, “If God is for us, who can be against us?

Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.” (Romans 8:31, 33-34)

Peter and Paul both spoke like giant slayers! 

Our confidence doesn’t come from our ego, or our personal capabilities, but in who we are in Christ. We are all a part of something much bigger than ourselves, which is the Church, chosen and founded by Jesus Christ, who told us in His own words that the gates of Hell will not prevail against His Church. Jesus gave us a giant slaying promise to hold on to, so that we would think like giant slayers. 

We may stumble and fall, but we can still rise again, just like David and Peter both did. With faith, boldness and courage we will face every giant, not in our own strength, but in the power of His name.

We are a church full of Davids, and we have been given natural gifts to use, but also the gift of courageous faith. Even with our flaws, we will forever rise again in the resurrection power of Jesus, and slay every giant for the glory of God and the good of His holy church. 

Lord, thank you for raising us up over and again, as we stand confident in the power of your name against all our fears and insecurities. Make us giant slayers for the Kingdom of God. 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 hearing our pleas. Help us to share the gift of true listening, and to listen with love. Amen 

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Mark 10:15 (NIV)

Jesus made it very clear that He loved little children, and He told us if we want to get to heaven, we need to become like one of them. A child believes without seeing, and trusts their parents, with total reliance. There is a childlike place of faith, trust and humility, that Jesus invites everyone to.

Trusting Him without seeing Him, can be difficult under pressure. As much as we all believe and desire this, problems can drag us down, until we  forget that Jesus is with us in the fire, extending His hand to us. It requires true childlike reliance and trust to believe something we cannot see. We need to recenter ourselves, by finding the child within us.

I have been trying to believe God has a purpose in over one month delay of Jon’s CT scan of his brain to finally be authorized and scheduled. Despite the miscommunications, his surgeon and NH doctor both ordered the test over a month ago, but Medicaid has still not approved it. I persuaded the NH to schedule the CT and I would pay for it out of pocket, since Jon is now receiving disability payments. His CT is finally scheduled for 7/29.

When you feel like you’re in a black hole of government agencies and insurance company restrictions, all you can do is trust God that His will is going to be done in the end. God probably has a reason for the delay, since His plans are greater than the roadblocks of government agencies, and His timing is always perfect.

There are going to be times in our life when all we can do is reach our hand up toward Jesus and trust that He is still holding on to it. God, our Father, is walking with us through all the fiery trials of our life, whether it is bureaucratic agencies or any other kind of fires that makes us feel as helpless as a child.

It reminds me of the dream I had at the age of five, which I’ve written about before, so sorry if this is boring anyone. The vivid memory of this dream has stayed with me since my childhood, and I believe it carries a message from God for any believer. 

It helps to find the child within, during the most challenging and stressful trials in life.

I dreamed my elementary school was on fire and people were panicking and running in all directions. I was walking through the school halls in all the chaos, unsure of which direction to go, when someone took hold of my right hand and walked beside me. I was being led peacefully through the school halls, around corners and finally out the exit door. When I looked up, Jesus was standing next to me. He was still holding my right hand, but didn’t say a word. That’s all I remember, but it was a divine image that left me with a lesson that is lasting a lifetime. 

Life resembles a burning school at times, with chaos everywhere we look, and we walk through the fires, not knowing what’s around the next corner. If we trust Jesus with childlike faith, He will hold our hand and guide us safely to all the fire exits.

I learned that this “school of life” is not meant to make us scholars, but saints. If we keep reaching toward Jesus in faith, letting Him hold our hand, He will walk beside us through every fiery trial. He never promised to put out all the fires in our lives, but He knows where all the fire exits are, and He will lead us out in peace. We just need to keep our hand in His.

Lord, help us to find the child within so we will trust you in fiery situations. As we keep our hand in yours, lead us in perfect peace. We also pray for the families and all the lives affected in the Texas floods this week. Amen

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

Romans 8:29 (NIV)

God loves us as we are, but He also sees our potential, since we are all brothers and sisters of Christ. He wants to mold and conform us into the image of His son, making us the best version of ourselves. We were all made for more than we realize, and God uses everything that happens in our lives, whether good or bad, as part of the process to transform and renew our minds. 

It’s only natural to ask God to remove or change each problem situation, but what if God is using that difficult situation to transform and change us for the good? Even through the most painful experiences, the Lord wants to renew our minds and conform us to Christ, as today’s scripture tells us.

The renewal of our mind brings out the shepherd like tendencies that are already deep within each of us. If Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, and we are being conformed to His image, that makes us His mini shepherds. Whether we know it or not, those shepherd like tendencies give us the urge to seek, lead and nurture God’s sheep. When we find ourself praying for the sick, comforting the broken, visiting the lonely or helping to redirect lost sheep, God is bringing out the mini shepherd within us, by sending specific sheep into our pasture.

After Stephen, my husband, died of ALS, I thought about people who are either caregivers as I was or who are going through grief after loss. I had the desire to publish a book of 50 meditations, with the subtitle, “Fifty days of comfort after loss. “If I hadn’t gone through that difficult period, I never would even think of writing a book on that topic. I haven’t yet published a book but I do post the meditations on a website, called KissedtheSpirit.com.

Three years after Stephen passed away, my good friend of fifty years, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I recently wrote about how rapidly her illness progressed. I remember thinking how important it is to be a good friend, rather than to have a good friend. My visits to her in those last days were very meaningful for both of us. God uses every sorrow, loss and adversity in our lives, to further transform us into mini shepherds. 

His ways are so far above our ways.

Since my adult son, Jon, had a traumatic brain injury in 2023 from a motorcycle accident, I visit his Nursing Facility each week. One day, I looked around the Day room and saw people sitting alone, like lost sheep, most of whom never receive a single visit from anyone. Then the words of Jesus just came to my mind, 

“I was sick and you visited me”. (Matthew 25:36) I instantly realized that those Nursing home residents were the sheep that God brought into my pasture. 

The Holy Spirit is in a constant process of renewing our minds, and conforming us into the image of Jesus, our Shepherd. We can see how He is working in humanity all around us, when we hear stories of people who help others. God will always bring people into our pasture, we don’t have to look for them.

Mother Teresa is one of the best examples of a human person shepherding those in her pasture. She cradled in her arms about 16,000 dying people in Calcutta over the span of her ministry. Someone once asked her how she converted so many dying people, who only knew the religions of India. She said that she asked each person as they were dying in her arms, “Do you want to give your life to Christ ?” and they responded by asking, “Who is Christ, is He like you?” 

What a beautiful question. It is the essence of our Christian faith. God intended for us to live in such a way that the world can see Christ in us. Thousands who she held in her arms never heard the gospel or read one single verse of scripture, but they gladly received Jesus Christ, because they felt His love, while being held in her arms. 

To allow ourselves to become His body on earth, is at the heart of being a mini shepherd. There may be sheep who God has sent into our pasture, who are looking at us today and wondering, 

“Who is Christ? Is He like you?” 

We are all mini shepherds of Jesus in this world and we can answer that question by how we choose to put love into action. We can become His voice, His eyes, His hands, His feet, and His body on earth, until He returns again. 

Lord, renew our minds and help us to be your mini shepherds, and to see people through your eyes, so that they can see You in us. Amen

“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)

There has always been debate and different opinions in interpreting the gospel story of these two sisters. Martha was actively serving Jesus, Mary was sitting at His feet, adoring Him, but both are really necessary. 

Martha was doing all the work by herself and finally complained, asking Jesus to make Mary help her. 

The difference between the two sisters is that Martha talked about Mary to Jesus, while Mary immersed herself in listening to what Jesus had to say, and He never did tell her to help Martha. Jesus saw Martha’s anxiety and told her that Mary had chosen the better part, which will not be taken from her. 

Since Jesus said that Mary chose the better part, some interpret that to mean that labor is not highly valued. Instead of taking one scripture out of context, reading the whole gospel gives us a more rounded picture. 

Jesus never downplayed our labor and service for God, but actually said that there is a great need for “more” laborers in His Father’s harvest. (Matthew 9:38)

The two sisters, along with their brother, Lazarus, knew and loved Jesus since their youth, yet they each had different personalities and different ways of expressing their love for Him, just as every person today has. Martha was dedicated to hospitality, but Mary longed for private time and intimacy with Jesus. 

By telling Martha that she is anxious about too many things, Jesus wasn’t saying that her service and labor do not count, only that worship and adoration needs to come first. Time spent listening to Jesus at the start of each day should come before our service and labor for Him. 

Everyone leads busy, hectic lives, and we all feel Martha’s anxiety at  times. We were all meant to do both, serve God and worship Him. When Jesus said that Mary chose the better part, it’s to our advantage to begin each day spending time alone with Him, so that we can work with much less anxiety than Martha worked under. 

One of my favorite lay speakers said:

“Lord, help us to be more like Mary so that we don’t have to work like Martha.” (Chris Stefanik)

It isn’t a statement to undermine work, but a reminder that there’s a proper order to follow, so that our work is done in the right spirit, with joy, and not resentment. 

Spending quiet, intimate time with Jesus prepares us to serve Him, and not vice versa. 

Jesus said that the better part will not be taken away from Mary, which is an interesting statement. Maybe He was warning Martha that it’s too easy to lose ourselves in our labors, even if those labors are for God. Hospitality and serving Jesus pleases Him, but we also need to listen and hear what He is telling us. Mary dedicated her time listening to Jesus. 

Maybe Mary chose to give Jesus her undivided attention, while she could, having an intuition that His time on earth would be brief, since He was crucified only three years into His ministry. Life passes by quickly, and the intimate, private time spent with Him, prepares us to live with Him eternally. 

Lord, help us to follow Mary in choosing time with you first, so that we may serve you without anxiety. Bless our quiet time as well as our labors, which are all for your honor and glory. Amen 

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

1 Timothy 6:19 (NIV)

A few years ago I lost a dear friend of fifty years. We used to spend holidays together and she was like an aunt to my children. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and passed away within a few months. Her husband died of a heart attack three weeks before her, and they were childless. 

I met with her niece and nephew who came in from California, so that the three of us could clear out their home. 

We worked hard together to sort through their belongings, and at the end of their visit, I had them over to my house for dinner, as we shared memories of my friend and her husband. They left me with some boxes of home decor items, to either keep or give away. 

After keeping a set of wine glasses, I put photos of all the items on my neighborhood website, to give away for free. The last free item to be picked up, was a picture frame made of carved wood. A very kind woman who picked it up, cherished the unique frame, telling me that she planned to use it to display a photo of her great grandfather. 

Then she said something which I’ll never forget, 

“We are all caretakers of our treasures for a little while, until they are passed on to other loving hands.” 

I knew my friend would have been pleased that such a thoughtful person was the new owner of her picture frame, and especially in the use she intended for it. The last item was now in good hands, and yet her wise words remained with me, stirring my thoughts. 

I thought about the “treasures” we have in this life. Jesus touched on the topic of treasures, telling us not to store up the kind which can be packed in boxes, destroyed or stolen, but to store up the treasures that will last for eternity.

In today’s scripture, Paul wrote to Timothy, encouraging us to be rich in good deeds, by sharing and giving to others, reminding us of the age to come, and how we are to use this life to build the foundation for the next. 

In meditating on the advice of Paul to Timothy, and that lady’s wise words, I am reminded that we are all caretakers, not owners. God is the owner of everything we have been given, and it’s up to us to turn each treasure into an everlasting one. The treasures we are given were meant to be shared, whether it’s through monetary giving, serving others by using our talents, being someone’s listening ear, sharing our faith or praying for others. From the smallest act of kindness to the greatest test of showing mercy by forgiving those who hurt us, it all counts toward eternity.

We are all amazingly interconnected, more than we realize. One day, the Lord will reveal how something we once said, or a kind deed we once did, bore fruit for eternity. He will introduce us to the souls of people in heaven, who benefited from those eternal treasures that we once shared with them. It will be a day to rejoice and be thankful that we sought to share our treasures, which in the end, are passed into the loving hands of Jesus. 

Lord, help us be good caretakers of our treasures, and keep our priorities focused on eternal rewards, so we won’t be distracted by the transitory rewards and stressors in this life. 

Amen

“And Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

Acts 10:34-35 (RSV)

War is never good, but it can help reveal and shine a light on the virtue and goodness of a person, against the backdrop of prejudice and injustice. The Marine branch of the military used to be restricted only for Caucasian recruits. Black men could serve in the Navy and the Army but were not accepted in the Marines until FDR changed that in 1941, when civil rights activists brought the issue to the forefront.

The World War II conflict on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima, began on February 19th and ended on March 16th, 1945. It was a short one, lasting only one month until the island was secured, but only after a loss of 6,800 American lives.  Kamikaze suicide bombers were something the U.S. never dealt with before. 

There were 900 black marines in Iwo Jima during World War II, and one of them was Thomas McPhatter. He once jumped into a foxhole, and found a white marine who was bleeding to death after being fatally wounded. The soldier was still alive, holding onto a photo of his loved ones, and McPhatter prayed with the dying man, staying with him in the foxhole, until he passed away. 

On February 23, 1945, a group of six Marines on that same island were carrying an American flag and heading for Mount Suribachi, to proclaim victory. McPhatter was there and knew what the men were trying to do, but he noticed they needed a flag pole to hoist the flag. He quickly rummaged through a nearby scrap pile to find a suitable pipe or pole and gave it to the six flag bearing Marines. As the flag was raised high on Mount Suribachi, it also raised the morale of the many soldiers who witnessed it that day. 

I know of one marine who was there that day, and was inspired by seeing the raising of the flag, because he was my uncle. He wrote about it in a  letter to his mother, who is my grandmother, who saved all his letters. My uncle John died in March of 1945, while saving a friend. He was awarded a Purple Heart, and though I never met him, I heard all about him from my grandmother and the letters she saved. 

McPhatter and my uncle were both Marines, close to the same age, both were stationed on the same island in 1945. They both witnessed the flag raising on Mount Suribachi. Outside of skin color, they had a lot in common, and I often wondered if they ever crossed paths. McPhatter survived the war, and came home. He rightfully received awards and medals, and lived a full life to the age of 87. 

I’m thankful that the government desegregated the Marine branch of the military, so that men like McPhatter could be recognized and rewarded for their service, just as my uncle John was. 

The photo of the Marines raising the flag is iconic and the photographer, Joe Rosenthal, was recognized for it and won a Pulitzer Prize. It became the most famous combat image of World War II. Unfortunately, most history books make little mention of how that flagpole was found by Thomas McPhatter. 

While it’s easier to change laws than men’s hearts regarding prejudice, God is continually in the process of changing people’s hearts. Some hearts change just by witnessing the virtue and sacrifice that a man will make for his country and for others. 

Lord, thank you for the good men and women of all branches of military, who left us their stories of sacrifice, which continue to inspire and change hearts. Bless all those who gave their time, their life, or their limbs for this country, as we celebrate freedom today. Amen

Happy Fourth of July!🇺🇸