Kissed by the Spirit

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Galatians 6:10 (ESV)

God intended for believers to exist like a family and a community who bear each other’s burdens and pray for one another. The household of faith that Paul writes to the Galatians about, is a community more intimate than an entire church congregation, or the church across nations, full of people we don’t know. It’s an intimate family of believers. 

The household of faith has a more personal reference, to that small community of friends who we see regularly and share our day to day prayer needs with. They are immediately accessible because they are part of our family of faith. They’re the ones we share our burdens, our hopes and our prayers with, and who do good for one another. We may not share the same physical house, but we are of the same household of faith. 

When I gave birth to twin boys in 1980, I had no forewarning that I was carrying twins throughout my first and only pregnancy. I came home from the hospital with two babies instead of one. I had one crib, one car seat, one of everything and two babies. I was surprised to learn that the women’s group in my church had organized a schedule of ladies who prepared and delivered a home cooked meal to my home, every day for two weeks. It was a beautiful example of the household of faith. 

The household of faith doesn’t mean everyone has the same opinions, or likes the same things. God created every person and every species of creation with individual uniqueness. If we look closer at nature, we recognize that each different species of birds have their own unique song that they sing. I’ve learned to tell whether a cardinal or a blue jay is in my back yard without ever seeing them. I can tell by each one’s unique song, which bird is nearby.

God also gave us our own unique song to sing as well. The more we accept that each person was created to be their own individual self, the easier it is to accept our differences. We each have a unique calling, with different gifts, different likes and dislikes, yet when it comes to faith, we are all being drawn by one Spirit, towards Jesus, who God gave to the whole world. 

He is on a gathering mission, to seek, gather, and save anyone who is lost. Then He sends us out to sing our own unique song, and to do good for the world around us, with the gifts we were given. We are gathered together into one household of faith, which is the body of Christ in this world. 

Lord, you know that we live in perilous times, but help us to keep doing good for those around us and for those within our household of faith. Use us with our own unique gifts, to help seek, gather and save all who are lost. Amen

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe.”

John 11:25-27 (RSV)

Since Martha had her own time line of expectations, she told Jesus that He arrived too late to save her brother, so Jesus had to set Martha straight on some facts. 

The fact is that He wasn’t late at all, but had good reasons to wait four days before resurrecting him. 

Another fact is that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and we can put all our hope in Him, whether we think He is on time or not.

The most important fact of all, is that whoever believes in Jesus will live, even if they die. 

After laying out those facts, Jesus looked for Martha’s response by asking her, “Do you believe this?” She answered “Yes, Lord, I believe.”

There’s a word in first century Judaism that adequately expressed the adoration, joy and praise that Jesus is worthy of, and that word is “Hosanna.” 

The town of Bethany saw Lazarus walk out of a tomb, fully alive after four days, which was an incredible Hosanna moment for those residents to witness. Hosanna moments are not just for Palm Sunday. They are the surprise blessings that lift our spirit to a new level of joy.

We’ve all had Hosanna moments at various times in our lives. It could have been when a particular prayer was answered, a long time problem was solved, or a difficult goal was finally achieved. Reminiscing on past Hosanna moments, restores our joy and places our focus on Jesus, instead of the problem, so we can say like Martha, “Yes Lord, I believe.”

One of my memorable Hosanna moments occurred many years ago, involving a traffic ticket for a moving violation. I made a proper stop at a stop sign, and then moved forward to look around a big pine tree that blocked my view. The officer only saw me move forward, not seeing  my initial stop, and gave me a ticket. I decided to go to court and dispute it.

I was telling the story to my boss at the time, and he advised me to go to court, but be factual, not emotional. 

I asked him how to be factual, and he suggested that I bring a photo to court, so I returned to that corner and took a photo of that large pine tree that blocked my view.

The court date arrived, and I prayed for God’s help. I told my story to the judge, giving him the photo of the obstructive pine tree. He kept my photo and slammed his gavel down, saying, “Not guilty! ..next….”

It was that quick, no questions asked, just a photo and a fact that sealed his decision. As I headed out, an attorney in the back of the courtroom, leaned in and whispered “Good job.” I was filled with joy and gratitude to God, who helped me win, just by sticking to the facts. My boss’s wise advice led to a Hosanna moment for me.

There will be times in our life when we need to rely on the facts, instead of our emotions. We may not always feel God’s unconditional love, mercy, or His forgiveness, but they are the facts of our faith. Jesus illustrated facts that we can rely on, like His sacrifice at the cross, victory in His resurrection, and His beatitudes for successful Christian living. 

We believe what Jesus taught us, not because we feel it, but because facts are truth, and truth is greater than feelings. 

When we stick to the facts of our faith, and remember the joy of past Hosanna moments, we can fully invest ourselves in Jesus and say like Martha, “Yes Lord, I believe.”

Lord, thank you for the facts of your unlimited love, mercy, forgiveness, healing and your promise to be with us forever. We offer our Hosanna praises to you today and always. Amen

“So he went and did everything according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook.”

1 Kings 17:5-6 (NASB)

This Bible story describes how ravens brought food to the prophet Elijah twice a day, after he was sent into hiding, being hunted down by an evil king. The Lord told Elijah to reside by a certain brook and drink the water, while He commanded the ravens to bring him food twice a day. 

The story always sounded mythical, with ravens doing such things, until noticing a most interesting and unusual behavior among the wild birds that I routinely feed in my yard each morning. 

Since retirement has slowed down my pace of living, I started to enjoy feeding birds every morning. I leave them crumbs of whole grain bread in a certain area of my yard and watch as ten or more little birds come and eat the bread crumbs within minutes. Sometimes they are joined by a rabbit and a squirrel, but it’s the behavior of the birds that most fascinates me.

Later on some mornings I would find one single bread crumb lying on my front doorstep and I know I didn’t drop it there. It had to be a bird, giving it back at my front door. 

I wondered if I was going crazy for thinking that a bird could be giving me a thank you gift?

I became so curious about this that I looked it up on line to see what the experts say. Lo and behold there are a multitude of articles on line about a species of “gift giving birds!” 

Scientists say that birds who are members of the “Corvid” species, are the smartest of all wild birds, known to bestow gifts on people who they see as taking care of them. 

Scientific evidence shows that Corvids act differently around people they are familiar with. The species includes crows, ravens, jays, magpies and jackdaws. I had to look their images up to see if any looked familiar. The magpie looks like the small black and white bird who flew up to my front window one day, looking into my home. 

There is even an article on line about an eight year old girl who fed crows every day and one brought her back a gold heart locket, leaving it for her as a gift. Crows are attracted to shiny things and scavenge anything such as beads, buttons, earrings, jewelry, paper clips or any other shiny item lying lost on the ground. They then give their shiny gifts to a caring human.

I was thoroughly amazed at the  many true stories described by researchers about wild birds who reciprocate the kindness that humans show them, by leaving gifts.

I hope I am not boring anyone with all this bird info, but it seemed that learning all this was extremely therapeutic for me. It has been an exceptionally stress filled week trying to get Medicaid approval for a much needed CT for Jon. He needs the scan to rule out hydrocephalus, and ensure that the shunt in his brain is still working. An appointment was supposedly made, but later it wasn’t, which led to a lot of confusion from the NH.  The Nursing Director said he will try to get his scan scheduled. 

Sometimes if we set ourselves apart from all the stressors of daily life, and focus on some aspect of nature, it can have a very calming effect. For some it might mean being near a body of water, a forest or mountains. The more we appreciate nature, the more we love the God who created it all, and can truly relax.

I found a new joy in learning amazing facts about wild birds and observing their behavior, particularly in leaving gifts of bread crumbs on my front doorstep. When we think about it, the behavior and instincts of these gift giving birds is simply reflective of the Creator who made them all. 

“Giving back a gift to the Giver,” is a concept that is instinctual in birds because their Creator placed it within them. We humans do it as well, and also teach it to our children. Whether in secular or faith matters, giving back to the Giver is always the right thing to do. 

We give back to God by giving Him our time, talents and our treasures, since everything we have comes from Him. Whatever we give back to Him is like a little breadcrumb that we leave on His doorstep each day. 

Lord, all creation sings of your glory, and we can see your majesty from the smallest creatures in nature to the vastness of the oceans, mountains and forests. Complete your peace in us as we see your love through all that you have made. Amen

“Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and they immediately spoke to Jesus about her. And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she served them.”

Mark 1:30-31 (NIV)

Simon Peter’s mother in law may not have even known who Jesus was yet, when she was touched by Jesus and healed that day. She had been lying sick with a fever, and the disciples interceded, by telling Jesus about her. He went straight to her bedside, and the moment His hand took hold of hers, the fever left and she was instantly healed. Not only was she healed, but all her strength was restored, and she went right to work serving everyone who was in her home.

The whole scene inspires us to believe God not only for healing, but for renewed strength to serve Him. The visual of Jesus taking her hand during a near death situation, may remind us of a time when we were once weak, sick, in danger, or feared for our life, until Jesus came along and took our hand.  

The time I came closest to death was at the age of twenty, while working at a summer job as a day camp counselor. I was in charge of a small group of delightful eight year old girls. Every day there was a fun filled trip to a museum, planetarium, aquarium, or playing games and doing arts and crafts together.

One day each week was designated for a free swim in the pool. I was not a good swimmer but there was a lifeguard on duty, and the girls enjoyed their swim days. On that day, while playing with them in the pool, Bridget, who was more  impulsive than the rest, decided it would be fun to jump on my back and cling to me as if I were a life raft. 

I started sinking into deeper water, and with Bridget weighing me down, I couldn’t reach the edge of the pool, as hard as I tried. With all my energy, I tried to swim, but kept sinking, and was quickly becoming out of breath.

I prayed for help, but my life definitely flashed before my eyes, as minutes felt like hours.

It seems I should have drowned within those minutes, but some force moved me toward the edge of the pool, when my own efforts were failing. Whether it was Jesus who took my hand or an angel who was sent to rescue me, some divine force helped me reach the edge of the pool. 

Coming that close to death, gave me a stronger sense of destiny. I have no desire to ever swim in deep water, but I gained a new confidence that God will send help to save and protect anyone until it’s their time to leave this present life. That notion leaves us with nothing to fear, believing God has an established number of days for every human life. (Psalm 139:16)

Believing this, increases our desire to seek God’s will because only He can give us strength to handle whatever we go through. We don’t need to fear sickness, it’s symptoms, or despair over any situation. When troubles come and we feel like we’re sinking in deep waters, Jesus is there, ready to take our hand.

There is an inner peace in believing the words in Psalm 23:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.” 

Jesus grasped the hand of Peter’s mother in law, while she was in the valley of the shadow of death, but when He touched her hand, she was healed, and her strength was renewed. Her first reaction to being touched by Jesus was to get busy  serving Him. 

If we could peer into the unseen world all around us, and see how God carries out merciful acts every day, through many rescues and miracles of protection, it would probably blow our minds. Each time we hear of a miraculous story of survival, it confirms that Heaven is coordinating plans to save people, body and soul, throughout the world. The Holy Spirit keeps us on the right path through the number of days allotted to us in our lifetime. He inspires renewed confidence of faith in us, to reach our hand out at any given moment, knowing Jesus will take hold of it.

Lord, we trust that you are the one who takes our hand and lifts us out of deep waters. We pray you heal all those who need healing today and restore our strength so that we may serve you throughout the days that are allotted to us. Amen

“But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”

Romans 11:6 (RSV)

Grace is defined as unmerited favor by God. We cannot earn it, because grace by definition, is unearned. It’s a gift of God, and there’s nothing we can ever do to merit God’s grace. It’s a treasured gift and after we have received it, we are obliged to grant it to others, out of our gratitude to Him.

Everyone wants to receive God’s grace for themselves, but it’s easy to fall into the mindset of judging others as unworthy of grace. We are such merit driven beings, which is why God’s grace is so difficult for us to thoroughly comprehend or extend to others. The Lord expects us to follow Him by showing the same unmerited favor, to others. That’s the pure truth about grace. 

A minister once told a story of a young woman who went to church for the first time in her entire life. 

She was dressed very immodestly, since it was the only type of clothing she ever wore. She received lots of stares from the congregation, and although nobody said anything to her, they couldn’t hide the subtitles of judgement displayed on their faces. 

As she exited the church, the Pastor said to her, “When you go home-pray and ask God what you should wear to church next time.” She nodded with sincerity that she would. The next week she returned wearing the same type of immodest clothing and the Pastor said to her, “Didn’t I tell you to ask God what you should wear to church?” She said, “Yes, Pastor, I did.” He said, “Well, what did God say?” 

She replied, “He said, I don’t know because I’ve never been to that church before.”

I could hear that story a hundred times and though it reveals a somber truth, it makes me laugh every time. Sometimes humor sheds the best light on the human propensity to judge others. It reminds us that we all need to come to God as we are, without trying to make ourselves presentable first. We come just as we are and receive the grace of forgiveness, just as we are. God is doing a lifelong work of transforming all of us into the image of Christ. (Colossians 3:10)

The Lord wants to transform us from the inside out, not from outside in. Since we come to God as we are, He loves us, as we are. Everyone is a work in progress, and since God is patient with all of us, He asks us to be patient with others. Whatever is seen on the outside doesn’t always reveal what God is doing on the inside.

Jesus said the phrase over and over, “Come to Me…” He calls everyone to come as they are. He said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out.” (John 6:37)

It should be the mantra within every soul, to just “keep coming to Jesus”, with all of our flaws, our injuries, our heartbreaks and our sorrows. We come as we are because His grace is forever sufficient for us. Then we remind ourselves that we are also beholden to offer that same grace to others. 

Lord, we all come to your throne of grace just as we are, and thank you for loving us just as we are. Help us to also share the grace of your forgiveness to others. Amen

“The father of a righteous child has great joy;

a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.”

Proverbs 23:24 (NIV)

Many writers have written about the fathers in the Bible, but just because someone is a father in a Bible story, doesn’t mean they are the best example of a father. I have my own selection of the following four fathers, who are my own favorites. 

Jacob-The grieving father:

Joseph’s multi colored coat has been the subject of musicals, plays and children’s books, but what about Jacob, his father and all he went through. After Joseph was thrown by his brothers into a cistern and left to die, they lied to their father, saying that Joseph was killed by a wild animal. For two decades, Jacob believed the lie that his son Joseph was dead, until seeing him years later in Egypt. For whatever reasons a father grieves over a child, Jacob is a relatable example of a heartbroken father sustained by God throughout his years of grieving.

Father of the Prodigal-The merciful father:

Another father in scripture who stands out to me is the father of the prodigal son. He was the epitome of mercy and forgiveness. He never dwelled on his son’s sins of the past, but only looked for him to return home one day. His eyes were on the horizon, looking for that day when his son returned, so that he could shower him with mercy. May God bring every prodigal son or daughter  home to their father who waits for them with a heart of mercy.

Jairus-The hope filled father:

Jairus put all his hope and faith in Jesus, trusting that even if He didn’t  heal his daughter, He could still raise her to life from the dead. The hope filled father keeps hope against all hope, that nothing is impossible, despite negative news or a tragic prognosis. May God instill the hope of Jairus in every father to keep believing for a miracle of healing or a resurrection of spiritual life in their son or daughter.

Joseph, father of Jesus-The Faith filled father:

Joseph, the father of Jesus had greater trust and faith in God than anyone else in the Old or New Testament put together. Joseph stood against the mainstream, to follow God’s leading even when it was counter cultural for his time.

He obeyed God by marrying Mary, who was already pregnant. By faith he obeyed God and moved his family to Egypt, which wasn’t a comfortable place for a religious Jewish family to live. By faith, Joseph did all the odd things that God asked of him, but his faith was best lived out in fathering Jesus with love, wisdom and faith, as the amazing father and husband that he was.

Some fathers today may be grieving as Jacob did over a child. Others may have the same heart of mercy for a returning son or daughter, forgetting the past, as the father of the prodigal did. Many fathers have the steadfast faith of Joseph, to obey God even when it is counter cultural. Fathers of faith are men who pursue God’s values and wisdom before all else. 

Lord, bless all fathers today whether they are living here or in heaven, giving them great joy over their sons and daughters this Father’s Day.

Happy Father’s Day to all your special fathers !

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,and you were not willing.”

Matthew 23:37 (NIV)

Most of scripture refers to God as a Father, but in this scripture, God expresses His love from the perspective of a mother hen. It’s not the only scripture in the Bible where God reveals His love from the viewpoint of a mother. Isaiah wrote “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” (Isaiah 66:13)

In one Psalm, David describes his contentment with God, to that of a weaned child resting on his mother’s lap.  (Psalm 131:2)

These are amazing verses that compare the nurturing love of God to the comfort and security of an affectionate mother.  

Jesus took it further by expressing His love for people as that of a mother hen, who wants to guard and gather her chicks in the usual territorial way of a hen, but then He added, “….but you were not willing.”

He laments for those who were not willing to be gathered, revealing the true heart of God towards those who run from Him. We feel the same emotion as Jesus felt, when we pray for those we know, who have no interest in God. We only want everyone to know how good He is, and we pray that one day they will become willing. 

There was a time when I was not willing, and had no interest in God  but somehow the Holy Spirit changed my heart and I became willing. It proves to me that God isn’t finished with anyone yet. Whether it’s a paternal or maternal passion that drives Him, God has put a hunger in every human heart that only He can satisfy.

One of the most beautiful character traits flowing from God’s grace, is that He loves to regather whatever was scattered. Some people may be scattered spiritually, families may be divided and scattered emotionally. Extreme stress can make us feel scattered mentally, but God wants to regather anyone who is scattered in any way.

There was a news story this week  about an apartment complex which was condemned and all the tenants were notified on a Monday that they must leave by Wednesday. With such short notice, people who rented there for years, were being scattered,  forced to find housing along with children, cats and dogs. God sees all those situations of people scattered in homelessness, and He surely desires to regather all displaced people. Salvation Army and other groups are getting involved, and I pray they help them all find a place to live. 

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came into a locked room, like a powerful rushing wind, and transformed every person’s heart. God loosens what was once locked, opens doors that were once shut, and changes attitudes that were once unwilling to be gathered. It isn’t the end of the story yet because God’s Spirit isn’t finished with anyone yet.

The enemy looks for ways to destroy and divide families, cities, churches or nations, but God is in the business of regathering and reuniting people. The gates of Hell simply cannot prevail over the passion and power of a regathering God. 

As people across the world worship Jesus in multiple languages, in various types of worship, Jesus is being lifted up and His name is highly exalted across the earth. He told us that when He is lifted up, He will gather all people to Himself.

(John 12:32)

He is still gathering people to Himself, from every part of the world, and this world desperately needs to be regathered. 

Lord, thank you for your divine nature and grace that regathers anything that was ever scattered. Please change hearts to become willing, and show us how we can help regather others to you. Amen

“A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.”

Mark 15:21 (NIV)

Sometimes it seems like our plans get hijacked by random events which are outside of our control. That’s how Simon, the Cyrene felt. As a Jewish husband and father, he had big plans to travel to Jerusalem with his family to enjoy the Passover holiday. He was from a city in North Africa, which today is located in the country of Libya. While Simon was in Jerusalem, he saw crowds of people lining the streets to see a procession of a condemned criminal carrying his cross.

While watching the scene as a bystander, Simon was suddenly pulled from the crowd, and compelled by Roman soldiers to carry the criminal’s cross. He didn’t even know who Jesus was at the time and probably pleaded with the soldiers, saying that he had nothing to do with him.

All his plans for a pleasant vacation fell apart as he was forced to carry a heavy cross and walk beside a condemned criminal he didn’t even know. 

Roman law required that sentenced criminals carry their own crosses, but Jesus was weak, having lost a lot of blood from the beatings, so that He could barely walk, much less carry a cross. When Simon was pulled from that crowd, it looked like he was randomly selected, but nothing is random with God.

In the time it took for Simon to carry the cross up the hill of Golgotha, he actually had a closer view of Jesus’ suffering, than anyone else had. He saw every bloody wound that covered His body from head to toe. In those physically close moments, Simon locked eyes with Jesus, not knowing anything about Him or the charges brought against Him. Yet, he knew he was not looking at the face of a criminal. What first seemed like being at the wrong place, at the wrong time, became a life changing walk with his Messiah and Savior. 

Matthew, Mark and Luke all wrote about Simon, the Cyrene, in their gospels years later, describing him as the father of Alexander and Rufus, which indicates that they came to know him and his family. Scripture leaves hints that Simon and his family later became part of the early Christian church in Rome.  The apostle Paul also wrote about Simon’s son Rufus, as being “chosen in the Lord”, along with his mother, as faithful servants of God. 

(Romans 16:13) 

What seemed like a random act of misfortune, ruining Simon’s Passover plans, had a special and divine purpose afterall. He brought his family to Jerusalem at the most popular time of the year, to find their Passover lamb, and instead, they found their Savior, the Passover Lamb of God. Although, no more is mentioned in scripture about Simon, it’s obvious that his close walk with Jesus, changed his life and his family’s lives forever. 

We may have days like Simon’s, when some unpleasant and random event, later turns out to be a new path that God was leading us to all along. No profound words were spoken to Simon, and he witnessed no miracles. He simply walked beside Jesus, but looking in His eyes,  his life took a whole new direction. 

We can learn through Simon, the Cyrene, that when it seems like a random event or person has ruined our plans, there might be a better plan that God is leading us to.

All we need to do is keep walking  beside Jesus in His resurrection power. As we take quiet moments to gaze into His eyes, His presence lightens our burdens and empowers us to go with the flow of unexpected and random events. God always has our best interests in mind, bringing us to the right place at the right time,  opening up new paths for us to follow.

Lord, we choose to keep walking beside you, and to trust that nothing is random, and you are guiding our lives every single day. We know that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Amen

“Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he said in reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.”

Luke 17:20-21 (NIV)

In this scripture, Jesus was not talking about the place of Heaven. He was talking about the kingdom of God, which cannot be observed visually because it’s not a place, it’s a lifestyle. Kingdom living is living in a personal relationship with a king, specifically the King of all kings, who is Jesus. 

There is a difference between the observance of religious rules and having a relationship with the Lord. In any kind of relationship, the bond between two people is not based on following rules, but on love for one another. I think that churches have probably lost members over time, because Christian teaching tends to be reduced to a system of rules, instead of a relationship of love with the Lord. 

Jesus’ words to the church in the book of Revelation says it all, 

“I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Jesus just wants to be our first love. 

(Revelation 2:4)

God sure seems more interested in a relationship with us than in rules. 

The gospels repeatedly show examples where Jesus was not impressed with the most religious rule followers of His time, especially since He was often accused of breaking rules and hanging out with the outcasts. Kingdom living means doing as Jesus did and being led by compassion, even if it means befriending people who live a totally different lifestyle. Kingdom living leads to placing relationships over rules. 

Speaking of rules vs. relationships, I just received a disappointing notice that it is now against the rule for me to bring any kind of edible treats to residents at the Nursing Facility. I used to share treats with them at each visit, since most residents are lonely and never have visitors at all. 

No specific incident occurred to cause this, but there is a new Director who seems wholeheartedly convinced that rules are more important than the joy and dignity residents get in receiving treats. 

Kingdom living requires us to adapt to unpleasant changes in our lives, but instead of resisting, it helps to consider that God might be telling us something through those changes. Whether it involves difficult managers on the job, or a strict director of a Nursing facility, dealing with disappointment is also part of kingdom living. When Jesus dealt with it, He prayed and looked to His Father, seeking His will, not His own. Maybe God is trying to teach us something while we adjust to certain unpleasant changes happening around us, so that we will pray for God’s wisdom.

Kingdom living requires looking for a new approach to show kindness toward the residents, since I will continue to visit them, but no longer bring treats. So thankfully, there are no rules against showing kindness to residents in other ways.

Sometimes medical professionals forget that a Nursing Home patient is more than another human body to medically care for, but a soul made in the image of God, and deserving of dignity. 

Lord, help us to find our place in kingdom living, and to show love, dignity and compassion to those who feel forgotten, and give us the grace to forgive our enemies and to learn what God is teaching us through unpleasant changes. Amen

“And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 18:3 (NIV)

One day last week, a Jewish resident at the Nursing Facility was talking about Mikva baths, and their ritual uses for cleansing according to Jewish religious laws. I immediately thought of the story in the gospel of the woman with the hemorrhage, who would have been required by Jewish law to be cleansed by a Mikva bath. 

I turned to a resident sitting beside me, who I’ve become friends with and knowing she believes in Jesus, I told her that the Mikva bath reminds me of that particular gospel story. I wasn’t sure if she knew that story, so I shifted into my Sunday school teacher mode. Even though it’s been 40 years since I taught Sunday school, I still enjoy telling any of those stories from the Bible. 

The resident, who I will call Jan, for privacy reasons, will be 75 years old this month, but she listened to the story just as a child would. When I got to the part of how the woman crawled through the crowd, just to touch the fringe of Jesus’ garment, I paused to ask the Jewish resident what the fringe part of a Jewish prayer shawl is called, and he said that it’s called “Tzitzit.” 

So I continued telling the story to Jan of how the woman merely touched the “Tzitzit” of Jesus’ prayer shawl, and her bleeding immediately stopped as she was miraculously healed. Then Jesus stopped walking and asked “Who touched Me?” With a large crowd all around Him, the disciples said “Lord, so many are touching you”, but Jesus said, “No, I just felt power coming out of Me.” 

While telling that part of the story, Jan looked at me as she listened with a sense of awe. As her eyes widened with amazement, she suddenly burst out loud, saying 

“I love Jesus!” 

That’s what I call a Sunday school moment, when a Bible story touches a heart with such amazement, as it would do for a child in a Sunday school class. Jan’s excited response sparked a flame within me and I could feel her childlike excitement. I readily agreed with her, saying,

“Me too!”

Jan is not a child, but she received a gospel story with the heart of a child, as Jesus described in today’s scripture. She was as excited as if she were right there watching it all first hand. Her heart was set on fire by a story about Jesus and in all of her enthusiasm, she lit my heart on fire as well. 

While driving home and thinking about that Sunday school moment, I couldn’t stop smiling. Jesus told us to change and become like a child, and He meant that for believers of all ages, despite how much we already know. Jan’s spontaneous childlike response lit a flame in my heart and something changed in me at that moment. That’s what we are all meant to do for one another.

Having the heart of a child means there is always something new to learn about Jesus, always a yearning for more of His presence, and a fire to keep burning in our hearts for Him.  

Sunday school moments are not only inspired by stories in the bible. They could be real life stories of people we know or meet each day. We might hear stories from people who received a miracle, a long waited answer to prayer, or a faith inspiring experience with Jesus. We become like a child whenever we light the fire of wonder and awe in someone else’s heart or they light ours. 

Lord, keep the fire burning in our hearts so that we will always find excitement to learn and yearn for more of you. Amen