"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.…" ~ Matthew 7:15 - 17 I loved the driveway next to my grandparents' home in Zionsville, Indiana. My grandmother possessed one of the most amazing green thumbs of any person I have ever met. Her tulips in the spring were just amazing, and you could smell their sweetness a block away. There would be people that would stop and view her flowers, and sometimes would even photograph them. I remember a stranger that stopped one day to view the flowers, and my grandmother ushered my sister and I into the house,. saying, "Let's go in and check the oven." Later my grandmother shared that we must be aware that not all people are good. It was interesting, because I believed at an early age, and even into my adult years, that there was good in all people. Although now I realize that she must have intuitively felt like there was something wrong with the man, and that's why she took us into the house. It wouldn't be until I was working with the homeless on the street that I would encounter people who were absolutely empty. Scripture warns us to "beware" of some people. I want to believe that all Christians have good intentions, but like my grandmother that day, sometimes I have something that causes me to question, or to struggle to believe the intentions to be good, or honest. Does it make the person "bad?" The balance between good and evil is something that the world has struggled with since the days of the Garden experience. It is something we definitely deal with today. Backroom decisions, bending the rules, and finding loop holes are phrases we have all grown to understand. Although I have no clear way to determine the intentions of every person I meet, I have however, learned to trust what God is stirring within. Hoping that we all remain safe in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, help each of us to be transparent so that others may see the true intentions of our hearts, while protecting us from others who may seek to do harm. Keep us close to You always. Amen. "The Lord is close to the broken-hearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit." ~ Psalm 34:18 While we continue to focus inwardly during the season of Lent, one thing that I realize is that for many folks, there also becomes the issue of loss and grief. In the church we don't actually ever really speak about death and loss. We talk a whole lot about surrender, and sacrifice, but rarely do we talk about the one thing we will all experience, and that is death. Don't get me wrong. We have that ONE day... Good Friday... but the next day is generally silent as Christ lays in the tomb, and then we are ecstatic to announce that "He is risen." For each of us there can be, and let's face it, there are real losses in our lives. There is not any one of us immune from death. I saw one of my beloved professors this past weekend at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. When I asked how he was doing, he told me he had an incurable disease. I stopped right where I was standing and looked him in the face. "I'm experiencing incurable aging that will kill me one day." I don't know of any of us who have not thought about our own death. Many have shared that they aren't afraid of dying. It's the process they worry about. The church reminds us that if we live a good life, helping others, and loving one another, that our life will be filled with many blessings, but the fact of the matter is, we will still experience losses and like our friends and family, we will die one day as well. Having suffered a serious illness several years ago now, I lived every day with the knowledge that I could possibly die. There was a popular song on the radio at that time that reminded folks to live every day as "if you are dying." You don't tell people with a terminal illness to live every day as if they are dying. They already know that. Instead, live every day as if you are truly living! While I acknowledge our need to talk about death, there is the living with that death when we not just faced with our own losses, but for those around us who have experienced loss. There has been a lot of books written on what to tell others when someone close to them has died. I wish that I could say that there are perfect words to express, but sometimes there are simply no words. Upon arriving at the tomb where the friend of Jesus laid, "Jesus wept." There were no words. In our understanding of loss, sometimes our outward expression of being sorry is simply enough. The language of our hearts can often be spoken in silence, with hand holding, and with tears. We begin the journey of Lent with these words, "From dust you were created, and dust you stall return." May our losses be surrounded by the love of Christ, and may we use that love with one another. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, when I find that I am in the midst of loss, may I know that You firmly hold me. When others around me have experienced loss, may my presence be that of comfort and support. Amen. "The Lord will guide you always, and satisfy your needs in [the parched] land, and will strengthen your frame. And you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." ~ Isaiah 58:11 Years ago, Helen Keller shared, "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." So often during the season of Lent we discover that we seem to adopt a mindset that we must spend our time "giving up something," or turning away from some habit. While this can be a positive thing for some, for others, it can also be the start of something else. God's desires for each of us include experiencing joy, happiness, and love, among other things. While some of our choices may keep us from fully realizing that these are essential touchstones of our faith, living out our faith does indeed also involve sacrifice, discipline but also restoration! The power of the cross leaves an image of suffering and death, and for some, that is often where the image of God ends. I have known people who feel that since Christ suffered, that somehow, they believe that by some circumstance, we too must suffer. On the same note, I also know people who hate this image, and that they can't wait until Easter morning to cry out to others, "He has risen." Both are important if we are going to experience the fullness of the Gospel. We must have death if there is going to be resurrection. We must have the resurrection if we are going to have eternity. While we continue to make our way through this season of Lent, don't find yourself getting caught in staring at doors that have been closed with new choices, or when turning back, also be sure to recognize the open window, allowing the light of God's love to shine. The restorative power of God is really what Lent is about. It is the still small voice within each of us, calling us to be who God wants us to be. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, help me not to forget that when I find that I am sacrificing or surrender to Your desires for my life, that You are also restoring and creating within me the love, hope and joy that You have for me. Amen. His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!" He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.' But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." Then David comforted his wife... ~ 2 Samuel 12: 21-24 There really is no book, outline, or correct way to grieve. Years ago while I was completing my fellowship at M D Anderson Cancer Center, my supervisor talked to me about the grief I was experiencing. My stepmother had died the previous year from leukemia following a somewhat brief illness. Although I knew that I was grieving her loss, I couldn't understand some of the things that I was feeling and how I was reacting to some things going on in my life. He shared with me that "I can direct you to a ton of self-help books, including books on grief, the steps of grief, and how to recognize grief, but I can't necessarily tell you HOW you must grieve, and how to get through this." To this day, I really don't know what answer I was hoping to receive. There is simply no correct way to grieve. It wasn't until a year later that I realized as another anniversary passed without her presence in my life that I suddenly realized that she was never coming back. After another year of wanting to pick up the phone and call her to tell her something my children had done, or to ask her thoughts on something, while even the home that my parents resided had been sold, I had to accept this reality and somehow "let it go" as some friends had advised. I couldn't. It was at that point I realized that for some things in our lives, grieving is a life-long process. It's not that I don't manage her memory better, and instead of getting depressed at the the thought of her passing, I instead focus on the person and how thankful that I am to have had her in my life. So often our grief over the loss of something creates our own "valley of the shadow of death," that we find it hard to move through it. David after loosing a child, tries to return to a "normal" life, while taking time to be present for his wife. The loss shared by these two, would be a reminder to each of us that when we have suffered loss, the need for one another must be realized. We all grieve and we are reminded to turn that which we mourn into a type of dance. While there isn't always a clear place and time to point to when this happens, we can always invite God to help us. Hoping that each of us may learn to dance while we mourn our losses. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, while we all have experienced loss of some kind in our life, may You be present to help us turn our mourning into a dance that brings healing. Amen. "By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict." ~ Hebrews 11: 23 Last year stories of mothers and fathers packing a few belongings and pointed children north, were becoming common. From Central and South America, children by the hundreds were being given instructions to head to America. The stories of what happened with many of these children are as many as the number that attempted to make it to a new land. A new place, where their lives might be much different. Throughout time there have been mothers and fathers who have trusted God with the lives of their children, and have placed them in baskets, on trains, and on pathways, in hope that God would protect and provide a better place. Our world is a place where ambiguity beckons wanderers to step out, and to seek a place where things and ways of life, are different. It is hard to remain faithful when we discover that our minds are unable to remain clear. Our hearts and minds desire clarity. We like to have a clear picture of a situation, a clear view of how things fit together, and a clear insight into our own and the world's problems. But like so many things in this world, our life doesn't always offer the clarity we are looking for. We find that there are borders that are created. Borders between hate and love, good and evil, neglect and care, old and young, those that are guilty and those who are blameless. There are heroes and people who are cowards. There are rich and poor. All of this combined makes for a world that is filled with ambiguity, and makes decisions, and for that matter, our ability to discern what decisions even need to be made a difficult undertaking. Each of us are children of God, created in a way, that God, like many mothers and fathers, God prepares us for our journey, and points the way. The story is the same for each of us, we have to learn to make the right choices, while not being entirely sure, will lead us faithfully to where we need to be. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, help us to discern Your way, and what You desire for each of us, while living in a world that is full of ambiguity. Amen. After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. ~ John 19:38 As Lent continues, I have to admit, about this time through each Lenten season encounter, I begin to think of the cross. It is both a symbol of daunting circumstances, as well as, a place where chapters end and new ones begin. I think of the person who first looked at the tree that would serve as the symbol of the Christian faith for centuries to come. Did children sit beneath the shade of the tree that a man would pronounce "It is finished?" Where did it grow? Was it among a great forest, or a lonesome tree left by the side of the road? I think of the hands that cut the tree down, removed branches, and began the task of "squaring up" that which used to be round. With each slice, years of growth, seasons of weather, wind and rain, sun and moon fell away. And then, I think of the person who fashioned the pieces into a cross. Was the person a slave? A free person, perhaps with a son, who was teaching the skills of a carpenter. How ironic. I wonder if Jesus, when he first saw these pieces of timber fashioned into the cross he would parade through the city, carrying it upon his shoulder, did he give thought to the quality and craftsmanship that someone who was raised by a carpenter might note? I can't begin to imagine the thoughts, how it must have looked, and if the smell of fresh cut wood helped to overcome the scent of sweat and blood? While Jesus healed the paralytic, he commanded the man to "take up his mat and walk." He now was commanded to take up THIS cross and walk. With each step, he became more like the cross he carried. Layers of seasons, the experiences of life, fell to the ground with each drop of blood, like the sawdust of the cross while it was being made into something else. To imagine the cross, is to imagine ourselves. While we make a conscious decision to carry Christ with us, Christ doesn't have that choice when it comes to us. We are the undeniable presence upon the shoulders of a God who loves us unto eternity. Praying that today I see the image of the cross, and know that I am remaining in God's grip, with each step we take. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Loving God, thank You for taking hold of me, and carrying me through every moment of my life. Amen. When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour. ~ Rev. 8:1 I have often wondered what was happening in heaven the moment that Christ declared, "It is finished." We don't always know what is happening in the land of eternity, where there is no more sadness. No more death. No more time. No more, no more... There are moments that rob us of words, of our breath. Images flood our minds each day that bring us to silence. A young black man lays lifeless on the street of a Midwestern community, leaving us silent. A doctor tells a mother of three that she has a terminal illness, leaves her silent, as she looks to heaven for help. There are those moments that we all know, where there are simply no words. The expression is one of a spirit that simply groans. There are no words to express what the mood was like in the earthly hours that must have seemed like an eternity to Jesus. The taste of sweat, blood, and the dirt in which all humanity had been created from, filled his mouth until he cried out that he thirst as he hung, dying, before a crowd that was anything but silent. The skies grew dark, and heaven rumbled. But what was the mood of the great cloud of witnesses who worship God, the Creator of all, as the Son was crucified? Where did the heavens turn their focus when the Son declared that He had been abandoned? There are no descriptions of what God was thinking. God is silent. It is a sacred place to stand at the bedside of a child, as her parents surrender to the idea that she is dying, and watch as her final breath leaves, and she dies. There are no words to describe the silence. Heaven surely must have been silent. For many of us, we can point to a time when we were left silent. I have to believe that in heaven, a place where eternity has no timeline, there is that moment. May we discover the sacredness of a moment this day, that leaves us simply standing in our steps. A moment that we meet God. May we be reminded that there was indeed a moment, when Jesus breathed his last breath, and in that moment, humanity and heaven were forever changed. Dear God, in the moments when we have no words, let Your voice be heard. Help us, when we find that we feel a need to gasp, that we instead learn to call out and seek You. Amen. "Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him." ~ Luke 24: 13-16 Years ago my grandmother painted "The Road to Emmaus." The painting, for her, was based on one of her favorite pieces of scripture. She and my grandfather traveled and visited many places around the world. While they visited new places, she was always aware that God was present, and that the stranger she met walking along the road may very well be God, or at least, part of the Divine. Our Lenten Journey begins with one step. Like the two that traveled along the road to Emmaus, they had encountered some traumatic life changes, and with each step, they talked of the events they had experienced. Things were not necessarily looking good, and the news was not good. Jesus had been put to death, and the disciples were becoming scattered, and were trying to process what had just happened. Their experience had literally left them fragmented and wounded, and their shock, caused them to become blind to what was before them. We ask ourselves, "How did they not recognize Jesus walking along the road with them?" We should be asking ourselves the very same question. "How do we not recognize that God has been walking with us each moment of every day of our lives?" It happens. While our eyes may seem to be open, and we may be talking about what we have seen, and experienced, the fact remains, "Where is God in all of this?" As we search ourselves in this season of self-reflection, there will always be parts of ourselves that we don't know. There will always be some sense of darkness, where only the light of Christ can reside. Let's face it, there will always be something about us that only God has seen. Even when we know quite a lot about ourselves - our gifts and weaknesses, our ambitions and aspirations, our motives and drives - large parts of ourselves remain in the shadow of consciousness. As much as I think I know myself, there will always be hidden things about myself. Other people, especially those who love us, can often see us better than we can. "How did they not recognize Jesus before them?" The way we are seen and understood by others is different from the way we see and understand ourselves. We will never fully know the significance of our presence in the lives of our friends. While we also know how involved Jesus was in the lives of the disciples, I have to think of the times in my life when a situation has kept me from seeing what was right before me. Often, our eyes can be kept from seeing what is before us when our heart is involved. In these times, that is when grace comes into view. Grace not only calls us to humility but also to a deep trust in those who love us. Don't dwell on the times when you find that emotions or situations have made you blind to what was actually before you. Instead, ask God to reveal these things to you, and pray for God's guidance through them. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, open my eyes so that I may see Your presence in my life. Reveal to me that which lies within, and be with me as I learn more about myself and others. Amen. "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another." ~ Romans 12: 15-16 Years ago the Coca Cola Company for an ad campaign taught us all the song, "I'd like to teach the world to sing... in perfect harmony..." It was highly successful, and even decades later, I can sing the campaign word for word. We are called to rejoice together and mourn together, while living with one another in harmony. This morning as I reflected upon these words I began to search my life for those who I would say that I am in perfect harmony with. With today's world environment, it probably has become more difficult to seek harmony, but the task is not daunting. It's possible. While Paul writes to the Romans, he is living in a place where there is tremendous change. Foreign rulers are controlling the political environment. Multiple languages and customs are being brought together and religious communities are seeking a place to live and find peace, while the laws set forth are being challenged and changed. Wait, is this first century writing, or is he talking about today? Paul's words are still in the process of being realized. Even when Jesus last appeared to his disciples he simply asked that they learn to "love one another." It's a big undertaking, but there is still time. It begins with each of us, relying upon one another, while affirming and respecting one another becomes a common ritual to our daily life. While Lent is often a very sacred and personal journey, it also involves community and creating harmony. It is about recognize our similarities, not necessarily our differences. It is realizing while we struggle, our neighbor is also struggling. Our journey continues, and today I pray that we recognize that the hand of our neighbor is not empty, it is waiting for us to reach out and take hold of things together... in harmony. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, while I look at the world that You have created, and how we, Your children have changed it since You proclaimed, "It is good," may we discover ways to create harmony and bring peace. Amen. "Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." ~ Psalm 100: 3-5 Years ago I began telling people younger than myself to "Remember who you are, and WHOSE you are!" We often talk about peer pressure and being cautious about being around people who seem to have their own issues. As a parent, and having had some world experiences, you generally get an idea about people from having had experiences with people who seem to be like others. Some might say that is being judgmental, but as a parent, that is also part of your responsibility to ensure that your children and other children are kept from such influences and situations. The same goes for adults. It can be very disheartening to believe one thing about someone only to discover the person is nothing like what you thought. What's even harder is when you have become a victim of someone due to the poor choices of someone else, or has believed something that has been said about them. It's a known fact that if you tell someone that they are beautiful often, they will begin to believe it to be true. The same can be said about saying something awful about someone else. I can remember telling a young man, "Who told you that you were stupid, and why did you buy into it?" The young man was struggling to be truly who he was because he had grown up in a house where he was often told that he was "stupid" and "wouldn't amount to anything." Every time that he had an issue with a job, or a project, and even a relationship, he seemed to hear that voice and would totally destroy the opportunity or relationship. "Remember who you are," is good advice, but to know ourselves doesn't mean we should over-think the situation. At certain critical times in our lives it might be helpful to explore in some detail the events that led us to our crisis, but we make a mistake when we think that we can ever completely understand ourselves and explain the full meaning of our lives to others. Seeking to "Be you" involves finding ways to ensure that we truly know "Who you are" while being in relationship with God. Seeking silence, a sense of solitude, while spending time in prayer, are ways that we can understand all of this better. We are definitely complex, but remember, at the center of each of us is a sacredness instilled as part of God's amazing creation. We must also not forget that within there is sacredness where God dwells. We remain the place where God dwells at all times, and it is a place where real joy and praise exists always. "Remember who you are and WHOSE you are!" Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, when I struggle to know myself better, help me to start with YOU and the sacred existence You hold in my life always. Amen. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." ~ Psalm 19: 14 I wish that I could say that I have always been a fan of silence, but that would be far from the truth. Even as far back as a young child, my first transistor radio would play at all hours of the day, and night. I can remember AM farm reports for the weather so that I would know how to dress to feed our cows in the morning, and what to wear to school when the school bus arrived by 6:45 am. I would listen to the top 40 countdown, and because the radio was powered by batteries that I would get from the hardware store in town with money I had earned for doing my chores at home, I carried the radio with me when I checked the fence line after a storm, or was sitting next to the creek that ran next to our home. I guess I was about twelve when I lost the "privilege" of having that radio when I failed to listen to what my stepfather was saying to me. The radio was taken away from me, and I never saw it again. It was as if I had lost a friend, but more than that, I was left in silence. I just remember not knowing what to do. I would sing familiar songs, and sometimes when really silent, I would pick up my guitar and strum out a tune. I didn't know how to react to the silence. I guess in some ways I should thank him. In those quiet hours I would write, draw, and begin to talk to God in a new way. I began to have conversations with God, often telling God what I was thinking, and hoping for. All of a sudden, the life that had been filled with constant sound, was being changed into something different. I was learning to have a relationship with God, and I was learning to be comfortable with "me." I have often thought about what the world would be like without the constant noise that surrounds us. Automobiles zooming. Announcers breaking news, and selling products we must have. Politicians making promises, and planes soaring above among silent drifting clouds. I think it's interesting in scripture that it is not until the storm is crashing that the Disciples call out to God to bring peace and silence. It is up to us to seek the silence and the calm in order to hear God's voice. We start with us. Scripture reminds us that we are the beginning. Our words, our thoughts and our actions are the beginning of God's presence in our life, and demonstrates that presence to others. While the world seeks to gain our attention each day, the need for silence beckons to bring us closer to God. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be the beginning of peace and God's presence to and for one another. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, although I may not be comfortable at first, I am thankful for the moments when silence interrupts the noises of the world, and I can fully be with You. Amen. "Be still and know that I am God" ~ Psalm 46:10 It's hard to believe that it's the start of another week. Someone recently asked me how I stay positive through life changes and daily challenges. I guess I don't always think about it. The "staying positive" part. I know if I were to think about it too much, I would do just that... "overthink it!" I guess that I am a person who somewhat enjoys change, but in the midst of everything I listen in my heart to the Psalmist when he writes, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). These are the words within that propel me into a busy day. For any of us, the ability to remain positive when we are encountering many things, means not creating unreal expectations. For many, Lent seems to be a time of self-reflection, and change. It's important to note that at this point of the journey of Lent, it is not so much about change, but simply listening. For myself, I try to take time to juxtapose my busy day and noisy world with the knowledge that there can be stillness within. For any of us, the ability to manage an "inner stillness" is a challenge within itself. It is important to keep a still place within each of us. A place where each of us may return time and time again, where God can dwell and speak to us. It can also then become a place where we can speak from to others when the world becomes too much for those around, or to help guide others to the place where they may find that same inner strength and peace. Without having this place to return and to speak from, our world can quickly spin out of control. I rememeber back in high school one of my teachers had the following on a bulletin board, "Yelling at children is like steering your car with the horn." It was a reminder to her that even in the classroom there had to be a sense of order, or a stillness so that learning could take place. I try to recreate that in my mind each day, visit my place of stillness, beside still waters in my mind, where I may find the direction that I need. With that stillness, God can be our gentle guide in everything we think, say, or do, making it a better day and a better place for others. May we all discover stillness within while remaining in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, as I reflect this morning, please speak in the stillness of this moment to encourage me, guide me, and make it possible for me to invite others to join in this place of stillness. I know that today will be filled with many things, but within it I will choose to remember that You are God. Thank You for allowing me this day, and may You bless each breath I breathe. Amen. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. ~ Matthew 5:44 According to UNICEF, there are approximately 4 human beings born every second. What a staggering number of births! Around the world that is about 353,000 babies born each day! While it is also estimated that there are approximately 151,000 people dying each day. With all these births and deaths, it really makes one wonder how God does it! It also makes me realize that I have been one statistic on one day, and I will be another at some point. We ALL have been and will be. As the world continues to increase in population, and we all struggle for space, identity, and community, it seems that that instead of coming closer together and working to find ways for harmony, we tend to find things to separate us even more. It's not just about lines drawn on a map that signify geographic areas. It goes beyond that. Their are other ways. We can all name at least one, two, or three. The Kingdom of God will usher in a "new" way of looking at one another, understanding of community and wholeness. While we deal with our own needs, which often include our own fears and anxieties about others, we tend to divide people into "us" and "them." Even among families. You have inlaws, outlaws, and those that are somewhere in between! One thing is for certain, God doesn't divide the world. The same heavens that bring rain to our dry land, also provide moisture from heaven to our neighbors. It is the same sun that we bask in on beautiful spring days, that those half way around the world also embrace. God loves everyone uniquely and unconditionally. Our God wants us to do the same, but we can only do that if we believe in God's unconditional love for us. Loving our enemies, or simply those different than us, means we will need to learn to no longer divide the world. Unconditional love means that we look beyond our obvious differences while bringing hope and encouragement to a world that we know continues to change each day. While we consider the close to 353,000 new lives that enter the world each day, that is reflective of how many new ways we must learn to love one another. While 151,000 leave us wondering if we loved them enough? Loving one another is the best reflection of how God loves, and loves each of us, collectively Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, may I discover ways to embrace the love that You have for me, while learning to love others with that same love. Amen. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ~ Genesis 22:9 I have often wondered what Isaac thought the next time his father invited him to go for a walk. God had required a sacrifice from Abraham to demonstrate his faith. Many people would argue that Isaac was not sacrificed, instead a poor ram had become entangled in some shrubs and that was instead the sacrifice. The truth of the matter is, Abraham built an altar, he took his son, whom he loved, and he bound him and laid him on the altar. To me, anything that is laid upon an altar is something that we are willing to give to God. My dad always seemed to like a good fight, but when I became ill, the real fight was on. My dad went to amazing lengths to find a way that his son would not only live, but would flourish. I remember my dad telling me to "pull myself up by my bootstraps." I would tell him, "My straps are broken. There is nothing left." He struggled to understand just how broken I felt, while in the meantime he prayed for me, took me to churches that would pray for me. I was brought to many altars, and time and time again, there just didn't seem to be any change. I realize that it's important to participate in your own healing, and I was done. I was exhausted, and the thought of heaven looked better all the time. It wasn't until my dad uttered one day after I told him I was dying that he said, "I know son, and I'm sorry I can't do anything about it." I remember looking almost in shock. I then realized, my father just surrendered his son to God. I won't ever forget the feeling, but as I look back, I realize my illness was as much a learning experience for me, but for my dad, it was a life-changing experience he had with God. What is it that is keeping us from having that relationship with God? Abraham built an altar and laid his son on it. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, may I recognize today just how holy You are, and that through You, all has been given. May I surrender all things that find their way between me and You. Amen. "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." ~ Isaiah 43:2 "You have been terminated!" Reality television has gained a lot of notoriety since the early days of American Idol, The Apprentice, and who could forget, Survivor. So many phrases that are now part of our daily vocabulary have come from such shows. "You have been voted off the island," and "Will you accept this rose," immediately conjure up played out scenarios that are now office water fountain fodder. We watch the person tear up as people share how the person does not "fit in" or how in their actions, they have harmed others. We all have seen this, and some of us have even applauded or agreed in what has been shared. Then we watch as the person is dismissed. It's reality television. I've often wondered if television had been around when Jesus, John the Baptist, or someone like Moses was around (Charlton Heston was a great actor, but really, how would he have stacked up against the real Moses in a late breaking summer hit?), of reality television producers might have focused in on these folks of the Bible. Just imagine. We would have seen their successes and failures, and just imagine what those crowds were really like as they screamed out, "Crucify him!" It is said that we kick people when they are down. In reality, we dismiss people because of their apparent woundedness, we stunt their lives by ignoring their gifts, which are often buried in their wounds. The new environment has made it okay to dismiss, rather than invest, in helping those that seem to be different. During this season of Lent, we look to Christ and in our own woundedness, we realize that we are all bruised reeds, whether our bruises are visible or not. The compassionate life is the life in which we believe that strength is hidden in weakness and that true community is a fellowship of the weak. It is no longer dismissing those that are about to be cast off, instead it is reaching out, taking hold, and reminding one another the God walks with each of us always. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, help me to recognize the gifts within my neighbor before I quickly dismiss the opportunity that God has created to get to know my neighbor better. Amen. |
AuthorRev. G. Todd Williams is the author of the book, "Remember Me When..." and is a former hospice chaplain and pastor. Archives
February 2024
|