"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." ~ Luke 6:27, 28, 36 When we love our enemies we begin to exhibit the characteristics of God's perfect love for each of us. Sometimes that is a real struggle, but I have to look at it like this. God is the parent that wants all the children to get along.
Years ago my dad overheard me praying to God that something would happen to someone for them to realize what the person had done to me in my life. He was shocked by the prayer and reminded me that I should never wish anything but God's blessings upon people. Even when they have harmed or hurt us. I laughed and prayed that God would "drop a blessing on them," knowing that God knows the intentions of my heart. For some, including myself at times, I need to have a daily reminder that we are to forgive one another instead of being angry. We are invited to bless one another, instead of curse one another. We are asked to wrap the wounds of others, instead of rubbing salt into them, while encouraging, instead of sowing despair. Instead of demeaning one another, we are invited to hug, thank instead of being critical. All of these things are characteristics of God's unconditional love for us. When we make these things part of our daily practice, we help to make God's unconditional love visible to the world. Again, I am reminded that the world is what it is because of what we invite into it. If we want God's unconditional love to exist in the world, then it must begin with us. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2020
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He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." ~ Matthew 26:30 For me, watching Jesus' journey to the cross is filled with moments where I recognize both Jesus as God's son, and also, when he is fully human. Seeing Jesus praying in the garden for the things that are about to happen to him to not happen, leads me to the times in my life when I realize the only way to deal with something is to simply "go through it."
We all have some understanding of what this is like. Knowing what lies ahead, and praying to God, "Please, let this pass from me." I find that my mind has difficulty "shutting down." Sometimes, there is simply uneasiness that happens in our lives. It's not that we worry about anything in particular. The future that Jesus knew would happen had to give birth to new anxieties each day. While I don't walk the path that Jesus did, knowing betrayal, arrest, beatings and crucifixion was in his future, I still understand what it means to live with uneasiness. None of us can truly imagine what that must have been like for Jesus, however, we do know what it's like to "work through" or "experience" life. For me, as difficult as it is to see Jesus so human, the experiences of Jesus also serve as a reminder to us that God has "been there, done that." Knowing that God dwelt among us through Jesus, I realize that God has felt the sun shine upon his face, watch dust from road swirl up into the air, smell flowers blooming nearby, while also knowing the salty taste of his own tears, as he cried at the tomb of a friend. God truly knows us. Our ability to arrive at the other side of an illness, job loss, or any kind of a personal struggle, serves to remind us that while not all cups are like that which Jesus prayed would pass, we are offered vessels to take up and drink. Today I pray that we become one with God through Christ, who will provide the strength to make it through whatever cup passes before us. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2020 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it. ~ John 1:5 One of the struggles that we face is when we realize just how much darkness that there is in the world.
I don't really ever remember being afraid of the dark. Most children when they're growing up will have a night light, or will ask to keep a hallway light on, so that whatever might be in the dark can be illuminated. Jesus tells us that HE is the light. That not only is Jesus the Light, but is the Light of the World. One of the things that I enjoy is going out to the Bay and just sitting. Galveston Bay has so many sounds at night. The occasional moan of a ship as it passes another in the Houston Ship Channel. Every now and then a bird announces it's arrival, and the ebb and flow of waves reaching the shore, and surrendering their power to the land. There are all kinds of objects that lie along the shore. Oh, there are shells, pieces of seaweed, and the occasional jelly fish you must watch for, but then there are unnatural things as well. Man made items that have been carelessly thrown away that also wash upon the shore. For me, it doesn't matter if there is light or darkness along the shoreline, it always seems to be a place where I find peace, and whatever darkness that may be in my life, seems to be overcome by light that dwells within. They say that the flame of a small candle can give light to an entire room. I wish that the same could be said about our ability to dissolve darkness or dark times in our lives. If the darkness cannot overcome the light, then why do bad things happen to good people? There are some things that just happen. We don't always know the intentions of others, and because of that, sometimes the darkness seems to have established itself, and seems to hold firm. The truth is, the light will never be overcome. Ever! For any of us, sitting within the darkness of the night, we know that within hours the sun will rise in the east, and that all things will clearly be seen and known. I must continue to trust in that truth, and continue to believe that God's light will prevail, and that this darkness that I am experiencing is a dark period, and not complete darkness. Praying that we all discover ways to clearly walk in the light, and share that light with others. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2020 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan... Mark 1:13 Jesus purposely went into the desert. During his journey he encountered many things. Besides the obvious desire for water, and food, I do have to wonder what his loneliness must have been like.
I spend hours alone in my car each day driving from one hospice patient to the next. Often, I realize the loneliness I encounter. I remember the years that I worked with others in the hospital or while serving a church with people in the office throughout most of the day. I miss those conversations and times of sharing. My encounters now with people are often surrounded by the reality of mortality, attempts to "make sense" of life, or somehow try to relate the person's situation in a way that they can reflect and discover peace. I have to admit, some days the loneliness really overwhelms me. On those days, I try to imagine what the desert experience must have been like for Jesus. Imagine having just spent the last few years making friends, calling disciples, and being followed by crowds to suddenly find yourself surrounded by dunes, a monolithic plain, and his own self. For many of us, this intentional journey into the desert would be something we couldn't do. Within the confines of our own self, there are many desires. I don't know how many of us have the desire to be alone, fast for 40 days, and step out into an area that we knew nothing about and be alone. We know that Christ was not alone. God was very real and present, however, there was another encounter that scripture speaks of. He comes face to face with Satan. I'm one of those Christians that does not like to even justify Satan's involvement in anything. When someone tells me that Satan made them do it, or that Satan somehow caused an event to happen, I shy away from the idea that Satan has that much power. To admit this evil power is to relinquish the power that God has over things. Now don't get me wrong, I do believe that real evil exists in this world. I do believe that we can be the victim of poor choices made by others, or the plans to do harm that others design. I have known a number of people who sabotage themselves as well. These people exist, and sometimes, those people are us. However, we have a God who is always present. That remains true. Remember in Psalm 23, the writer shares that even as any of us "walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we shall not fear... for God is with us." Christ's encounter with Satan was all about temptation. Temptation is something we all know about. For any of us, since we were very young, we have learned about manipulation, and what to say or do to create the outcome we desire for a number of situations. So it is with temptation. Let's face it, the works of Christ was very public, and after all, the Son of God would certainly attract someone like Satan, just as there were those, even while Christ was dying on the cross, yelled to him to "Come down from there." All of Satan's temptations for Christ in the desert were about having power and seeking ways to benefit himself. But yet, even as Satan asks Christ to:
With each offer, Jesus says, "No." For me, these temptations aren't relevant to Christ. Of course he was hungry, but Satan is dealing with a man who just told a crowd on the side of a mountain that "blessed" are those who are humble. He went on to share with the crowd that "blessed" are those who are poor in spirit as well. And finally, "blessed" are those who seek peace. In this confrontation, what I realize is that Christ is being a complete mirror of who God is, and what God is for each of us. When we reflect upon the words that Jesus shared on a mountainside, we are provided with a reflection of the face of Christ. It paints a picture of a person who seeks to love. To be all loving. In the face of temptation, Christ is all that he asked us to become. To be meek. To be humble. To seek peace. We are to seek justice and peace while embracing mercy. The temptation of Christ is an invitation for each of us to become more like Christ, who was the complete embodiment of dust and the Divine! As we continue our Lenten journey, may we come to see that the way of Christ is our way. It is our way of becoming who God desires each of us to become. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2020 "But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." ~ Deutoronomy 4:29 What are you seeking? Whether we realize it or not, we are all seeking something. There is something about our humanness that always seems to leave us searching and seeking.
We were created by God to do God's will, but we always seem to find that God's will does not always align with ours. I used to tell people that yelling at children is like steering your car with the horn. I have to wonder if God ever feels that way with us? Signs, plans, discoveries, and making goals are all things that as a human being we consider to be pretty normal. And then something happens and it ALL must change. I don't know why we are surprised when we place our trust in human beings rather than God and things do not turn out as we have hoped. I've learned through my own experiences that when this happens, God still has a plan. Maybe it wasn't what you had thought would be the outcome, but with God there is always a plan. Instead of looking at what happened, look at what God has in store for you. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2020 |
AuthorRev. G. Todd Williams is the author of the book, "Remember Me When..." and is a former hospice chaplain and pastor. Archives
February 2024
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