Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by. I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me, he will put to shame those who trample on me. Selah God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness. ~ Psalm 57:1 - 3 I have often wondered what God's experience was like prior to the initial words, "Let there be light." Darkness as we know it, can be defined in many ways. Probably the darkest part of my life has been the times when I simply felt alone. It must have been overwhelmingly dark during that time for God. Sometimes I wonder if God looks back and thinks, "I remember that time..." Darkness effects all of us in different ways. We know that there are clinical reasons why we need light, just as there are reasons that we need one another. Some of us fill our lives with "stuff" to avoid those times, and some people even need "white" noise just so that they feel normal. God experienced a new loneliness through Jesus. When Jesus came close to his own death, he cried out: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Still in love he held on to the truth that God was with him and said: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." The loneliness of the cross led Jesus to the resurrection. As we grow older we are often invited by Jesus to follow him into this loneliness, the loneliness in which God is too close to be experienced by our limited hearts and minds. When this happens, let us pray for the grace to surrender our spirits to God as Jesus did. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2018
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Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
~ John 14:1 I took this photo several years ago now. It always reminds me that no matter how great or small you may be, we all leave our mark somewhere on the earth. When the Divine encountered the dust of the earth, humanity sprung forth. It was a mark that each of us are the result of. It was and is the mark of love. Hope and faith were gained next with each step that we take. When we take our last steps here, drawing in our last breath and finally releasing the Divine that lives within us and we return to our Creator, what we leave here will say much to others about who we were. Love is eternal. Love comes from God and returns to God. The love with which we lived our lives is the life of God within us, and is the mark we shall leave behind that others will see. It is the divine, indestructible core of our being. This love not only will remain but will also bear fruit from generation to generation. "Don't let your heart be troubled. The love of God that dwells in my heart will come to you and offer you consolation and comfort." Each step in our life is important, but each step taken in love will last through eternity. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2018 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
~ John 14:27 This is by far one of my favorite verses in scripture. It reminds me that no matter how chaotic the world may become, the peace of Christ shall be with me always. Ten years ago I took this photo of a tree frog peacefully sitting in the leaves of a banana tree in our back yard. Peace, for me, is the emotion I identify with faith. Sometimes I wonder if we consider peace to be an adjective to describe our faith, or as the manifestation of how God is present and watching over us. It seems that these days require disturbance, anxiety, or uncertainty. It seems as if there are demands on us that then begin to characterize our life. It brings about anything but peace. Sometimes I long to hear the words, "I've got a peaceful, easy feeling," playing again on the radio. But Christ reminds us that peace is an important factor in our faith. It is the very thing he proclaims is left for us. How different would our life be if we proclaimed peace instead of spending all our time seeking answers? How different would our life be if we practiced peace, rather than trying to find a new way to get even? Or how different would our life be if we simply allowed that peace of Christ to move us to extend it to others? May the peace of Christ, along with the understanding of just how that peace can make your faith visible to others, while calming your life, fill you today and always while remaining in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2018 "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~ From Matthew 28:20 None of us are ever fully alone. One of the first trips I made out towards the Texas City Dike after Hurricane Ike, there was a single pole along the shoreline that was left. It had been a part of a large dock that had washed away during the storm.
Although it stood alone it still served a purpose. A single bird was perched on it. To the bird, it was a place of rest and where the bird could watch the ships go by. It was still useful. The pole still had a purpose. Helen Keller wrote, "so often we stare at the closed door that we miss the open window. When we have experienced loss or change in our life we don't see that there are still many things we are useful for. There are many things that can occur in our life that can make us feel as if we are alone. The important thing is to recognize that when something comes to an end, it is like the closing of a chapter of a book. It's time to write the next chapter. God is always a God of new beginnings. God assures each of us that God will always be present. With each new beginning, and at each moment where something may be an end or a transition is encountered, God is very real and present. Have faith, you are never fully alone. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2018 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:12 A week ago I injured my right eye. Although what seemed as something simple, by Monday I had lost my vision in the eye. Two trips, including one to the ER and the other an opthomologist, a week later I am wearing an eye patch and I am still struggling to keep drops and ointments going on a schedule for optimun healing.
About three am this morning I got up and for a moment I could make out the outline of the nightlight. I am learning that this healing will take time. It has caused me to miss work, to cancel meetings, and simply to withdraw. This morning is the first attempt I have made to actually write. When your day starts with a time for prayer, reflection and writing, and suddenly you aren't able to do that, then the whole day seems to be amiss. I'm used to being with folks who have found that their loss of personal control is a daily reminder that their life is about surrendering. Time and time again I have heard people say that patience is learned by living within God's timing. The healing process at this point has become my lesson. So much of the time my prayers are often focused on others. Over the last two days I have to admit the words I have lifted have had a lot more to do with my own healing. While God desires for us to love our neighbors, I have become acutely aware that this can only happen when I love myself enough to share my own need for healing. It is true, we must love and care for ourselves first, in order to be able to care and love others. For any of us, each day often involves something that we must surrender. Some just seem to do it with more grace than others! After a week of seeing things "dimly," I am praying for clarity. Through this whole process perhaps the greatest lesson is to allow for God's healing while remaining in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2018 |
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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