And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ~ 1 Peter 5:10 I'm not sure what it was that caused me to awake from my sleep, but it was like someone had prompted me and spoke my name. It's not uncommon for me to wake up, with something on my mind in the middle of the night, then try to go back to sleep, but subconsciously, I'm trying to think of a solution to whatever disturbed my slumber.
I often wonder of the things that kept Jesus awake at night. Looking at those who had decided to follow him, with a simple invitation, as they slept. What did he hope for them? Maybe watching, as the family hosting the group, worked through the night to ensure that hospitality would continue the next day, as they gathered food and prepared breakfast. Did he lay there, thinking of those who would come to him, asking for healing, and what the response would be? What did he hope for the coming day? How does God determine the outcome, when we ourselves can be so fickle in our needs and wants? As I formulate options and rethink actions, I suddenly realize that I am forgetting the greatest gift that I still possess. And that is hope. Hope is something that we all know about. It is something that we discover early in life. We hope that a favorite playmate will come over. We hope that mom cooks our favorite food, and that dad takes us to a place that we love. We hope in simple things, and the impossible as well. I try not to forget that hope is also about dreams and vision. It is what makes it possible to for the poor person living on the street, imagine life living with a roof above his head. The patient in the doctor's office hopes to hear the words, "You are cured." And the safe arrival of friends and family, when the storm has swallowed the roads with water leading home, are just among a few things hoped for. Our hope can always be found in Christ. God does not sit back, waiting to destroy the things that we hope for. If anything, God is hoping that we will share and ask about the things that cause us to lay awake at night and think. Years ago while helping in a food pantry we had just handed out the last package of hamburger meat, and the line still continued out the door. As those of us looked at one another, realizing the rest of the families that day would not receive any meat at all, there came a knock on the door. As we opened the door, a man had an entire pickup full of frozen meat that he had just picked up from the store. "I just sensed that you might need this donation today." I remember looking at all the other volunteers and commenting, "God just always seems to be right on time." Hope must always be met with gratitude. Having hope means that we acknowledge when the blessing has been met. Why should we hope in anything, if we don't take the time to give thanks? Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019
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Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. ~ Mark 4:39 "He leadeth me beside still waters..."
Even the water understands stillness. There is something about rest, or becoming still, that makes us both comfortable and uneasy at the same time. I can remember as a child, experiencing the stillness of the air just moments before a tornado warning sounded. The sky was an eerie green color, and everything around was cast into a strange light. As the air changed, and the pressure seemed to suck the air out of the room we were in, I just remember being ushered to a safe place. As an adult, I have experienced the eye of the hurricane, where there is an uneasy calm that allows for moments of sunlight, just before the winds then change and begin to blow once more. Both the tornado and hurricane can be centered around great events, there then there are moments beside still water that can be also be seen as memorable moments as well. What I experience when I find myself beside still waters is simply peace. We grow up with some understanding of the, "calm before the storm," but what would our life be like if the calmness just simply became associated with peace? We live in a world where there are more moments of calamity, rather than ceaseless silence. At some point we must know peace. At some point the calmness that we experience beside still waters must become reality. And at some point, the seeking out of solace must become a priority. Christ calms the literal storm when the disciples find their boat begins to take on water in the rough sea. Christ rebukes the wind and the waves, and then there is stillness. Stillness is necessary. Allowing for peace and solace is both an invitation from God to be at rest, but also to know the stillness that we all need. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying “This is the way; walk in it.” ~ Isaiah 30:21 You are not alone.
One of the things that I have learned about living along the Gulf is that every story seems to start with the name of a storm. I have survived several now having lived in the Houston area for twenty years. Each one has left the community I live in a little different. I can remember my first trip out towards the Texas City Dike after Hurricane Ike. A single pole remained along the shoreline where a dock once stood prior to the storm. Although it stood alone, it still served a purpose. It was a resting place for a single bird. To the bird, it was a place of rest and a place to watch the ships go by. The post still served a purpose. One of the things I have learned about the loss of something is that time doesn't necessarily heal. It does, however, give us distance. So often after a tragic loss or change in our life we don't see that there are still many things we are useful for. All too often I hear people ask me, "What will I do now?" after suffering a loss. I can remember sitting with a friend just over a decade ago after losing my job, my home, and suffering a serious health issue. I told her, "I don't know who I am now." In her wisdom she reminded me that we are Ecclesiastical people with many chapters or seasons. When one ends, another begins. Each chapter is important and serves a specific purpose. 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. Even when the loss is so great that you may feel alone, remember you are never truly alone, and your life always can serve a purpose! Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught [Peter]. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
~ Matthew 14: 31 One of the words that I often here when people are describing their faith is the word, "doubt." I think it is the one word that all of us have experienced in our life, and in our faith. Actually, I will be so bold as to say that doubt is the first step of faith. Jesus faced each day with the knowledge that no matter what miracles, or demonstrations of God's amazing power he exhibited, the disciples still simply doubted. Having doubts about our faith can be challenging, and for some, it becomes more of a habit, rather than a one-time experience. Self doubt can keep us from seeing in ourselves what God believes us to be. Doubt can paralyze a dream. It can keep us from realizing our full potential. It keeps us from stepping out, and moving forward. All the while it is often not something we should even consider. I used to tell folks who would doubt themselves that someone "sold them an idea about something, and that they bought it and believed it to be so." Doubt begins with a tiny seed. It's like when Peter was called out from the boat onto the water to walk with Jesus. He was doing fine until the seed of doubt began to rise up, "you can't walk on water..." GLUB! GLUB! GLUB! (Maybe the initial reason that Jesus referred to Peter as the "rock.") Our ability to overcome doubt is a daily process. It is a refined practice, and is an exercise in faith. The singer that sings out for the first time before the crowd. The student who finally stands up to the bully. The woman who proclaims enough is enough as she leaves an abusive relationship. It's the echo of the Spirit within our hearts that proclaims, "Yes, you can!" It's one thing when the Spirit of God says, "Yes!" It's even more powerful when you recognize a gift in someone else and you find the way to help them see what God and others see as well. Do you know someone who battles with self-doubt? Do you have moments where doubt overwhelms the moment? Faith may very well be believing in the things that we cannot see, but it is also about overcoming doubt and having courage! Not just belief in ourselves, but in others. In doing so, faith becomes tangible and real! Doubt is merely a stepping stone to belief! Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ~ John 15:4 I had another restless night, and awoke early this morning with so many things on my mind. I have been thinking about everything that I encountered this week. A funeral, the deaths of two women who have made an impact in my life, the graduation of a friend's son, thinking about my sermon for this Sunday, and a visit with a woman whose daughter has inspired me to write a children's book that I hope will be completed by summer's end. Yes, you might say I have a lot on my mind.
But in the midst of all of these thoughts, three words seemed to be spoken to me over and over, "Abide in me." One thing that I realize about our relationship with God is that it is not meant to be hard, filled with requirements, or demanding. "Abide in me," simply is an invitation to reside with God. Sometimes the most meaningful moments I have with people who are dying is simply being silent, and being present. It is a reminder to me that God is inviting us to simply reside with God. Years ago I remember asking my great-grandmother Wilkes why she and my great-grandfather hardly spoke to one another. They had been married well over seventy years at this point. She looked at me and said, "Well, we tell each other that we love each other every day. That's important, but we realized a long time ago it wasn't necessary to tell the other person something that they already knew. We save what might be our final words on the things that are important. Otherwise, we are just with one another, and are thankful for that." In the world today it seems that we must always have something going on. The whole time we are filling calendars and making plans, God is simply asking to be brought along. "Abide in me..." There is something very special about realizing how simple our presence with God can be, and how easy our journey each day can be when we live it fully with God with us. "Abide in me," are words that have brought peace this day, and can each day when I listen and relax. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 |
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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