"For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." ~ Acts 4:20 I am looking forward to going home to Indiana at the end of October. I am hoping that the leaves will still be celebrating Autumn. As much as I love the spectacular beauty that this world has to offer at times, I must also remember that there is another place being prepared for me.
Living in the present, and being faithful can bring about many challenges. But knowing that the whole time I struggle with the present, God is busy creating a place where I will spend eternity. It's an interesting thought, isn't it? Living with both feet firmly planted in this world and thinking of the next. Our faith, and even scripture, remind us that what we see and know now shall pass away... all of it. That there will be a new and amazing place we will call home. Our hearts and our souls long to be there. The old B.J. Thomas song declares, "They say that heaven's pretty, and living here is too, but if I had to make a choice between the two, I'd go home." Heaven has been the focus of movies, songs, poetry and documentaries. No one has brought back pictures, but glimpses. No one has seen the golden streets and sent an address to forward mail. In our dreams, and amongst daily challenges, we know that this is the destination of our faith. I'm reminded of a glimpse shared by a patient of mine that was in the process of dying. "You know one thing I've discovered? There's no such thing as time in heaven." For me, heaven will be filled with amazing beauty. It will be home to family and friends that I have loved and now miss each day. The most amazing thing is that the voice I have felt calling me over the decades will be calling me by name, and I will be able to see into the eyes, who first saw mine. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. ~ Hebrews 13:16 Yesterday I spent part of my day with a couple who were celebrating their 71st wedding anniversary. As I listened to the story of how the couple met on the beach in Galveston, and then married just a few months later, I got a real sense of what the two were like as a young couple. They invited me to journey with them through the early years, the birth of two children, as well as, two miscarriages. Times of peace, and of war, and how they simply, "learned" to appreciate each other.
I acknowledged the depth of vulnerability that they allowed one another to see. The times of great loss, but also times of great joy. The last four years have been very challenging for the couple, as the man has slowly declined and now spends all of his time in bed and is completely dependent on caregivers and family members. His wife admitted, "I just never dreamed that this is how things would end up. We were always so happy and active." The couple understands that this is more than their "golden years." These are simply days to give, "thanks to God for," as she shared. The couple is now experiencing the days of ultimate vulnerability. Instead of focusing on the weakness they both encounter at this time of their life, after experiencing loss after loss, they now are vulnerable to moments where they surrender their circumstances and invite the spirit of grace, mercy and love to fill them to overflowing. For they are the reminder for each of us that while we may face unexpected weaknesses that invite real vulnerability, these are also moments for potentially the greatest acts of faithfulness and fruitfulness. Each time we experience vulnerability it is not a sign of weakness, but instead, moments when we are invited to embrace one another. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” ~ John 3:11 This morning I was looking through some old books that I keep on a shelf and I rediscovered the book, "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers." Anthony the Great (251 - 351 AD) has long been thought to be the "first" desert father. He was born to a wealthy family in lower Egypt. When he was only twenty years old, his parents died and left him great wealth and the responsibility of his unmarried sister. Why I don't know what drew him to the text in Matthew 19, but he did exactly what it said to do. "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven." (Matthew 19:21)
He gave part of his land away, sold the rest, and gave the proceeds to the poor. He then also found a place that would care for his sister. Taking up with a hermit, he lived in the area, and is thought to have even battled with the devil, who inflicted him with "boredom and laziness." He then also battled demons, who would sometimes leave him nearly dead, as he lived among the dead in a cemetery. Not exactly how I thought someone who was focused on living out their faith would begin. He then heads to the desert to live in absolute solitude. After a long period of time, there were others who made their way to the desert as well. When they saw Anthony for the first time, many of them noted how healthy he was. He was full of strength, a clear mind, and faithful. Years ago I lived the John 3:11 verse out as best as I could. Within this verse, we are reminded that if we have two shirts, we are to give one away. I suddenly found myself giving away the pairs of shoes that I was wearing on my feet. I can remember one homeless man asking, "So what are you going to do now?" after giving him the shoes off my feet. "I suppose I will go without shoes until I get home to where I have another pair." And I did. I went to a meeting and walked in without shoes. I didn't realize how it was affecting my family until one year my daughter gave me a pair of shoes and as she handed them to me she said, "These are YOUR shoes. Don't give them away." I remember the first time I saw the Mojave Desert as a young boy. It was simply so vast, hot, and it seemed endless. There wasn't any shade, and I remember how hot the sand felt in my hands as I gathered handfuls of sand, and allowed them to slowly leave my fist, and travel with the wind as I watched. It wasn't some place where I would think anything could survive, but the desert is full of all kinds of life. For myself, I am drawn to the woods, or to the beach when I need time to be by myself. For each of us, we have a place where we can go off to be "with God." While God is always present with us, taking intentional, or making life-changing decisions for our faith, can be very personal. Sometimes these decisions, or choices, may not make sense to others. While everything we do in our faith journey may not have Biblical implications, they do affect our faith journey. Where is it that you can go to be with God? Remember you are always in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 "Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." ~ Isaiah 40:4 & 5 Today marks the first day of a new season. Autumn is once again upon us, and I have begun to realize that another year is drawing to a close. While we don't see a lot of leaves change color here along the Texas Gulf, at least not until about December, and then it is often limited to China Berry Trees turning bright red, there is the notable change in sunlight, and fewer visitors on the beach.
I think back to my youth, growing up in the southern hills of Indiana, and how fall would welcome bright colors among the valleys, and then how the soberness of barren trees would leave me feeling "different." I am reminded that when I take the hand of a friend, I am already realizing that soon the friend will be absent again. When I am moved by the sound of water flowing, and the flowers along the pond blooming, I discover that I miss those close to me who cannot enjoy them as I do. I am learning that joy and sadness seem to emerge at the same time, both coming from such deep places in your heart, that finding the words to capture the complexity of emotions and experiences, finds you wandering a pathway that is covered by leaves on the forest floor. While we often associate the "golden years," of our life with autumn, the emptiness of trees reaching outward reminds us that we look for the promise of spring. The understanding that our spirit will encounter a new existence among the hills and valleys of heaven where we will no longer experience the seasons of separation, distance, and emptiness. If anything, it is days like today that remind me to look forward in the expectation of the new season, while we all remain in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." ~ 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 Whenever our area encounters a tropical storm with a lot of rain, I can't help but think of what Noah experienced.
Noah was a man who heard God tell him to prepare for a flood. The world that he knew his whole life would be radically changed. The people that he knew as his neighbors, the community that he shopped in, the place he worshiped, and the home where he laid his head to sleep at night; all would be washed away. Everything that Noah knew and saw, would be gone. What Noah saw and knew as normal, would all be gone. Just two years ago we survived Hurricane Harvey dumping nearly 60 inches of rain on our community in just a few days. The water just never seemed to cease. Nearly 2 trillion gallons of water fell on the city of Houston, and the entire city sank 2 centimeters because of the weight of all the water. It was just one of the most incredible storms I have ever encountered. For Noah, the storm raged for forty days. The sounds he heard, and the images he saw, must have haunted him the rest of his life. The responsibility was great. The devastation complete. We struggle each day to hold on. Hold on to our health. Our families. To seek security in our jobs, and to uphold our standing in our community. We join clubs, we volunteer in soup kitchens, and we find ways to make our existence meaningful, all the while we know that this is all temporary. One of the biggest challenges each of us have is realizing our temporariness on this earth. For Noah, the post-flood experience must have been strange. The security that God would need to provide this family as they began to rebuild the earth, must have been amazing, especially when clouds would appear and that first sprinkle would begin to fall. It is comforting to know that there is eternity. Although I don't believe any of us can humanly understand the existence of eternity, we can however reflect and know that everything we experience is a brief encounter while living, and what we do in our life can and does make a difference. We are reminded that faith, hope, and love are cornerstones, with love being the most important. Through this experience, no matter how long or brief our lives may seem, God is forever recreating... always, even when experiencing and after the storm, and beyond into eternity. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 Listening to the grief of someone is by far one of the most sacred moments I encounter in my life. There is something about being present with the vulnerability of someone who mourns, especially when the person is a stranger.
Lately the person grieving has been me, and I will admit, I have been struggling emotionally, physically and spiritually. Did Jesus ever feel sadness, mourn, or feel bad about life? Yes, Jesus, got sad, mourned, and definitely had his moments. Jesus weeps when his friend Lazarus dies (John 11:33-36); he feels sad when he overlooks the city of Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed (Luke 19:41-44). Jesus mourns when he considers the losses that bring each of us pain. I am never ashamed of the tears that I have shed in the presence of one who is feeling pain. Why must we hide our own sharing in these moments. In my role as pastor, I sometimes feel like I'm expected to guard myself against such moments of grief, but as one who is also mourning, I am opening myself up to this pain as well. I mourn. I grieve, and I hurt with those I journey with. There is nothing more sacred than being in those moments and allowing them to be real. Somewhere along the way, we have adapted a distorted view of pain and the expression of grief. It is through these expressions that we learn to welcome God to come in and provide consolation when our hearts ache and we feel pain. Being with one another in these times brings us closer to the One who knows all our thoughts, our feelings, and chooses to be with us... ALWAYS... Staying in God's grip! (The picture is of my hand being placed within a sculpture a few years ago. I found it interesting that the hands of the artist were perfectly shaped to match mine. That's the way it is with God... we are designed to walk, and BE with one another...) G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
~ John 14: 18 At some point in our life, we will all experience loneliness. It is real and can be a life-changing experience for many. I wish that I could say, "but you're never really alone," and immediately a person's perspective would change. But for many, even the feeling of abandonment by God can and does happen. Sometimes the silence in our hearts, and the emptiness of the moment can seem like eternity when we find that we are waiting on an answer. Awaiting the echo of your voice in a dark valley can be comforting, but when the voice is not yours, but instead a comforting message of hope to your call, brings the assurance that you are not alone. Remember that whatever you may go through, there has been someone who has felt just like you. Even in a moment of great darkness for Christ he cried out, "Why have you abandoned me?" The truth of the matter is that we were created by a God that must have known that loneliness as well. I have often wondered what the years of darkness and nothingness of the universe must have been like before God decided to command, "Let there be light." You are not alone. In times of loneliness consider the moment and that while you wait, may you find the grace your heart desires to move forward and know you are not alone. "I will be with you always..." Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 "And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" ~ 2 Corinthians 9: 14-15 I think that we have all encountered people that we find it difficult to like, nevertheless, love. Mother Theresa once said, "We are called to love one another, not the world." The world is filled with approximately 7.7 billion people. Each are an expression of God's image, which is hard to imagine to begin with, but to think that we are called to love each of these people as God does, well, THAT'S just hard to imagine!
For me, I try to remind myself each day that I am called to live a "loving life." It's not that I intentionally strike out to make friends with every person I meet, or actually find a way to express that I love them; I do however, have to remind myself to, "Love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind, while loving my neighbor as myself." Being vulnerable, and allowing our hearts to be open to God leads to the ability to love ourselves. I can't explain how it works, but then it seems that something is enabled within ourselves to give love to others. In the intimacy of our hearts with God, we learn to know the hidden presence of God; and with that spiritual knowledge, we can somehow find a way to lead a life filled with love. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." ~ Jonah 2:8 I recently spent time with a lady who is nearing her century mark. "You know why people stay so busy these days?" she asked me. "They are scared to death to sit still."
I had never really thought of "sitting still," as something that would invite fear into my life. I will admit, I pack most every day as full as I can. I think that this is the result of having spent a year in bed recovering from an illness, and thinking of all the things that I wanted to do with my life. Not necessarily a "bucket list," that so many people talk about. From what I have seen, "bucket lists," are created, and then become a source of disappointment for some when the illness the person is running from overcomes the person. The list then becomes a source of "what I never got to do." I don't know, maybe she has a point. When productivity becomes our way of life, we then become vulnerable to many things. Some of those things are brought on by others who criticize when we don't produce what we have managed to do at some outlandish pace in the past. And then there is the inner criticism we encounter when anxiety dances with depression because somehow we simply are no longer living up to our own expectations. I am reminded that God could have created the entire universe in a single moment, but yet, it was ordered into place each day, and then God allowed for a day of rest. A simple reminder that even God allowed for time to reflect and rest. Giving ourselves time to "sit," is not about "slacking off," and should not feel that we are. If anything, it serves as a reminder to others to appreciate the opportunity to breathe. In today's environment, we have learned that loyalties among the corporate world are only as good as the next quarter's report. I'm grateful that God doesn't relate to us in that way. The world was created with us in mind. Green meadows, tall trees, and streams that meander through rocky hillsides are all simple reminders that somewhere there is a bank, or a beach beside the ocean, that was created for our presence, to sit, rest, and to recognize the goodness that surrounds us. Sitting still is not something to fear, it is an invitation to rest and see what God has created for you! Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 "And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." ~1 Corinthians 11:24 Brokenness. Remembrance. Wholeness.
In my faith tradition we celebrate communion each Sunday. It is central to our coming together, and it reminds us that in Christ's brokenness we are brought together and are made whole. Today will be filled with images and conversations that will remember a day when we were broken. The day, September 11, reminds us of images that capture a moment in time where we were witnesses to bodies broken, the presence of evil and the consequences of the choices made by a few, and that within a few moments where we gasped, the world as we knew it would never be the same. Christ through His brokenness serves as both sacrifice and healer. Witness and provider. Redeemer and God. The very thing that people who are seeking hope need. Our brokenness is real. An unarmed black youth is gunned down. A Deputy is murdered while pumping gas. Immigrants seek a new life and are told no. A person needs a medical procedure and is told that they will have to pay a large deductible. A senior must decide to buy food or pay for electricity. An addict steals from his family so that he may feel the rush that seems to fill a hole in his life while creating a chasm between those he loves and the high he needs. Brokenness. Christ was broken for us for days like this. For times like this. For any moment in your life that you have experienced brokenness. "Do this in remembrance of me," Christ asks, so that in times when we have these moments that we may be reminded we are one. One body. One community. For each of us today is about restoration. About healing. About bringing us together. Remembering that with God all things are made new, and that one day, in our own brokenness we will be made whole again. This is a gift of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." ~ Matthew 11:28 - 30 I have a dear friend that seems to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. Have you ever felt this way. I know that I sure have.
The world doesn't land that way! No, it must find a way. There are some people that just seem to have a real talent for picking up this weight, and allowing it to perch, not even balanced, just between the shoulders, behind the neck! There are worries in the world, and then there are obsessive worriers. I worry about these kinds of folks. No pun intended. I wonder about people like this because I don't know if they truly know rest or joy, or what it means to have peace in their lives. God reminds us that it is not the well who need a physician. God came into the world through Jesus so that we might all have life abundantly. So that we aren't faced with worry, doubt, our heavy burdens. It's almost as if God proclaimed, "I've got this. Now, relax." Sometimes it's difficult to let go. Besides those that worry, there are those who MUST be in control! Surrendering and allowing are two of the most life-learning, heavy world holding, objectives that must be overcome in order to really let go and let God! It's one thing to lead, or direct, it's another thing to allow God to carry you and provide support. I hope that today the weight of the world's problems are given over to the One who best understands. The One who can work through all situations. And the One that has offered to carry that load for us. Love yourself.... take a load off! Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 "I believed; therefore I spoke." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak... All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." ~ 2 Corinthians 4:13, 15 One of my favorite songs was written by the JJ Weeks Band from six years ago entitled, "Let Them See You." The lyrics is as much a prayer as it is a call to allow for the manifestation of God to be present in us.
The words of the chorus simply asks, "Let them see you, in me. Let them hear you, when I speak. Let them feel you, when I sing. Let them see you. Let them see you in me." The song is a reminder that each day we are invited to be the manifestation of God in the world today. How is it that we make God known to others in the world? To be a manifestation means that we become a witness as the living sign of God's presence in the world. So often I meet people who are looking for "some sign," that God is present among us, as storms rage up the coast, people randomly shoot others on the street, and when we struggle to hear truth among so many lies. What we live is more important than what we say, because when we invite God to live through us, then suddenly we discover a life that is no longer ours, but God's. When we forgive our neighbor from our heart, then our heart will provide forgiving words for others. When we are grateful, the words we speak will reflect our gratefulness. When we are hopeful and joyful, then we will find ways to share words of hope and joy to others. Being able to live into the words we speak is a process. It involves learning to allow for the words to come, rather than immediately speaking. Being the manifestation of God in the world today is about allowing God to live freely within us. May the manifestation of God in us provide the right words, and may those words lead us to a life that helps others to, "See YOU in me." Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 "Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place." ~ Psalm 28:2 One of the things about prayer is that sometimes when we pray it simply seems that nothing is happening. Recently while visiting friends in Manhattan, New York, one of the things they shared about living in the city that they loved was being able to go online and within two hours, someone was delivering it to their door. Our society seems to be driven by the need for an instant response, or instant gratification.
Our prayer life is not always about receiving an answer, or the response that we are hoping for, as soon as we proclaim, "Amen." In fact, sometimes it is long time of reflection and meditation before we realize that the prayer has been answered. That's why it is so important to make prayer a part of your daily life. When you make it part of your daily life, and then you look back at what it is that you have been praying about, you suddenly realize that something HAS happened. What is most close, most intimate, most present often cannot be experienced directly but only with a certain distance. When I think I am only distracted, just wasting my time, something is happening too immediate for knowing, understanding, and experiencing. Only in retrospect do I realize that something very important has taken place. The important things of our life often take great planning, and focused goals to achieve them. The same can be said about the things that we pray for. When we pray, we are taking the initial steps of a journey. Reaching our destination comes from making the effort to take each step along the way. It is the same with the prayers that we share with God. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 "Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." ~ 1 Chronicles 16:11 I have found myself drifting back to my days as a student at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston where I did my Clinical Pastoral Education training, predominately working in the Emergency Center and on the floor that treated persons head and neck cancers.
There was a patient, a young girl, that simply changed the way that I look at how to live through woundedness. Just in her teens, this young woman taught me to appreciate the things I could, and couldn't see. She had to have both of her eyes removed, due to a very aggressive tumor. As I walked in to her room two days after surgery, I expected to be met by silence, or perhaps questions of "why?" Instead, I heard laughter. Her laughter, and the laughter of her family, watching an episode of "Golden Girls." "Chaplain Todd, you'll love this part. This is where Blanche tells this story. I laugh every time. Mom, she is wearing that purple outfit, like the flowers that used to grow on our fence." Her mom agreed, sharing that the fabric "shimmered." It shimmered like her daughter's beautiful hair. What I would have thought to have been a wound that would be impossible to heal, was instead, a way to reach deeper, to share more intentionally, and to color outside any lines that may have been established in the way their family loved. When I think of this girl, I am drawn to a piece I wrote just over ten years ago, "The Wounded Person." I had read the book, "The Wounded Healer," by Henri Nouwen. His words touched me, and to this day, remind me that in our woundedness, we can still care for one another. The Wounded Person Once there was a wound that was unique, because it was mine. I wore it on the inside and I had lived with it for a long time. I did not realize, but I wanted to be free from this wound but it's ache I could not stop. If I were truthful, I'd say that I had and appreciation for this wound. The more I noticed this wound, the more I became vulnerable to God. Deep within me something greater was being brought out. The wound was apparent, gave way to emerging faith, daring me to reach deeper, and to touch my wound, and to apply healing measures, slowly working it towards the light, where others might see and know my woundedness. One day, without realizing, I reached inside and touched that wound. A grace that I couldn't see flowed through me, and began to fill the place where my wound once lived. "I'm afraid," I cried, claiming wholeness. The wound had left me, and my faith had turned to belief, taking it's place. I have not lost my appreciation for the wound that made it possible for me to know the mercy that I now hold. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2019 Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you. ~ Hosea 10: 12 This morning I was reminded that we are invited to love one another.
As I listened to a man describe the love that he has for his partner of over twenty years, tears swelled and he admitted that he had never been loved, or loved someone so much, in all of his life. He admitted to being afraid of falling in love, but shared that the, "pain of losing someone I love this much has been worth every moment we have been together." I am reminded that loving someone deeply means that you are allowing for your heart to be broken. We all will experience the loss of someone that we have loved in our life. But that should not hold you back from loving someone. As I listened to their love story, I realized that they made a conscious choice to fall in love. Both had been in love prior to meeting, and had both experienced great pain when those relationships had ended. As they held hands and talked about where they are now in their relationship, with one of them dying, they admitted that the pain from their prior relationships had actually provided for fertile soil for their relationship to begin and grow into what it is today. Learning to love, while knowing that the pain of heartbreak will happen, can be among the most difficult journeys that we can begin. However, it is exactly what we are invited to enter each day. The greatest gift that we have to offer to one another is our love. 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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