Charisa Stories

Tag: Waking Up Slowly Book

  • Silence is Golden

    I love to watch Maggie when she is overseeing her backyard domain. Sometimes she goes to the fence and lets out a couple of deep-throated barks to let some perceived threat know that she is on duty. Or she patrols every inch of the yard, sniffing as if it is her first and not her one-thousandth time to do this.

    But the routine I love most is when she lies in the yard with head high, surveying her kingdom in silence. She is completely dialed in, listening for any disturbance that might need her attention. Maggie is most able to take in her world when she drops the barking and growling.

    Well played, Maggie. You are doing something most of us humans have a difficult time mastering—simply being silent and observing God’s world. 

    There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us well-nigh incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not always hear, because of the noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as it rushes on.

    Sounds like our lives, doesn’t it? And yet that observation was written in the mid-1800s by hymn writer Frederick W. Faber. More than a century and a half later, it hasn’t gotten quieter. It is hard to imagine that the sounds of the world are not exponentially more cacophonous today. Perhaps the bigger issue isn’t that the world is noisier and more distracting than ever. The relational danger may be our ability to pull into the cocoon of noise-canceling headsets and remove ourselves completely from our surroundings. Sometimes it helps concentration to limit the noise. The challenge is to not let headphones and earbuds become another impediment to finding  sacred moments.

    I remember walking up to one of my younger television crew members and going through a very well-thought-out description of what we needed for the broadcast that night. I waited for his confirmation, but instead he turned, pulled out well-hidden earbuds, and looked surprised.

    “What?”

    I had no idea he was in another world while I was talking to him. He had no idea I was lurking right next to him and talking. It was no big deal. We laughed, and I repeated the instructions. Going forward, I did determine to first make eye contact with whomever I was talking to for the best results. It made me think about how often we miss moments of laughter or relational opportunities when we retreat from others.

    Yesterday when I took Maggie for a walk, I instinctively reached for my phone and headset. Typically, I listen to music along the way. I can get lost in music, which is not a bad thing. But today I knew I needed something else. I needed to be quiet, reflective, and prayerful about some things that were troubling my soul.

    To be honest, some tunes from my rock-and-roll days would have been a much-preferred course. But I knew I needed to think and pray. So while Maggie excitedly sniffed and explored, I prayed for a person who has been challenging. Did I want to do that? Hardly. But I knew it was important, and I needed quiet to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart. There is something healing and helpful in praying for those who oppose us. It reminds me that God is the One in control. When I trust that, I can relax.

    It will also come as no surprise that the Owner’s Manual addresses our need for silence and solitude.

    Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
    He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
    (Psalm 62:5-6)

    Perhaps the most consistent role model for the need for solitude and silence was Jesus.

    Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
    (Mark 1:35, NIV)

    Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
    (Luke 5:16, NIV)

    Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them.
    (Luke 6:12-13, )

    Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain
    by himself.
    (John 6:15, NIV)

    Jesus understood the need to recenter and reconnect with the Father. He understood the power of quiet to be able to hear the voice of His Father. How can we think we are able to function spiritually and emotionally without occasional silence and solitude? Finding periods of quiet is different from seeking a day or extended time of Sabbath that we explored earlier. This is not something I am accomplished at. In the past when I was alone, I needed the television in the background or music in my ears. I am learning that sometimes I just need silence. Silence that used to make me feel a bit unsettled is now becoming a welcome respite to think and pray. A.W. Tozer said that “only after all the noise has spent itself do we begin to hear in the silence of our heart, the still, small, mighty voice of God.”

    That requires us to slow down, give up our perceived control, and simply be quiet. I can tell you it does not come naturally in this culture.

    Being alone and quiet so you can hear the still voice of the Holy Spirit is about a heart attitude more than location. For me, there is one really important benefit of reflective quiet in the presence of God: it interrupts my typical prayer time of delivering a monologue to God. I was taught to make my requests known in prayer after a little perfunctory praise. I went down my list, and I was done. One-way conversation. I am outta here!

    Forcing myself to be quiet gives me a chance to look inward. To see where I might need to allow the light of God’s grace to shine on some dark area. I allow myself to be fully in the moment and not worried about tomorrow. I allow myself the time to reflect on who I am and how the Father looks at me. It clears my mind to clearly think about what needs to be done. I remind myself that I don’t have to constantly manage and be in control.

    Psalm 46:10 is a familiar verse.

    Be still, and know that I am God!

    The Hebrew word for “be still” might be better translated as “cause yourselves to let go” or “let yourselves become weak.” Sitting quietly with my Bible open to a psalm invites the quiet voice to speak. Often there is nothing but stillness. Isn’t that how a good relationship works? When you feel relaxed and protected with your spouse, you can have periods of silence that actually speak volumes about how you feel about each other. It is in quiet solitude with God that I am wholly present and available to Him. Is there a better indicator of affection  than  undivided attention?

    If my mind is left unattended, it is like Maggie as a puppy. It runs randomly and without restraint. I have had to learn to slow down, unplug, and be still. And I have had a major surprise: I am really enjoying it.

    It is a lesson I intend to build on. God is powerful enough to teach an old dog new tricks. I invite you to find a place to be quiet today. In the sounds of silence, God may very well meet you there.

    GOD’S TAKE

    For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

    (Psalm 62:5, ESV)

    A DOSE OF GRACE

    Find some time to give God your undivided and silent presence. Start with five or ten minutes. It may feel awkward. Simply tell God that you desire to be in His presence. Tell Him that you want to be attuned to His direction or correction. But most of all, tell God that you simply want to receive His love. Remember there is no condemnation if your mind wanders. This will take some practice, but it is worth it.

    Want to read more or find out how to connect more fully with God in 21 days? Click here to check it out.

  • God Changed My Name

    I love the music and lyrics of Christian artist Matthew West. This week I listened to a song titled “You Changed My Name” that resonated deeply in my heart.

    You changed my name, You changed my name
    From Too Far Gone to Saved By Grace
    And now I am forever changed
    All because You changed my name

    I still have a tendency to forget that amazing gift of grace from God. He changed my name when I put my faith in Jesus as my Savior. My new name, mentioned several times in the New Testament, is “child of God.”

    To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

    John 1:12-13

    You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

    Galatians 3:26

    Because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

    Galatians 4:6

    Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.

    1 John 5:1

    So who am I? Retired television sports director? Author of some modestly successful books? Husband of Joni? Father of three outstanding young men? Ridiculously proud grandfather? Executive Member of Costco? All those things define me to some degree. But the one thing that is true about me that I find almost impossible to comprehend is that I am a child of God. Sometimes I answer to my new name and sometimes I just wander off thinking, you must not be talking about me.

    I shared this story in my book Waking Up Slowly: Spiritual Lessons from My Dog, My Kids, Critters, and Other Unexpected Places.

    There is power in believing in a name. Many years ago, for reasons I still don’t understand, I was cast as the lead in our high school senior musical. I had never acted and was not a trained singer. And yet that stellar résumé somehow landed me the role as Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha. Go figure. The play is based on Miguel de Cervantes’s seventeenth-century novel Don Quixote. The drama unfolds as a play within a play, performed by Cervantes and his fellow prisoners as he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition. Cervantes takes on the character of “mad knight” Don Quixote.

    It was fun and challenging to learn page after page of dialogue as well as doing my best not to mess up “The Impossible Dream.”

    As I became immersed in the character of Quixote, I began to understand that the gentle and naive protagonist saw the world through eyes of grace. He perceived what people can become and not who they are at that moment. When he meets a prostitute named Aldonza, Quixote sees her as a lady, treats her with respect, and gives her a new name—Dulcinea.

    Aldonza’s reaction? She lashes out with fury and hatred as all her past junk pours out. Aldonza agonizes that her mother doesn’t know which of her many lovers might be Aldonza’s father. She rages about men who have used, abused, and abandoned her. And now this man calls her a “lady” and gives her a new name and identity. Aldonza hates what she has become, but even more she hates the fear of believing she could change and possibly face another crushing disappointment. At least her identity in a questionable vocation is familiar. And yet Don Quixote sees her as a soul created with value who can be redeemed.

    Gradually, Aldonza understands that Quixote is genuine, and she begins to believe what the old man says is true about her, that she does have value. When the “Quixotic” world of the man of La Mancha is destroyed and he draws his final breath, Sancho Panza, the faithful squire, addresses the grieving woman as Aldonza.

    She gently corrects him. “My name is Dulcinea.”

    Her identity had been changed by an agent of grace. She had a new name and new hope.

    That’s what happens to those who place their trust in Christ. God gives us a new identity and He calls us by a new name.

    His child.

    We also tend to fight back and remind God of what we used to be and all that is wrong about us now. But Jesus patiently reminds us of our new identity. He tells us that we have been changed. That our spiritual DNA has been rewritten. That we are a new creation in Him. That we are holy. Saints. When we believe what Jesus says is true about us, it will change how we live our lives.

    A righteous and beloved child of God. That is not an “impossible dream,” but a theological truth.

    I am a flawless child of God. Not because of anything I have done, am doing, or will ever do. It is because of what Jesus did for me on the Cross. Whenever I start wavering, I need to pause and remember my name.

    I am so grateful today for my new name. Child of God. Doesn’t that have a wonderful ring to it?

  • Science Suggests that Jesus and the Apostle Paul were on to Something


    A recent study published by the Psychology Department at the University of Essex looked at the negative emotional and cognitive effect of hearing bad news only. Here is the opening statement from the study.

    Journalists employing the maxim “if it bleeds, it leads” seem intuitively aware of the negativity bias people have in attending to and remembering bad events over good ones. Indeed, negatively valenced news dominates the press and is shared on Twitter more frequently than positively valenced news

    journals.plos.org

    The study went on to note that “news featuring others’ immorality captivates people, it can have aversive affective and cognitive impacts, increasing emotional disturbances and negatively skewing people’s belief in the goodness of others”.

    I think we have witnessed that increasing and divisive effect on our culture. The authors are correct that such reporting of bad news “captivates” and leads to lots of unhealthy biting on the clickbait of negativity. The study examined an interesting counterbalance. Would showing acts of human kindness and compassion immediately after the acts of immorality create better emotional health?

    The results revealed that seeing those acts of kindness left the test subjects in a better mood and with more positive views of humanity. Just to see if kindness was the difference maker they showed some subjects only humorous stories to offset the bad news. Those subjects felt better but the conclusion was fascinating.

    Quoting the study again.

    Amusing news stories certainly helped buffer the effects of bad news and reduce the mood disturbances they caused. But in comparison, participants who’d been shown acts of kindness reported a more positive mood on average, and a greater belief in the goodness of humanity.

    This shows us there’s something unique about kindness which may buffer the effects of negative news on our mental health.

    niemanlab.org

    I find these studies fascinating as a person who believes in the wisdom of Scripture. The effects of kindness were well documented in the writings of the Gospels, the Epistles of Paul, and many other places in the Bible. It is important to note that these concepts were revolutionary in a culture which focused on power and control. Paul’s message to the church at Colossae is just one example of the amazingly positive potential of following the teachings of Jesus.

    Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3)

    Scottish writer Henry Drummond observed in the late 19th century that “the greatest thing a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to some of His other children”. That is our job as followers of Christ. Too often we have failed to show up for work.

    We are the hands, feet and arms of God on this planet. Christian vocal group Casting Crowns asked lyrically that “if we are the body why aren’t His arms reaching and why aren’t His hands healing”? I am afraid the answer is a hard truth. We don’t care enough for the lost. We don’t ache for the hurting. We don’t sacrifice for the poor. Perhaps most disappointing of all is that we don’t practice kindness consistently.

    I want the grace that God has given me to make my heart sensitive toward the poor and hurting and spiritually seeking. It is hard to spend much time in the New Testament and not realize our challenge to be kind. Here is a very small sample.

    35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. (Luke 6:35, ESV)

    22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (Galatians 5:22 ESV)

    32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)

    4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. 1 Corinthians 13:4, ESV)

    The charge of hypocrisy leveled at the church has a lot to do with our obsession with sin management over living a life of kindness, grace and service. If I am not living out of grace then His arms aren’t reaching as far as they could. Kindness is clearly step one.

    Kindness does require great skill or advanced degrees. One of my spiritual heroes is Frederick Buechner. He wrote that “if you want to be holy, be kind”. You do not have to like someone to be kind. Kindness is powerful. Kindness tears down walls. Kindness builds trust. Kindness shows the love of Christ through our imperfect efforts. For Christians, kindness gives the hearer a reason to listen to our message of redemption and grace. I think writer Alexander MacLaren summarized it beautifully. “Kindness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.”

    Scientific research shows kindness makes a difference to offset the evil in this world. Scripture tells us kindness can make a difference. The world is overwhelmed with bad news. Wouldn’t it be a blessing to be a kind vessel of Good News for those we encounter on our journey?

    Excerpt from Waking Up Slowly

  • Dare NOT to Compare!

    Dare NOT to Compare!

    Theodore Roosevelt shared great wisdom when he said that “comparison is the thief of joy”. Losing joy is what inevitably happens when you play the no win game of comparisons. We all do it and comparisons are poison to the soul. We either compare to someone doing better than us and feel downcast or compare ourselves to someone failing and feel better. Sometimes we even secretly wish they would fail so we can feel better about our own efforts.

    In Psalm 139 we read how God uniquely wove our DNA together to create the one and only me and the one and only you. He knew us before we were formed and He has ordained our days. Paul’s message to the Ephesians gets a fresh take in The Message.

    It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.  (Ephesians 1:11-12, The Message)

    We are not an accident. We have a purpose in God’s plan. We have a role in God’s overall purpose. And we have unique talents as a gift of grace.

    For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.  (2 Timothy 1:9)

    Each one of us is unique and needed in God’s community. But we often don’t feel or live that way. Part of the problem is comparing our talents and gifts to others. There is a long list of gifts I wish I had. Musical talent. Athletic ability. Handy man skills. But I am uniquely me and I am needed in the Body of Christ for it to be complete. And so are you.

    Being content with who you are really is a heart issue grounded in the truth of who we are according to Scripture. How I wish that I could see myself as God sees me. Because of what Christ did in my behalf God sees me as a saint. Forgiven. Cleansed of sin. Valuable. Needed.

    What I often see is the same old failure that can’t play a musical instrument, fix anything or live as consistently as I desire for God.

    My fears about my shortcomings are confirmed when I log into Facebook and Instagram and see the smiling perfection of others. We are psychologically wired toward comparisons and social media is exactly the wrong medicine for that predisposition. Writer Steven Furtick pegs the problem with social media comparison.

    “The reason why we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” 

    We see those smiling families and think they are experiencing some alternate life that has eluded us. I often quote my friend Bruce McNicol who said “there are no together people…just some people with whiter teeth”. His point is well-taken. Through hiddenness and acting you can present the “perfect” and “together” Christian. We feel the need to show others we are doing fine lest we show spiritual weakness.

    But the fellowship of believers should be the one place where honesty is encouraged. Where shortcomings ought to be accepted. Church should be the place where you can say without fear, “I am struggling, I hurt, I need help.”

    I know that too many have been wounded by unsafe places and that breaks my heart. But there are rooms of grace that exist. Don’t give up. Please.

    My fear is that we have created a culture where we feel there is something wrong with us if we are hurting. If I am struggling I must be doing something wrong spiritually. Shouldn’t God meet this need? What is wrong with me? The fact that God created us with a desire to be in community tells me that part of His plan is for us to be helped by other members of the body of Christ. But we think we are falling short when we are actually comparing ourselves to people who are not being real.

    Anne Lamott weighs in with her unvarnished honesty.

    “Everyone is screwed up, broken, clingy, and scared, even the people who seem to have it more or less together. They are much more like you than you would believe. So try not to compare your insides to their outsides.”

    Being broken, clingy, scared and screwed up is spiritual soil prep for the seed of grace to grow.

    Can we trust Jesus enough to drop the perfection ruse? Can we trust him enough to be authentic? Not needy and demanding. Just honest and real in community and, of course, with Him.

    Look up the “one another” verses in the Bible. Here is an example from Hebrews (10:24, NIV):

    And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

    So when someone in the body achieves or creates something that you wish you had accomplished don’t shrink in comparison. Approach them. Celebrate them. Thank God for their contribution to the body. And remember that you have a vital part in this plan.

    I am not sure if writer John Mason had a Biblical worldview in mind when he wrote these words but he is theologically spot on. “You were born an original. Don’t die a copy.” We are uniquely and completely designed for our role in the body. Don’t try to imitate another part.

    If you are not sure that you are important in God’s plan then you are not hearing His voice on the matter. You are. I pray you will believe and live out of that amazing truth today.

  • Maybe I Should Spend More Time in the Owner’s Manual

    Maybe I Should Spend More Time in the Owner’s Manual

    The helpful bit of information below actually appears in a Nissan owner’s manual.

    Do not fold down the rear seats when occupants are in the rear seat area.
    (2012 Nissan Juke Owner’s Manual)

    We laugh but the sad possibility is that this actually happened or some lawyers proactively decided to cover their own rear seat area. A 2009 SAAB manual selfishly suggests “only one person per safety belt”. Mercedes Benz helpfully suggested in 2012 that the driver should “not switch off the ignition while driving” because some features would not work. You can’t make this stuff up.

    I have never read the owner’s manual of any of the vehicles I have owned from cover to cover. I know that is highly offensive to some. But for some reason I never have the time or concentration to find out how my car can operate more efficiently and trouble free for a longer period of time. Why should I do that?

    The same principles apply to the owner’s manual that we call the Bible. If this is God’s revelation to us wouldn’t it make sense that the Bible contains insight to operate more efficiently and trouble free? The growing cultural trend is to dismiss or marginalize the Bible. We look to find something archaic or culturally offensive to rant about instead of investigating the truth claims of Scripture. We get offended by a passage and dismiss much if not all of what the Bible proclaims.

    We are quick to find ways that unloving and graceless applications of Bible texts have done harm while dismissing the incredible positive impact this same book has had on history. Commandments against murder, stealing and lying are the basis of our legal system. The teachings of Jesus completely changed the status of women and children. Biblical stories and characters flow throughout great literature and art. Much of the true humanitarian work in medicine was born out of Biblical conviction. But the Enemy directs our focus to something that offends us in some way.

    Author/Pastor Tim Keller thoughtfully says this about the Bible.

    If the Bible really was the revelation of God, and therefore it wasn’t the product of any one culture, wouldn’t it contradict every culture at some point? Therefore, if it’s really from God, wouldn’t it have to offend your cultural sensibilities at some point?

    Tim Keller

    Yep.

    If the Bible is the revelation of God then it follows that this volume contains insights into our spiritual and emotional DNA that only the designer can fully explain. An engineer can look at a design problem and provide a solution. He or she designed it so they know where the problem exists. If we are designed in the image of God only He can truly understand the complexities of our operating system.

    I have found that no volume addresses the perplexing questions of life as completely as the Bible. Quit worrying about the Levitical laws for a moment and some cultural contexts that are different from today. You will find a story that does not sugarcoat the failings of the most revered Biblical figures. You will find honest explorations of evil, suffering and pain. You will find the basis for true justice for the poor and oppressed that we still seek today. You will find the principles for success in marriage, parenting, work, leadership and friendship. You will find hope for the future. You will find salvation that requires nothing to be sacrificed other than your unwillingness to confess your need for a Savior.

    N.T. Wright is one of the truly brilliant Christian thinkers of our generation. He is saddened by how we marginalize this amazing volume.

    “In the same way many Christians–whole generations of them, sometimes entire denominations–have in their possession a book which will do a thousand things not only in and for them but through them in the world. And they use it to sustain only three or four things they already do.

    NT Wright, (Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense)

    We have a strange relationship with the Bible. American Christians like to talk about the importance of God’s Word in culture and schools and government but we don’t know it (or more importantly don’t live it) ourselves. We shake our heads when we read that one in ten people think Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. But most of us would not fare too well if quizzed on our own Biblical literacy.

    I have found this volume holds a power unlike any book I have encountered. Do I struggle with some of it? Of course. But I can read a passage that I have read countless times before and without warning find my heart pierced by a truth that changes my current situation if not my very life. Part of my own journey to reconnect with God and others and disconnect from anxiousness is to intentionally spend daily contemplative time in the Bible. Relaxed. Reading one verse or five chapters. Digging out truths of theology or enjoying stories of flawed humans like me being used in God’s grand purpose. Sitting down with this book, a cup of coffee, an open heart and an attitude of expectation is remarkably filling. I used to read with a performance goal in mind. I need to read the Bible in a year. I need to finish this study. Now I read with only the expectation that God will meet me there and direct our time together. That is one more step in Waking Up Slowly to God and being present in the moment.

    Quotes from comedian George Carlin don’t find themselves into a lot of Christian writings but this quip is worthy. “I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me – they’re cramming for their final exam.” There is some validity to that since my final exam date may soon be on the docket. That sentiment of cramming to try and measure up reflects my early church upbringing that salvation is primarily to avoid Hell. My journey since I discovered grace has been dramatically different. Now Scripture sharpens, softens, refines, redeems, corrects, inspires and comforts me.

    Here is today’s grace assignment. Sit down with Jesus and God’s Word. This is not about studying or accomplishing. This is about relationship. Reading a Gospel parable, a Psalm or an encouragement from the Word. Read, relax and enjoy hanging out with your Abba Father. He knows you like no one else does.

    Excerpt from Waking Up Slowly…a 21 day journey to connect more closely with God and one another.

  • Everywhere I Go…

    Everywhere I Go…

    My book Waking Up Slowly is based on a beautiful Psalm of David. Psalm 139 is one of the most inspiring writings in Scripture. We don’t know when David wrote this stirring account of God’s indescribable attributes. Some believe he wrote it as a shepherd while gazing at the stars and the enormity of the heavens. Some feel he wrote it when he became king over Israel. As a more experienced human being myself (that is PC for old) it certainly feels like David had to have lived a little more life in order to write such a majestic dialog with God. But the truth is we just don’t know.

    David made three observations about the greatness of God.

    1. God knows everything about us.
    2. God is everywhere we are.
    3. God ordains everything about you.

    I think and do a lot of things that I would prefer to keep in Las Vegas mode. But David is saying the idea of a “secret sin” is a fool’s concept. I am known by my Creator and I am pursued by Him.

    Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
        to be out of your sight?
    If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
        If I go underground, you’re there!
    If I flew on morning’s wings
        to the far western horizon,
    You’d find me in a minute—
        you’re already there waiting!  (Psalm 139)

    There are no secrets from God. There is no hiding from God. Our desire to keep those secrets and to hide from His presence results from our lack of understanding of His redemptive love for us. We think God will love us less when we sin. The uniqueness of grace for a follower of Christ is that God already knows everything about you and He loves you exactly the same on your best or worst day.

    Don’t rush past that truth. Read it again.

    God knows everything about you and He loves you exactly the same on both your best or worst day.

    If those statements are true about God then it should change how we go about our daily business. While reflecting on that passage a song came to mind about the constant presence of God in our lives. Tim Timmons performs an upbeat and very catchy song about this wonderful truth. Check it out here and I expect you will play it over and over.

    Everywhere I go on this road, high and low
    Where I go, I go with You
    So I won’t be afraid, this my hope, come what may
    Where I go, I go with You
    Where I go, I go with You
    There’s a Spirit I cannot contain
    There’s a Spirit I cannot contain
    The same power that raised Jesus up from the grave
    The same Spirit I cannot contain

    Meditate on that for a moment. The same power that raised Jesus up from the grave is with me everywhere I go. What an encouraging message to start this week.

  • Contemplating Life Without Forgiveness

    Contemplating Life Without Forgiveness

    I recently discovered an immensely talented musician/producer/singer/songwriter from my hometown of Chillicothe, Ohio. Jerry Salley’s career in bluegrass, country, and gospel music has been remarkably successful.

    I am not sure how I missed hearing about his music but count me grateful I found him. His most recent album, Bridges and Backroads, was produced during the pandemic year and it features a tribute to our mutual hometown of Chillicothe.

    But one song keeps resonating in my heart as I listen to the album. Without Forgiveness opens during a wedding ceremony as he observes the starry-eyed love of a young couple. They are beginning a journey the writer knows will not always be idyllic. Relationships are hard and often messy. The chorus of the song sums up what that journey could look like if you choose the path of selfishness and pride.

    Without forgiveness,
    Life’s a long and empty road.
    Without forgiveness,
    We’d give up and just let go.

    I’ve had a long term and probably unhealthy envy of songwriters who can say more in a stanza that I can blabber out in a lengthy chapter. And this next lyric is powerful.

    Oh we never want to hurt each other,
    That’s just somethin’ that were gonna’ do

    We let often let relationships get away from us when we had no intention of wounding that person. Most of us bring baggage into relationships that can cause hurt. We can act out of childhood rejection and painful life experiences in ways we don’t even understand. But God has given us the tool to keep going.

    Forgiveness.

    Ruth Graham was once asked the key to making a marriage successful. Her insightful response was that “a great marriage is made up of two great forgivers.”

    The math is important there. It takes two great forgivers that understand this relational journey requires patience, love, grace, and forgiveness from both partners. Jerry Salley asks the question that many have had answered with heartbreaking results.

    And I hate to think what might become of me and you
    Without forgiveness

    There is a hope that is available to all of us. The song finishes by looking back to a blood stained street on a Friday afternoon long ago.

    People on a hillside stand there lookin’ up.
    To a Cross that says there’d be no hope for us,
    Without forgiveness

    That forgiveness from the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ is the gift of grace that changes everything. I wrote about the process in my book Waking Up Slowly.

    I imagine the heart of Jesus being broken by our stubborn refusal to consider His forgiveness extended to us and consequently refusing to lean on His power to help us forgive.

    There is fear on that road to forgiveness when you take your eyes off of Christ. Your heart cries out in protest. What if they reject, scoff or take advantage of my forgiveness? Jesus reminds us gently that He understands.

    When you break those chains and allow God to heal your heart the weight of the world will lift off of your soul. It is a long road to forgiveness. Sadly, it is too often the road less taken. But it is the road that will make a difference in your journey with Jesus.

    Satan knows all too well how a world shown God’s love and grace would respond. So the enemy reminds us of grudges both real and enhanced. We turn from forgiveness because our offender does not deserve it. But there is no way I have found to release those grudges without the healing power of forgiveness. Author Will Davis wrote this powerful insight.

    “Once you decide to forgive, you initiate the healing process. Forgiveness gives your soul permission to move on to the higher and healthier ground of emotional recovery. Forgiveness is to your soul what antibiotics are to infection. It is the curative agent that will help to fully restore your soul. It doesn’t immediately remove the pain of offense but it does start you on the road to recovery.”

    I really like that perspective. The decision to forgive initiates but does not complete our healing. You will, in time, heal. I am asking you to pray that you can begin the healing process of forgiveness knowing that only time and God’s mercy can fully heal. That will start you down that road to forgiveness and empowerment to let go of the grudges that are weighing you down. You won’t get there today or tomorrow. But you will never get there without taking the first step of faith.

    Waking Up Slowly: Spiritual Lessons from My Dog, My Kids, Critters, and Other Unexpected Places

    Without forgiveness life’s a long and empty road. It doesn’t have to be that way. Jesus offers forgiveness. Accept that gift and give it freely to others. It is a much happier road to travel.