Common Ground in Differences - Donna Mann

Summer is camp weather — and we’ve done a lot of it through the last few months. We often contact people in the areas we’re travelling to see if they have time for lunch or maybe a coffee at Timmie’s. Such was the case in our recent trip.

It was a situation where we recently visited old friends of the Mennonite tradition while travelling east. We had known one another for many years; trust and friendship had developed between us.  In the past we’d learned about our mutual churches, congregations and groups within faith communities, and at times discussed biblical passages and God’s expectations.

We looked at photo albums and listened to stories from the past decade. As I coloured pictures, read stories and laughed with the children, it was like having my own grandchildren around my knees. As the father/husband asked God’s blessings on us individually before our meal, it was truly drawing us all to the same table. Indeed, we shared common ground in the oneness of God’s care and love, as well as our faithfulness and return of gratitude.

On our second day, we were scanning the roadside for a rest area, when we noticed a rural United Church building with a big empty parking lot—big enough to turn this rig around. As no one was there, we couldn’t ask permission, so I just put on the kettle and opened our lunch packages. Within the half-hour several cars came rushing in. As it turned out, the women’s group had arrived to practice a skit for an upcoming event. Later, as we talked together, it reminded me of coffee hour after church. Again common ground in location, witness and mission.

My last experience was one of urgency: later in the day, we parked in a mall lot and as Doug checked the hitches and lights, a tall foreign man came up behind him and asked for a screwdriver. “Straight” he said. At first, my fear heightened. Doug gave it to him without looking back. We watched him walk toward a huge loaded transport, to stand facing the passenger door. He obviously attempted to open the lock. Doug ventured over to offer further assistance and it happened the driver had requested permission from a grocery store to unload, but wasn’t granted consent because he was not wearing safety boots. His newly purchased boots were now in the cab, but so where his keys.

With a clothes hanger from the trailer and a little fancy manoeuvring, Doug opened the huge truck cab door.  Even with a language and culture barrier, a pressing need, and established trust (albeit short-lived), the driver was able to deliver his load before the deadline. The men had found common ground in the differences: a need and a willingness to help.

We laughed as thirty minutes later, we saw the same truck cab, minus its long trailer move in a circle around our RV, heading for the exit—his way of saying thankful.

Blessings,

Donna

Check out donnamann.org

21 Promises: Honouring Self in Grief is available now on Amazon and Kobo.

"Grieving is a natural process. No 12-step course or structured online lesson can teach us to grieve. It comes naturally once we give ourselves permission to do so. . . "

Faithful to Write - Tracy Krauss

The words of Habakkuk Chapter Two resonate in the ears of many Christian writers I know - including me:

I will stand at my watch

and station myself on the ramparts;

I will look to see what He will say to me,

and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

Write down the revelation

and make it plain on tablets

so that a herald may run with it. (NIV)

This passage is clearly about the calling that many feel to write. And yes, I believe this applies to fiction writers, too. The fact that God uses story to reach people is well documented. After all, Jesus himself used parables to get his message across.

Stories are a powerful tool in the hands of a skilled writer and can influence and impact long after the entertainment factor has worn off. Take for instance Frank Peretti's iconic This Present Darkness. It continues to be a spiritual warrior's call to action, even after almost thirty years. (Apparently a revised edition came out in 2003. I still have the original 1980s version...) Authors like C.S. Lewis, Francine Rivers, and others come to mind as weavers of stories that have had a lasting and profound impact on a spiritual level.

I don't presume to lump myself in with such glowing examples, but I have been blessed to receive feedback from readers telling me my work affected them in a positive way. I love to tell stories of redemption and grace based on characters that are less than squeaky clean, but whom God uses anyway. I think people appreciate the fact that God keeps short accounts when we come to faith in Christ. There is hope for everyone - even the most unlikely.

This month we were encouraged to write about 'Faithfulness'. I can't help but think how this applies to us as Christian writers - even those of us that have committed to write for this blog. I am grateful for the men and women who are faithful to post here each month. I know that many of us lead very busy lives and it isn't always easy to find time to write yet another blog post. As well, it takes effort to think of something new to share that is both interesting and relevant. Thanks, too, to our lovely moderator, Glynis Belec, who keeps us on track.

Keep on writing faithfully, my dear friends, both here and in the other things God has laid on your heart. It is a high calling not to be taken lightly.

___________________

Tracy Krauss writes fiction, non-fiction, and stage plays from her home in British Columbia. http://tracykrauss.com

SAND IN MY SHOES - by Heidi McLaughlin

The feeling of being barefoot and feeling sand squish between my toes evokes giddiness and freedom. When I flirt with the ocean I am a child experiencing the joy of the occasional splash of gorgeous, turquoise sea water and the sun warming my cheeks. I am free to frolic, run, laugh and giggle. Being barefoot in the sand unleashes a brazen abandon that I find in no other place.

When I wear shoes I do not enjoy the same freedom. It is blatantly unrealistic of me to think that I can frolic in the sand and not expect to get sand in my shoes. Those irritating grains of sand eventually find a little open crevice and rub at me until I either take off my shoes or leave the beach. Annoying, hurtful and disappointing!

An unrealistic expectation is like an irritating grain of sand-a silent thief that robs us of freedom and joy. When people do not meet our expectations we get mad, feel hurt, rejected, disappointed and blame them for letting us down.  Here is a paradigm shift to reality.

Everything in this life is a created thing and has the potential to disappoint us.  It’s a harsh statement, but once we get it, it will unleash the same kind of freedom as running barefoot on the

beach.  I have found my greatest freedom in this life by identifying and learning to let go of unrealistic expectations. How do we do that? Realize that:

1.     It is not other people’s job to make us happy.

2.     Everyone sees the world through a different set of lenses.

3.     People orchestrate their lives to make them feel loved and comfortable in the way that has been modeled for them.

4.     We can never assume anything-always check the facts.

5.     God has made us all unique, and we cannot expect people to climb into our life’s journey and be like us.

6.     God is shaping each person’s character in a distinctive manner. It is not our job to shape other people’s characters.

7.      It is unrealistic to think that granite countertops, a flashy career, a perfect spouse, a face lift, fitting into skinny jeans, or a diamond ring will bring us lasting, and fulfilling joy.

8.     Everything in this life ends up in a box…one way or the other.

9.     We need to treasure what God has placed in our hands and receive it as a gift to be held loosely while we are on this earth.

10.  When we buy into unrealistic expectations we are setting ourselves up to be robbed of our freedom.

God is so kind and gracious to us. He tells us in John 8:31, 32 “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

What truth? It’s all right there in the bible-every word and story is a realistic expectation and promise to set us free from the hooks of this world. People and things were not put on this earth to give us freedom, only Christ can do that. Once we recognize and believe it, we will be empowered to make choices that will be as freeing as running near the ocean barefoot. No chance of gritty, annoying sand in our shoes.

Heidi McLaughlin lives in the beautiful vineyards of the Okanagan Valley in Kelowna, British Columbia. She is married to Pastor Jack and they have a wonderful, eclectic blended family of 5 children and 9 grandchildren. When Heidi is not working, she loves to curl up with a great book, or golf and laugh with her husband and special friends. You can reach her at: www.heartconnection.ca

Personal Idols

When was the last time you thought about idols or idolatry? Frankly it’s not something I think about often. Idols and idolatry are relics from another time, place or culture, or are they?

Our trip to Japan this past May brought idols back into focus. They are visible in homes, at national shrines and street corners. 

The Old Testament prophets would frequently rail against the idolatry of the people of Israel. Though God was faithful, His people were not faithful. They were guilty of worshiping idols of silver and gold. It’s quite easy to make a link with our modern pursuit of prosperity. Has that become our god? Perhaps we need a biblical reminder. The Ten Commandments begin with this injunction: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

  

What do we worship? What occupies first place in our lives? Where do our thoughts naturally turn? Do they turn to the LORD, or our favorite sports team—to Jesus or today’s hottest celebrity? Jesus commanded us to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Is that your first pursuit? Are we faithful to him?

Actually, I think we are skirting the real issue. The real idol—the preeminent idol in today’s western world—is the idol of self. All too often I put myself, my comfort and well-being ahead of everything else, and that includes Jesus and his kingdom. What I want comes first. What God wants will just have to jockey for attention along with all the other demands upon my life. If I’m brutally honest, most often, that’s how I run my life. How about you?

Do we have a problem with idolatry? Absolutely! And we are too deceived to recognize it. The god we bow down to is the god of self and our self-will, rather than our Creator and Redeemer.   

Response:

LORD God, forgive me for my putting myself, my interests, my comforts and pleasures ahead of you. Help me tear down my idol to self. I want to be faithful—fully faithful to you. Amen.

http://www.davidkitz.ca/

Great is Thy Faithfulness--Yes, Really! by Ruth Smith Meyer

I sat beside a dear friend and prayed.  She was hospitalized, suffering from a severe headache, and so far, they had come up with only unproven theories for the cause. My heart ached for her because she’d come through some difficult times already. I had asked if I could pray for her and she had answered, “Please do!” –so I prayed.

“Lord, you have made our bodies with such intricacy.  The doctors aren’t sure what is the matter with my friend, but you made her and know exactly where she needs healing.  Would you please lay your healing touch on that exact spot?”

Suddenly, I was interrupted by her stiffening body.  I opened my eyes to see she was having a seizure.  I went to the door and called the nurse down the hall, “We need attention here, now!”

“What for?”

“My friend is having a seizure.” 

Several nurses and a doctor came running.  It was a good fifteen minutes when a nurse finally reported that the patient was coming out of the seizure, and since there was nothing I could do, I headed for home.   I had quite a conversation with the Lord all the way!

“Lord, I don’t understand what you are doing!  An immediate answer would have been quite welcome, but this doesn’t seem like much of an answer at all, Jesus.  I don’t understand!”

I felt deeply dismayed and perhaps even a bit disgruntled.  What was he doing to me and to my friend?  Then a thought came to me.

“It seems preposterous, but if by chance you can turn this around for the good of my friend, would you please do that?”

For the rest of my driving time and even after I got home, I breathed over and over again, “Lord turn it around for good.   Please turn it around for good. I want to believe that you heard my prayer and that you are faithful in hearing and answering, so please turn it around for good.”

I tried to call my friend’s daughter to let her know what happened an offer any help she might need.  Later that night, I got an email saying how thankful they were that I was with her mother.  The nurses had been leaving the door shut and the lights low to keep from worsening her mom’s headache, so it could have been some time before she would have been found had no one been there.

That was nice to know, but I still wondered why it had to happen exactly when I asked God to touch her where she needed healing.

It was a day or two after that I heard from the daughter again.  She said that because of the seizure, her mother was sent for further tests which determined the real reason for her headache.  She was put on two different medications that would rectify what was wrong.  So, she said, the seizure was a blessing in disguise.

Finally I could say, “Thank you Lord!  You did know what you were doing and what my friend needed to get the attention required.  Thank you for your faithfulness.”

A week later, I went to see her again.  She was looking like herself again--so much better than the week before.  At the end of our visit, I asked if she would trust me to pray again.  She assured me that she would welcome that.

At the end of a short prayer, I said, “Amen.”

With a chuckle and shining eyes so typical of my dear friend’s humour, she said, “And not even a hint of a seizure!”

Yes, God is faithful!

Ruth Smith Meyer's latest book, Out of the Ordinary has been touching many as hearts are connected to different parts of her life.  Visit her at www.ruthsmithmeyer

In defense of nature—Carolyn R. Wilker

I look out my office window and see the cup plants (silphium perfoliatum) with sunflower-like flower heads and whorled leaves that give it that name. The plants now stand higher than my husband’s workshop, otherwise known as our garage. I’ve also seen, from time to time, those yellow birds with a dark wing—either goldfinches or orioles—pecking away at the flower heads, petals falling to the ground below. Sometimes it looks like a flurry of yellow petals. Other birds land there too or sit nearby on the edge of the workshop roof. At this point in late summer, the flower heads are looking rather bare, the last petals pecked on the tops of the plants.

Cup Plant- silphium perfoliatum

My garden boxes have what now looks like a twisted bunch of plants and vines, mostly green with only a few blossoms remaining. The zucchini plants have shrivelled up and some of the remaining leaves droop down one side. We’ve eaten or shared a lot of those yellow zucchini but the last few didn’t grow enough to harvest, leaving tiny green and yellow fingers of growth that would have been a zucchini, if only... That’s the way it is at the end of a growing season.

The tomato plants stretched as high as the netting covering the garden, so I cut a hole in the covering, and the plants kept on growing. Those tall ones still bear blossoms and some tomatoes, so there’ll be a few more to pick, and more for my granddaughters to taste as we gather the last fruits of the plants.

Days ago, in cleaning up the bean plants, and thinning the carrots, I uncovered a smooth striped caterpillar hanging from one of the carrot plants. The caterpillar, being heavy compared to the fluffy top, leaned to the side of the garden bed. I had a good look at it. I’d just read the book The Art of Butterfly Gardening, written by Matthew Tekulsky, so I had more than a passing interest in the butterflies that might be hiding out in my garden, particularly caterpillars, even if I hadn’t the desire to bring them indoors. I thought, My granddaughters would like to see this little guy.

I hurried into the house for my camera and when I returned and got nearer to the creature to take its picture, I swear it was looking up at me.  Looking it up on Google, I compared my picture with caterpillars shown online and figured out that it could be the Swallowtail butterfly in its earlier state. I posted the photo and link on my Facebook page and it drew in a few comments. Not everyone likes caterpillars and I don’t particularly either, but reference it to a butterfly that it morphs into and you’ve got my interest.

I decided to keep an eye on this little guy and watch what happened, but next day there was no sign of him in the place among the carrot plants or anywhere nearby. Maybe he went into hiding after I uncovered him… or maybe, in spite of the bird netting over my garden, he got eaten. I still don’t know the answer to that question. But I will be able to identify the next caterpillar like him. I’ll still keep a lookout for him, although we do have holes in the netting for the plants to grow out and plenty of birds perching in the nearby cedars who’d like such a tasty meal.

That’s the way nature in creation works, the higher order feasting on the one below, some making it to adulthood to grace our gardens in spring and summer. God made it all when he took the chaos and created order. 


Carolyn R. Wilker edits and writes from her home in southwestern Ontario. She is the author of Once Upon a Sandbox, a narrative in prose and poetry about growing up on a family farm in the 50s and 60s.
www.carolynwilker.ca