“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14

When we are wounded, the natural inclination is to seek to wound in return, to retaliate. This is especially true if the person who hurt you is very close to you in some way. We want them to know how much they hurt us, and to feel some of the pain they inflicted on us. But as usual, when we start to feel these things, we find God calling us to a higher standard: “But I (Jesus) say to you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” (Matthew 5:44).  Again, when Peter asks, “How often should I forgive my brother -up to 7 times?” Jesus says, “Not seven, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22). In other words, our forgiveness should be limitless. In this I do not mean that people don’t sometimes have issues with one another that need to be brought out in the open and dealt with, but the attitude should still be one of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

Jesus conveyed that our relationship to our fellow man is of upmost importance. “So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)

He desires that our relationships be right with one another before he desires our offerings.  Jesus included relationship to others when the Pharisees asked him which was the greatest commandment.  “Love the Lord your God… and your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

Because we human beings are selfish and prideful, and our natural inclination is for revenge, these precepts are often some of the hardest to live by. BUT God, through the Holy Spirit, has given us the power to live lives worthy of his calling.  “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”  (2 Peter 1:3). We have everything we need in His word and by His example to forgive what seems impossible to forgive, and to live at peace with even those who have been our enemies.

Lord, may we be slow to anger and quick to forgive.  Create in us willing hearts to do what You want us to do, to go where You want us to go, and to be what you want us to be. Amen

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32.

You meet some interesting people in assisted living facilities.  Residents whose lives have been interrupted by some type of health crisis or general decline, as well as workers who encourage and care in the most dedicated of ways.  Dorothy was one of the former.  She would float through like a little angel about twice a day, her sole purpose seemingly to encourage my mother-in-law, Wanda.   Dorothy knew her Bible. She would impart huge theological truths in a rather casual manner, telling my mother-in-law as she patted her hand, “We have to trust in the Lord; He’s right there with us EVERY MINUTE.”  Dorothy soon told us her “spiritual birthday,” which made her 27, she said with a girlish laugh. 

One day during her visit, Wanda asked Dorothy, “Do you ever think about Heaven?”

“Oh, all the time!” said Dorothy emphatically.

“Do you ever think about being with your husband in Heaven?” asked my mother-in-law, who had expressed concern over whether we will know our loved ones in Heaven, ever since the passing of her husband two years prior.

Dorothy wisely answered, “Well, we will know our husbands as our brothers.  We will know Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul – all of them will be our brothers!” Dorothy knew the scripture that says we won’t be “married” in Heaven, and that seemed to satisfy Wanda.  Even though this was something we had told her before, coming from Dorothy, it just seemed to be okay, even though the thought of not being Bob’s wife in the afterlife had not set well with her before. 

Another time Dorothy was talking about one of the other residents, and how he needed to know the Lord.  “He’s nice,” she said, “but nice won’t get you into Heaven. Only the blood, only the blood,” she said, lowering her voice for emphasis.

 “Dorothy sure has her theology right, and she loves God,” I said to Mark, as Dorothy left us to take her encouragement to another resident.

“She’s one of His helpers,” said Mark.  I truly think she was.

I have thought about Dorothy since that time, and how she brought light into the room.  I want to be more like her, more willing to share and speak the truth, more willing to encourage, more willing to get involved where people have needs.  Wherever we are, whether we are at the beginning, the middle, or the end of life’s road, may we be found faithful, willing, and ready to be God’s helpers.

Bridges and Shade Trees

It would appear the end of an era has come for our family.  For the past week, we have been cleaning out a lifetime of possessions in the old house that held them.  Those possessions seemed to breathe out a lifetime of memories; meals prepared, holidays celebrated, children and grandchildren raised and loved. The two people who grew a family within those walls were above all else committed to each other, over the 61 years they were married, until my Father-In-Law passed away in 2020.  Now, after experiencing a terrible fall and several broken bones, the time has come for my Mother-In-Law to be in a place she can get the assistance she needs. 

One constant that stands out in my mind is my Father-In-Law’s love for Christmas: the decorating, the gift giving, and the food!  He took special pride in decorating the outside of the house, expertly hanging wreaths on every window with a velvet ribbon coming down from the top, and meticulously stringing garland across the wooden fence (as early in the season as he could get away with)!  As we were in the basement, sorting through some of those prized Christmas things on a table, at the bottom of one of the stacks, laying flat on the table, was a copy of the old poem, “The Bridge Builder.” Being vaguely familiar with this poem, I stopped my sorting and read it with fresh eyes. 

The Bridge Builder

By: Miss Will Allen Dromgoole

An old man, going a lone highway,

Came at the evening, cold and gray,

To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,

Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim-

That sullen stream had no fears for him;

But he turned, when he reached the other dside,

And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,

“You are wasting strength in building here.

Your journey will end with the ending day;

You never again must pass this way.

You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide,

Why build you the bridge at the eventide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head.

“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,

“There followeth after me today

A youth whose feet must pass this way.

This chasm that has been naught to me

To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.

He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;

Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.”

By the time I took in the meaning of the last line, my eyes were already flooded with tears. It was as if that sheet was put there for such a time as this.  That is what they did for their family, I thought, they built a bridge.  With tradition, stability, and love, they built a life on which those coming behind could build as well. 

And isn’t that what we should all strive to do – build our lives so that those coming behind can see the way, can know a sure and strong foundation?  So, when challenge and heartbreak come, “the chasm deep and wide,” that is a part of every life, we have a way to “cross in the twilight dim.”

Of course, this principle applies not only to our own personal lives, but also to the Body of Christ, the Church.   We do our “building” not only for ourselves and the needs of the current moment, but for those who will come after us.  It is often said that we are “planting shade trees that we will never sit under.” We plant so that others might enjoy the cool shade one day.  We build and plant and work so that others may know the peace, the joy, the salvation that is found in Jesus, our Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).  With the strong foundation of His Word, and complete trust in His sovereignty, let us build our bridges well. 

“Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.” (Psalm 102:18)

We can learn a lot from minor characters in the Bible.  As I was reading Luke 23 this morning, I zeroed in on something I had not thought about before – the important role of Joseph of Arimethea in the burial of Jesus.  All four gospels mention Joseph and he is described in Matthew as “a rich man and a disciple of Jesus.” The Bible says in Luke 24 that Joseph was a “good and righteous man,” and again in Mark 15 that he was “a respected member of the council.”  In both passages, it says that he was “looking for the Kingdom of God.”

Whatever he had been looking for, He obviously believed he had found in the person of Jesus Christ.  Who knows if he had perhaps heard rumblings of a resurrection story yet to come, or maybe he just wanted to give this Great Teacher a proper burial.  Whatever the reason, he took action.  Mark 15 goes on to say Joseph “…took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.”  He asked for the body in order to bury Jesus in his own tomb.  He took action that required some boldness, as he played his role in the greatest story ever told.  He did not sit around and wait for someone else to act, but no doubt asked himself, “What can I do?”

What about us?  Are we “looking for the Kingdom?”  Are we asking, “What can I do?” Are we willing to take bold action, to play our part, to participate in His plan?  In our churches, our families, our communities, I pray we “take courage” and take on the hard things. May we live boldly, love deeply, and follow faithfully, all for His Kingdom’s cause.

Love and Peace,

Michelle Dowdy

With Holy week coming closer, we’re drawn to the story of the betrayal, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  While we ultimately look to the hope of this season, we can’t forget the events that led to the cross.  The fully human part of our Savior must have felt lonely, isolated, and abandoned by his followers and even those closest to him.  Jesus foretold Peter’s denial of him, before they went to the garden to pray.   When the ultimate betrayer came with a kiss, armed crowds took Jesus away to a Council only too ready to condemn him. 

The Bible says Peter “followed at a distance,” to the place where Jesus would be tried.  I wondered as I read the story this week, is Peter’s story our story as well? How often do we “follow at a distance?” Maybe we experienced salvation, maybe even had some “mountaintop” experiences, but never fully committed to walking day by day in his resurrecting power.  Maybe the message that once caused us to burn with holy fire, with conviction and zeal for the gospel, has grown cold.  Perhaps we, like Peter, saw Jesus face to face and said to him that we would never betray him, yet we find that we now hang back, hesitant to speak grace and truth into the lives of people, or even fully accept his truth for ourselves. 

The good news is, hope is coming, and is in fact here now.  We can determine from this point forward to take up our cross and follow Jesus, walking closely by His side.  He tells us to “abide” in him, as a branch is a part of a vine.  He says apart from Him, we can’t bear fruit, can’t do anything. (John 15:4-5).  Let’s not merely observe him from a distance, but allow his presence, his words, to permeate our thoughts and our actions.   During these days pregnant with the anticipation of new life, come close to the Savior.  Close enough to see his scars, to see his wounds, to feel his heart, broken for you. 

Thanksgiving is coming.  It seems like the merchants cannot even let one holiday get close before they are putting out their wares for the next Holiday.  Nonetheless, it pushes our minds to think toward that time of year when traditions with family and food fill our minds.  One of the most potent “memory evokers” is our sense of smell.  Connected to the limbic system, certain smells can elicit strong memories.  Maybe you too have memories associated with Thanksgiving, of walking into a house where cooking was going on and experiencing the wonderful scents from the food being prepared.  The aroma would fill the house, and even now, at times, I experience a smell that takes me back to the warmth and security of those times.

In John 12, a picture is painted of Jesus having supper with Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  Mary and Martha were there, Martha serving the food in her characteristic way.  Mary, however, did something quite unusual.  She anointed Jesus’ feet with an expensive perfume and then wiped his feet with her hair.  In verse three it says, “…and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”  This perfume was a sacrifice.  In fact, in the same passage, Judas, who would later betray Jesus, feigns concern that the perfume was used in this way, stating that it could have been sold “for 300 denarii and given to the poor.” (However, his motivation was not really concern for the poor but for the treasury he often pilfered.)  We are told that this perfume might have been a whole year’s wages, yet Mary chose to spend it on Jesus, and the fragrance filled the whole house.  Her gift was a reflection of her thankfulness for the miracle Jesus had performed in raising her brother from the dead. 

What are we sacrificing that creates a sweet fragrance in our houses, so that the atmosphere is permeated with the love and devotion that is pleasing to God?  Do we give to our churches with an attitude of thanksgiving, pouring out the sacrifice of praise?

Let us choose to be thankful.  Let us daily bring to Him our sacrifice, and may all our spaces be filled with the fragrance of it.    

People today seem to be more contentious and polarized than I can remember in my lifetime around a variety of issues.  Families are found at odds with one other, often divided along generational lines.  It seems people “hold the line” and are unwilling to budge, unwilling to listen to reason or another point of view in many cases.  How then can we disagree “agreeably” with someone?  Perhaps we could start with being more concerned about demonstrating love to people than about being right.  In this same vein of self-reflection, we might determine if our argument with another is truly to enlighten the other person for their good or just to be right for its own sake.  By looking at the way Jesus interacted with others, we realize that grace and truth can exist together.  He didn’t condemn the woman caught in adultery; he forgave her but told her to go and sin no more.  Justice met Mercy.

Proverbs 18:21 says “Death and Life” are in the power the tongue.  James compares the tongue to a rudder that moves a large ship, or a bit in a horse’s mouth; by it the whole thing is led or turned any direction the person wishes.  He also likens the tongue to a fire, able to set aflame a whole forest with just a spark (James 3:3-5).  Our words are powerful, but every word we speak begins with a thought, a motivation of the heart.  Jesus said it is not just what we do, but what we think that matters.  “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28)      Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”  Your thought life is so important, because from it, everything else – words and actions – follows. 

Paul encourages us in Colossians 4:5-6, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”  Think of how much richer our conversations would be if this was our goal, rather than simply to prove our point.  So, with Holidays coming, when there is an opportunity to be “testy” with some family member or friend (or stranger on social media) about issues of the day, choose instead to season your words with grace.  You will be happier and the world will be a little kinder because of it. 

Grace and Peace to You,

Michelle

Isn’t it interesting how the Bible never teaches us, in the Old or New Testament, to seek after material possessions or wealth?  Jesus’s message could have been, “Store up for yourselves plenty of treasure, so you will have a good retirement.” No, his message was always to seek things that are above, to seek first the Kingdom of God, and all the other things you need will follow. (Matthew 6:33) He promises that he will give us things more valuable than gold, both in the here and now, and for eternity.  Over and over in Scripture, we are taught that things to be highly valued in life are wisdom, peace, joy, contentment, and hope.  

The apostle Paul, writing to the church at Philippi, said he learned to be content, no matter the situation in which he found himself.  In Philippians 4:12-13, he says, “I know how to be brought low, and how to abound. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” 

I have known quite a few people in my life with material wealth.  For some, their money, and keeping and attaining more, seems to be the focus of their lives.  Some are hoarders, miserly to the point of making a “god” of their money, just as others seek after money to live extravagant lives, and money then too becomes a “god” of sorts.  Some live with hands closed, fists tightly clenched, not inclined to notice needs around them or seek to make life better for another.  Others, however, live life with open hands and arms, always on the lookout for ways they might bless others and make another’s burden a little easier to bear.  It occurs to me that with open hands, one is in a position to both give and receive.  With closed hands, however, one can do neither.

Whether we have little or great means, we all have a choice in how we will live our lives – with open hands and hearts, or with closed ones.  How we choose to give of ourselves, both of our time, and our resources, seems to be directly related to our own level of happiness.  Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:58 that we should be “abounding in the work of the Lord.” In Philippians 1:9 he prays that “your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment.”  God is able to make all grace abound to us, so that we may have abundance for every good deed (2 Corinthians 9:8).  

I want my life to abound in the things that matter.  I hope you do too.  “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13. 

Amen

It’s good to have deep roots – in a tree, in a family, in a community, in our faith.  When roots grow down deep from years of good soil, nourishment, sunshine and rain, there is health for the tree.  Our lives and our faith need the same things.  We must feed our faith and allow ourselves to grow and learn from the good times and the hard times that every life inevitably encounters.

I often think about the large trees around my house when storms rage, and wonder if they will topple over with the strong winds and the ground saturated with water.  If you have ever seen a downed tree after a storm with its roots exposed, you know that the tree was not strong enough to withstand the external forces which came against it.  Maybe its root system was pretty good, but the rain came too hard and fast, and the winds were too strong, the weight too heavy, for it to stand.  It could have even been a beautiful tree, full of life and bearing fruit. 

People are often like that.  We may have a good support system, and a faith that has sustained us in times past.  But then the flood comes, hard and fast, and the wind blows with a ferocity we have not known before.  Are we able to stand, or do we topple?  Is our “root system” able to hold us, or do we allow circumstances to pull us up and blow us over? 

The Bible says, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

Psalm 1 tells us that if a person meditates in God’s word day and night, he will be like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields it fruit in its season.

In Colossians 2 (5-7) Paul and Timothy write to the church at Colossae that they are, “…rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.”  They urge the Church, “Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”  

We need to be rooted deep, stable in the knowledge of who we are in Christ.  His Word is the foundation that holds us firm.  Plant yourself in it daily.  Also look around at the people who love you, for their devotion and support are a part of the root system as well.  We can’t control the storms that come or how hard the wind will blow, but we can make sure our roots are growing down into the deep goodness of his Word, and intertwining around those we love, giving us strength to stand.   

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being.  So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and  high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know that this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19.