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The Miracle of Gratitude
Yesterday I wandered outside before it was too hot and sat in my swing chair. Usually I’ve got an earbud in my ear listening to something or talking to someone on the phone, constantly adding noise pollution to my thoughts. I took my earbud out and listened all around me. It was quiet. No sound at all. Then, I saw about 20 birds over in the park flying from the ground to the tree. I saw the action before I heard it. I leaned in, carefully listening to the birds. Then I heard them. Quiet at first, and then as…
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Miracles Do Exist!
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Pay It Forward
While sitting in a medical clinic waiting room, I noticed a mother with her daughter. The child wore a face mask and coughed many times. Her eyes were sunken, and her face was pale. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Her mother looked worn-out. The waiting room was small, so I heard everything she said. After she paid her co-pay for their visit, the receptionist reminded her of a past-due balance that was more than double what her current visit cost. The woman explained, with difficulty controlling her emotions, that she would not have any spare money until…
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The “Faith” Crisis
Several years ago I was at a point in my life where I was questioning many of the choices I had made throughout my life, particularly my choice of faith. I had seen many of my friends leave the church over several different reasons. It really made me question why I was still going to church. I wasn’t really getting much out of it at the time, and really looking back, could see myself as just ‘going through the motions’. I belonged. Was that enough? In the middle of this faith crisis, I evaluated all the beautiful things I had…
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Prompted
I am grateful for a teacher who encouraged his students to keep a journal of the whisperings or promptings of the Spirit in their lives. He directed us to note what we felt and what resulted. Little things became evident. One day I was frantically trying to complete some assignments and prepare for a trip. I had just been down to the laundry area of the dorm to move my clothes from the washer to the dryer. Unfortunately, all the dryers were in use, and they all had many minutes to go. I went back upstairs discouraged, knowing by the…
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The Blessing of a Home Teacher
My father was a hardworking man with a desire to have his own business, a business he conducted with his own truck. Our living conditions may not have been the best when I was a boy, but he took good care of us. I suppose it may have been because he took his responsibilities so seriously that he worried so much. Eventually he developed a bleeding stomach ulcer that put him in the hospital. Medical knowledge and approaches were very different then, and because the doctor felt that stress was a factor in my father’s condition my mother was counseled…
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Again
Well friends, I’ve done it again. Just when I think I have victory over a challenge in my life, It’s ugly head creeps up, again. I’m not perfect. I know that part already. I also know this life isn’t about finding perfection. It’s about placing value in God rather than the things of this world. It’s finding more room in your heart for God than the game you are playing on your phone for hours, scrolling on social media way too long, or any addiction that takes our focus away from Him. The solution to any problem sounds so simple.…
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I Found Myself Singing
Often the Lord sends us special blessings through the love and support of other people. One night, when the responsibility of everyday tasks seemed overwhelming, I knelt and tearfully pleaded with the Lord for perspective and help. A few minutes later, a friend of mine telephoned. She had been wrestling with a personal problem and was also discouraged. Though neither one of us came up with a satisfactory solution to the other’s problems, we enjoyed our brief chat. A half hour later, I found myself singing. Surprised, I realized that my burden had been lifted. My friend later told me…
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Lighten My Burden
Our family lived in Hamburg, Germany, during World War I when food was rationed. City-dwellers often tried to purchase food from farmers, who sometimes had a little surplus. When I was fourteen years old, my mother gave me money for a railroad ticket and sent me to the country to try to buy food. After a two-hour train ride, I arrived at a village where I began walking door to door. Though I visited more than forty houses, no one would sell me anything. I was determined not to return home empty-handed and decided to walk the 4.5 kilometers to…
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We’re In This Together
Last night I played a softball game with nine other people. We were down 13 points by the last inning, playing the #1 team. It seemed pretty bleak. We were up to bat last. In order to win this game, we would need to rotate through the batting box at least fourteen times before we had three strikeouts. As each of us got up to bat, rather than focusing on a home run hit, we each just aimed to get on the base. The score started to change. First, they were 13 points ahead. Then 9. Then, we had just…
