When the Menu is Manna

  "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Matthew 5:7 New International Version Not happening , I thought to myself. Not after what I just went through. My whole intent at that moment was to demand action, no matter what it would cost or the correction it would require. Shamefully, but in all honesty, this was my attitude not for a couple of minutes but instead for a couple of days before my carnality was suppressed by the supernatural. I did not want to give in. I deserved some satisfaction, some closure, some retribution. Have you ever been there? A time in your life when you felt so grossly wronged that reacting rationally or sane was clearly outside your ability? If so, that says two things about you. You are honest in admitting such a thing, and you are human, though neither is enough to justify your demands, both were clearly a means to an end. Within each of us is the desire to protect and defend ourselves from wrongs committed against us. I was there...

  Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 As an educator, nothing was more painful than losing students. Their little faces are forever etched in my mind, reminding me that no one entirely escapes loss. Sadly, mourning is a part of life. Jesus was no stranger to such pain either. He met with opposition, ridicule, and even rejection during His time on earth. Even on His last night on earth, while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane for people who betrayed him, the heart of Jesus was heavy. One might say that even though He grieved for the world's sins, He was willing to bear in His body the only way acceptable to the Father. This was the sacrifice of his life through his death on the cross. That very night in the garden, this is what awaited him, and this is what He yielded to.   You can identify with your own sufferings. I've had more than my fair share of shake-ups in life, some inflicted upon me and others due to my foolish decisions, but ...

  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:3 Mother Teresa is the first person to come to mind as I read this verse. I used to think of her as worthy of respect mainly because of the images I had seen of her caring for the suffering, the downtrodden, and the dying. I often wondered how she could selflessly devote much of her life and resources to this task. Yet, until recently, while reading a biographical article on this dear soul, I came to see her as more than just a humanitarian. I began to see her spiritual convictions, which were the answer to her tireless, selfless efforts to help humanity. Mother Teresa cared not only for the physical needs of the suffering but also wanted to see the spiritual brokenness of those she encountered healed.  Before her death, she said she desired to "bring them directly to the heart of Jesus."  I thought about this. Undoubtedly, there is a lot of physical suffering in the world. Still, equal...

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  It was the busiest time of the day - lunchtime when I walked up on a little sitting alone sulking and with no lunch; I immediately sat down beside him, obviously in mourning for some reason. I quickly learned that a classmate had falsely accused him, and no one had come to his defense. When you are under double digits in age, this is still a real problem. I coaxed my sad little one to step aside with me and share his heart from start to finish. When he was through, I knew we needed to call in the accused and get this straightened out. I dreaded this because no one saw it happen. Many times, over the years, I had to play the "He Said, She Said" game and decide with fairness who was at fault. When I returned with the accused, I fully expected to referee an argument or dissect the happening bit by bit to find out who was the guilty one. Yet, before I could even pull out my tried-and-true elementary tactics for interrogation, my plan ended abruptly. I was supposed to see a scow...

  It was Valentine's Day 1975. His name was Charles. I still have the red Snoopy Valentine's Day Card he gave me in the fourth grade, complete with his devotion carefully scripted inside, which read: Love, Charles. It was my first elementary school crush. Since that time, decades have come and gone. Charles is somewhere in the world. Most likely, I will never see him again, but I smile when I occasionally come across my scrapbook that still holds this card.  First crushes and later first loves the way we felt, the things we promised, and the certainty it would be everlasting. Such firsts have a way of remaining in our hearts forever.   Then it happens, whether from your first love or someone else: unwelcomed words, criticism, and a demand to change that is not easy to swallow. This is true not only in human love relationships but also in our spiritual ones. The disciple John had quite a job to do in telling the Christians at the Church of Ephesus that God had a griev...

  As a teacher and administrator for the past thirty-one years, I have learned the powerful messages that are hidden within the pages of children's literature. Even as an adult, I identify with the character in Eric Carle's book, The Mixed-up Chameleon. It's the story of a young chameleon who just wanted to be like everyone else. So, unsatisfied with who he was on a particular day, he took on the likeness of every animal he met. Satisfied for a while, he later realized he had assumed the characteristics of so many different animals that he could no longer find himself. As believers in Jesus Christ, isn't this our story at times? We come to believe it is permissible for something or someone other than God to shape our character. In doing so, we become Christian chameleons and compromise our convictions for comfort to be like the rest of the world. Staying true to our convictions and beliefs nowadays is tough to do! The world cries out to us through media, music, literatu...

                "Now may the God of peace... equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen" Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV This scripture reminds me of a time when placing the "good" alongside the word  work  was challenging. I had never been on this side of the fence before, but I had a supervisor I could not please. I had always been a good employee and never needed discipline, so I was at a loss about handling this curve I did not see coming. I decided to tackle it in the most respectful way I could imagine. I confronted my authority. I asked for clarification on what needed improvement in my performance. Sadly, no answers were given. Instead, I received retaliation for questioning and was reassigned to random duties. Most of these things had nothing to do with my skill set. My first inclination was to walk away and make this author...

Time passes ever so quickly. Recently, I was reminded of the gift of Christian friendship . Twenty-plus years had passed since I had seen my friend. We had grown up, married, had children, and watched them marry; we had lost spouses and parents and weathered our fair share of bumps in the road. After catching up, there should have been little left to say, so why did twenty years seem like only yesterday? How did we talk with such ease and feel a natural flow within our conversation? 1 John 1:7 reminds us that the feeling that time has stood still in our relationships with other believers is possible when we are "walking in the light." Our fellowship with our heavenly Father is the foundation that creates a bond that draws others to us who also walk with the Lord. Giving ourselves to Christ keeps us in continued fellowship, connected by grace with special friendships that transcend time. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.....

  Aren't you glad that God does not place limitations on what we can pray about or when we can pray? There is no need for an appointment. He longs for us to come to Him and tell him everything troubling our hearts. He leads us to sit in stillness so that we might hear His directions for us. If it were only that simple. Sometimes, the sitting in silence part lasts longer than I think it should, and I grow impatient. I find it hard to be still, not to take matters into my own hands, and to exercise faith in God's timing and plans.  Being still... that's hard. Waiting... That's even harder, but trusting is safer than any other way.  And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer requests.  Ephesians 6:18 But when the spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. John 16:13