out of the ashes

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been burned. I’ve been burned more often than I would want to acknowledge and I have the scars to prove it. I’ve flirted with fire, I’ve played with fire, I’ve been in the fire, surrounded by flames and consumed by the fire. I have walked through fire and by God’s grace come through the flames, but not unscathed. It is no wonder that at this point I feel I am more ash than flesh. I am a hot mess for sure!

What hope is there for those of us who have been reduced to ashes by life’s unavoidable fiery trials? Can we ever be whole and productive again? I have nothing to give to God but my scars and my ashes. What can He possibly make of my life from this worthless offering of my scars and my ashes? It is nothing. It is not enough. Ashes are an end result, not raw material for a new beginning. Or are they?

Job knew something about fiery trials, ashes and being covered with unsightly scars. (well in his case they were sores or boils, like that’s any better than burn scars) Job had lost everything. He was literally sitting among the ashes. He had nothing to offer God but his ashy self and his sores. What could God possibly do with such a pitiful offering? Well, Job believed that God could do something very good with his life. In the midst of his suffering, with no end in sight, Job said this about God –

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

Can gold come from ashes and sores? That would be a miracle. And a miracle is the only answer for a situation such as Job’s. Fortunately for me, my Heavenly Father is in the miracle business. He is a God of miracles. Nothing is too hard for Him.

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You.” (Jeremiah 32:17)

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ ” (Matthew 19:26)

In the hands of my Heavenly Father, maybe my ashes can be resurrected into something useful and beautiful. If I give Him my ashes, will He give me something better in return? I think Isaiah has something to say about this. In Isaiah 61, I read about what God is able to do, what He wants to do and indeed what He will do for me. (and for you, too, dear readers) God desires –

“to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:2-3)

That seems like a really good trade-in to me. I give God all I have to give, which at this point is mostly just scars and ashes, that’s what’s left after life’s many fires, and in return, He gives me a crown of beauty. Why wouldn’t I take God up on this offer? Do I think it too good to be true? Certainly ashes and scars are not sufficient raw material out of which to fashion something beautiful. And yet I am promised a “crown of beauty.” If I think that what I offer up to God is not enough for Him to be able to do His work, I would be right and I would be wrong simultaneously. My offering is not enough (it never is) BUT that fact does not stop God from doing the impossible and making something beautiful out of my ashes. He alone can do such a miraculous thing!

Reminds me of someone else who didn’t have much to offer, not nearly enough to meet the current need, but he offered up what little he had to Jesus anyway. He trusted Jesus and let go of what he thought would sustain just himself, only to see his offering become enough to feed five thousand plus people, with plenty left over. This shows me that God –

“is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:20)

And that is just what Jesus did that day on the mountainside when He fed a multitude of hungry people. They didn’t just receive enough food to tide them over until they could return home, they ate until they were full and there was still food left over – twelve basketfuls to be exact. The people hoped only for a little food to assuage their hunger. But Jesus wanted to fill them up and He did exactly that. It’s like what the Psalmist said about God as our Provider –

“The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15-16)

God always exceeds my meager human expectations. I’m like the paralytic who desired only a physical healing, but received from Jesus forgiveness of his sins and eternal life – much more than he initially asked for or ever thought to ask of Jesus! I think God exceeded Job’s expectations too. Job had nothing left of all his former wealth to offer to God, but look how Job’s story ended. Job said to God –

” ‘My ears had heard of You but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.’ . . . After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. . . . The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. . . . After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years.” (Job 42:5, 10, 12 & 16-17)

Jesus certainly exceeded expectations that day on the mountainside when He fed a multitude of hungry people with just five small loaves and two small fish. That story had a better than expected, miraculous ending as well.

“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’ Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ . . . the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” (John 6:8-13)

Out of five small loaves and two small fish Jesus provided a feast for five thousand men (and who knows how many women and children) and had twelve basketfuls of excess food left over. If I will just offer to Him my scars and my ashes, I’m pretty sure He can make something beautiful out of what I bring to Him, even though it’s not much to work with. In Isaiah He says –

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18)

Yes, that’s the miracle transformation I am looking for, the miracle that I desire. And my Heavenly Father is the only one that can perform such a miracle. He is in the transformation business. In Isaiah I read these words –

“This is what the Lord says – He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, . . . ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.’ ” (Isaiah 43:16, 18-19)

My Heavenly Father is the only One who can do a new thing in me, with me, for me – He alone can perform the miracle that is needed to turn my ashes into beauty. I can’t do anything with my ashes, but my Creator can and He will if I give every last scar and ash to Him. I am going to take Him up on His offer.

I can trade my scarlet garments for those white as wool. All my righteousness is as filthy rags BUT –

“He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,” (Isaiah 61:10)

My Heavenly Father will certainly replace the ashes of my life with His crown of beauty and I will say with Job –

“when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

out of the ashes – gold! something to look forward to with certain hope because God keeps His promises . . .

sincerely, Grace Day

He is everything

He is the lifter of my head.

“But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Psalm 3:3)

He is the holder of my hand.

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.” (Isaiah 42:6)

He is the bearer of my burdens.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” (Psalm 68:19)

He is the collector, the counter and the keeper of all my tears.

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.” (Psalm 56:8 NLT)

He is the watcher of my ways.

“the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8)

He is the fixer of my feast.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” (Psalm 23:5)

He is my light in the darkness of this world.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

“You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.” (Psalm 18:28)

He is the forgiver of my sins and my healer.

“If we (I) confess our (my) sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us (me) our (my) sins and purify us (me) from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, . . . who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,” (Psalm 103:2-3)

He is the ordainer of my days.

“All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

He is my shelter in the storm.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. . . . He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:1 & 4)

He is my rescuer in times of trouble.

“”I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:1-2)

He is my provider.

“The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15-16)

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

He is my protector.

“You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.” (Psalm 139:5)

“You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” (Psalm 32:7)

He sings me to sleep at night.

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

He leads me in the right direction.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8)

“He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:2-3)

He comforts me in my sorrow.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

He is my one constant in this ever changing world.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

He is the One who loves me no matter what.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

My Heavenly Father is all these things to me and so much more – He truly is everything to me.

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

sincerely, Grace Day

a curious connection

Do you ever find yourself thinking random thoughts that don’t appear to be connected in any way and then later these thoughts connect themselves in curious ways that make perfect sense? – well at least to you, if not to anyone else. Such is often the case with me. Actually most of my thoughts are very random and unrelated, so when they connect themselves into something that reveals a new insight or a larger truth, it is always an exciting moment on my otherwise mundane journey of everyday random thoughts.

Such was the revelation my random thoughts revealed concerning the connection between the thief on the cross and the workers in the vineyard parable. You don’t see it? Well, I never did either, until now. You remember the workers in the vineyard parable, right? This was a story that never made sense to me. Actually, the outcome seemed obviously wrong because it appeared to me to be unfair to some of the workers involved. Let me explain or better yet, let Jesus tell you the story, just as He told it to His disciples –

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.” (Matthew 20:1-9)

Well, the story continues with all the workers getting paid a denarius, including those who were hired first and had worked a full day in the hot sun. Naturally they grumbled against the owner, because they felt this was unfair. The owner’s response?

“Friend I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” (Matthew 20:13-15)

So what does this have to do with the thief on the cross? You know, the one that was crucified on the cross right next to the one on which Jesus hung. Well, actually there were two men being crucified for their crimes that day along with Jesus, one on either side of Him. Their conversation in those final moments reveals everything about the condition of their hearts. Luke records for us that very eye-opening conversation which went as follows,

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: (Jesus) ‘Aren’t You the Christ? Save Yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.’ ” (Luke 23:39-42)

This is surely a surprising, even apparently non-sensical request for the criminal to make, considering that Jesus’s situation doesn’t appear to be any better than his own. They are both suffering the exact same fate at the moment, being crucified on crude wooden crosses while an angry and curious crowd of spectators watch and wait. Both are headed for identical outcomes of death, it would seem. And yet, this criminal dares to ask the impossible of Jesus, who at present, is hanging on a cross next to him. We can safely assume that this man has done more bad deeds than good ones in his life, but despite this, he cries out to Jesus with his last breath.

There can be only one reason why he would dare to do this, to make such a preposterous request. Unlike the criminal hanging on the other side of Jesus, who mocked and taunted Jesus with his last words, this thief believed Jesus to be exactly who He claimed to be. The only thing more unexpected and surprising than the criminal’s audacious death bed ask, is Jesus’s death bed answer to him.

“Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’ ” (Luke 23:43)

Jesus’s answer is surprising on every level. First of all, Jesus states that He will be in paradise. How is that possible? And then to promise this criminal that he also will get to go to paradise after the life of crime that he has apparently lived? This is unbelievable. This is preposterous even! But it is also true! Jesus is who He has always claimed to be – the Word become flesh to dwell among us – the promised Messiah – the Christ – the Son of the Living God – the Savior of the world – the Lamb of God and Lord of all.

Because Jesus is exactly who He said He was, He is able to do the impossible, which is exactly what the criminal on the cross beside Jesus asked of Him that day – to do the impossible, the unbelievable; to grant him the unmerited, the undeserved – forgiveness, redemption and eternal life. That’s a really big ask. Especially when it is directed at someone who appears to be in no position to grant such a request at the moment. BUT things are not always as they appear to be. The thief on the cross next to Jesus had faith. He believed Jesus was who He claimed to be and that Jesus could and would grant his request.

Fortunately for the thief on the cross, not only is Jesus able but that day, Jesus chose to show him mercy and grant his request. Jesus’s answer to him makes that clear. So what does the criminal on the cross have in common with the vineyard workers? – especially those hired on at the eleventh hour? It seems to me, they all had nothing to offer but everything to gain.

The criminal on the cross offered Jesus nothing in exchange for what he was asking of Jesus, but Jesus granted his request anyway. The criminal received what he did not deserve and could not earn. Those late hire vineyard workers received wages they hadn’t earned also. The owner extended them an invitation that was unlikely and unexpected at that late hour of the day when little time to work was left, but they accepted and went to his vineyard anyway, with little to offer the owner. But the owner rewarded them as if they had worked all day, from the very first hour. They had little to give but their gain was great.

I feel my own connection to the vineyard workers and to the criminal on the cross. I have nothing to offer Jesus but everything to gain when I accept His invitation to come work in His kingdom or I boldly request of Him what no one else has the power to give. Even though I have nothing to offer Him, Jesus stands ready to give me everything. Why would I not cry out – “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”?

Like the vineyard workers and the criminal on the cross, I am thankful that this is true of God –

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103:10)

There is hope! Even in the most seemingly hopeless situation there is hope. The workers who had waited all day in vain to be hired ended up with a full day’s wages after receiving and accepting an unlikely, last minute invitation. The criminal hanging on the cross had the audacity to take Jesus at His word and to ask Jesus for what he did not deserve but longed to receive. Because he humbled himself and acknowledged the truth of who Jesus is, Jesus granted his impossible request.

The accounts of these people give me so much hope. I can always cry out to my Heavenly Father, even though I have nothing to offer Him but my need and my brokenness. He has everything to offer me and stands ready to do the impossible so that I might receive it. Indeed, in Isaiah I am told –

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.” (Isaiah 30:18)

Like the criminal on the cross, I can believe despite what appears to be happening in this world at the moment, that the Christ on the cross will indeed “remember me when He comes into His kingdom.” I will have the faith to believe and to make my impossible request of Jesus. I have nothing to give to Him. He has everything to give to me. The criminal on the cross understood this even though he had never heard these words spoken by Jesus to His disciples –

“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)

Jesus remembers me, He will remember you too, dear readers – ask Him!

sincerely, Grace Day

in totality’s path

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4)

This certainly was the case just a few days ago here in my state. The heavens were indeed declaring the glory of God and it seemed as if all of humanity was turning out to witness this declaration, which took the form of a total solar eclipse. Yes, we were in the “path of totality” along with several other states, so we had free front row seats to this heavenly extravaganza, called an eclipse, without having to travel as so many others had to do. (my son traveled here all the way from California so that he could witness this eclipse in person from the “path of totality’s” perspective) All I needed to do was to walk outside and to look up. Which made me wonder, how often do I fail to witness God’s glory simply because I don’t take the time to look up?

However, on April 8th we were all looking up, gazing heavenward, with great anticipation and expectation. We were in the “path of totality” and because of this we had been forewarned of this epic event to occur overhead, right down to the month, day, hour and minute – so we were fully prepared to look up at the appointed time. And look up we did! We gathered together in our backyards, our front yards, our streets or in special venues around the city, such as the Motor Speedway or the state fairgrounds. We even had special glasses for just such a purpose as this – being able to look up and to behold this heavenly light show, this total solar eclipse.

I don’t know about other states in the desired path of totality, but we had perfect weather for our eclipse day. It was clear, sunny, warm and wonderful. No clouds were present to block our view of this rare magic moment. It was as if the weather knew people were pouring into our state from all over to witness this epic eclipse, so it did its part to welcome in the spectators by not blocking our view of the moon covering the sun for those four, glorious, mysterious, much anticipated minutes.

I know I just used the word “rare” to describe this eclipse event, but in doing some research I discovered there are actually anywhere from two to five total solar eclipses per year. Why had I never witnessed such an eclipse prior to this, if that is the case? Well, the most obvious reason is because these eclipses occur at various locations all over the globe. There was an eclipse in 2017 in the US, but my state was not in the “path of totality” for that one, so it didn’t get as much attention where I live. And full disclosure, I do now remember watching that one, which for us was a partial eclipse, from the same neighbor’s driveway, with many of the same people with whom I shared this week’s total eclipse experience.

There will be a total solar eclipse in October of this year in South America. We have the opportunity to send our eclipse viewing glasses to people there so they can safely watch the eclipse. A total solar eclipse in 2026 will pass over Iceland, Greenland, Portugal and northern Spain and one in 2027 will pass over northern Africa, but it will be 2044 before another total solar eclipse will occur with a “path of totality” that passes over any part of the US again and that path will only include three states, my state not being one of them. In 2045 another total solar eclipse will be visible from the US. Its path of totality will include fifteen different states, but again my state will not be among them.

Even though total solar eclipses are happening every year (at least two of them), because they occur in a multitude of different locations around the world, I am not able to witness them unless I purposely travel to a site where they are taking place. (some people do just this, eclipse chasers, like storm chasers, travel the world as they follow the “paths of totality” of various solar eclipses)

So while total solar eclipses are taking place with regularity and with predictability around the world, for me, this particular total solar eclipse of April 8th, 2024, was rare and special. It was an exciting opportunity that came to my state, to my city, to my neighborhood, to my street – one that came literally to my own front yard/backyard. All I had to do was to walk outside my own front door and to look up – to take the time to notice what God was doing in the heavens. (He’s always doing something – “day after day they (the heavens) pour forth speech” – I’m just not always looking or listening)

I’m glad I experienced the gift of this opportunity to watch firsthand with friends the wonder of this eclipse, because the next total solar eclipse that will come to me, that is, that will come to my state, will be in 2099. And actually, that eclipse’s “path of totality” does not even include my city, as it will only include the very northeastern most part of my state. It will not be until 2153 that another total solar eclipse will come to my state. The good news is, this one will have a “path of totality” that includes my city! That’s only a wait of 129 years! I say “only” because on average, for a total solar eclipse to come again to the same spot or location on the earth, it takes 375 years.

Since humans don’t live 375 years and not even 129 years usually, viewing this total solar eclipse from the front row seat of my own yard, truly is a once in a lifetime experience. And it will remain that way unless I decide to become an eclipse chaser, traveling to where the total solar eclipses are happening each year, spending my days perpetually pursuing the “path of totality” for each new eclipse. But this time the eclipse came to me. I was already in its chosen “path of totality.”

This eclipse had so many in my state, as in the other states that were “in totality’s path”, looking up to the heavens in anticipation of what was to come. And we were not disappointed in the least. I wonder how many of us truly felt God’s sovereign majesty and power as we witnessed this event in the skies? The skies clearly were proclaiming “the work of His hands” beautifully displayed for all of us to see. And the thing is, the works of God are always on display, indeed they surround you and me all day long, from sunrise to sunset. Then the wonders of the nighttime sky appear in spectacular display, remaining until the sun rises once again. It has been this way from the beginning of creation –

“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark the seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.’ And it was so. God made two great lights – the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:14-18)

The heavens surely do declare the presence and the glory of God twenty-four/seven. All I need to do, is to look up in order to behold the beauty of His creation. No matter where I am, I am always in the “path of totality” when it comes to being in God’s presence. I don’t have to travel across continents or across oceans, chasing the chance to catch a glimpse of God. No matter where I am, I am witness to all the wonders that occur in the presence of my Heavenly Father. It’s like the psalmist, King David said –

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.” (Psalm 139:7-12)

God is indeed omnipresent. Therefore, I don’t have to worry that I will miss Him, like an eclipse, if I am not at the right place at the exact right time. I am always in my Heavenly Father’s “path of totality”, and so are you, dear readers. His word makes this clear.

” ‘Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord ” (Jeremiah 23:24)

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

“The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love.” (Psalm 33:5)

Even if I don’t have my eyes on Him, my Heavenly Father always has His eyes on me.

“The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:5-8)

I am grateful to live always “in totality’s path” – in the presence of my Heavenly Father, Savior and Lord

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

sincerely, Grace Day

the cry of the cross

Today the cross is everywhere you look – not just on churches but in art, in jewelry – people have crosses hanging in their homes and crosses hanging around their necks. How did the cross, once a symbol of humiliated defeat, become a symbol of hope-filled victory? The cross’s transformation is itself a miracle. Once a symbol of death, the cross today is a symbol of life. And not just life, but eternal life! This transformation is the result of a miracle that took place upon a particular cross just over two thousand years ago.

The cross had always been an instrument of torture and death. It was the means used to carry out crucifixion, a cruel form of capital punishment, involving the nailing or tying of a person’s hands and feet to a wooden cross, where they would hang humiliated and tortured until they died. Crucifixion was used by the Persians, Carthaginians, Romans and others from about the 6th century BC to the 4th century AD. It was reserved for the worst offenders, those whose crimes were deserving of death. Crucifixion was also very public. Meant to shame and humiliate those who were being punished, crucifixions often drew large crowds. People showed up wanting to witness the humiliation of those being publicly punished by death for their unforgivable offenses.

The crucifixion of Jesus was no exception. The crowd was large and loud in its derision and mockery of Jesus as He hung on a cross, placed between two convicted criminals who hung on the crosses next to Him. The taunting must have seemed endless. We read this account in the gospel of Luke –

“The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at Him. They said, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers also came up and mocked Him. They offered Him wine vinegar and said, ‘If You are the king of the Jews, save Yourself.’ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: ‘Aren’t You the Christ? Save Yourself and us!’ ” (Luke 23:35-39)

Little did they know that they were right. Jesus is the Christ of God, the promised Messiah, the Word become flesh to dwell among us for a time. He could have saved Himself from the agony, the suffering and the humiliation of the cross. He had a choice. Jesus told His disciples as much when He said to them –

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. . . . The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.” (John 10:11, 17-18)

The jeering, mocking crowd was actually correct – Jesus could have come down from that cross. But then He would not have saved you and me from our death sentence. Jesus stayed on that cross while His blood and His physical life ebbed away, because He was paying my sin price and your sin price with His own blood and with His own perfect life, so that you and I could be reconciled to a holy God that cannot look upon sin, any sin, including my sin and your sin.

But if someone could cover our sin with his blood – that would make the impossible, possible. Which is exactly what Jesus’s death on the cross did – made the formerly impossible, now possible. Jesus made a way for us to be connected to our Creator, where previously there had been no way. That’s why I read in Revelation this about Jesus –

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)

That’s why Jesus stayed on that cross – to pay the price of our sin and in so doing “purchase us for God.” It was necessary. There was no other way. In Hebrews I read this –

“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)

I’m so grateful Jesus chose to stay on that cross in order to pay my sin price – a price that I could never pay no matter how long I was given or how hard I tried. What the despising crowd could not know as they watched the crucifixion of Jesus, was that three days later there would be an empty tomb and a risen Savior! These words would come true –

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)

Because Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross brings each and every one of us the offer of forgiveness of our sins and eternal life, the cross is no longer a symbol of death. It is the place where we were given the possibility and the promise of eternal life. The cross is a symbol of hope, of redemption, restoration, reconciliation – all things made possible for us by Jesus’s sacrificial death on that cross in our place. God has taken something that was ugly and made it beautiful.

The cross is where God showed us plainly just how much He loves us, to what lengths He would go to redeem us, to rescue us from certain death and give us eternal life with Him. The cross leaves no doubt. Jesus could have come down from that cross at any time, but He didn’t. He chose to stay. And that has made all the difference. Because Jesus stayed on that cross, the cross is no longer a symbol of defeat but one of victory, not a symbol of despair but of hope, not of punishment but of forgiveness, not of bondage but of freedom, not of hate but of love, not of death but of life. Jesus transformed the cross even as He transforms you and I, by doing what we read in Hebrews –

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

I wonder if those who wear cross necklaces and other cross jewelry today fully realize the beauty of the cross. Although, they must have some idea, because otherwise they would be wearing a symbol associated only with death and destruction. But God has taken what was evil, crucifixion, and used it to accomplish what is good – His eternal purposes in this world. He used the cross of crucifixion to bring us eternal life through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.

God transformed the cross from an instrument of death to an instrument of life – the very thing that makes possible the forgiveness of our sins and brings us eternal life. Today the cross is a symbol of hope, of love and of life. It is the promise that the impossible is possible with God. The cross is the symbol of God’s great, sacrificial love for me and for you, dear readers. The cross cries out and leaves no doubt!

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. . . . He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:5, 12)

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

sincerely, Grace Day

an empty tomb

Feels like hope is in short supply these days. Or is it just me? I recently lost a friend to cancer, and other people I know are currently engaged in battle with this same life stealing enemy. It is easy for me to feel overwhelmed, helpless and sad. All this is happening just as we are getting ready to celebrate something very hopeful, entirely hopeful, actually – the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. That’s why the empty tomb is such a symbol of hope. When Jesus body was laid to rest there, the story appeared to be at an end.

“Joseph took the body (of Jesus), wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.” (Matthew 27:59-60)

BUT the story was far from over. The story continues –

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ ‘ ” (Matthew 28:1-7)

What an unexpected plot twist! What was supposed to be the end of the story (Jesus’s death) turned out to be only the beginning of a brand new story, a story full of hope and of promise, a story leading from an empty tomb to life everlasting! And the tomb was indeed empty! In Mark we read this account –

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’ ‘ ” (Mark 16:5-7)

My favorite “empty tomb encounter” is recorded in Luke with these words – it is my favorite because of the angel’s question to the women. It goes down like this –

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. . . . the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ‘ ” (Luke 24:1-7)

The tomb was empty. The tomb is empty. This is good news. It was good news then. It is good news now. It is desperately needed good news for today. Death is not the end of the story. It was not the end of the story for Jesus, and it is not the end of the story for me or for you, dear readers, when Jesus is our Redeemer, our Rescuer, our atoning sacrifice and our Savior. Today, the empty tomb is a symbol of hope precisely because it is empty. The tomb could not hold the Creator of life, the Giver and the Sustainer of all life, Jesus. He will not allow it to hold His precious children either!

The tomb is empty, therefore we have hope. Our Redeemer lives! The angel’s question – “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” reminds me today that I have a risen Savior – not a deceased hero, but a living Lord. Jesus’s tomb is empty. He is not there. Because of this, these words ring true –

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)

hope for a dying world – found in an empty tomb!

“He is not here; He has risen!”

what wonderful words of hope!

sincerely, Grace Day

God’s good gifts

I stared at the words for a moment, taken aback, then reread them again to be sure I had read them correctly the first time. Sure enough, I had not in my haste, misread these comments following an article written about the gift of repentance. I read again what the commenter had to say, letting it sink in –

“There is no such thing as the ‘gift of repentance.’ I’ve never heard of the ‘gift of repentance.’ It is not a gift.”

Well, this got me to thinking about the nature and definition of “gifts” and I began to wonder if perhaps this wasn’t simply a semantic distinction that was causing the commenter to question the author’s identification of “repentance” as a gift from God. Perhaps the commenter was limited by these words from 1 Corinthians 12:4-10 –

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. . . . Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. . . . to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.”

Did the commenter rule out repentance as a gift because it wasn’t mentioned in this particular list of “gifts”? This is not an exhaustive list of all of God’s good gifts to us by any means. It is a tip of the iceberg listing, if anything. The actual “good gifts list” (if there is one) is pretty much infinite because our Heavenly Father is an infinite God. His mercies are new every morning and so are all His other never-ending good gifts to us as His children. What I do know about good gifts and who it is that gives them is this –

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

And God’s good gifts to me and to you, dear readers, are many – too many to count. He gave us the gift of His only Son, Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Giving us Jesus, giving us eternal life, – pretty good gifts if you ask me. But there’s more. Jesus told His disciples this before His return to heaven –

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

God not only gave us His Son, He has given us His Holy Spirit as well. And the list of “gifts” continues to grow with these words of Jesus –

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27)

No, the world’s gifts are temporary, unsatisfyingly poor substitutes for God’s “good and perfect gifts”. God’s gifts to you and to me are priceless and perfect. And the list continues to grow with these words from Ephesians –

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

God’s grace, my faith, your faith – all gifts from God. It’s ALL God from start to finish so that I can’t boast. (I don’t have anything to boast about since every good thing I have is a gift from God) He is the author and perfecter of my faith, the sanctifier of my soul, the restorer of my life, the payer of my price, the forgiver of my sin and the lifter of my head. Repentance must certainly be among God’s many “good and perfect gifts.” And sure enough, I read these words in Ezekiel –

“I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

God softening my heart, actually giving me a “heart of flesh” able to receive Him, and opening my ears so I can hear and respond to Him – these are His gifts to me, doing for me what I cannot do for myself. My salvation, restoration, transformation, the quickening/convicting of my spirit moving me to repentance – these are all good gifts to me from my Heavenly Father. None are deserved, but all are freely given. (“He does not treat us as our sins deserve.”)

Just as faith and forgiveness are surely gifts from God, so is the work He does in my heart, drawing me to Him, leading me to repentance. A part of His gift of repentance is His gift of discipline. That’s right – discipline is a gift from God!

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.” (Hebrews 12:5-6)

I am thankful that God gives me the gift of repentance, that He gives me a heart of flesh so that I can receive His gift of forgiveness, His gift of mercies which are new every morning. I am thankful for God fulfilling this promise as well, to give us this –

“I will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.” (Hebrews 8:10)

Every moment of my life is a gift from God and everything contained in those moments are His “good and perfect gifts.” His presence brings all of His good gifts with Him – gifts of comfort, joy, peace, hope, provision and protection. Gifts too numerous to number, like the manna given freely each morning to the Israelites in the desert. In my desert wanderings I know this to be true –

“You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.” (Psalm 139:5)

I have the gift of Your promise – the promise of Your Presence –

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;” (Isaiah 43:1-3)

God’s everpresent Presence brings me peace, provision and protection –

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:4-6)

All are good gifts from God, along with repentance, redemption and reconciliation – God’s gifts are too numerous to name them all. I am forever thankful, a life of gratitude my only possible response.

sincerely, Grace Day

AI – the real thing?

Is AI the real thing? I think not. Artificial intelligence – the name itself implies the answer. AI can’t be “the real thing” – it is not real if it is artificial. Both things can’t be true at the same time. AI is “the intelligence of machines or software, as opposed to the intelligence of living beings, primarily of humans” – that’s how Wikipedia explains AI.

We need to note that it is living beings (that’s us) who created the machines and the software in the first place. Are we now wondering if, like Frankenstein, we have created the proverbial monster? Will we control AI or will AI control us? AI is meant to be a tool we can use to help us accomplish our purposes. So it stands to reason that we would use and control AI solely for our benefit. After all, AI is supposed to serve us, not the other way around, right?

Today, AI seems to be everywhere. (do you have an Alexa in your home?) There are concerns about its becoming too pervasive and too powerful in our lives. Is Artificial Intelligence superior to our human intelligence already? Remember the plane that landed on the Hudson River in 2009? That was a big story and considered nothing less than a miracle. The plane’s engines had been disabled after running into a flock of Canadian geese shortly after takeoff. There were two airports close by, but Captain Sullenberger didn’t believe the plane could make it to either one. Instead, he landed the plane successfully on the Hudson River. Everyone survived.

A subsequent investigation of Sullenberger’s actions showed that he made the right decision. What was interesting to me was that a computer “simulation” of the event, with all the data plugged in, showed a possible safe landing at a nearby airport BUT it took the “sim” pilots seventeen tries (sixteen crashes) to achieve this outcome! Obviously, the two real life pilots in the plane’s cockpit that day didn’t have the luxury of seventeen practice runs. They had one chance to save their lives and the lives of everyone on that plane.

The whole incident took just under four minutes from bird strike to landing the plane on the water. These skilled pilots had only that short time to process all the information, make a decision and execute their plan. (the human brain is an unmatched computer) There was no time for AI to run multiple computer simulations and select the best outcome from among them. That would also assume that only accurate information and all available variables/information were put into the computer to start with, in order to receive the best possible response. I’m thinking I prefer human pilots to AI.

However, there are those who would put more faith in AI and in the transhuman ideology that has become so popular today. Transhumanism postulates that humans will evolve into an enhanced species that transcends humanity, thus ushering in a posthuman era. This evolution will be accomplished through technology – brain chips, AI, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, etc. to change humans into new and improved transhumans. We will increase our life span with immortality being the goal.

Sounds to me like transhumanism is about we humans remaking ourselves in our own image. It is about rebellion and our lack of understanding of who God is and of who we are as His created beings. We are like the clay saying to the Potter, “We don’t like what You made. We can do a better job.” Closely linked to transhumanism, is transgenderism. Here the clay says to the Potter, “You made a mistake. I know better than You do how I should be formed and who I am.”

So who are we? Psalm 100 provides an answer –

“Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” (Psalm 100:3)

Genesis tells us exactly who we are –

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

Psalm 8 tells us more about ourselves and about our place in this world –

“what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:4-8)

We are God’s people, created in His image (identity) and given dominion over all of His creation on the earth (purpose). Our identity, our position (a little lower than the angels) and our purpose are revealed in these verses. All are given to us by our Creator, God. And there’s more.

“For we (you and I and all humankind) are God’s workmanship, (masterpieces) created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Another revelation of our identity, our value (we are masterpieces) and our purpose, bestowed on us by our Creator. We are endowed with these things at our creation – our identity – as God’s image bearers, our value – infinite to our Creator, and our purpose – to do the “good works” God has for us to do and in so doing to bring Him glory.

AI, transhumanism and transgenderism are becoming our modern day tower of Babel – our feeble human attempt to by-pass God in our quest for immortality, identity, self-worth, and meaning. The striving of transhumanism and transgenderism push us to remake/reinvent ourselves in order to conform to some man-made idea of what is ideal. But ironically, this only leads us to destroy ourselves, mind, body and spirit (literally) rather than rejoicing in how perfectly we are made in the first place. This pursuit of supposed perfection has become an endless quest from which we have no rest nor reprieve. If only we knew the truth.

“For You (God) created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13-16)

That’s the truth. We are already “fearfully and wonderfully made.” All God’s works are wonderful, the psalmist declares. We cannot improve upon God’s perfect design.

“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31 )

And we cannot, even through AI or other technologies, add to the length of our lives nor can we give ourselves immortality. That is God’s gift to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. That gift has already been given. We have only to receive it. We have been created with a free will. That choice is ours alone to make.

But in our arrogance and rebellion, we are presumptuous enough to believe that we can do better than God and so we pursue the ideologies of transhumanism and transgenderism in order to alter what God has so perfectly designed and created, us! I am reminded of these words from a favorite childhood poem, “Trees”, by Joyce Kilmer –

“Poems are made by fools like me. But only God can make a tree.”

So true! And only God can make a human being. We can attempt to alter what God has made but the results are disastrous. We destroy ourselves when we attempt to circumvent or to counterfeit how God has created us. Unlike AI, artificial intelligence, we humans are the “real thing” – made in God’s image, bearing His seal. We are God’s AI, “authentically imaged” – we are the “real thing” – each one of us is the Authentic Image of our Heavenly Father, who just happens to also be the Creator of the universe. That should be good enough for us, and it is!

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

sincerely, Grace Day

how did we do it?

How did we bring a whole country into being without the aid of cell phones or the internet or of telephones of any kind at all? None of those things existed at the time our country came into being, because they hadn’t been invented yet. Yes, I’m still thinking about the recent cell phone outage and how it affected people I know. Mostly, this event got me to thinking more about life before cell phones, which got me to wondering how we ever accomplished anything, let alone all that we did, in a pre-cell phone era. And for that matter, how did we survive at all before the invention of the telephone? Yet we humans did survive, we thrived actually.

Sonnets were written and symphonies composed, cathedrals and castles were built, masterpieces were painted and great novels were penned, plays were performed and the stars were studied in hopes of persuading them to give up their long held secrets. Teaching was done in person. Aristotle had his pupils as did Plato and Socrates. This format of studying under a particular teacher in person for a significant length of time was a way for knowledge to be passed on and expanded. Jesus, Himself, used this method. He had twelve disciples plus a few others that followed Him as He traveled, and He taught them many things as they journeyed with Him.

Education was personal. Knowledge was passed on person to person. Today we “google” things that we want to know. We don’t have to have a conversation nor a debate about various theories or hypotheses or the important issues of the day when we “interact” with Google rather than engaging with a real in-person human being. Google doesn’t talk back. And if it did, we could just click to another screen or shut our device down. (is this akin to walking away/stomping off and slamming the door in real people interactions?) Could it be that’s why we prefer Google to human interaction? No drama. We control the “conversation?” – if you could consider “Googling” to be a conversation in the first place?

But I digress. I am lamenting the loss of certain things like land lines, love letters via snail mail and phone booths. I mean, where is Superman going to execute his quick-change magical transformation if no phone booths are available? Consider that somehow, with hard work, sacrifice, with the courage of exploration and of standing up to tyranny from overseas, with hand written documents (the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution) and in person meetings – a new nation emerged without the aid of cell phones, or of any phones for that matter, or of the internet; none of which existed at the time.

Stores operated, businesses prospered, scholars were educated, crops were grown, goods were transported, things got done, productive lives were lived – all before the advent of the cell phone and the internet. How did we do it? Now I can’t imagine life without the convenience of instant connectivity to a world wider than the one in which I physically reside. But most of human history has been lived pre cell phone and pre internet. Most of my life has been lived pre these things as well. How did I do it?

How did I learn? How did I write a research paper? Does anyone remember card catalogs and libraries full of actual books you can hold in your hands? Remember having to look up by hand and consult multiple sources to support your hypothesis before you could write your paper? Remember typewriters and carbon copies? Remember waiting on your camera’s film to be developed? Newspapers, books, my school assignments – they could all be held in my hands. These are tangible things.

Now assignments are submitted electronically. I sure hope “the cloud” keeps everything I give it safe and secure. I can’t really visit “the cloud.” It’s an intangible being? idea? I liked being able to hold my finished paper in my hands, the weight of it assuring me of its worth. I would make back up copies – that was security. Now if the internet goes down, where is my access to all the information it keeps secure until such time as I might need such information? Do I trust the internet to tell me “the whole truth and nothing but the truth?”

How did we do it? How did we do life before the internet and cell phones? How did I find my way in this world? Remember maps and atlases and verbal directions? Somehow we all got to where we were going, including sporting events, concerts etc. without cell phones. How did we do it? How did we survive and thrive before modern technology?

Human history is a rich and riveting tale of successes and failures, of invention and innovation, of cowardice and of courage, of doubt and of faith, of deceit and of truth, of greed and of generosity, of hate and of love, of evil and of good – all waging war in every human heart and in every human society simultaneously. The battle continues to this day. Although things may seem drastically different in today’s cultures which have the advantage of cell phones and of internet access, much remains the same because human nature hasn’t changed. There truly is “nothing new under the sun” as King Solomon said so long ago.

How did we do it? How did people build the pyramids or the Colosseum or the Acropolis? How did Magellan sail around the world. He certainly had no modern technology to guide him. How did the pilgrims sail the ocean and settle an unknown land without the aid of any of our modern devices? The pioneers had no cars, only covered wagons to carry them and their possessions into new territories. Still, they undertook the journey from the comfort of the known to the uncertainty of the unknown and new communities were created as a country full of the promise of freedom continued its formation.

How did we do it? Like the seasons on our calendars, our individual lives have seasons, just as human history has seasons. Because human nature doesn’t change, we seem to repeat those seasons, repeating the mistakes of our predecessors rather than learning from them. Consequently, we see history repeating itself, proving Solomon right when he said, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

How did we do it? How are we surviving as a human race today? Generations from now, they may be asking the same question about us – how did we do all that we are doing now, the good, the bad and the ugly, during this time in human history without whatever new inventions will be commonplace by then? How did we survive? Only by God’s great grace and infinite mercy alone, it seems to me. And that has been true for every generation since Adam and Eve first inhabited that oh so perfect garden.

God is sovereign over all things, including the affairs of men. That truth is very comforting in such an uncertain world. In Daniel we read this –

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” (Daniel 2:20-21)

As I look back over human history and wonder how people survived all that they did (the holocaust for example) or how they accomplished all that they did without the modern conveniences and technology of today, I am reminded of these words in Ecclesiastes –

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

that pretty much says it all – and we know that – “He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

sincerely, Grace Day

cyber silence

I am not an AT&T customer, but recently some who do use this cell provider experienced an “interruption” in their service. This lack of connection, although not unduly lengthy, caused great concern to the many people who use this carrier and who depend on their phones daily for communication, for business, for news, for directions, diversion, entertainment and updates of all sorts. According to individuals who were affected, with whom I spoke (in person) during this “service outage”, it was not a good experience to say the least. They could not conduct business as usual, could not contact family, friends, co-workers or others they needed to speak with, couldn’t make plans or let others know of plans that had changed. The people affected by this break in their cell service talked about having feelings of isolation and of anxiety during this period when they were without cell service.

For those of us who lived most of our lives (and quite successfully I might add) in a world without cell phones, it now comes as a surprise, (or maybe shock would be a better word?) just how dependent we have become on our phones in such a short time. Today, our phones keep us continuously connected to the world around us. We no longer have to wait for the evening paper to get the day’s news. We have it instantly. Conversations that used to take place in person or not at all, now take place online via text or twitter (X) or Facebook or some other social media platform. Life is now lived in a very public cyberspace rather than in the very personal face to face.

And that’s the thing about cyberspace – it doesn’t have a face. It can’t provide the personal touch that we all long for even if we won’t admit to it. We can’t gaze into Cyberspace’s eyes. We can’t see Cyberspace smile or scowl or frown at us during our conversation. Cyberspace doesn’t give hugs or high-fives. Emojis simply do not measure up to in person interactions which are filled with human emotion. Emojis are one dimensional. We humans are multi-dimensional beings created body, mind and spirit in God’s image. Emojis don’t actually have emotions or feelings of any kind. Ironic right?

Some nameless, faceless entity in cyberspace may know all about me – may have all my personal info, but this is not the same thing as actually knowing me personally. This is not a reciprocal relationship that Cyberspace and I have. Not even close. Cyberspace may have all the “goods” on me, but I know nothing about them, probably because “they” are not a person! Therefore, “they” are not knowable. (even though “they” claim to know me) I can’t have a real relationship with Cyberspace. But many of us have settled for a life lived in the one dimensional realm of cyberspace, rather than in the very real world of face to face, person to person human relationships.

And while I’m on the subject, let me just say that not only does Cyberspace not have a face, it also doesn’t have a heart. This is why cyberspace is such a poor substitute indeed for the infinitely more satisfying face to face, real time, shared experience of spending time with other people (who do have a heart) instead of with one’s phone. Today many of us continue spending time with our phones, even while we are physically (but not mentally or emotionally) present with other people. This overly close, may I say even co-dependent, relationship many of us have with our phones, may explain the angst, the fear, the unsettled uncertainty, the anxiety and the feelings of isolation and depression many people experienced when they were without their cell service during this recent, unexplained interruption in service.

We were created for connection. We ignore this truth at our own peril. We are designed for connection with our Creator, God, and for connection with each other. It is these connections with other human beings that allow us to form the bonds of community. We were created to live in community with others, not in isolation. Maybe that’s why not having cell service, even for only part of a day, brought on such strong reactions of anxiety and fear. People felt isolated and alone. We have neglected the power of the personal for so long in favor of the cyberspace experience, that when cyberspace fails to function, we are at a loss as to how to proceed.

Many worry that there will be more interruptions of cell phone service in the future, leaving us disconnected and anxious each time. We have no control over the nameless, faceless “they” that has the power to shut down our phones, thereby disconnecting us from everyone and everything we count on to get us through our day. But in these uncertain times, I have the assurance that there is one with whom I will never lose communication – my Heavenly Father. “He will never leave me nor forsake me.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) No cell service blackout can sever this connection!

The earthly powers that be, may be able to shut off human communication systems, BUT they can do nothing to shut off or to prevent communication between myself and God nor can they interfere with communication between God and His people. That’s you and I, dear readers. (“We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.”) This truth is the hope that sustains and drives out all fear.

I don’t need working cell service in order to talk to my Heavenly Father. He is not “just a phone call away.” God is already here with me. He is omnipresent. He abides in me and I in Him.

“For in Him (God) we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

He “knows the way that I take.” He will not lose track of me even when I get “off track” for whatever reason.

My Heavenly Father hears me. “Before a word is on my tongue, He knows it already.”

Cyberspace may go silent, but the heavens never do, nor will they ever go silent. God is always speaking. I just need to listen.

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

even when there is cyber silence, there will never be heavenly silence –

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4)

sincerely, Grace Day