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Don't Just Do Something. Stand There!
JUST BE THERE!! We must think of every human being as 'the walking wounded', but we are not to think of how we must fix them . Our fixing is already underway when we greet a stranger, or show up in a hospital room. But we leave the fixing to God. It is enough to stand there in love. We do not have to do much more than that. God surrounds us with His Presence. God is healing us every moment. And that is where we must be. Present! With people! We greet them. We touch them. We
4 days ago
Listening Is Not Easy
"Listening is easy. I want to know what to say." Those are the words of a frustrated student exasperated with such a big emphasis on listening in care ministry. Listening is not easy. Can you remember the last time someone really listened to you? It's a deep and memorable experience. It doesn't happen often. Most of us are so conscious of ourselves — our ideas, our answers, our experiences — that instead of listening, we are getting read to tell about them as quickly as we c
4 days ago
God Isn't 'Practical'
God isn't 'practical' about our world, skimping on things that don't pay. He's got mountains and deserts that seem to be a poor idea when he could have made the whole earth flat and fertile like Iowa . He's put sparrows and peacocks into the picture when he might have limited fowl to some plump fryer chickens. They're very practical! However, God knows what we really need. He gives us beauty because 'man' does not live by bread alone. Our deepest selves suffer and dry up some
5 days ago
Meekness Is Not Weakness
I don't think that the word meekness is used much in our culture. In our daily conversations, we don't speak of meekness, nor of being meek. Yet, as we come across the word in scripture, I suspect we often have a mistaken concept of what a desirable trait it actually is. Meekness is not weakness. It is not to be identified with niceness, softness, or passiveness. It is not like being timid or shy. It is important that we in no way see meekness as something we can equate with
5 days ago
What Prayer Looks Like
I visualize the shape of prayer like an enormous triangle. Looking at the triangle, I imagine that the top, the peak, is God. The left bottom angle is myself—the one speaking the prayer. The third angle, the extreme right corner, is the man or woman for whom a prayer is being said. Next I visualize two lines going out from myself, the one offering prayer, from that left-handed angle corner. One line goes up from me to God. The other extends, on the horizontal level from my he
6 days ago
Properly Understand Humility
Humility means doing what has to be done. Yes, humility includes "not thinking oneself greater than others." However, the evidence of carrying such an attitude is a willingness to step forward instead of hanging back. It means offering a helping hand rather than waiting for others to ask, or for them to lead the way. It is often pride, not humility, which causes us not to speak up, not to ask a question, not to volunteer, not to express opinions. Often shyness, staying on t
6 days ago
Your Smile Can Heal
I was walking in the mall, pondering a couple of discouraging encounters earlier in the day. A young boy suddenly was blocking my path, and I slowed to step around him. He greeted me with a warm smile and a wave of his hand. Naturally, I couldn't help but smile back —and suddenly I realized my mood had lifted ! I also noticed that the youth was a youngster with Downs Syndrome. To many people, that limitation in a person signifies that they are somehow diminished. But, he had
6 days ago
More About Rejoicing
I have a bit more to say on this topic of entering into the joy and excitement of others who have good news. In my previous post, I made...
Aug 21
How To Help Others Rejoice
A good friend's son recently achieved a measure of greatness in music by winning an international competition. I asked this friend, a...
Aug 21
It's Easier To Live By Faith If You've Had A Good Night's Sleep
Sometimes cutting short your sleep to commune with God may undermine your ability to live close to God. A tired person is more vulnerable...
Aug 20
The Gift of Tears
Jerry Bronsma told how he once shared a painful emotional wound with a friend. She began to cry as I shared my situration with her, he...
Aug 20
Positive Proof About Prayer
Finally, someone did some 'care'-ful scientific research on prayer. I was quite excited when I read of this research. I, of course,...
Jul 10
Loving-Kindness Built the Church
There is convincing historical evidence, recently discovered, that proves it was the loving kindness of the early church that overwhelmed...
Jul 10
A Compliment is Manna from Heaven
The man had done something very helpful for me, so I gave him a small gift in appreciation. He took it, wadded it up, dropped it on the...
Jul 10
Thank Someone This Week
I think it would be a good idea if someone promoted Thanksgiving cards. Â No doubt Hallmark is trying, but people don't buy the idea...
Jul 10
That's Phony!
One of the difficult things that I strive to help people overcome is saying, or doing something, that would definitely bless someone, but...
Jul 9
Check Your Story at the Door
You've heard me say this before. But . . . it is advice that I find needs repeating, again and again, even to myself, because we find...
Jun 17
Possibility of Miracles . . .
Over the years I have heard stirring stories from people of impeccable sanity. Often these stories recount edge-of-the-cliff rescues....
Jun 12
Keep an Open Mind
In the small town of Cordova, in northern California, a Roman Catholic Church one day became the center of some excitement: a glowing...
Jun 12
Memories to Cherish
Enjoy with me here a unique memory shared with my son. It's quite a story: I jumped crisply out of bed on a Friday at midnight when...
Jun 12
Big People Mean a Lot to Little People
Children are always formed by those a step or two ahead of them. Young ones watch their brothers and sisters and the friends these older...
Jun 12
Practical Advice to Comforters
We encounter people who are grieving the loss of someone. What do you do? What should you say? Here are some simple suggestions to guide...
May 14
Acts of (un)Kindness Stick
We talk about intentionally doing acts of kindness, because they bless people. Those persons are affected by what we do. Unfortunately,...
May 9
Terrible Circumstances
Annie Dillard, a Christian writer, says this: ''God is no more blinding people with glaucoma or testing them with diabetes or purifying...
Apr 25
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