The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. — Psalm 145:18 I woke up on what I thought would be an ordinary Monday a few summers ago, but nothing was normal. I felt as if knives were mercilessly carving their way through my insides.…
You Get To
Learning to Treasure What You Didn’t Want Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way. — 1 Corinthians 12:31 A deep breath and a huge, slow eye roll. That was my immediate reaction. A family member had just said to me, “You get to.” This was her…
Go Through to Get Out
There is no way out of one’s inner life, so one had better get into it. On the inward and downward spiritual journey, the only way out is through. ~Parker J. Palmer1 Have you ever read the beloved children’s book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt? It’s the simple story of a family who sets…
Unclutter Your Soul and Overcome!
What Is Your Soul Telling You? I love a good movie soundtrack. They can bring feelings of melancholy and pain; hope and joy. I feel other-ly and myself all at the same time. I feel possibility, inspiration, and imagination at work. We also have soundtracks for our lives that instantly fill us with emotion. A…
Living in Tension
This morning I made coffee, as I do every morning, and then fetched the morning paper, which tells you that I have not entirely adapted to the paperless internet. It was still dark outside. Walking toward the mailbox, I glanced at the eastern sky to catch a glimpse of the first morning light. I spotted…
Divine Disruption: Life Is Like a Roller Coaster
But if it doesn’t please you to worship the LORD, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship — the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD. — Joshua 24:15 My…
Hero on a Mission: Meaning
To me, meaning does not feel like joy or even pleasure. I’ve had plenty of bad days in the midst of experiencing meaning. Meaning is better than that. Meaning feels like purpose. When I experience meaning, my life feels as though it is playing an important role in an important story. I have never…
Digging Behind “Never Enough”
I wish you could meet Harlie. She knows what’s up. I met her over a decade ago at the bakery next door to my church in downtown Atlanta. I’d go there five days a week and order coffee. You want to get better at turning strangers into friends? Here’s a pro tip: Remember names. Someone’s…
The Spirit Prays for Us
One lesson we learn from seasons of pain, darkness, and doubt is that when we’re hurting, a person’s presence with us is far more significant than any words he or she might say. Just having someone sit silently next to us when life is hard communicates genuine love and concern. Besides, when we’re hurting, we…
Continue the Work of God
The annual National Religious Broadcasters conference came around again in the spring of 2020, right before the virus shut everything down. NRB held a bittersweet place in my life. It was a reminder that thirty minutes after my father had been inducted into their hall of fame, he was telling us that Mommy’s cancer had…