Moments

It came to me that I frequently to pray for others but didn't pray for myself. A look at my written prayer list shows I am not on it. The first thought was how selfless I am without realizing it. How nice that I would pray for others and forget myself. Before I pat myself on the back too much, something moved me to a deeper look inside. And, it was revealed to me that perhaps I pray for others and exclude myself because I am hesitant to work on myself? Maybe it is easier and safer to dwell on the problems of others than to confront my own? Maybe I am not being all selfless and spiritual after all, but have my head in the sand, hiding out from asking God to take over. Self-sufficient in that I can handle my stuff. It is the other, less capable, that need God's attention, not me. Perhaps, not praying for myself discloses that I do indeed need to ask God for something: humility. Others will continue to be prayed for, but a new entry has been added to my prayer list. Lor...

The picture had been there since she was an infant but for some reason this day my little granddaughter saw the picture of Jesus over our fireplace and pointed. I said, “That is Jesus.” She repeated, “Jesus.” She pointed again and said, “Hold me up to Him, Pop-Pop” (my grandfather name). I picked her up and held close to the Jesus in the picture as she pointed and felt the face with her finger. She repeated with a smile, “Jesus.” Yes, Jesus. She was being lifted up and brought into closeness to the image of Jesus. And so too our role as Christians. We are called to bring those who see Jesus only from afar, into closer moments with the Risen Lord. To lift this child up to see the picture, I had to be strong enough to hold her. We are called upon to increase our own strength through the exercise of our faith so that we may able to lift others into His presence, who then, perhaps, with the wonder of a child, smile and speak the name Jesus into their lives. What remains...