“We make our friends; we make our enemies; but God makes our next door neighbour.”
– G. K. Chesterton
 This has been sitting in my “drafts” for a day or so now. But each time I look at it, before I get distracted, it makes me think of the neighbors around my house. Why are they there? For what purpose has God placed me amidst them? If you’re like me, there are some neighbors I talk to all the time, and others that I hardly talk with or have never met other than seeing them from a distance. No matter my level of interaction with them, I have an opportunity to be a witness for Christ. Directly or indirectly. God places us in proximity. What you and I do once we’re there is up to us. He trusts us that much!
An orphan girl in India was desperate to find a home. One day, she approached a visiting missionary teacher from a nearby village and asked the woman for help. The teacher had no room in her home for the girl, and no money to make a place. ”But I will pray and ask God for His help.” she said, “and you do the same.” That evening , the teacher returned to her home and found a letter from a friend in the U.S. It contained a small sum of money- enough to begin providing for the orphan girl. Taking this as a sign of encouragement from God, she summoned a messenger the following morning and asked him to go to the neighboring village- a day’s walk from her home- and bring the girl back. To the teacher’s surprise, the messenger returned with the girl in half the expected time. ”How did you travel so quickly?” the teacher asked. The girl’s answer demonstrated the strength of her faith. ”We both prayed to God for help,” she reminded the teacher. ”I thought I might as well start walking.” She had been halfway to the teacher’s house when the messenger met her on the road. She had faith that God would meet her needs- and He did.
– Unknown
I read things where the author is unknown with a bit of skepticism at times. It should not matter whether this story is true or not. The real question for me is am I as trusting in God? I can go to biblegateway.com and see that there are 286 references to the word “faith” in the New Testament alone. But what are the testaments of faith in my own life? This morning I was struck by four simple words from Luke 5:20 – “Jesus saw their faith”. And those words from Luke 17:6, “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed…”
“I thought I might as well start walking.” Let’s go!
In His service,
Keith
 Last night I finished reading a book, ‘Notes from the Dog’, by Gary Paulsen. Second book in a row that I’d read because a dog plays a major part. Second book in a row that has cancer as a main player in the story. That was not intentional. Yet, as I was several pages into the second book, and especially as I finished it, I asked myself why? To my knowledge I don’t have anyone in my immediate surroundings that this topic would apply to (not counting survivors). But I know there was a purpose. Perhaps preparation for somewhere down the line.
The interesting thing about experiences we go through is the we rarely know at the time how God might use them later. Not that I don’t have experiences where in that moment all I can think is “this sucks big time.” Like when my dad’s father passed away; or when I nearly cut off the tip of my finger; or when we put our dog Huey down. Oh, there are many more. (Why are those easier for me to recall than those moments that I never wanted to end? That’s another topic, I guess). Yet God, by His grace, has gifted each of us with the abilities of perspective and reflection and recovery.
FAITH WHEN DARKNESS COMES
by Preston Clark
When the night kneels down by your bed
In the time of your sadness,
Remember O child of the mountains
This word of the law:
The night is the shadow of God
Who made you for gladness,
And your sorrows are less than your strength
Which He foresaw.
May you find strength in God today for your own challenges, remembering that you are made for gladness. We will have moments where our only question is, “really, God, this is a moment I’m going to want to look back on?”. But hear these words from Psalm 31:7-8 – “I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.”
GLADNESS! It is not easy, but is the way of our people. Better yet, it is not to be held onto, but to be shared.
 Photo by Ellie Seaby “Humanity does not pass through phases as a train passes through a station: being alive, it has the privilege of always moving yet never leaving anything behind. Whatever we have been, in some sort we are still.”
– C. S. Lewis
These were sobering words this morning. It was a wake up call at first because it brought before me the issue of sin, as it relates to Lewis’ words “whatever we have been, we are”. I am a sinner, no matter how hard I try to wipe it from my life. Then, about 5 seconds later it kicked in that the same would apply to God’s grace. What a wonderful thing.
From the hymn “Grace Greater Than Our Sin” (complete lyrics at the end) -
Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
brighter than snow you may be today.
And – In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. – Ephesians 1:7-8, NIV
Maybe, in the picture I have in my mind for Lewis’ words, grace is the rail that my train is riding on. No matter where I go, God’s grace will go with me.
May you feel God’s grace today abounding in your own life.
In His service,
Keith
Grace Greater Than All Our Sin -
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Refrain:
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin!
Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
threaten the soul with infinite loss;
grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
(Refrain)
Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
brighter than snow you may be today.
(Refrain)
Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see his face,
will you this moment his grace receive?
(Refrain)
“It would do the world good if every man would compel
himself occasionally to be absolutely alone. Most of the
world’s progress has come out of such loneliness.”
– Bruce Barton
Really? I mean REALLY? It is hard for me to imagine being alone. Maybe I’m odd because when I think “alone” I think without God. Now, if I took more time to be alone with God, then I’m sure my life would be different… in a good way. That’s the challenge, daily, hourly, and with each minute: finding time to really communicate with God without the distractions of the world around me. Not the ticking of the clock, or the dog breathing in and out, or the car driving by outside.
“No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.” – Jeremiah 10:6-7, NIV
In His service,
Keith
Last night I finished reading (actually more like listening to) Ted Dekkers ‘Circle’ trilogy. I’m not going to play the part of book critic this morning, but one of the things that it made me think about was how I view people who are different than I am. Different skin. Different thoughts. Different beliefs. Different whatever. Not just “enemies” but anyone with whom I do not have a lot in common. After all, who are we to love? When have I shied away from someone because of my own judgement and missed an opportunity to reveal Christ to them and to myself?
This morning I read this quote -
“The impulse of love that leads us to the doorway of a friend is the voice of God within and we need not be afraid to follow it.”
–Agnes Sanford
Having the thoughts that I have this morning, the real question is to what doorways does God desire me to go if I am to grow His kingdom? What corners of the earth am I willing to go to? Who am I willing to show His love to? Only the doorways of friends?
Matthew 22:36-40 – “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
What am I doing to prepare myself for the words of Matthew 25: 37-38 – “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”
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