Porch Day

“The chariots of God are tens of thousands." ~ Psalm 68:17

The abandoned house stood in a composed way as if it had chosen solitude; as if residents were a luxury it would rather forgo.  The weathered door hung from rusted hinges and a tarnished knocker dangled with gravity.  No sunlight danced in through the filthy windows, its occupants now dead or gone.  Somewhere mixed with the pain were memories of a cheerful youth.  To Jalen, it was home.

Growing up on this street meant you knew all the neighbors, and their dogs, and their peculiarities. It also brought back memories of running through sprinklers on hot days, watermelon on Sunday afternoons, and big Southern porches stretched out in welcome; where lavender breezes and crepe myrtle danced under the cover of deep overhangs.

Jalen took a seat on the top step, resting his guitar on one knee while tuning the strings.  A quick strum across the neck took him to a more peaceful time.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  The sound was rich and warm like the tone of caramel, the kind that could melt a heart and warm a soul.

Mama broke the silence.  “Mmmm, son, that sounds so good!”

He looked over, and there she sat in her rocker, wearing the same cotton sundress and worn-out slippers.  Still smelling like rose soap and smiling like sunshine.

Mama leaned back in her rocker as the breeze swept through the little porch.  “Play my song for me, Jalen.  It’s our porch day, son.  I’ve missed you.”

“I know,” Jalen replied, softly.  “I’ve been missing you, too.”

He turned toward her as the melody he’d played a million times flowed.  It was Mama’s favorite.  Her head began to sway.  A soulful hum joined in harmony with his guitar, finding the sweet places where it danced with the melody.

A shudder shot through him.  Maybe the cool breeze … probably a Spirit come down from Heaven, just to hear Mama sing.   That song had been with her through it all - there when Daddy left, there through all the hungry days and scary nights.  And the day Jalen got his first guitar.

“A band of angels, comin’ after me. Comin’ for to carry me home,” he crooned.  “Why’d you have to go, Mama?” still calling the music forth.

She shook her head.  “Oh, son. That’s not for me or you to know.  Only the Lord knows when, or why.”  He felt her touch; so soft, so gentle.  You wouldn’t know they were the hands of a warrior; a woman who fought on her knees every night in prayer for her family.

“A band of angels, comin’ after me. Comin’ for to carry me home …” then the music stopped.  Jalen looked up, but …  she was gone.  The breeze swept through once more, and the empty rocker gently swayed back and forth as he softly strummed:

“If you get there before I do.  Comin’ for to carry me home.  Tell my friends I’m coming there too.  Comin’ for to carry me home …”  Amen

Grampa's Chair

 “Grandchildren are a crown for the aged; parents are the pride of their children." ~ Proverbs 7:16

Adele’s youngest woke up at 5 a.m. like 4-year-olds sometimes do.  They went downstairs together, and Aiden quietly ate a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios.  Then he yanked purposely at her robe, facing the family room.  He wanted to sit in “Grampa’s chair” and cuddle with her.  Such a pleasant way to transform an early morning into a happy memory.

When Adele’s father, Tyrone, came to live with them during his chemotherapy, he brought his old, dilapidated recliner with him.  He wanted a place where he could relax and even sleep, but also be present with the family rather than stuck upstairs in bed. 

Every day after school, he’d hear about the kids’ days from that chair, and they’d dance around the room as only young kids could, recounting every detail for him.  Before bedtime, he’d read them stories in ways that made listening fun.   

After Tyrone passed, Adele wanted to get rid of that hideous chair.  It didn’t match the other furniture and reminded her of his illness and suffering.  But the kids wouldn’t let her.

They loved Gramp’s chair.  It was big and comfy.  The leather had a soft, wrinkled feel, like a teddy bear – the perfect place to rest and take sanctuary.  

But most importantly, it retained sentimental value.  To them, that chair belonged in the room as much as the air and light.  They often fought over it and began getting up earlier each day to try to be the one who could claim it for the day.

Maybe that’s why Aiden was up so early.  Or maybe he was just hungry.  Either way, he sat quietly with her, rocking back and forth in the dark.

She wondered if he remembered much about her Dad.  She hoped so, but memories are hard for toddlers.  He could point out his Grampa in a photo and make many of the same silly faces they’d once made together.  Yet he can’t recount many stories of their time together because it’s hard for Aiden to recall much about what happened more than a week ago.  

Adele felt his little body against hers and thought about how small he was.  Children at this age live mostly in the present.  She looked down and saw he was stroking the arm of the chair.  Adele picked up a book that her Dad had read a gazillion times to her son, and started reading to Aiden.

Slowly, she felt his little body melt into hers - happy, safe, and warm.

Then, he fell back asleep in her arms.  She pulled him closer as he slept.  Maybe he was dreaming of his Grampa, confident that his spirit lives on in what’s now a permanent addition to their home.

Father God, thank You for grandparents.  Thank You for the life they gave our parents.  They bring such joy and happiness into our lives.  Please watch over them, protect them and care for them now.  Amen

The Wisdom of Pooh

 “He wants us to be fair, just, merciful, and to walk humbly with God." ~ Micah 6:8

Since her earliest memories, Samantha carried her Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal everywhere.  She’d always had this kinship for that yellow, hunny-craving bear.  Perhaps it had to do with the honey … or maybe the way he used language.  The goodness of each beckoned her longer than she could remember.

A dear friend once gave her a hardbound book of the complete tales of Pooh Bear (A.A. Milne).  She often read Pooh stories to her boys before bedtime.  They loved how Pooh went to great lengths to find just a small “smackerel” of food, including rolling in mud, and piloting a balloon up a tree to fool the bees and get the honey.

In tonight’s adventure, Pooh devises a clever trap to capture a “heffalump” (a honey-eating elephant that Tigger endearingly mispronounces).  Pooh decides to lure a heffalump into a deep hole with a jar of honey at the bottom for bait.  Piglet agrees to dig while Pooh goes off to retrieve some honey from his pantry.

He takes a pot of “hunny” from the shelf and examines its contents.  Sure enough - rich, golden sweetness with a taste of wildflowers!

“But” observed Pooh, “one can never really be too sure about these things.  I remember someone telling me once that he’d seen cheese that same color.”  So, he took a big lick right off the top savoring its irresistible gooeyness.

“Unless of course,” Pooh imagined, “somebody put cheese at the bottom as a joke.  Perhaps I’d better dig a little further down.”  And so, he licked further into the pot.

Then a little bit further.  Then a little bit further until, a few minutes later, there was no honey left in the pot.  “I was right, after all,” he declared with a deep sigh.  “It was hunny all the way down.”

The boy’s laughter expressed pure joy, with a beauty that was both vulnerable and honest.  Samantha admired their bubbly sort of charisma; that silly ole’ bear made her chuckle too.

She still enjoyed reading those original Pooh stories.   But there’s much more wisdom to be found in their pages than she ever gleaned as a child.

What matters most to Pooh is what’s deep down; something he thinks you ought to know about.

Jesus held the same view!  His harshest words in the New Testament were leveled against the Pharisees, who were outwardly pious but whose hearts were unloving.

Jesus preached the transformation of the human heart.  He didn’t want you to go to church more, sing more hymns, memorize more bible verses.  Religious activities like were tools but they aren’t the point!  Rather, He wants us to become people who, from top to bottom, are like Him - kind, loving, forgiving, helpful, obedient, honest, and thankful.

Lord, show me how to be more like You and focus my attention on the things that bring You glory.  Fill my heart not with cheese, but with love, all the way down!  Amen

Compassion in Action

 “All who are weary and burdened, come to Me and I will give you rest." ~ Matthew 11:28

Every day, nurses take the words from the Florence Nightingale Oath to heart, “devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.”  Some take that commitment a step further.

It’s an all-too-common tale.  When an elderly man was hospitalized with COVID 3 weeks before Christmas, he had no choice but to surrender his beloved pup to a local shelter.  Depressed and terrified, he phoned his friend Jennifer.

Nurse Jennifer had formed a friendship with John at the adult daycare program where she worked.  It allowed John to socialize with others and receive medical care while continuing to live in his own home.  She knew all about Boomer.

John often spoke about Boomer and delighted in sharing cute pictures of his 12-year-old shaggy sidekick.  Jennifer clearly understood their bond; she had her own lifelong K-9 cohort. 

Keeping them together was just a natural extension of her oath to help others.  After learning that John had to part with his little buddy, Jennifer knew exactly what she had to do.  But first, she had to find Boomer who’d been taken to one of several animal shelters in the area.  He might already have been adopted by someone as a family Christmas present.

After several frantic calls, Jennifer took an early lunch and drove to the shelter where she found little Boomer in a large cage in the back.  Deep sadness leaked from both eyes.  “Without lifting his head from between his paws, the adorable pup gazed up and completely broke my heart,” she said.

She adopted Boomer on the spot.  His grief ticked up a notch to melancholy; but far from pure joy.  Soon Boomer was home making friends with Jennifer’s own dog.

Jennifer called John to let him know that she and her family adopted his pup to give him a home while he recovered.  She Facetimed John daily to share updates about Boomer and his adventures; he got plenty of love, scratches, and treats.  Knowing that his fur baby was in loving hands instantly boosted John’s recovery.

Eventually, John was released to the rehab wing of the hospital.  To celebrate his recovery, Jennifer dressed Boomer in some Christmas pajamas and when they rounded the corner, John shed the tears of a cleansing rain as he reached for his furry pal.  Others on hand wept too.  

Jennifer now brings Boomer to work with her.  She takes him up to John’s room a couple of times a day.  The other residents love Boomer, too.  John is proud to share Boomer as they take laps together in his wheelchair inspiring others with smiles and puppy kisses.

"Seeing them together again was the only Christmas present I needed,” beamed Jennifer.  God bless her!

Great Physician, thank You for giving us wonderful caretakers with beautiful souls.  Comfort them and keep them well.  Give them the strength to care for those who are sick and dying as well as the strength to receive help from others.  Amen

Sounds of Silence

 “Do not be afraid for the Lord will neither fail you nor forsake you.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:6

Sandy Greenberg lay in a Detroit hospital bed adjusting to blindness.  A junior at Columbia University from a Jewish family that struggled to stay above the poverty line, Sandy had just started to see the world open up to him before his sight failed him.

Instead of his plans for a bright future - Harvard Law and politics - Sandy faced a new reality, one defined by a white cane, menial work, and a cautious path through life.  Greenberg agonized in darkness at his parents’ home, convinced he’d never make it through law school when his best friend from college visited and talked him into going back to Columbia.

Art Garfunkel devoted himself to being Sandy’s eyes, sometimes calling himself ‘Darkness.’  He read textbooks out loud for him, walked him to class, and even filled out his graduate school applications.  “For me, it was the end of hopelessness,” wrote Greenberg.

One time, however, Art abandoned his friend in the middle of a NYC crowd.  Terrified, confused, and humiliated, Sandy stumbled through the rush-hour crowd and eventually took the local train to back Columbia.  When a stranger apologized for bumping into him – Sandy recognized the voice instantly.  Art had been behind him the entire time.

In 1962, Greenburg graduated President of his class and Phi Beta Kappa.  He spent 1964–65 at Oxford University as one of 24 Marshall Scholars.  While there, Sandy got an urgent call from his friend.

Art needed help.  He’d formed a folk-rock duo with his high school pal Paul Simon, and they desperately needed $400 to record their first album.  He and his wife Sue had only $404 in their bank account, but he didn’t hesitate to give his buddy what he needed.

With the money, Simon and Garfunkel recorded their first album “Wednesday Morning, 3 AM” in 1964.  The album turned out to be a flop, except for one single – “The Sounds of Silence,” which eventually rocketed to Billboard’s #1 spot and was featured in “The Graduate’s” soundtrack.

The song’s inspiration has been debated over the years.  Sandy claimed the opening line, “Hello darkness, my old friend” was a tribute to Garfunkel’s sacrifice when he lost his sight.

According to Simon, who wrote the song, the first line referenced his childhood practice of playing guitar in an unlit bathroom.  “I’ve come to talk with you again.” 

Garfunkel explained that the lyrics shed light on people not having the ability to emotionally communicate effectively with one another.  All three explanations probably contributed to the timeless, melodic, imagery unlocked by one of the most beautiful openings ever written. 

Silence has a voice: it can be a sweet whisper, like when one embraces an anxiously-awaited solitude; or it can be a piercing scream as if being alone is a deadly curse.

Father God, “You are the light of the world; fulfill Your promise that anyone who follows You will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life. ~ (John 8:12)

Living For Eternity

 “Don’t hoard earthly riches.  Stockpile your treasures in heaven instead." ~ Matthew 6:19-20

After heart surgery weeks ago, Allen remembered hovering above his hospital bed observing the hospital staff moving frantically around him.  Someone called, “Grab the paddles!”  Despite the urgency in the room, Allen felt remarkably calm.  He knew he was having a heart attack but felt no pain.  He just floated above, watching.

As his body lay on the operating table, Christ suddenly appeared beside his out-of-body self.  He permitted Allen to revisit scenes from his life, revealing the value He placed on Allen’s actions.

Shockingly (to Allen), Christ didn’t flip cartwheels because he’d given away large sums of money to philanthropic causes.  And He didn’t say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” when He reviewed the man’s academic and business achievements.  Rather, it was a simple encounter that Allen had with his sister that pleased Him the most. 

Years before, Allen noticed his sister grow heartbroken from a romantic breakup and a fear that joy had forever escaped her.  In an effort to comfort her grieving, he embraced her tightly for an extended time.  His love was freely given, making it a priceless, everlasting bond.

There was such kindness in his smile; a tender sincerity that showed he was capable of taking on emotional debt to give her all that she needed when she needed it most.  The notion of "I" had been traded for the concept of "you."

In Christ’s book, that was Allen’s greatest accomplishment.

Then God whispered something Allen needed to know about eternity.  “It really does matter in heaven what you do on the earth,” He quipped.  And then He was gone - quicker than He’d come.

Allen survived, waking up in the hospital bed next to his wife and father.  He’d never considered himself a religious man, but after that experience, he knew there was something in the universe much larger than any of us.

While you’re seeking God to reveal your life’s purpose, sometimes little acts of love can seem mundane and unimportant, like helping your wife balance the checkbook, choosing to have patience with one of your children, or reaching out to the neighbor you find contemptible.  But God notices … and remembers.

It’s hard to live with eternity in view.  There are moments when it seems that the most important thing in life is getting through this traffic, winning this argument, or satisfying that craving. 

These are the moments we get lost in the middle of our own story - we lose our minds, we lose our sense of direction, and we lose our dependence on Him.  Luckily, He reminds us not to live for the treasure of the moment; that this isn’t all there is.  We were created for all eternity. 

Lord, I don’t understand everything but, in my heart, I know You are real and listening.  I need and want You.  Wash me clean by Your freely-sacrificed blood at the cross.  Help me live with an eye on the present and my soul focused on eternity.  Amen

Talk Back

 “Every day you preach to yourself some kind of gospel." ~ Dr. Paul David Tripp

“Where the hell are my car keys?” Dana screamed in frustration.

They weren’t on the hook where she normally kept them and she was running late for work again.   A second expletive died in her throat as her cherubic three-year-old uttered words that shattered like a two-dollar mirror, “Mommy, you said a bad word.”  

Frustrated from being sequestered in their tiny apartment all weekend, her first instinct was to tell her son to “shut up!”  She glanced over at the tiny human sitting on the floor, eyes of pure mischief and a heart of gold.

Tears slowly crawled from Dana’s sleep-deprived eyes.  Laughing didn’t feel like the right way to go either.  She pondered another response, but Dakota had already moved on without bother.

“Bunny ears, Bunny ears, jumped into the hole, popped out the other side beautiful and bold," he recited using a nursery rhyme as a reminder of the motions involved.  Ask a toddler to tie their shoes and you’ll almost certainly hear the directions out loud to reinforce the process.

As a single mom, she didn’t receive much credit for all that she did.  As the mom, dad, employee, teacher, handy-person, chef, and so much more, she tried so hard.  But the world felt like it was caving in.  The only thing keeping them alive and well was her love.  Sometimes she just wanted to quit.

Gazing down again at her young son talking to himself, and feeding himself with the reassuring words needed to finish his task, she wondered, “Am I listening to myself?  Am I feeding myself with the words and encouragement needed to keep moving forward, or am I listening to the negative thoughts that build a prison of failure?”

Dana bent down and picked up Dakota (mangled shoelaces and all).  She cradled him like the cherished child he was.  In that warm embrace, she felt her worries lose their sting.  She could do this.  She WOULD do this!

No one is more influential in your life than you are.  Nobody talks to you more than you do.  Most of us have learned it’s best not to move our lips because people will think we’re crazy, but we are in constant dialogue with ourselves.  In those inner discussions, we talk about God, life, others, and ourselves.  The things we say are formative of the things we desire and choose to do.

So, what limiting stories are you telling yourself?  What gospel will you preach today?  By changing those limiting stories, you’ll be able to change your life.  God by His grace has given you His Word so you can preach to yourself when it seems no one else is listening … or cares. 

Heavenly Father, I pray that You would develop in me a deeper and more personal thirst for You with each passing day.  By Your grace, let me preach the “I have all I need in Christ” gospel message every day."  Amen