The Right, Wrong Way

 “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people." ~ Ephesians 6:7

Collin was driving home after spending the week out of town on a disappointing business trip. He pictured grabbing an ice-cold drink from the fridge, kicking his shoes off, and plopping himself on the couch to watch the Olympics. He could almost feel the remote in his hand.

Yet up ahead he spotted taillights… hundreds of them. Fearing he would soon nestle into gridlock, so he brazenly crossed three traffic lanes and proudly left the interstate on an unfamiliar exit ramp.

A quick check of the GPS map showed that he was not only on the wrong road, but he’d have to go forty-seven miles farther out of his way to get home.

Frustrated by the miscalculation and needless waste of time, he pounded the steering wheel. He felt a kind of anger and shame, having done something both dumb and foolish. He only had himself to blame.

He tried calling his wife but there was no cell coverage. He was seething now like a volcano about to erupt.

Up ahead, Collin spotted a damaged Ford Mustang parked by the side of the road with a flat tire. An elderly guy was standing nearby trying to phone someone. Collin stopped and asked if he needed any help.

“Si, señor,” he admitted tentatively, English wasn’t his first language. By the looks of his car, he wasn’t a man of even modest means.

A wizened face peered out from under a dingy cap. He had a spare but lacked the strength to remove the lug nuts.

Collin didn’t hesitate. While working change the tire, Collin learned that the man was a migrant farm worker from a rough neighborhood nearby who’d also had a tough week. In addition to this flat tire, he’d gotten into a car accident a few days ago.

He called Collin, "Un soplo de aire fresco” (a breath of fresh air) and offered him a few dollars for helping him. Collin refused, saying: “I was never supposed to even be on this road, but now I know it was to help you. Thank you for turning my mistake into an opportunity to serve."

Sometimes God may guide us down what seems to be the wrong road - or at least a road we don’t desire or understand. He provided an opening for Collin to show compassion and help an unknown person in distress.

God happens for a reason!

Three cheers for Collin having an open heart and welcoming the chance to serve selflessly. Small gestures of kindness can often make a dramatic difference in the life of another, but also move us towards becoming "one" with them - from "me to we."

Father God, guide me according to Your will, and help me become a servant whose life is a worthy example to others. Give me courage, Father, to claim the spiritual riches that You have promised and show me Your plan for my life, today and forever. Amen

Forgiving Like Jesus

 “Forgive those who do you wrong just as He forgives us -freely and fully.” ~Matthew 6:14-15

On that fateful autumn morning, the young kindergarten teacher’s spirits soared beyond the colorful boughs defining the Georgian landscape. Brilliant shafts of sunlight caressed scarlet and gold foliage laid out like a carpet for royals.

She and her family were on their way to Callaway Gardens, where Sandra would run her first 10K race. Her anticipation surged. Each breath of the fresh air made her want to shout aloud, just to hear her voice echo as dreamed of racing among the trees.

One moment the road was there, wide open and safe. And in the next, there were screeching brakes, deafening noises, and pain that Sandra may not recover from.

She’d learn days later that an oncoming vehicle crossed the center line and hit their van head-on causing it to flip onto its roof. Eight people were hospitalized after the crash, including her husband Glen who was taken to a hospital but later removed from life support.

Tammy Matthews, the van’s driver, was uninjured. Her 16-year-old son, Joshua, died at the scene.

Sandra suffered a life-threatening brain injury which changed her life. She had to re-learn how to walk, talk, and take care of herself and two young children without her life partner. Her injuries left her unable to work or live independently.

Matthews pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide. She tearfully apologized to Sandra and the entire Walker family during the sentencing phase of her court appearance.

During her victim impact statement, Sandra spoke haltingly about her husband and faith in Christ. “He wasn't just my husband; this isn't just about me,” she began. “Others mourn his loss: my children are still waiting for their father to walk through the front door. Friends, family, and coworkers’ lives have forever been changed also.”

The enormity of her tears flowed as if the soul could bleed an ocean through the eyes.

Tammy composed herself, then addressed the accused woman. “I know you’re going through as much pain as I am. I forgive you,” she said, before approaching Mathews with a warm embrace.

Rather than feeling bitterness, Tammy encouraged the court not to sentence Matthews to prison time. She received a sentence of 36 months of probation and 500 hours of community service, that “should include acts that honor the lives of her son and Glen Walker.

We may never have to face a challenge to forgive something this great, but we all face regular opportunities to choose forgiveness over anger and bitterness. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that the offender was right or justified, or that the behavior will be allowed to continue. Instead, it admits no retaliation, no attempt to get even, and no bringing up the offense again.

“Lord, I’m choosing to forgive the way You have forgiven me. Every time the memory comes back, I’ll forgive that person again until the pain is gone. Heal my heart with Your grace.” Amen (Rick Warren)

A Beautiful Soul

 “Those generous will themselves be blessed.” ~ Proverbs 22:9

The man sat motionless; his eyes fixed on nothing at all. His skin hid beneath layers of grime and a wool cap masked an untidy mop of greyish red. A handwritten message on a cardboard sign lay before him. Its handwritten message begged: “Spare a little kindness?”

Most people walked past him without so much as a glance. But not Luke, who strode purposely toward the unkept man who averted his friendly smile. Street life had taught the man to remain aloof, even a stray glance could mean trouble he’d best avoid.

Luke handed the man a quart-sized Ziploc bag full of items like granola bars, bottled water, hand sanitizer, tissues, and a few $1 bills. He also included inspiring Bible verses such as “Give thanks to God, for His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:26). Luke had been very deliberate about what went in each bag.

Then he turned and quietly walked away without saying a word. That’s because 19-year-old Luke has autism and struggles with speech and severe anxiety.

Seeing their hardship tugged at his heart. 

Even though Luke can’t speak much, he could hear them. He understood what it was like to battle without a voice. “I can’t speak well, but I can listen,” Luke wrote. “I can give what they've have been asking for – help!”

He enlisted family members to create packets full of items street people need and began handing them out. It wasn’t long before their home church found out what he’d been doing, and the 100-member congregation decided to join him! Since it’d been Luke’s idea to start the “Packet Ministry,” they picked him to lead it.

During the first year, they handed out nearly 1,200 “goodie bags.” The ministry has spread to other local churches. Luke also recruited his church’s youth group to help assemble the packets.

Heading up the ministry has been an empowering experience for Luke, because where he was once perceived as the boy with the disability, he’s now the proud leader with a focused mission.

“I’ve been given an incredible support system. It scares me to think about traveling alone in this world, but that’s the reality for so many,” he wrote. “If I can ease a frightened soul, my struggles aren’t so bad. It’s wonderful that God is using me in this way.”

Though he faces verbalization challenges, he’s taught his family to communicate and a whole community to serve by his example.

True beauty comes from within. You can be the prettiest person on the planet, but if you’re not kind and caring to others, it won’t matter how attractive you are. The best way to learn how to find inner beauty is by watching someone like Luke demonstrate compassion in his daily life.

Heavenly Father, show me how to be more like Luke today so that You will be glorified. Help me to love the way he loves; to humble myself as he humbled himself; and to trust and obey as Christ always did. Amen

Torey's Birthday

 “Keep your eyes on those who walk according to the Jesus’ example." ~ Philippians 3:17

Birthdays hold a special place in children’s hearts. They’re not just about getting older – they’re about celebrating with friends, enjoying games, and making lasting memories.

As this would be Torey’s first party with friends, his Mom wanted this one to be special - one where he could feel like the center of the universe. So, she invited his entire fourth-grade class, hoping to fill their home with laughter, fun, and of course, cake and ice cream.

When the day finally came, Torey was ecstatic. Asking him to wait tolerantly was like trying to tell a raging forest fire not to burn. His brain was cluttered with no other thoughts.

Torey had been attending the same school for three years and he even played on the basketball team. This was an opportunity to overcome his shyness and make some more friends.

But on the day when this boy could declare himself a big kid, moving triumphantly into his first double-digit age, not a single friend showed up. Not one!

Sadness drained from him like an electric vehicle on a sub-zero day. Torey wanted to cry but couldn’t. He coached himself instead: be brave, be friendly, try and remember that every letdown can, itself, be a blessing. Tears finally came as if the soul could bleed an ocean through the eyes.

Witnessing her son’s disappointment, Torey’s Mom, too, felt helpless and heartbroken. She vented on Facebook, reminding parents of the importance of celebrating these small yet significant moments. “Please, if your kids get invited to birthdays - take them."

And friends would come, friends he never knew he had, even if it was three days later.

Her plea caught the attention of four Arkansas State Troopers. Torey was at home after school when the doorbell rang. He was shocked to find four state troopers at his door. Panic was quickly replaced with excitement when he realized the officers were there to celebrate his birthday.

The officers didn’t come empty-handed. They brought presents, a birthday cake, and a police dog named Rhino. Torey became an Honorary Trooper, rode in the state patrol car with sirens blaring, and got to play with Rhino.

His tenth birthday wasn’t so bad after all. It would go down in his journal as the Best birthday ever; memories he’d cherish for all the right reasons.

Their kindness wasn’t just about gifts or cake. It showed the power of community support and the impact it can have on a child’s life.

Young learners look up to a variety of role models and it shapes how they behave, contribute to relationships, and make decisions. Positive role models inspire children to stay motivated, instill good behavior, influence life decisions, and strive to achieve goals.

Jesus, we fall short far short of the example you left for us. Help us to act more like You in loving serving others – seeking to serve rather than to be served, to love rather than requiring love from others, to even go the extra mile. Amen

Scars of Pride

 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His love endures forever!" ~ P107:1-3

When cancer struck Ellie in 1976 at age 7, her ghostlike pallor masked the pain raging inside her. She’d been diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a type of childhood bone cancer that cruelly attacks the long, large bones of the body.

Most days her Mom would read her a “Junie B. Jones story” - something light and humorous to help escape the painful side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Her screams left no doubt about the agony she suffered.

On the worst days, Dr. Dempsey carefully increased her pain meds, sliding her into a dreamlike state. Her body remained so motionless that visitors wondered if she’d passed on.

Even at her early age, Ellie knew that death remained a constant threat. Dempsey frankly laid out the risks. Survival rates even following amputation were less than 20 percent. Possibly terminal, hospice, comfort care only.

The best alternative was a bone transplant that would require endless reoccurring and debilitating surgeries as she grew.

To Ellie’s young mind, survival meant soccer, prom, and eventually walking down the aisle. She’d risk anything to save her leg!

Though terrified, Ellie trusted Dr. Dempsey, with his colorful bow ties and engaging smile. “He looked like such a Southern gentleman, so warm and gentle. I wanted to get better for him.”

At 12, Ellie, Dr. Dempsey performed a bone transplant at Mass General. She survived. The cancer cells died. But for the next thirty, she felt the damage cancer had done to her leg and hip bones.

Neither doctor or patient could remember how many additional operations were needed to redo or fix something. She never wanted anyone other than Dempsey. Even after he moved to another state, she traveled so that he could keep treating her.

He saved her life. Ellie trusted no one else.

In her 50s now, Ellie walks with a cane, and at the beach, her legs bear the scars of her journey. “But I’m proud of myself; I’m a warrior,” she confided. “I owe every scar to him.”

“As a child,” she said recently, “I often worried that I’d never get married. I wondered how difficult it would be for someone to sign up for my life. They’d have to understand that I might still lose my leg one day and there would be rough hospitalizations.”

But the fairy tale actually happened a year ago. She got married in June, some 40 years after her first surgery. And at her wedding, Ellie chose Dr. Dempsey for her first dance. “That was just a way of celebrating the fact that a lot of what I'm able to do today is because of his loving care," she said gratefully. No one, it seems, was better suited for that honor.

Almighty Father, in today's hustle and bustle, it’s too easy to move through the day disconnected from our capacity as humans to be kind and caring. Teach me to become fluent in kindness; compassionate to others, to the earth and to me. Amen

Ice Cream Bliss

 “Live in harmony with each other. Enjoy the company of all people." ~ Romans 12:16

Shandra sat on a balcony straining to see the street below. At 93, her curious eyes were failing. In her much younger years, few pleasant sounds could be heard on this street.

Police and ambulance sirens. Occasional gunfire. Their television played loud enough to mask the vicious yelling from the apartment next door. She (10) and her brother (8) were often home alone.

Mom showed them places to hide when they felt scared - in the bathtub with the shower curtain drawn, beneath a pile of clothes in the closet, under the kitchen sink with some pots and pans. They weren’t allowed to go outside while she was at work.

They couldn’t ride their bikes outside or walk in the nearby park. The sound of children’s laughter, cheers from athletic competition, and greetings of friends were absent from this neighborhood. Shandra had never moved from this place, but the streets below were now much safer and quieter. Less like a war zone – more like a community.

Her reminiscing was interrupted by the melodic chimes of an ice cream van rounding the corner four floors below. A symphony of joy drew opposites closer together.

With wide smiles and shrill pleas for cones, popsicles, and other frozen treats, kids rushed the truck from every direction to claim the melting creations. Such a welcome surprise on any day. Always random. Forever bringing a sweet rush of pure happiness.

Shandra watched little Zella wave goodbye to the school bus driver and sprint down the sidewalk toward the ice cream van’s cheerful jingle.

Vincent straightened his shirt collar as he exited the hardware store. Without appearing too eager, he searched his pocket for cash and nonchalantly sauntered toward the music box on wheels.

Saul and Anna stopped by the synagogue after an exhausting day. They heard the happy tune and, grinning at each other, stepped back outside and headed toward the treat mobile.

Chen knew leftovers could wait for dinner. Meandering through the neighborhood, he heard the excitement and picked and rushed toward the crowd. Desert should come first he reasoned.

Officer Haily sat in her parked patrol car writing up another report. She rolled down the window to listen, set her paperwork aside, and joined the chorus of frosty aficionados.

Bryce had lost his job... and his girlfriend. His eyes were closed. Hearing the distant chimes, he jumped up. No more self-pity! Time to change his life’s trajectory and treat himself to a little bliss.

Shandra made her way to the van just in time.

The ice cream truck entering When you hear an ice-cream truck on your street, it signals that the sweetness of summer fun is just around the corner and maybe even a chance to reconnect with your neighbors after a long, cold winter.

Father God, we ask for a thriving community, where neighbors learn to love each other and come to know You. Help us learn from our community, and it may be a place where all are welcome. Amen

Heaven's Scent

 “My Father’s house has many rooms; I will prepare a place for you?" ~ John 14:2

Cherise gazed out over grassy emerald hills toward ivory covered mountains that stood sentry to the bluest of lake waters. Crashing waves turned golden as they churned the sandy shore. The girl had never seen so much natural beauty at one time.

Her grandmother approached in a voice that tickled her insides. Her smile went viral. Engaging and beautiful, Gramma greeted her with a warm embrace; love given so freely yet priceless.

Across the gentle airwaves came a sweet chirping sound. She watched Gramma’s face recall the exact species of bird that called them. Birdwatching had always been her favorite pastime.

“What kind is it,” Cherise asked as the little bird, in a bold expression of golden feathers, settled on a blossomed twig. Its tweets were as clear as sunlit dew.

“It’s one of the 42 species within the bird-of-paradise group. This one is from Bali; isn’t she lovely?” Gramma replied guiding her granddaughter closer. They stopped short of the tree, taking in the moment, embracing nature’s gift, and sharing intimacy they hadn’t felt for too long.

Cherise closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and suddenly realized how much she had missed her Gramma. She’d always been her safe, sunny harbor.

“So, this is where you’ve been,” she stated, reaching for Gramma’s hand.

“Yes,” she said simply as if it should be obvious. “I’ve been getting it ready. When the time’s right, you’ll join me here. So will Grandpa, and your parents, your sibling and cousins. Someday, we’ll all be together again, in this place.”

Suddenly the girl understood. This was their own piece of heaven. “But I miss you,” she admitted knowing that someday wasn’t anytime soon. She still had a long life ahead of her without Gramma. She wouldn’t be at her birthdays, her wedding, wouldn’t get to see her become a mom, and watch her babies grow.

“I miss you, too,” Gramma stated calmly, “But I’m always with you. Watching. Preparing. Waiting.”

A moment of silence followed as Cherise acknowledged the truth. What a blessing to see her, hear her, and feel her presence. Gramma was at peace with death as a transformation, a pathway into Heaven’s glorious realities.

Cherise felt tears welling up in her eyes, knowing this was the start of goodbye. She couldn’t have Gramma back in her life each day. But mourning is the proof of love, of the bonds that exist beyond our reality, and opens a new way of connecting.

She shuttered and felt the softness of her pillow. Cherise hesitated to open her eyes and breathed deeply hoping Gramma’s perfume would still fill the air. As happy tears moistened her cheeks, she felt eternally grateful for that brief touch of heaven and knowing that she was loved.

Father God, I’m a creature of this world and crave worldly things. Help grow a desire in me for Heaven. Help me not be satisfied with the things of this world, but long for closeness with You and eternity in Your presence. Amen