Joy in the Journey

  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 This very clever play on words is not mine. I am borrowing from Brennan Manning. Given what I know of him, he would be happy to share it with me and let me share it with you. After all that is the whole point of “Son bathing.”            It seemed very appropriate that I would come across this term in a season when those of us who live in the sunny South are exhibiting signs of outdoor activities. We see glowing skin from days at the beach or pool as well as tans from hard work in the great oven that   is Florida in the summer. We see these changes in complexion and we comment, we inquire.   Have you been to the beach? Pool?           How lovely it would be if as a result of our Son bathing people were seeing, commenting and asking? You look content in the light of all that is going on around you. Why is that? What a great opener for u

  Bur concerning Israel he said, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” Romans 10:21 This morning in prayer I was reminded of one of my most difficult students. This little guy had a hefty side dish of autism in addition to his more obvious syndrome. He could easily become violent, growling, hitting and scratching, with little or no provocation. On the other hand he had the sweetest smile, the best laugh (when it was a true laugh, not an evil one) and I believe a kind heart. I absolutely loved him. Still to say that I was a bit terrified of what he could do to me is not an understatement. Oh my boy!           There were so many times as he was gearing up for destruction of property or persons, that I thought,   if I could just grab him and hug him close he would calm down. Not so. On rare occasions he would let me give him a hug. Admittedly I was leery, as we never knew when sweet would end and brutal would begin.   Still when he wou

    Saul answered “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” 1 Samuel 21 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:15 Discouragement is an ugly, insidious disease.   Looking around and feeling that all you have attempted has failed, that every effort is met with defeat, every relationship a fraud and all hope just slightly out of reach is completely debilitating.   That being true, think of what a fine tool discouragement is for our enemy.   If we can only see what we can see and not what God sees, we sometimes, too often for many of us, have to ask, “Why bother?”           For a long time Gideon has been one of my favorite citizens of the Bible.   He is quick to say to God, “Not it!” Like Moses before him, Gideon is pretty sure God has t