Undivided Attention

Yesterday, I watched a really good talk about how to improve your focus.  The main thing the speaker, Andrew Huberman, suggested doing to get your brain alert is to look with your eyes at one small spot continuously for 40 seconds.  I tried it, and it was hard!  My brain kept squirming and trying to glance elsewhere.  But I forced it to keep looking at that place while I counted, “One, two, three…”

I was surprised at the difference it made after I did this.  I was able to see better, in a sense.  I was cooking, and I noticed more how the cauliflower looked as I cut it.  I felt more relaxed, instead of my thoughts flitting every which a way.  My attention settled in one place for longer.  I really liked that state of being.

I was thinking of this when I was up around 4 AM this morning, unable to sleep.  I decided to focus my attention on Jesus for 40 seconds.  I pictured him as I remembered the verse about fixing our eyes on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:2)  As I did this, I was amazed at how I relaxed.  (Even though I didn’t immediately go back to sleep!)  I started focusing on Jesus and picturing him in all kinds of ways – as a servant, caring about the lowly, healing people, setting his face towards Jerusalem.  I remembered verses that describe him as the living water, the way, and the bread of life.  I remembered how Isaiah 58 described, “He was led as a lamp to the slaughter, yet he did not open his mouth.”

After doing this, it really struck me that I actually don’t think about Jesus that much.  Well, I do think about him fleetingly, and read about him all the time, and talk about him.   But I don’t focus on him for a length of time.  He doesn’t become as solid to me as he did this morning.

You know, we are so distracted these days.  We have our phone, and we scroll between one thing and another, not putting our attention on anything for very long.  We really need to fix our attention more on Jesus.  And we need to give him, and God, our undivided attention more.

Last night, I fixed a nice dinner for myself and Ken.  There was steak, and fish, plus roasted sweet potatoes and buffalo cauliflower.  When we sat down to eat, Ken brought his computer, and was looking at it while we ate and talked.  I was hurt.  He said he was paying attention to me, but I wanted his full attention during dinner.

Surely this is the way God is with us.  He knows we can’t give him our undivided attention all day, but he does want periods of it.  And when we do have these times, God enjoys it, and we actually feel better, ourselves.  Our brain slows down.  Life becomes clearer.  God is more solid and meaningful.

I am going to be doing this more in the days to come.  If you try it, let me know how it goes. 

Sending love to you all. Here’s a picture from our lunch stop during our Memorial Day bike ride.

A Serving God

“If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?”. (John 14:7-11)

This is such a cool passage.  Jesus said that he was ushering in a time when people could know God as never before.  Before, they mainly had to rely on looking at nature, or at the words of prophets.  But now, they had God in the flesh, in a sense, right in front of them.  They could SEE God, and all kinds of stuff about him.

So, our hearts long to know God better.  We long to understand him, in this crazy universe, and thing we call life, with all of its struggles.  And we can understand him better, by looking at Jesus.

What do we see in Jesus?  All kinds of things – love, mercy, righteousness.  We see how he treated others.

But one quality of Jesus has risen to the top for me lately – service.  Jesus said, “I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22:27)  It was a basic part of Jesus’s nature.  Think of Philippians 2, and how Jesus made himself nothing and took the form of a servant. 

But if Jesus was this way on earth, that means that servanthood is a basic part of God’s nature as well.  This is wild.  Try to wrap your head around it. 

I got this idea from Gordon Ferguson, from listening to his latest series called, “Eternity’s Brink,” about the recent time that he was at death’s door for a long period of time.  Check it out – it’s really good.

Getting back to the theme of service, it’s really in line with what’s been going on with me lately.  My father had major surgery, and then went back in the hospital with serious complications.  I felt like he was almost at death’s door for a time, myself. 

But during all of this, I’ve been helping him and my stepmom.  A couple of days ago, he needed assistance with a medical procedure.  It was something that could make you squeamish!  But this, and all I’ve been doing for my dad and stepmom, are things I’m glad to do, because I love them so much. 

And that’s what serving is – it’s something you do because you love someone.  You care, so you act from the heart.

I’ve also been on the receiving end of serving lately.  My husband flew across the country to be with me.  He goes with me to the ER and hospital, and sits there for hours.  My friends have sent texts, and prayed with me.  One wrote, “If you would like to pray, please do not hesitate to call me, and I’ll stop whatever I’m doing to pray with you.” Another lives locally, and drove to the hospital to encourage me for me, during a 30 minute break.

I think what means the most to be about this is that I can see how deeply my friends are concerned.  Their messages come from an overflow of the heart.

That’s something I can see in Jesus.  There are places in scripture where it describes how Jesus’s heart was moved.  In Matthew 20:32-34, the Word says,  “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes.”  Jesus was also moved with compassion when he saw people without food (Mark 2:8), or that they were harassed and helpless (Matt 9:36), or that they were sick (Matt. 14:14).

And it’s super encouraging to think the God is the same way.  Can you picture God’s heart being moved in reaction to your suffering?  It’s a reality.  That totally happens.  And, just like with Jesus, it doesn’t stop there.  God acts.  He serves us.

The thing is, we have to have the eyes to see how he’s serving us.  As I thank God in my prayers, I realize how much he’s working behind the scenes.  He’s given me my husband, and friends who lift me up.  I got to watch a baptism of someone I helped study the Bible with, and I was encouraged.  My dad has gotten excellent care, and they’ve found some of what’s wrong, and are correcting it.  Even though it’s been scary, I’ve also seen God’s hand in getting him the right care at the right time.

So, may I see the Father today.  May I believe that he cares, and is acting on my behalf – not like a genie, but as my holy powerful Father who does what is best, and wraps me in love.  And then, may I endeavor to be more like him.  After this experience, I really want to actively care for others more, and let what they’re going through touch my heart.

Sending love to all of you. Here are some of the sights Ken and I have seen on our walks here.

Soul Work

“I am going to prepare a place for you . . . You know the way to the place where I am going.”

“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  (John 14:1a, 4-6)

This passage reminds me of the song, “Soon and very soon, we are going…”  Because, Jesus was “going.”  But he wasn’t going as we think of it, like going to run an errand, or to get with someone.  He was going to a whole different realm — the place where the Father resides.

And this realm is so foreign, that Thomas was like, “What are you talking about?  It’s not coming up on Google Maps.”

Jesus replied to him, “I’m the map to this place.  The only way you’ll get there is through me.”

Today, what hits me about this passage is how much of a miracle it is that Jesus was going to another realm, and that this means that we can go there, too. 

But the only part of our current selves that can go to this place is our souls.

I’ve been reading a devotional about appreciating how wonderful a soul is.  It’s who you really are.  And it endures, while everything we have deteriorates, and our own bodies get creaky and give out.  I mean, our souls actually last FOREVER AND EVER.

It’s all we have that is truly ours.  Deuteronomy 10:14 says, “To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.”

We think that we have belongings – clothes, stuff, a bank account, a car, a house.  We also may have friends, a spouse, and family members.  We say, “This is my house, my husband, etc.” But everything we have actually belongs to God.  And, as Christians, the goal is to use it all for him.

This has really come home to me this week, while I’m with my dad and stepmother.  All of a sudden, I don’t have my home, or car, or any of my stuff, except what I brought with me.  I don’t have my husband, or my friends, in the way that I do when I’m with them. I don’t even have my health, because I’ve had a cold.

What I do have, that doesn’t fluctuate with circumstances, is my soul.

And Jesus came to do soul work.  He came to get our souls in shape for heaven.  He gave teachings about how to rid our souls of the bad gunk.  By the way he lived, he showed how our souls will thrive.

This is an important part of him being the Way, the Truth and the Life.

In being here and taking care of my dad, one of the hardest parts has been having this cold.  I’ve been petrified of passing my germs on to him at this time when he’s medically fragile.  I’ve been so anxious.  Also, since I haven’t felt well, my spirits have sometimes been low, dominated by gloom and doom.

It’s been a huge struggle to have faith.  I mean, is God going to make sure that my Dad doesn’t get infected by one of my stray germs? I know He doesn’t always do that.  People died from Covid. How do I believe in a good outcome?

It’s also been a huge struggle to not be overwhelmed by the shame of bringing the risk of illness to my father.

But I know that, while I need to acknowledge my mistakes and take responsibility for them, I also need to guard my soul.  I need to still have faith and hope.  I can’t let the gloom and doom, or the shame, take over.

So, where do I go to restore my soul? I go to Jesus. I remember that I’m in a covenant relationship with him, and that he’s committed to me. That really helps. I remember words he said, like, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11) I remember how he faced trials. I have hope because of the resurrection.

I’m so thankful that Jesus came to be the Way, and do soul work!  It’s beyond refreshing.  It’s a lifeline. Literally!

Pray for me, and I am praying for you.  Sending love to you all. Below are pictures of a new friend I made while I visited church, and some flowers in the neighborhood here.

The Assurance of Room

“In my Father’s house are many rooms.  If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3

I’m actually staying at my father’s house right now while he is recovering from surgery.  And he has several guest rooms, so this is a great parallel to this verse.

I’m always welcome to stay in one of these rooms.  My parents divorced, so I didn’t grow up living with my father, except every other weekend, and on visits.  But right before my sophomore year at Boston University, my housing situation fell through.  I was visiting my father and step mother, so I asked them if I could live with them and go to college in California.

“Of course,” they replied.  So I stayed there, and attended a couple of quarters at CalState LA.

This coming June, we plan to celebrate my father and stepmother’s 50^th wedding anniversary.  There will be many people in town for the celebration.  Yet I know that I will have priority for staying in one of the bedrooms of the house, if I desire it.

A good father will always have a room for their child. And, that’s what I think Jesus was telling his disciples – that no matter how many of them there were, there would certainly be a room for them in their heavenly Father’s house.

Yet, from the way that Jesus was talking, it seems that the house and the rooms weren’t ready for them yet.  It was more like they still needed to be built.  I read a great devotional on this passage once, about how a man would create a living space for his fiancée, working on building it for as long as that took, and then he would come to get her, and they would have the wedding.  This is the picture Jesus was going for here.  He was very deliberately going to create rooms.

And, just as it would be ludicrous to think that a man would take all the time to build a living space for his fiancée, but then not go to get her and marry her, it also would be crazy if we didn’t believe that Jesus is coming back to take us to our heavenly room.

Before my father’s surgery, I was talking to him, and he told me that the only thing he was looking forward to about the whole thing is that he would get to spend some time with me. That makes it easy to understand what Jesus said next, that he would welcome his disciples into his presence, when the time came. He was looking forward to being with the members of his spiritual family.

I have one more thought about this.  My brother has also been here helping out.  He’s leaving soon, and passing the baton of caring for my father to me.  But I told him, “If I had one wish, it’s that all of my family lived in one town, so I could be with them frequently.”  I don’t get to see my brother very much.  Maybe once a year.  It would be so wonderful to get to see him more, as well as my father, my father-in-law, and all of my children and grandchildren.

Surely, that was the heart of Jesus.  He had limited time with the different individuals he loved.  For him, the best thing ever was to have that place where they could all be together without time or space limitations.

I hope this devotional gives you much encouragement about Jesus’s heart and faithfulness, and about what is waiting for us.  These thoughts truly can settle our hearts, when they are troubled, just as Jesus said in the previous verse, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God.  Trust also in me.”

Sending my love to you all.

Being Present with Jesus

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1

Jesus said the words of today’s red-letter verse after he told his disciples that he would be with them only a little longer. He was going away, and from the way he talked, the thought of this must have caused his followers deep distress.

So he was going to explain to them that he was going to prepare a place where they could join him in the future. But first, he tells them the most important thing they do, the thing that everything else will hinge on. They need to believe in him they way they believe in God.

I’m reading, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry,” by John Mark Comer. Comer told about a survey Microsoft conducted in which 77% of people said they reach for their phone when they don’t have something else to do. Comer wrote, “”This new normal of hurried digital distraction is robbing us of the ability to be present. Present to God. Present to other people. Present to all that is good, beautiful and true in our world. Even present to our own souls.”

As I think about this, I think it’s ironic that Jesus was not going to be present any longer to his followers, and they were feeling terrible about it, but we aren’t as interested in being present with Jesus. Sure, we love to be with him at times — for church, or our morning devotional. But then, we reach for our phones.

Do you know why I often reach for my phone? It’s an escape. I have a stressful moment, and I look at my phone, and am blissfully distracted for a bit.

When people used to not have technology at their fingertips, they had to face the discomforts of life more.

And that actually brings me to the story of Jonah, which I’ve been reading. Jonah wanted to escape, as well. He didn’t want to be present with the task God gave him to do. Only, he wanted to escape, big time.

The way I can relate to this, is that Ken and I have been considering buying a little camper van. And I realize that one strong motivation for me having this is because doing the ministry over the past few years has been tiring, and I want to escape. I want to get in the van, and drive across the country, and be free!

But as I prayed about this desire to escape, it came to me that rest only comes from God. I can take a trip, and it could turn out to be the most stressful thing ever. I could stay home, and God can give me the most restful time ever!!

And I think that’s what Jesus was trying to say to his disciples. If your heart starts to be troubled, look to him, and him only. Believe in him, that he is the answer, to whatever is disturbing you.

Man, being able to believe in Jesus, even when he isn’t present! That’s the challenge today. And we’re only going to be able to develop that belief if we are present in the struggle, instead of escaping from it.

And we also are only going to be able to develop that belief if we make space for it to grow. A couple of days ago, I was driving back from Tuskegee at night. It’s about a 30 minute drive. And I told myself, “I’m not going to listen to music, or a podcast. I’m going to just be with God. I’m going to see this time with him as something that I value most.” And that’s what I did. It felt a little funny, but I was able to savor togetherness, and, after a while, pray in a natural way, not like I was going down a list.

So friends, do not let you heart be troubled. Make space for Jesus. Sit with him. Resist the temptation to escape.

He will give you a place to rest, both in this age, and in the age to come.

The benefits of being present. Seeing the beautiful blooms on my peach tree!

Thoughts John 13:33-38

Committed, Faithful Love

My friends, I’ve been thinking a lot about today’s red-letter passage.  It’s John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

I’ve been pondering on what it means to love one another as Jesus did.  There are many answers to this. But today, I’m focusing on how Jesus had a committed and faithful love. 

Last week, Ken and I did premarital counseling with a young couple, and we talked to them about how love in a marriage is a commitment, more than a feeling.  We talked about how God’s nature is to be utterly faithful to his people.

Shouldn’t we have this kind of love with people other than our spouse?

I think of verses like, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Prov. 18:24) And, “Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another…” (Romans 13:8)

I deeply long for that kind of love.

But instead, it seems like we drift in and out of one another’s lives.  I’ve moved several times.  I’ve hopped churches.  There are just a few friendships that I’ve been consistent in over time.

And others have done the same.  We enjoy one another for a time.  We’re friends, and sometimes partners in the gospel.  But then they move on, and usually don’t stay in touch in a significant way.

Even at church, there can be a disengagement among some of the members.

One verse that really resonates with me as I think about this is Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

I would so love more help bearing my burdens.  I would love more help with the burden of relationships.  It takes work to keep them going, and sometimes I feel like I’m putting in most of it. (There are some wonderful exceptions!) 

Because, if a relationship is a commitment and an obligation, it doesn’t work well if only one person is committed to it, or working for it.

I’m going to pause, at this point, because I just read a chapter in a book that sheds a whole new light on this. It describes how the people in the time of Jesus had more of an “us” mindset than a “me” mindset. They operated within a family, and this was their identity, and highest value. They sought the good of the family, not of the individual. This is called collectivism.

But when Jesus called these people to be his disciples, they had to move from a sole commitment to their family to also having a commitment to their brothers and sisters in the faith. This is a huge reason that Jesus commanded, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” He was telling them that they had a new obligation.

And this applies to us. We do owe love to our brothers and sisters. We owe them our allegiance. We owe them service.

And this isn’t as foreign to us as we want to think, because we have a sense of what it means to be committed to a spouse. A person makes vows to their spouse. They expect to be focused on that spouse, and make them a priority and give to them. Many of us also made vows to Jesus, to make him Lord of our life, for the rest of our lives. Thus, we are also committed to the people who make up his body, whether we realize it or not.

So what does this look like, in practical terms? I’m still working it out. But here’s what I’m thinking I want to do:

1. Continue to spend time with my immediate family members, especially those who need extra attention.
2. Nurture my relationships with sisters in my life, actively bear their burdens (like helping out with childcare) and spend time with them in person.
3. Find others who will share this view of committed love in relationships.
4. Pray for everyone more!

There’s so much more I could say here. I do want to mention that I believe Jesus was also talking about a commitment to love the lost, or even your enemies. And I do want to love, give and serve as many people as I can, especially as I see needs.

But I have to say that after studying out this idea of faithful, committed love, I can see God’s plan better. I can see how God’s plan is for members of the church to be committed to one another so their needs will be met, Christ to be formed in them, the poor will be served, and the lost will be reached.

I can see how God’s plan is for you and me to feel valued, important, and not alone.

I can see how God’s plan is that the world will see this committed love, and see unity. See Him.

I want to close by saying that experiencing the love of God and Jesus is my greatest joy. And it is my joy to pass it on to others. So I’m sending love to you, my readers. May we all grow in our ability to love like Jesus.

Time to Love

When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.  If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify the Son in Himself—and will glorify Him at once.

Little children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will look for Me, and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’

A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:31-35

When we consider the whole flow of John 13, the picture is deeply moving.   

The chapter begins by saying that Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave the world, and thus, he loved those who were his own “to the end.” 

The more I think about this statement, “to the end,” the more amazing it is.  Jesus was so dearly committed to his followers. At the close of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus told them, “And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age.” His commitment to them would stretch way beyond his death.

What’s something you can think of that lasts a long time?  I think of the times when I’ve driven through the rural countryside and seen chimneys on overgrown pieces of land.  The houses are long gone, but the chimneys still remain.  I think of the time we traveled to Rome, and saw columns from ancient buildings.  I think of coins that are found intact in a sunken ship. I Googled what the longest lasting element is, and one entry said that the element Xenon 124 has a half-life of 18 billion trillion years. 

That’s lengthiness is the kind of love that Jesus had here, and still has.  It doesn’t wear out. It doesn’t change.

And because Jesus loved his disciples with this kind of love, he illustrated this love in the best way he knew.  He washed their feet. 

And then told them to love others the way he loved them.

Yet, through all of this, he knew he was going to be betrayed.  He knew one of his disciples would set the chain of events in motion that would lead to his demise.

There’s a stark contrast.  You have this amazing love on one side, and, on the other, an utterly destructive act that’s the opposite of love.

And what’s even more astounding is that Jesus allowed this destructive act to take place, because that’s the way he would show his love even more.  He would die for those he loves. 

Today’s red-letter passage describes the turning point: “Now is the time for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

The glory Jesus was speaking about was his death and resurrection.  He was saying, “Now is the time for me to die.”

And that speaks to me.  Because I also feel like I’m at a turning point. And because now is also the time for me to die. 

It’s the time for me to die to self.  It’s time for me to die, in a sense, for my family members, who need extra help and support right now. It’s time to give in a better way to friends. Even as I was writing this, I was presented with an opportunity to give to a friend in a way I didn’t want to give. After much wrestling, I offered.

It’s time for me to die to my agenda, and to allow God’s agenda to unfold.

In addition to these, there are also the every day ways of “death.”  As always, it’s time for me to deny myself of comfort.  It’s time to serve.  It’s time to let go of anger and bitterness.  It’s time to pray more.  It’s time to sing and be positive, instead of complaining. And much more.

Ultimately, it’s time to die, because it’s time to love.  It’s time to love with the kind of faithful, enduring sacrificial love that Jesus had.

That’s why it’s so amazing that Jesus drew this Passover feast story to a conclusion with the statement, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

He was putting the most powerful truth in the universe into one statement, the truth of the cross, the truth that would change history and save the world.

And we need this so, so desperately. Because the world is going crazy!!  It seems like evil is getting stronger and stronger, and like it’s getting the upper hand.

We have to keep living the whole narrative of John 13.  In the face of evil, we have to love with His love. We have to overcome evil with good.

Because that’s what Jesus did.

Finding Understanding

I think one of the things that’s most difficult in being a Christian is when you’re not on the same page as other Christians. Why do you see the Bible one way, and they see it another?

And you love the Bible so much.  It’s your very heart.  So you can’t help but feel sad when they don’t seem to see the truth you hold so dearly.

In some cases, it’s a matter of doctrine.  There’s a young married couple who have been attending church, and expressed their desire to be members. I really love them.  But after I sat down with the woman and talked about going over the studies, she later texted me and told me that our church doesn’t align with her beliefs.  I’m not sure which beliefs she’s talking about, but it made me sad, all the same. 

In other cases, it’s a matter of commitment. Some have sporadic attendance. I want so much for them to partner with me in a love for the church and the mission.

Why don’t these people understand, or see what I see? Of course, I could be the one who’s wrong.  There are probably many things I don’t see yet.  But that doesn’t stop me from being excited about the truths I see, and wanting others to share them.

All of this brings me to today’s red letter passage about John asking Jesus who would betray him. 

“Leaning back against Jesus, he asked, ‘Lord, who is it?‘

Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give this morsel after I have dipped it.‘ Then He dipped the morsel and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. And when Judas had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him.

Then Jesus said to Judas, ‘What you are about to do, do quickly.‘ (John 13:26-26)

Here I am, blogging about Judas AGAIN!  I think I’m done, but then I have something more to say.

Judas wasn’t aligned with Jesus and his beliefs.  He didn’t understand. The other apostles were all wondering, “Which one of us would betray our master? We’re Jesus’s guys. We’re tight.”

But Judas wasn’t as tight as they thought. Somewhere, he missed the memo.

But before we’re too hard on him, the others didn’t completely get it either.  Simon Peter would deny Jesus.  Thomas would doubt him.

This morning, I read Colossians 1:9, about how Paul prayed continually for the Colossians, that they would be, “filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” It’s super interesting to me that this is what Paul wanted for them — to have spiritual wisdom and understanding.   He could have prayed so many things for them, and I’m sure he did.  But this is what he felt was of top importance.

So now, I have a new objective: to pray more for each person — for all of us — to have spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

Because any one of us can miss the memo.

And because it was of top importance to Jesus as well. He prayed, over and over, in the Garden for his followers to be unified. Again, there’s so many things he could have prayed.

I love my sisters and brothers. I hope that will keep us tight. But the prayers for understanding are going to help, too. They’re a part of the spiritual battle.

Betrayal or Beloved?

After Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit and testified, “Truly, truly, I tell you, one of you will betray Me.” (John 13:21)

I’ve been thinking about Judas’s betrayal.  I’ve had two times in my life when someone thought I’d majorly betrayed them.  These people have said they’ve forgiven me, but our relationship is not the same.

The thing about these “betrayals,” is that they made sense to me at the time. The course that was taken seemed like the best option, the most rational one.

What happened with Judas?  Did the betrayal he committed make sense to him?  How?

Was that part of his mistake?  Are there times when things don’t have to make sense? For the communion message Sunday, Ken read, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” I Cor. 1:25)

What if we need to be willing to do something that looks foolish, or even crazy? What if we don’t need to fix every situation according to our wisdom? What if, sometimes, we need to be humble, and say, “I don’t know,” and pray more?

Here’s one thing I DO know.  The betrayal of Judas made Jesus sad and upset.

And that’s a huge reason that we want to be careful in making decisions.  They affect others.  We need to ask, “Is it worth causing this person much pain?  Is the result worth potentially damaging the relationship?”

Not to say that we need to be a people pleaser.  But we do need to make choices with others at heart.  That’s what Jesus was doing, as he allowed himself to be betrayed here.  His decision would ultimately save many.

Do you know what’s the opposite of betrayal?  Caring.  I just saw a TV show where people adopt foster children.  I’m so touched at the way these people care about the kids enough to take them into their homes and make them family.  I’ve also been watching a show about the Alaskan Coast Guard.  The Guards will search for hours, even days, for an individual.  They really value a person. My heart is also moved at how many people respond to needs on local Facebook pages.  All someone has to do is say they need a bed, or blankets, or food, and so many people offer to help them.

These are great illustrations. We need to be as tenderhearted towards others as Jesus was/is towards us, and as God is towards us.  Ps 58:8 says, “Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll —are they not in your record?”

With all of the billions of people in the world, God sees and remembers the troubles of my heart, and yours.  They don’t just slide off of him, like water off a duck’s back.

So, I hope I would not betray Jesus, or anyone.  But, as I’ve seen with my friends, it can be all too easy.  Yet, I can vow to care more and more about others.  I can slow down, and let their situation resonate with me.  I can say a prayer for them.  I can take the time to help or encourage them.

I live my life too fast.  I’m too fixed on doing things the way I think they should go.  It’s time to be fixed, instead, on Jesus, in sweet connection, heart to heart, with him.

My sister in law is so thoughtful, and deeply caring. She cooked a wonderful picnic dinner for us when we were recently out in California, and also baked this anniversary cake for myself and my husband.

Here is my sister in law sharing about how much family means to her.