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Dissonant Notes

DSC_0396By Judy Villanueva

“I love You, O Lord, my strength.”
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.  (Psalm 18:1-3)

I came to faith with great energy to hope in God — to wait with expectation for what God would say and what He would do!  Young and full of faith, I climbed out on the proverbial limb and watched for Jesus but, answers to prayer lingered and unwelcomed outcomes arrived instead.  Disappointment in prayer began to undermine the song I wanted to sing from the branches and before I knew it I was on the ground dusting myself off and kicking aside the cracked branch next to me.

Dissonant notes. They are notes that play on the base clef of our souls.  On the treble clef we hear the melody of faith, joy and peace.  We believe God’s word and trust Him.  But, if we listen closely we may become aware of dissonant notes that are also playing, the ones a little off-key that remind us of disappointments, losses, and our wounded souls.  Did you know that it is possible to feel hurt by God?  Now, that may sound irreverent , but I’ll suggest it’s just honest.  It is what happens along our faith journeys in this fallen world when we don’t understand the unexpected things that happen in life.  We believe that God is faithful but we cannot make sense of pain, sickness, and suffering in this world.

So, what do we do with our dissonant notes?  First, it is helpful to listen and allow them to help us understand the hurts inside of us.

In listening we come to realize how pain may have warped our image of God and interfered with our ability to trust Him.

Rather than ignoring our hurts and disappointments, we can offer them a place to heal.  In God’s Word we find powerful and reorienting Truth that creates melodies of hope within us  and purifies the way we see and know God.  Taking time to rest and be still aids in quieting our souls and fosters a sense of  God’s presence.  Here we learn to accept what cannot know or control and trust that God is faithful and able to watch over our lives.  Finally, in worship we learn to sing alongside our off-key notes with melodies of grace that invite them into the larger songs being written through our lives by God — songs of His faithfulness, redemptive power, and everlasting love!

“Lord, I am so aware of my off-key notes, especially when I am discouraged or disappointed. Thank You that all my notes find their place in the song You are writing through my life. Help me to wait and watch for Your faithfulness. Amen.”

What About You?

Are you aware of the notes that play in your soul?  Contented and off-key?

Have you taken time to listen and understand them?

Can you bring your soul full of notes (joys and sorrows) to Jesus…to rest and be loved?

 

Worship

Washing Feet

DSC_0233By Judy Villanueva

John 13:3-8
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Can you imagine what it would be like to know to the core who you are, where you came from and where you are going?  What would it feel like to know with confidence to Whom you belong and Whose power fills you?  I read this and felt awed at the freedom Jesus experienced to live fully aware and assured that He came from God and would return to God. It empowered Him for whatever God would call Him to do next, whether that would be washing feet, raising the dead, or hanging on a cross.

I love what comes next! Jesus knows that all things are under His power so, He gets up and wraps a towel around His waist!

Is this what is at the center of Divine Love and infinite power — a foot-washer?

Rather than POWER initiating any sort of domination, it inspired Jesus to bow before His creatures and wash their feet!  These were not the feet of kings or conquering warriors. They belonged to young men still figuring themselves out and often, clueless to the One in their midst. I guess they were feet much like yours and mine.

I remember the first time that someone washed my feet. It was at a retreat and all of the participants sat in a circle waiting for…we did not know what?  Then, the priest entered with a bowl of water and a towel and I, like Peter, wanted out of there!  My heart wrenched and my insides cried out, “No! Don’t wash my feet! They are dirty. I’m not worthy!” And, then I heard these words, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me”…and it hit me!  If I cannot let this man of God wash my feet, how will I ever let Jesus die for me?  So I sat back in surrender and as my feet were washed and wrapped, the grace of God enfolded me and the pride within me broke! Tears flowed and my heart filled with gratitude! Then came the realization that this is where I’ve come from and where I will return one day…

to a God who kneels before me to wash my dusty feet, and Who, with all things under His power, hung on a cross to cleanse the whole of me with love.

“Lord, I can hardly contain my tears at the thought of Your love! I feel so far from being like You and it makes me sad. Fill me with foot-washing love so that I might love you back…and love others with the same power and assurance that comes from knowing that I came from You and will return to You, someday. Amen.”

How about you?

How would you feel having your feet washed by Jesus?

Do you feel any hesitation?

Do you know where you came from and where you will return?

Jesus can give you the peace your heart seeks and can be your full assurance that you are loved. Let Him wash your feet.

Worship

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Cultivating Joy!

lake louiseBy Judy Villanueva

Psalm 16:11
You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

We reached the top and stood facing a full view of the Rocky Mountains iced in snow! The wind was blowing and the air was a warm 63 degrees…spectacular! Have you ever felt joy sweeping you up through your senses? As we walked down the hill I savored the feeling of the sun on my face, the sight of my husband walking slightly ahead of me, and the sound of pines as they sifted the wind. It soothed my soul and placed my worries in a larger context…a joyful one held securely in the hands of God. I love that God made us with eyes, ears, a nose, mouth and skin so that we can literally take in His creation! Genius! If I ever need convincing that God is kind and good I need look no further than how He designed us to share in the beauty and glory of all that He has made!

One of my favorite questions to ask a new friend is “What gives you joy?” “What delights your soul?” “What draws you into the goodness of God?” Problems and challenges seem to find their way to the forefront of our awareness because, like the prick of a needle, pain demands our attention and, unfortunately, can be rather hoggish about it.

Being present to joy amidst and alongside life’s struggles, however, helps us remember that God is good.

Witnessing His love and kindness through the joys that a day offers shifts our attention to hope and to the reality of God with us. He is with us!

When my daughter was little we used to play a game on vacations or wherever we happened to be when we bumped into beauty! I would say, “Stop! Now, freeze this moment and take a mental picture and never forget…” the aspens we were hiking through or the lake we were sitting by or the feel of the wind blowing through us!

Catching and cultivating joy is a powerful spiritual exercise, not to mention its potential to transform our perspectives and enlarge our capacities to see God in, through, before and behind all of life.

But, it requires our engagement and sometimes our willingness to confront old patterns of thinking. God has designed us to share His life and see His glory in the midst and alongside our real lives. He is present with warm winds, sweet fragrances, good friends and countless other secret plans to sweep us up with joy and help us along our way!

“Father, thank you for the gift and grace of our five senses and the way they allow us to take in beauty, sounds, flavors and the feel of Your love around us. Awaken me to the day’s invitations to joy and help me to tuck away your goodness and remember Your history of faithfulness to me. Amen.”


How about you?

What gives you joy? What draws you into the goodness of God?

How might you cultivate joy today?

Can you receive His joy today, however it may come to you, in the midst and alongside your real life?

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Windows

DSC_1207By Judy Villanueva

Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; In all of your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”

I love it when God says “Yes!” What’s not to love? I understand “yes”. “Yes” feels good! “Yes” feels right! Right? There is something about “You got the job!” “Will you marry me?” “You win!” that affirms that we are loved and that Someone good is watching over our lives. “Yes” is like a spring rain or a summer breeze that wraps around us with happy! It usually makes us smile, relieves our hearts, and makes us want to dance! I love it when God says “Yes!”

I’m guessing you know where this is going? There are other times when it can feel like God isn’t listening or doesn’t care because doors close, we don’t win, and someone else gets the job. We pray for God’s will and offer to submit to a “No.” And, we mean it…sort of…or at least until the answer is actually “No.” Then, it’s easy to get lost. Disappointment is tricky and tends to throw everything up for grabs. Is God in control? Why did this or that happen? Did I hear wrong? What can I now expect going forward?

It is at these times that a window opens, a particular moment when God invites us to trust Him with our whole hearts. It is here and now that faith is exercised. Can we accept the “no,” and will we place our hearts in His care?

Acceptance and trust are things we do on our knees and often, on our faces.

Surrender. Breathing in rug-dust, placing our hearts before the King, we ask for mercy, strength to trust and a sense of His love to hold us and help us go forward. He is here. He is good. He waits at the window to be our spring rain, our summer breeze…our supreme and beautiful happy.

“Lord, how I need you to move in close when a “no” has pushed me over. On my face, I come to You and surrender with my whole heart. Help me today not to lean on what I think I know, but to come to You for comfort and strength to trust. Amen.”

What about you?

Have you experienced a disappointing “No” in life?

Do you need God’s help with acceptance and trust?

What would it be like to trust God with all of your heart?

God is faithful. He loves you and watches over your life.

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I Know My Sheep…

DSC_1115By Judy Villanueva

John 10:14
I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.

John 10:27
My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.

It was the day of our reindeer excursion and as we hiked behind a young, red-haired Scot, I realized that this was not going to be the petting zoo I had expected! When we finally arrived, we found ourselves atop a thousand-acre preserve overlooking fields of grass bowing under the force of the highland winds and littered with the last blooms of heather. After some instructions about what to do and not do around wild reindeer, Zach, our guide and reindeer shepherd, put his hands to his mouth and drew a deep breath! The sound of the call that he bellowed over the landscape gave me the chills and we all stood in silence watching for what would happen next. One after another, reindeer were running toward the sound of their shepherd until close to a hundred magnificent creatures had gathered in anticipation of a morning snack! Zach began telling us their names, their position in the herd, and about their specific personalities. He pointed out Hamish, the dominant male, and Elvis, the young up and comer. He told us about the baby albino and, literally, the number of hairs per square inch that made up their coats!

This experience gave a whole new meaning to Jesus’ words, “I know My sheep.” We aren’t just one of the herd! He knows our names, what we look like, our quirks and unique personalities. He recognizes my crooked smile and your funny toes! Jesus knows us intimately! He knows our strengths, our weaknesses, and the number of hairs on our heads. He knows the parts of us we like to show everyone and the parts that we hide and protect.

He listens for our voices, contented or disturbed, so that He can attend to our needs, guide us and be our place of shelter.

He keeps track of us and knows where we are at all times. He watches over us and protects us, even when we feel alone and on our own. Jesus calls to us in the middle of our days to come to Him…and be fed. The question is, do we hear His voice?

Recognizing the voice of our Good Shepherd is no great mystery, although it sure can feel like it at times! Like all relationships, we grow in familiarity by spending time together. Hearing God may seem ethereal, but His voice becomes clearer, more discernable as we regularly read the Word, pray, and learn to pay attention to ordinary revelation.

We tend to only “count” extraordinary revelation (lightning bolts and the miraculous) but the reality is, God is always speaking and learning to tune in to His voice around us can become a gift of His presence all day long!

The sun rising and setting becomes a declaration of His power, order and goodness. It’s comforting. The Word written on our hearts becomes a whisper that directs us toward truth and God’s will. It’s guiding. Worship music bypasses thinking and sings God’s love over our soul. It’s nourishing. And, the prayers we pray alone or alongside a friend become experiences of talking with God and learning to hear His voice. Pay attention to daily revelations of God’s love, run toward His voice wherever you hear it, and rest…knowing you are known and watched over by our good and faithful Shepherd.

“Jesus, thank you for being my good Shepherd. It touches me to think that you actually know my name, my goofy smile and what is important to me. I want to recognize Your voice in my days. Help me to hear You calling to me through all the ways You’ve created. Help me to stop, listen and run to You. Amen.”
DSC_1062
What about you?

Do you know the sound of the Good Shepherd’s voice? Do you recognize His voice when He calls?

How does it feel that God knows you and all your ways?

Where and how do you hear God best?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZjxY0iL2xcGod knows your name and cares about you. Talk to Him and learn to hear His voice.

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Longing for Spring

emeraldlake2By Judy Villanueva

“Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth;
 the time of singing has come…”

Our faces were turned toward the screen and our eyes squinted as we strained to decipher the image hidden within the black and white background. “Yes, there it is!” the doctor announced. Tears and joy filled the room! It had been six years of praying, hoping and disappointment. “Only one?” my friend asked. “What? Well, I only see one but let’s check again.” the doctor complied. “Here’s the one and let’s see…oh my, yes, there is another! You are having twins!” Springtime! Have you ever been with someone when their spring arrived? I was lucky enough to be in the room at the moment when my friend’s winter turned to spring in an instant. Warmth, color, sunshine and the sweet fragrance of life had blown in a new season and, from one moment to the next, it became spring!

As I write this, I am watching a winter storm blowing in and while it looks harmless enough, it is bitter cold outside and it won’t be long before all the land is covered in white. Before spring arrives, we must endure the quiet and cold of winter when life lies dormant and it can feel unending at times. What does it mean to wait with faith and how do we surrender to winter with hope? It blesses me how God made the seasons to reflect the rhythms we experience in life so that we’ll be helped to remember that after a long winter comes a warm and fruit-filled spring!

There is life buried beneath blankets of snow and resting in trees that appear dead, and we must hope while we wait for our springs to form.

I wonder if God doesn’t use winters to slow us down and help us long for Him. The truth is, we want the comforts of spring, but need the love of our Father and it is often during cold winters that we finally relent and reach for Him. God does not leave us without hope during long, cold seasons and, if we pay attention, we will hear the melody of spring even in the thick of winter.  Remaining open to God’s presence through His word,  people, beauty, and love is sustaining and helps us in our waiting.   Reach for God in the winter and listen for His songs that want to fill our hearts with hope and wrap us in His love.  Rest in His arms and trust that He watches over the seeds of life that wait to flourish in the spring.

“Father, help me to want You. I love springtime and I get impatient during long winters. Thank you for quieter and even, emptier seasons that help me to reach for You. Draw me into awareness in the winter of your springtime songs around me and help me to wait while my spring forms. Amen.”

What about you?

Are you in a season of winter, longing for spring?

What are the longings of your heart?

Are you able to reach for God?

Do you know that He is with you and longs to fill the empty places of your heart?

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Wanted!

Disorientation, Knowing God, Spiritual Formation, Worship

IMG_2304By Judy Villanueva

Jeremiah 31:3 I have loved you with an everlasting love; 
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

Isaiah 43:1 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

We belong to God! What could be more life-giving than knowing that we are loved with an everlasting Love? Sadly, in this world we do have trouble and when the pressure is on, we can lose hold of this beautiful truth. Disappointments, losses and hopes deferred can cause us to feel unloved and unwanted by God. If that is what you are feeling today or ever, then let it sound an alarm to your soul! It’s not true. Don’t believe it! Lean in and lean hard into the Father’s voice! It may not be easy, but do it because God is speaking, always speaking! “I want you….I always want you. I love you. You are mine.”

We, each one of us, were created to feel wanted and loved. I believe it crushes the heart of God when life in this fallen world causes us to forget, doubt, or worse, stop believing that we are named, redeemed…and His! It makes sense, I suppose, that this is where we are often disturbed and thrown off our feet, spiritually and emotionally. If we doubt that our lives matter…that God keeps track of our smiles and tears, then we may find ourselves tossed about by the wind and whim of circumstance.

Hearing God whisper “I want you” pierces our souls with light!  What else can compare?  It calms our fears, gives us courage, and becomes a place of residing joy within us.  Read what God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; 
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”  We must hold these words close to our hearts as if we are pressing the truth of them into our very bodies and, should we ever feel shaken and unwanted, we need not fear.  Instead, we must remember that independent of our feelings, God remains faithful! He is with us and we are His!

“Father, how often I am fearful and forgetful that You are ever-faithful! I want You to be my place of residing joy and freedom. Thank you for Your unfailing love…and that You always want me. Help me daily to hear Your voice calling my name and leading me to Your heart. Amen.”

What about you?

Have you ever felt unwanted?

What gets in the way of believing that God wants you/loves you?

What helps you hear God’s voice of love?

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Holding Offenses

sunsetBy Judy Villanueva

Colossians 3:13
“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

Staring at the floor after a long and heated conversation, my husband and I finally agreed on a compromise.  We saw a matter very differently but thankfully were able to reach a solution that we each could live with that is, until  my back was turned!  That’s when he couldn’t help himself and executed a NOT agreed on solution!  Errrggh!  I would venture to guess that most of the time it’s not the actual offense that mushrooms into a bitter mess, but what happens in the aftermath that tangles up our hearts. My husband sort of apologized and I knew for sure he was sorry that I was upset, but I wasn’t convinced he was sorry for his actions.  I confess that what I really wanted was groveling and utter sorrow, but instead I bought a log rocking chair–and it helped!

Nursing grudges. Holding offenses. Keeping a list of wrongs. Why do we feel we are owed a debt when we’ve been wronged or offended? Think about it. When someone doesn’t return a phone call, betrays a confidence, or is careless with our feelings there seems to be an internal tally that accounts for who owes who what. The greater the offense, the greater the debt!

The flesh knows well that it owns these transgressions and, unless  there is an exchange made that cancels the debt the offense lives to grow and fester.

The exchange might involve accepting an apology, making retribution (as in the case of the log rocker), or some other kind of not-so-pretty payback. Beware, however, because the flesh is an untrustworthy bookkeeper at war with the things of the Spirit! The numbers may balance, but it will cost you! We must ask ourselves what we want more, evening the score or freedom?

There is only one place to find peace from the offenses we hold, only one exchange that truly sets us free and that is at the foot of the cross! Unless we look up and witness afresh the face of Divine Love dying for us, we fall prey to the notion that we lose something when we forgive. Placing ourselves in daily proximity to Christ on the cross, stretching out our hands to receive His love, and recollecting the outpouring of grace that freed us from our own great debt of sin works to soften and open our hearts to free others.

In the presence of great Love a deposit is received that expands our capacity to relinquish ownership of offenses and exacting of accounts!

As we sit in the lap of Grace, we discover that there is no payback or exchange that compares to belonging to God!  His grace is enough.

“Father, keep drawing me to the cross so that I can keep remembering what Your Love did for me. Help me to stand in the flow of Your grace and receive what I don’t deserve. Let Your deposits of love empower my heart to let go of offenses and forgive. Thank You for the cross that freed me! Amen.”

DSC00628.JPG

What about you?

Are you holding an offense against anyone?

Do you find it consuming your thoughts and diminishing your joy?

Which do you want more?  Evening the score or freedom?

Stand at the foot of cross and look at the lengths God went to free us from our sin. Let it wash over you an fill you with grace for others.

Worship

Raising the Dead

Knowing God, Spiritual Formation, Worship

waterfallBy Judy Villanueva

John 11:38-44
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Can you see Jesus standing before the tomb that holds His dear friend? It has been four days. Go there with me…imagine being with Jesus in front of the cave and watch the story unfold! Mary and Martha are there along with others who loved this man and his family. It’s dusty and I can hear the shuffling of feet on the sandy ground. “What did Jesus say? He wants to take the stone away? Why?” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”  I hear these words as if they have traveled over 2000 years and found me typing in my little office.  God is speaking to me!  I want to believe!  I want to see the glory of God! I suddenly realize that some of my stuff is in that tomb! Hopes that have died…prayers that have grown tired…dreams that have been dragged there by long years of waiting.

I look at the tomb that holds the dead…and then, I look at Jesus!  He knows. There are tears of love in His eyes and in mine as I feel intimately known and loved. Then, He turns and faces the mouth of the cave and shouts, “Lazarus, come forth!”  There is a hush that sweeps across the site and a pressured pause as we all wait with wide-eyed anticipation. Then, we hear it…can it be?  Footsteps!  All eyes are on the mouth of the cave.  Now, watch…don’t miss it!  There! A shadow!  And now, a dead man raised and walking out of his tomb! Standing at the cave next to the One for whom nothing is impossible, we witness the beauty and wonder of life called forth from death!  I fall to the ground in sheer awe and utter amazement! The glory of God is spectacular!  I want to dance! I want to cry!  My God can do anything!

Almost unwittingly, I find myself peeking around Jesus as He hugs His friend to see if I can catch a glimpse of my stuff.  Where is it???  It’s not in the tomb!  How can I go from awe to panic in a mili-second? Where’s my dead stuff?  Befuddled, I turn scanning for my shattered hopes, my disappointments, fatigued prayers and lifeless dreams. Then Jesus says, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”  What on earth?  There in front of me is Jesus asking me to believe and inviting me to witness the glory of God!  And, to my surprise, held safely in His arms, is all my dead stuff!  Jesus holds my pages of prayers, my worries, loved ones, hopes and dreams!  He looks at me and says, “Come forth!”…and I feel a surge of faith, dreams awakening, worries resting, and hopes breathing again.

“Lord God almighty! You are faithful! You are all powerful, all good, all knowing…and You love me! You know me! All the time, in every thing, You know me. Thank you that You care about my hopes and dreams. Call forth the things that have died in me and let the reality that Jesus stands with me help me to believe and watch for Your glory! Amen.”

How about you?

Do you have hopes, dreams, prayers, and weathered faith left for dead in a tomb?

How might you pray if Jesus were standing next to you? How might you ask Him to pray for you?

Do you want to see the glory of God? Do you need help to believe?

Pray. Ask God to call forth life!

 

Worship

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Throwing Stones

Character/Virtues, Spiritual Formation

pagosashadowBy Judy Villanueva

John 8:1-11
At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Have you ever judged anyone? What is it about human nature that wants to stand over others and cry out for justice? Even children seem to have an internal sense of fairness and tattle loudly, so that the world might be made right. Is it part of our human nature to expect that a price must be paid for wrong doing? What glares at me in this story is the complete lack of love with which this woman is thrown before Jesus and the people gathered to hear him teach. It is clear that her accusers aren’t interested in justice as much as they are in setting a trap for Jesus. She is not a person in need of mercy OR justice, simply a pawn to further their schemes. Is that what happens when we are quick to judge, when our motives or fears become a log that blinds us and cuts off love?

I wonder what Jesus was thinking as he wrote in the sand? I know he saw her! Jesus always sees us! I know he hated that her shame was dragged out and hung in full view of the people! Did he kneel down and write as a way of helping the crowd slow down and see the woman? Did he want it to sink in that they, after all, were not so different than she? I wonder what the woman was thinking? She was caught in the act! She knows how this works! I imagine her looking down in shame unable to meet the eyes of her accusers, bracing for the first stone. Instead, crouched in Jesus’ shadow, she hears him invite the one without sin to throw first, but rather than receiving blows of judgment, she hears rocks falling to the ground and feet shuffling away!

Can you imagine her first glimpse of grace as she looks up at Jesus and hears him say, “Where are your accusers? Does no one condemn you? Neither do I condemn you.” We are people in need of mercy, and yet, are terribly prone to judge each other harshly. It’s not that discerning right from wrong is a bad thing. On the contrary, it is a necessary thing if we are to grow in godliness. We do harm when we stop seeing people and just see their acts, when we forget that we are not so different from those we condemn, and when we mistakenly believe we are in any position to throw stones. The only One in that position did not pick up a rock. Nor did Jesus set the woman free without exhorting her to leave her life of sin. We tend to do one or the other…we either forgive and condone sin or judge and condemn it. The truth is, what we need is mercy AND justice and, it is only crouched in the shadow of the cross that…remarkably, thankfully, undeservedly…we find both!

“Lord, I confess that I, too, judge others harshly. I ask for grace to fill my heart and your help to love people and forgive acts. I know for certain that I want mercy! I am struck watching Jesus in this story and taught by His love. I want to see people the way You do. Thank you, thank you, thank you..for grace! Amen.”

What about you?

Are you growing in gracing giving rather than stone throwing?

Do you tend to forgive and condone or judge and condemn?

Have you had an encounter with grace?

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