Updated 1/15/23
Connections (see Perspectives home page for word of the year) – does not sound like a complicated theme. A connection is defined as something that connects. Again, not very complex. Another definition is a relationship. When we think of the variety of relationships that exist, we are suddenly aware of the hugely complex nature of connections. Connections can be temporary, brief or longer term, but temporary. They can be permanent connections which supply energy in one direction, or mutually carry both parties along by this connection. Broken connections can be harmful, even devastating.
What I want to share about connections began for me by realizing what changed for us during our lock down period in 2020. We were restricted from our physical connections, but should that have eliminated our connections entirely? No emotional or verbal connections could be sustained, or ones that we could enhance through writing? I learned that I could do the things that I did before if I just did them in different ways, helping me appreciate the connections we could make through means other than person to person contact.
I have a goal this year to make connections in different ways than I did previously, with people that I have missed seeing for the last year or two, or with people that I have not seen in many years. We will be able to meet in person to do things that I have not done before. Especially, things that I have not done before and with people that I perhaps would not have even met before. I want this to help me see people differently than I did, valuing them for their interests, and not just for them liking my interests. This means that I am going to have to try to do things I have not done, to be in settings that I am not used to, and to try things that I am not comfortable trying.
This is not typical of me to set goals, nor to try new things. It is typical to think in numbers, so perhaps I will try to combine them. Each month I would like to participate in something new, allowing me to meet new people, and see them in their comfort area rather than mine. That is a much bigger goal than I intended to have when I started writing this. What that means is now I have to go ask God how in the world I do this.
Managing Time
How do we manage time? We are supposed to think of heavenly things and spending our eternity there, but heaven is not going to be any different between now and when we get there. How do we get up today and continue going through all that we do yet we actually do not even know where we will be at the end of the day. It is likely that this has come to the front of my thinking again due to the passing of a friend who graduated from High School with me, but this has to be a common thought process if I am to think of heavenly things often.
Again, how do we manage the thought of spending time during my day compared to spending eternity? Hopefully this question gets us into reading more of how we are to live each day. God knows all of the big things that we can experience and how they will affect us. He tells us about them in many parables that Jesus taught. One example is not to worry about tomorrow. This is a specific reference saying not to focus on even 24 hours ahead. Yet, that is not in our make up is it? We want to plan out our day today purposely to make our day tomorrow better. Yet we are to be like the sparrows and not let what is ahead of us tomorrow affect what we do today.
The logical result of this thinking process is to do what we can today to have in place the things we will need tomorrow, but also see and experience what is around us today. Kind of living in between two days, half and half. This is absolutely how I have to do my teaching job, teach and get results today, but have the plan in place for tomorrow, so clearly this is ingrained in my work and life. Over and over again I have sensed this is not enough for me to be living the life I was designed for, and it is really hard to see how I get from here to a new place of living daily only for God.
How do we manage time? I’d like to reference the writing I made at the bottom of this page called “Today”. Live like there is no limit to today. Pursue what you love doing. Greet people like you have waited all of your life to see them. Enjoy what is around you. Know you can worship God anywhere.
Connecting our lives to our faith together.
Your Room
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” John 14:1-2
Until I read that today, I only focused on the first part of that verse. It is crucial to fight so that our hearts are not troubled. It has us referencing other verses where Jesus asked us why we worry about anything. This is a mental and spiritual battle. I won’t write here about the battle, but it is real and must be fought. Think of it this way, if only one side fights the battle it is simply an invasion with no resistance. When Jesus said for us not to “let” our hearts be troubled, that is our choice how we look at everything going on in our lives.
The second part of that verse is “Believe in God, believe also in me.” Why would Jesus add the part about believing in him? Amazingly, this is not that much different from today. There are actually a lot of people who believe in God now, just as there were back at that time. Believing in Jesus changes our faith completely. If you are not sure of that, read the next verse again where he says that He will go prepare a room for us. Think about how would you prepare a room for a guest? You would clean and organize it, make it look appealing, and make sure they knew how to get there and get into the room. How would you prepare a room for your child who was arriving home after being away most of their life? You would do even more to put things they love in the room, things they will need while there like clothes, books, and probably the spending money to again bring them joy while at home. You probably would put their name on the door. You would make it personal for them to feel it is theirs.
We are not guests in the Father’s house. We are children. And your room will be amazing.
Good works
The verses in John 14:12-14 are incredible promises from Jesus. He starts by saying that we will do the works that He is doing. I think we tend to only consider this to mean the miracles that he was doing. The healing and casting out of demons. Chances are most of us will dismiss these verses thinking that we will never perform those kind of actions.
What I am asking you to consider here is all of the kinds of interactions Jesus had with people and all of the people with whom he interacted. We only have a few stories about people to examine, but there are enough to understand his love for people and what his actions meant to those people.
The work that Jesus did that was so special began with meeting people right where they were in their lives. He approached them from their struggles or comforts, their shame or pride, their gifts or their brokenness. He demonstrated to them how he loved them just as they were in their weakest moments, and that he was there to show them the way to proceed through their lives in a manner pleasing to God. This was life shattering news to all that he encountered, sometimes the shattering was good for the people, and sometimes that shattering news was not accepted by others. Ask Jesus how you can do these things for others, do the works that He was doing, and bring glory to God for what He does.
John 14:12-14 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in y name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
God the Father
These were collected from a congregation of people
God is:
Everywhere
All powerful
Light
My inspiration
Righteous
Holy and just
Kind
Loving
Spirit
So faithful
Worthy
With us always
Slow to anger
Merciful
Everlasting
God,
The loving creator
The Almighty
The unfailing provider
The sovereign God of the universe
Hears my inaudible prayer
Heals the sick
Has a huge sense of humor
Worthy of praise and honor
God forgives
God protects me
God loves me unconditionally
God has a sense of humor
God knows me completely
God wants a relationship with me
God knows all about me
God is my boss
Unfailing Love
In Psalms 48 “Within your temple, Oh God, we meditate on your unfailing love”.
In Psalms 90 “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love that we may sing for joy and be glad in all our days.”
In Psalms 143 “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift my soul.
Twice he mentions in the morning, once to bring him word and once to satisfy. How would God be willing to share His unfailing love? When we meditate. But do we have to go to church every morning to meditate? We are His temple. He is with us. So when we start early in the day to meditate on His unfailing love, and put out trust in Him, we will be able to sing for joy and be glad in all our days.
Offerings
Exodus 25:2 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.” Vs 8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.”
God did not specify anything about these offerings. As long as our heart tells us to give it. I understand that the context implies what they were giving from their possessions, as we give of our finances, but this applies to how we give in other ways too. How we serve, how we show kindness, how we worship, how we use our talents, even how we spend our thoughts. What is your heart telling you to give?
From Jonah 1
There are a lot of interesting responses to problems in the book of Jonah.
The Word of the Lord came to Jonah. He ran.
Have you tried running? Do you remember where that got you?
Jonah not only ran, but bought a ticket for a boat, then boasted he was running from God. A violent storm came. Sailors cried out separately to their own gods. No help.
Do you first turn places where we get no help?
They threw stuff overboard.
Do you get rid of things you may need to try to find the cause of the problem?
The Captain woke Jonah up.
Do you complain to people who would otherwise not even aware of your problems?
Then the captain said to pray to your god and maybe he will take notice.
Do you take shots in the dark to try to solve problems?
Then the sailors cast lots. Anyone try a dartboard?
They asked Jonah questions about who he was and why he was running. Great questions.
They asked Jonah what they should do to him.
Do you ask what you need to do to others to get through your problems?
He responded throw me in. Do you give up?
They tried to row back.
Do you try to save yourself by your own power?
The sea grew worse. They cried to God that if this was an innocent man, not to hold them accountable. They threw Jonah in.
What happens when you are finally obedient?
The storm calms. Inside the fish, Jonah prayed.
Have you turned it completely over to God, knowing you can do nothing without Him?
Today
Today you can make life changes.
Today you can stop having pop, caffeine, alcohol, or drugs, and start drinking more water.
You can stop hating someone, and start loving someone.
You can start exercising, and stop sitting.
You can start a garden and stop consuming.
You can start planning a trip, start a reunion group, start a service project, start being a church member, or start tithing.
You can stop swearing, stop looking at pornography, stop being disobedient.
You can start honoring your mother and father, or start keeping the Sabbath.
There is no limit to today.
Today you can listen to God.
Today you can love a neighbor.
Today you can serve, make a caring call, write a love note.
Today you can study God’s word, pray for God’s guidance, hear God’s answer.
Today you can help someone, forgive someone, or ask forgiveness from someone.
Today you can make life changes, or change the life that you are having.
John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Today you can have life, and have it more abundantly.
That’s the power of today.
“Scripture quote of the day“
Verse
Doc Dave DeWitt 