Grains of Sand

“ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you ” —Psalm 139:17, 18, NIV. Psalm 139 is one of those psalms that we can wrap ourselves in just as we would wrap ourselves in a warm, fuzzy blanket. For the believer the thought that God knows everything there is to know about us, that there is no place where we can go where He isn’t present, that He not only knew us before we were born, but formed us and has counted out our days,   is beyond just comfort. Though I have improved in this area over the years, I still don’t talk to many people about my innermost thoughts and feelings. But God knows them all. As a single, and something of an aberration in society because of the work I do, I am often alone. But God is always wherever I am. There was a time when I didn’t like my “look” and there are still times when I am not happy with the way I am. But God ma...

People: Sometimes frustrating creatures, but fascinating all the same. There is a young woman in the neighbourhood around the church who intrigues me. Every day as I walk to work, she is out walking too. When I go home at night, she is out walking. I've seen her on the street at other times during the day when I've had occasion to leave the office. She has Down's Syndrome. Her clothes are neat and clean. She is polite, speaks, and smiles at me when we pass each other. I have never seen her come out of any of the homes in the neighbourhood though I assume she lives somewhere close by. There are times when I find her walking and conversing with other people. She appears to be well-known and obviously liked. But why does she walk all day? Who looks after her? Does she live alone and look after herself (she seems to be quite capable) or does someone shove her out the door in the morning and tell her not to come back until later? Then there is a man I have never met from w...

Well, I got past the first few words of Romans 1:1 (see yesterday's post) but not far. These days I'm juggling more balls than is sometimes comfortable and one of those "balls" is a workshop I'm preparing on spiritual gifts. I collected all kinds of resources on the subject—and there are lots out there—including a little book by Henry and Mel Blackaby called: What's So Spiritual About Your Gifts? Sometimes the balls I am trying to juggle get in each other's way and such was the case yesterday as I moved passed Paul's reference to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. Here's the verse again: " Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— " Romans 1:1, NIV. The Blackabys' book has an unusual perspective (unfortunately) on spiritual gifts. I say "unfortunately" not because I believe they are wrong, but because that perspective is unusual in our "me" society where belie...