Do You Trust Me?

Photo Credit: Billy Pasco

It never ceases to amaze me, how easily trust can be lost and how hard it is to gain. It’s so odd, you’d think it would be the other way around but it isn’t; why is that? Well intentioned parents do it, friends do it, priests, police, and politicians do it. I’ve even done it. I have broken the trust of those around me and experienced first hand the immense amount of work required to rebuild the relationship. Sometimes, that relationship is never repaired.

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Not What You Expected

Photo Credit: Daniel Sturgess

Two sayings come to mind as I begin to write these words; God doesn’t answer all prayers, but He does carefully consider each, and We often don’t get what we want, but we always get what we need. These make great fuel for interesting discussion. Let’s take a step back and briefly ponder each of these before seeing how they fit into the theme this week’s meditation.

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Context is Everything

Photo Credit: gwire

Let’s eat, Grandma. vs. Let’s eat Grandma. I often think of this little example when I hear certain phrases, or even Bible verses cherry picked from here and there. In the case of Grandma, a simple comma is the only thing separating a wonderful meal with her from… you get the rest.

Here’s a familiar one for you. It is perhaps the most well known verse in the world; known by Christians and non-Christians alike; John 3:16.

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The Everyday Christmas Gift

Imagine for a moment, you receive a Christmas gift and use it everyday for 14 years. What a gift! Even if someone gave you a new car, after that many years you’d have likely gotten rid of it or found yourself in want of a newer one. Clothes, cars, computers, or cash… I’ll assume most would be a faint memory at best after 14 years. What kind of gift stands the test of time better than the aforementioned items? Well, in my humble opinion I have one sitting right here next to me.

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Throwing the Pot

Photo Credit: SwapnIl Dwivedi

There are moments in life when you take a step back and what you see makes your hair stand on edge. This is one of those moments and I’m at a loss for words to describe just what I see. A similar situation occurs with outdoor nature photography. You pause at a jaw-dropping vista, in awe of its immense beauty and break out your camera to capture the moment. Putting eye to viewfinder, the scene loses all awe and wonder and you put your camera away. What makes these moments so special that words and photos seldom capture their mystique?

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Different Streams

Photo Credit: Matt Power

There is a famous poem by John Godfrey Saxe titled The Blind Men and the Elephant. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Six wise men, each blind, encounter an elephant. If not, give it a read, it’s really good. Each of the men experience a different part of the animal and end up disagreeing with one another as to what this creature actually looks like. None realize that each has experienced only a part of the entire picture.

I liken my own faith experience to this poem. When I became a Christian, I gravitated towards one particular “stream” of Christianity. The churches I attend, podcasts I listen to, and books I read, can tend to all speak the same language and describe things in similar fashion. While great, if I’m not careful I’m only experiencing a distinct aspect of the Body of Christ.

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