A Gift-Filled Table

The 4-H Pledge

“I pledge: my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living.” I made that pledge at each meeting as a grade-schooler in 4-H club. I understood that I was to offer myself in service to others. God has given each of us time, talents, gifts, and money to use for honoring Him and blessing others. I may not be as active and available for service as I was in grade-school 4-H, but I have experience and gifts to share, and time in which to do it. I can always listen and pray with thanksgiving for God blessing others and make requests to God on others’ behalf.

Set Your Minds Above

Some thoughts are locked into our minds and consume our days — and nights. We try to release them, but they remain. Will someone call today? Will the doctor find the cause of this pain and discomfort? Will strength ever be available to me again? The release is discovered in Christ. Lying sleepless at night, we allow His Spirit to help us focus on the mercies and grace of the Lord. We imagine His goodness flowing down upon us and praise Him for who He is. Knowing our days are wrapped in His love, we wait for the doctor to call or someone to visit. We honor Him with praise no matter how weak we feel. In time, the things of earth will no longer consume us for the things of heaven will fill our thoughts instead.

Travel Anxiety

As I anxiously prepared for a recent trip, I worried about the weather. I checked on current road construction. I packed all the necessary things. The stress was overwhelming. As we travel on our journey through life, our days can be full of worry too. Our health, finances, and other concerns burden us. Yet, our heavenly Father has promised to provide all that we need: “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3). What a joyful, living hope we have. We are being loved and cared for as a child in God’s family. We can live each day knowing that at the end of our earthly journey, our Lord will welcome us home!

Hard Hearts Healed

Hard-hearted. We’ve all known people who fit that unpleasant description. There’s also a good chance we’ve been hard-hearted ourselves at times. God’s Old Testament people regularly grew hard-hearted, worshiping idols and profaning God’s name. That’s why God sent Ezekiel to tell them He would transform their hearts. He does the same for us today. By the power of His Spirit, God transforms our hearts, much like Ezekiel witnessed when we saw the Spirit reassemble a valley of dry bones into flesh and breathe life into them. A similar thing happened at our Baptism. The Spirit entered our hearts, kindling the same faith that sustains us today and assures us of eternity in heaven. “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4).

Reflections on D-Day

The 27 military cemeteries in Normandy, France, are a practical result of this verse. More than 9,000 American service members are buried in the main American facility there — men and women who gave their lives for the safety of those they loved. Being a veteran, married to a veteran, it hurt my heart to walk among those graves. And, I don’t think for a minute that veterans are the only ones affected as they walk those grounds. Of course, there was another who gave His Son, Jesus, for those He loved — not just for their temporal safety, but for our eternal lives. Jesus’ death hurts my heart too, because I know my sin had a part in it. But I can rejoice that, in the end, instead of walking through a cemetery, I will get to walk with the resurrected Christ in heaven.