Decks and Lofts

The software dictionary on my computer says a deck is a platform like structure, typically made of lumber and unroofed, attached to a house or other building. That's a good description of the space on the west side of our house on Loon Pond. The deck affords us wonderful views of the open sky in all weathers and seasons, most especially glorious sunsets that display the handiwork of God.

In spring we like to set up our screen room and turn the deck into an additional living space, an extension of the house. Then it becomes our favorite destination for working, relaxing, or welcoming family and friends. Besides the superb view of beautiful Maine scenery, the deck is an excellent location from which to observe our grandchildren as they revel in the freedom and joy of the beach - that is, if we're not down there with them.

God has been providing a lot of warm and wonderful memories around our Loon Pond deck. We've opened His Word there as a couple and with others. I've studied the Scriptures with ladies from our church body on those sturdy stretches of lumber. I've also pondered the Savior's redeeming work in my life and sought the Spirit's counsel and guidance there. Many of the posts on this blog were woven together in one way or another around this platform.

As lovely and meaningful as the deck has been for me, for us, the time has come to bid it farewell. God has made it plain that His plan for us includes a move to Europe. The idea was a surprise to us, having settled quite well back into life in New England. We retreated to the Scriptures for direction and were led to Isaiah 6:6-8. We sought counsel from trusted brothers and sisters under the precept of Proverbs 15:22. We were convinced by the truths of Romans 8:28-30, especially as it applies to God's watch care over our children and grandchildren.

Yes, it's an exciting step to undertake. We've lived cross-culturally in the past and found the experience invigorating. It's also a blessing to think that God can use us in such a vibrant way. Yet, it's hard to pull up roots. Those that have been sunk with extensions far back into both of our lives are deep and delicate. Nevertheless, when God calls we know that obedience is the only answer for those that love Him. We're in the middle of this transition as I write this post.

We were given a bit more than a month to make preparations, 10 September to 17 October with a previously-planned 10 day vacation in the middle. It was a whirlwind of activity and emotions. We cherish the support we've received from old and new friends alike that has carried us on our way. We understand the consternation of a few and trust they'll take their concerns to the One in charge of our days. We pray for everyone we leave behind to be as thrilled, delighted, and amazed at the hand of God in their own lives as we are in ours.

We've been in Prague, the capitol of the Czech Republic, for about a week. The Lord chose this city for us and we've been making our way day by day. He's provided a temporary space for us to lay our heads in the home of some new friends. He brought us a visa agent who's hard at work moving our paperwork through the Czech process. We've got month-long passes for the public transportation system. We've been in and out of the city every day without getting lost. We were blessed to worship our Risen Savior with a faithful body of believers. It's a good start.

Don't get the wrong idea. We've had our stretching points. There was the toast that tasted a little funny and caused us to refer to the Czech dictionary. We learned that packets of pork lard resemble butter packets quite a bit. We have to carry maps with us at all times to help us find our way. It's getting a little tiresome to feel illiterate when interacting with people. All in all though it does seem that the Lord has laid out our path in line with Proverbs 3:5,6.

Obviously we will be living in a very different, urban setting. We will be gaining a new perspective on every day life and wonder what the view will be like. Well, the truth is, we have a hint about that. The Lord has opened the way for us to rent a lovely fifth floor apartment. It's situated in a quiet area with a small park nearby with fountains, and a short walk to a central point for travel by metro, tram, and bus. We've already been scouting out the neighborhood and discovered many benefits, such as a mini-market, post office, and various shops.

Since our vantage point is changing, it seems like a good time to revise my blog. I've been wanting to give it a fresh look for a while now and I see this as is a blessed opportunity. The goal will be the same; sharing the glimpses I catch of God's work in my life and in the world around me. The posts will probably be very similar; my thoughts as Adonai refines me according to His wisdom. The window dressing will just be a little bit different though; a European city courtyard rather than a rural Maine lake.

I pray that you'll join me at my new blog. It's called Views from the Loft. Maybe you should pop over there right now and find out how a software dictionary defines the word loft.

Frames and Pixels

It's a bright sunny kind of day. I had a good night's rest and my morning has gone well. We enjoyed time together on the deck, sharing breakfast and time in God's Word. I've got my To Do List in hand and a hymn on my lips.

It's a chilly gray kind of day. I tossed and turned most of the night and got up late. We had to shorten our time over breakfast because we're both facing deadlines. I have an idea what I need to do, but the pressure makes focusing difficult.

These two types of days appear in some form our other in my life on a regular basis. I do my best by the Holy Spirit's infusing power and counsel to release myself to the Father's will. Then again, there's so much to do and I'm sure He wants me to be productive and efficient ... right?

I'm discovering these days that it's a lot easier to follow my natural Martha inclinations when facing my "routine" days. You know, the kinds I've outlined above. I can figure out how to get the most errands done with the least amount of time and effort. I'm good at keeping short- and long-term goals sorted out and moving forward to meet them. I'm able at pay attention to details while keeping the larger picture in focus. That's why it took me so long to get the message that God wanted me to step back from that role.

About a year ago my Father began to speak to me about some responsibilities He wanted me to release. They'd become pretty much a part of my Martha persona so, to be honest, it took some time for me to respond. In the end I chose to suspend my human understanding and follow where He led. It took months for me to realize that He was introducing me to Mary.

Now I have to tell you that I've only had a nodding acquaintance with Mary in my xx years of life. She and I have met over broken bones and/or debilitating illnesses - not the kind of scenarios one wants to repeat. Nevertheless, my Savior and Lord was directing me to not only get to know her but to nourish her character in my life.

It was slow going at first. A combination of personal habits, serious short-sightedness, and outside pressures threatened our infant relationship. What would happen if Martha slowed down? How would I exist if Mary took the lead? Would the world as I know it continue to turn?

Please don't take the dilemma nor those questions lightly. For a chronic (one might almost say compulsive, if they dared use that word around me) list maker and keeper, the paradigm shift was intense - almost impossible, except for Mark 10:27. The joy and freedom of resting at the Master's feet became part of my experience. Hallelujah!

Up 'til then it had been fairly comfortable to maintain my life within the confines of my former mindset. I understood the framework around me and my abilities to maneuver within it. Some days the number of pixels might be a bit low making the way ahead a bit unclear. But Martha was always at the ready to adjust, make a way, fix the picture.

The new phase of growth and development God ordained for me has been wonderful. Mary and I are becoming quite close. She's been showing me that from time to time it's helpful to wait on the LORD as He dusts off, clarifies the frame He's set for our lives. It was really quite recently that I caught a glimpse of His all-encompassing and all-sufficient glory and grace.

You see, we (my Honey and me) are not just facing a mix of sunny and gray days. We're looking at a host of frame-revising days with barely any pixel count at all. We're sexagenarians - and if you know what that means, you're probably peers. :-) God in His infinite wisdom and tender mercies has decided to move us across the ocean. With barely a month's leeway we will be relocating to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

It's not really an out-of-the-blue relocation. We've been serving throughout Europe for more than 25 years. Our Master has just decided to lead us to a new base of operations. It's all the related elements that are making our heads spin. I seem to have gone from routine, Martha friendly days to extraordinary, Mary needed ones.

Suddenly my life is filled with circumstances I have no chance of smoothing out and questions I simply cannot answer. What do I take? What do I leave? Where will we live? How will communicate? What will my days look like? Oh, what about all the visa paperwork? If I release Martha into that maelstrom her rushing to and fro will simply swamp the boat.

So this is the future my Father saw and was lovingly making provision for in my life!

My Martha side would never have been able to handle the massive size and wide diversity of such a challenge. Her circuits would have overloaded and spilled out in ugliness on those around me. Instead Mary has come to the forefront to exert her presence. She knows her Sovereign and trusts His omniscient, omnipotent hand. Her peaceful seat at His feet causes my spirit to rest in His faithfulness. What a Savior!

I pray the Lord will cause me to remember the glimpses of Truth He's uncovering for me. Whether routine or earth-shaking my days are wrapped up in Him. Whether there's any hint at all of what's ahead or not I need to look to Him. May each of us intentionally seek His ways and unapologetically walk in them.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out before us. Hebrews 12:1

You and Me

We live in a world where people are making judgments and evaluations of each other all the time. I'm not sure everybody is even aware of this ongoing interpretation process. It has become a silent activity of every day life and often begins something like this, "What do you do?" From the answer to that question and ensuing exchanges an illusory portrait takes shape of the other person's identity.

I tested this process once several years ago. I introduced myself to a small group of people as a nun who had recently left the convent and taken over the principalship of a Catholic school. The way the other members received the information was reflected in their behavior. They crossed their arms, leaned back in their chairs, and dropped the coarse language they'd been using. It was really quite remarkable.

Just so you don't wonder, after a few minutes I did tell them of my charade and shared my true identity as a fourth grade teacher in a public school. It was a good case in point though for our discussion because the gathering was meant to uncover and address the relationship barriers between administrators and teachers.

Building a manikin of another person through various pieces of information and relationship experiences could be seen as a fairly harmless. Criteria for just such activities abound in the world today. Pick up any newspaper and you'll find a horoscope that will tell you someone's character and future based on their birthdate. Library and bookstore shelves are filled with titles that commit to report on similar topics based on birth order or family history. There are various programs that promote the idea that a person's life experience will determine who they are and how they live.

Alcoholics Anonymous and their related groups are among the best known in this area. Broad brushes are easy to find to paint people into one category or another: bi-lingual, bi-racial, multi-cultural, MK, PK, homeschooler/public schooler/private schooler, only child, single parent, drug addict/recovering addict, victim, homeless, elite, haves/have nots, etc. The list may be endless. The problem is that putting anyone into a pigeon hole automatically curtails or eliminates any other aspect or potential. Let me quickly say that I'm not against considering some of the descriptions included with these 'labels'. The problem comes when the 'label' takes over and the individual disappears.

I've witnessed the results of this dynamic all too often. People respond to others out of the conclusions they've drawn about what that person is thinking or feeling, saying or believing based on the superficial model they've constructed. Cases in point: a man abused by his alcoholic father is expected to become an immature adult, a woman with a poor relationship with her mother expects all older women to treat her poorly. This perspective is just flat wrong, harmful, painful, and can disrupt lives. More importantly, it is ungodly.

When considering how to 'evaluate' people as a basis for relationships we need to look into God's Word. The Father begins right away in Genesis to let us know who we are. We are created in His image (1:26,27) Yet the creature is not equal with the Creator. If we need evidence of this, chapter 3 reports the sad entrance of sin into the world, our hearts and lives. The rest of Scripture is filled with the ill and painful effects of the Fall. However, the testimony of God's grace and mercy abounds.

Psalm 8:5 was penned well after sin entered the world. It declares the position God has granted to Man. You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. Psalm 139:13 attests the Father's gracious attention to the creation of each individual. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. Verse 1 of the same psalm informs us that God knows ALL about us, from the inside out. Ephesians 1 declares that God chose to oversee every detail of our lives even before His acts of creation.

It is glorious to contemplate the high and lofty position where God placed Man, at the pinnacle of creation, and to consider that each of us is tended by His loving and powerful hand throughout our lives. We must remember to temper this understanding with the knowledge that sin has infected us and causes all kinds of consequences in our lives and relationships. The Bible has much to say on this topic as well.

Ezekiel 18 could be the most enlightening statement concerning the practice of painting people with the brush of generalizations. The Lord begins by condemning any further use of the proverb quoted in Israel, The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge. He goes on to explain that each person is responsible for their own sin and life before Him. The concept is encapsulated in verse 20, The soul who sins is the one who will die. The chapter concludes with this plea.

"Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!"

We can gather information about a lot of things, but our lives are an individual, personal, between-my-God-and-me issue. We don't need to look to any outside factor for an explanation or excuse to be able to understand somebody. We need to see them the way God does: created in His image, broken by sin, and needing His forgiveness and reconciliation. As we grow in this ability we will more fully grasp the direction given in 2 Corinthians 5:16,17.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Paul encourages God's people to develop His mindset as we approach and get to know people. The delightful side effect, if you will, of nurturing this view of others is that its Truth also applies to ourselves. As surely as God's directions free other people from the constraints of my faulty evaluation of who they are, they free me from the constraints others would try to place on me. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

If this glimpse has touched you in any way, I encourage you to meditate on all of 2 Corinthians 15. May the love of God guide you in your own walk toward heaven. Amen

Naomi and Me

The title might sound like a child's picture book. I assure you it is not. On a recent visit to a dear friend's home the Lord brought me an entirely new perspective on the eighth book of the Bible. Ruth has always been a favorite with me, the book and the woman. This time through I took a deeper look at Naomi and I'm still pondering the results.

I was drawn right in as part of me identified with Naomi right away in chapter one. I haven't had to flee a severe famine just to stay alive, but I have faced hunger with a serious inability to get food so I know a bit of that type of desperation and confusion. I've never found myself in Moab with my entire nuclear family dead, but I have lived in foreign lands occasionally on my own so I've had a taste of the feelings of loneliness and fear. Feelings of abandonment can be paralyzing.

I don't want to put my experiences on the same plane as those of Naomi. Yet I do understand and appreciate the circumstances of her life. I can easily see myself making the comment she makes in verses 20 and 21. "Don't call me Naomi, " she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."

My mind began to grapple with the content of that pain-driven statement. Many would say, as I have in the past, that Naomi was filled with bitterness when she asked that she be addressed as Mara which means bitter. She certainly had due cause to make the request, considering that she'd gone out a happy and hopeful wife and mother and was returning a destitute and hopeless widow with the added responsibility of a loyal but alien daughter-in-law.

Naomi's plight reminded me of the devastation Job experienced. I considered the comparison and was drawn to Job's response to his first round of testing in 1:21. "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Job lost his family and everything he owned. He tore his robe and shaved his head, the outward signs of deep mourning, before he made this statement. He sure sounds bitter to me.

Yet people don't describe Job that way. They tend to see him as a model servant of God who was ultimately faithful in the midst of horrific circumstances. Perhaps that's because Job's words are taken in the context of his entire life. From that perspective we see his statement as an affirmation of the truth he holds dear. God is sovereign and no matter what unfolds around me yet will I submit to His will and recognize His right to do with me as He sees fit.

What if we apply the same contextual test to Naomi's bitter statement?

The setting of Naomi's statement is a place to begin. As she was approaching Bethlehem, her 'old home town', the women didn't know who she was. Her physical appearance had changed so dramatically that she was unrecognizable to her former friends and neighbors. It's important to notice that twice in Naomi's explanation of her request for a more accurate name she addresses God as "the Almighty". Even in her grief Naomi confirms the sovereignty of God.

No, Naomi didn't put on a plastic smile and act as if everything was rosy. It's interesting to ponder the reaction to her honest description as compared to Job's. Job didn't sugar coat any of his experiences either and yet he's seen as long-suffering. Naomi, like Job, didn't castigate God for the dreadful events she'd undergone. She affirmed the same truths; God is sovereign and no matter what unfolds around me yet will I submit to His will and recognize His right to do with me as He sees fit.

Naomi does state that she is "afflicted" by God and that He is the One who has brought "misfortune" on her. However, we should try to understand these words as she might have intended them. As a Jewess raised in a worshipping household and married to a godly husband, she would have seen affliction more as it's found in Psalm 119:75, "I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me." The concept in Proverbs 3:11,12 would probably have been part of her view of God, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in."

What follows this critical statement is quite revealing. God does not record any discipline for careless words nor for a bad attitude. Rather, we find an account of godly character being displayed under great pressure. Through chapters 2 and 3 Naomi does her best to carry on in the face of hard times. She applies herself to help Ruth settle into a new culture and to make a home for the two of them. She carefully trains Ruth in the dictates of Jewish customs as she guides her through the kinsman-redeemer process. Naomi could have followed any number of manipulative and heinous pathways. Instead she remained faithful to the One to whom she gave her allegiance.

Perhaps the closing verses of the final chapter toll the loudest death nell to the idea that Naomi was nothing but a bitter old woman. God silenced Job's friends and critics and re-affirmed His confident and loving hand by restoring his family and wealth. In the same way, God surrounded Naomi with His rich and tender blessings. In Ruth 4:16 we find Naomi with a precious grandson on her lap. The name and property of her husband and sons have been retained in the historical record. She is now part of an extended family where she will never face want the rest of her life.

Though she would have been unaware of it, the future of Naomi's line is laid out for us in this treasured account. Her first grandson whom she was blessed to tend is named Obed. Obed's son is Jesse, the father of David. God chose to weave the heartache of Moab into the bloodline of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ the Messiah.

My mind raced to a verse I'd been contemplating lately, Isaiah 30:19. "O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer." God's Word declares that as soon as Naomi cried out in Moab He heard and had an answer in place. She just needed to continue to live in submissive obedience with her heart and mind set on His truth while He worked out the perfect details and timing - for His own glory.

That's just what she did in the face of desperation, confusion, loneliness, fear, feelings of abandonment, etc.

To us Naomi's drama takes only four short chapters. We might be tempted to take the depth of her character much too lightly. Like us, she would have been facing the unknown with only her faith in her hands. We see her life moving from bitter circumstances to joy and peace and bounty as a brief overview. She had to slog through every miserable minute of it. Every woman can probably identify with her at one time in our lives or another.

The fresh glimpse I've been given of Naomi's life causes me to consider her a model of faith in action, right up there with Job. She wasn't afraid to 'tell it like it is', but she refused to try to pull the Almighty down from His rightful position.

I want to follow her in living the truth that no matter the circumstances God expects obedience to His commands and precepts.

I want to learn from her life that He rewards those who display faith, courage, hope, loyalty, confidence, perseverance, trust, diligence, . . . under His leadership.

I want to recognize from this biblical account that rough times are not necessarily the result of sin, but are always the refining work of the Reigning Sovereign.

I want to be dredged in the truth that the Father has heard my cry and has already planned out the perfect solution, but is just unveiling the details in the best way to show forth His glory.

Let us join with the women of Bethlehem who spoke similar words to Naomi, "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left us without a kinsman-redeemer, even Jesus the Christ. May His Name be hallowed in all the earth!" Amen

Make Hay While the Rain Falls

Yes, I do know that my title is a take off from an old adage. I can't help myself, that's just the way the idea sprang into the brain God gave me.

The other saying was first recorded in 1546 by John Heywood in A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe language.

Whan the sunne shinth make hay. Whiche is to say.

Take time whan time cometh, lest time steale away.

I've done a bit of research and learned that though this cliché sprouted from the fertile ground of farm life, by the second half of the seventeenth century it was applied to life in general. It's a compact way to encourage folks to act while an opportunity exists or to take action while the circumstances are favorable - not to procrastinate, if you will. After all, if a farmer doesn't harvest his hay while the sun is shining today, rain might fall and spoil the crop tomorrow.

It's all well and good to rejoice about what can be accomplished on a sunny day, but what happens when there's a string of rainy days? Does that mean that all work stops until the sun comes out again? Well, with the spring we had up here in Maine this year, there would have been a serious drought in the action department. The Lord's been showing me that rainy days can be the setting for exploring new vistas and making fresh headway.

As a matter of fact, in some personal time with the Lord recently, He gave me a passage that threw a bright light on the concept. Isaiah 30:19-33 is a powerful passage about God's work in the world. I became enthralled by its opening on a particularly down day, O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.

Immediate solutions are my style so the ears of my heart came right to attention. [Hmm, this means that God has already heard me and His answer is on its way.]

Verse 20 opened the eyes of my heart, Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.

The Word was allowing me to see that the very things that I considered adversity and affliction were/are actually the bread and water He was/is providing to keep me alive spiritually and mature my soul. [Oh yes, Lord, the mature faith described in James 1 is exactly what I seek. Thank you.]

The next two verses spoke to me about getting my life in order - listening to God's directions and destroying any 'idols' that challenge His rightful and loving authority. I took some deep time with Him in this sensitive and critical area. Then I moved on to verse 23 and He met me all over again with refreshment.

He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel.

Rain may compromise a farmer's hay harvest, but God says He uses it to sprout the seed His people sow. The Word says that His harvest in a life yielded to Him is rich and plentiful. These are the blessings of the covenant promises and God always keeps His word. Psalm 145:13b.

The broad meadows spoken of here drew me back to the 'green pastures' of Psalm 23 and I was reminded that He is the Shepherd who causes me to 'lie down' and rest in His tender care. Hallelujah!

Now, if you're anything like me you're wondering how anyone can 'make hay' when it's 'raining'. How is it possible to make headway when we feel we're about to buried alive by avalanches of problems? Surely, it's impossible to find or do anything positive in the midst of a situation that screams of chaos, confusion, and pain. WRONG!

I'm here to tell you that God will always make a way for those who seek Him first. Matthew 6:33 When God is one's hiding place, learning abounds and growth is assured. I'm a full-on, God-blessed witness.

Let's be honest, anyone who's walked the pilgrim path for any length of time knows that trials are real AND it's in the midst of the struggles that our roots are forced to reach down deep for divine sustenance. We need to recognize these times and circumstances for what they really are: God's working field to bring the testimony of His Son's righteousness into full bloom in our lives ... for His own glory.

Trial-tested Suggestions for Rainy Days:

1. Admit the hard stuff is hard - to yourself, those closest to you, and especially to God.

2. Force yourself to maintain the Christian duties - be in the Word daily, attend worship, stick with a Bible study group, pray without ceasing, continue to do good.

3. Fight the desire to isolate - minimize contacts to the most supportive, but keep those growing with honesty before the throne of grace.

4. Surround yourself with spiritual support - pin up meaningful Scriptures, listen to music that feeds your soul, arrange refreshing breaks, cry out to Jesus who is our loving and able Older Brother.

5. Keep track of those things that are eating at you - lay them out before God and ask Him to show you the proper way to respond, check to see if you're exhibiting the same traits and do something about it.

6. Ladies, check out the balance of Martha- and Mary-like behavior in your life - ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight and enable you to make the changes He shows you.

7. Share deeply with your spouse - make time to compare notes on what you're learning about God, yourself and each other, maybe even write down the details for future reference.

8. Maintain integrity - be real with compassion, plastic smiles won't fix anything, after all Jesus didn't wave pompoms on the way to the cross.

9. Wait on The One who knows you more intimately and loves you more completely than you will probably ever fully understand - concentrate on who He is and who you are before Him, choose to worship rather than whine.

Sorry there's not 10. I'll add more another one if comes to me. :-D

So, the next time you encounter a 'rainy day' ... or a series of them ... no matter how overwhelming ... remember the Truth is that God sends adversity and affliction to instruct us in the way we should go. I pray He's grant you a glimpse of the opportunities that exist to seek Him first and of the favorable aspects of any situation to pursue the path He is laying out for you. Let's not procrastinate. 2 Peter 3:8-14

It Only Takes One (1)

I've been keeping my eye on something that's starting to make sense. Maybe you've seen the results as I have, but never considered the overall dynamic.

I'm a people watcher. I find those God chose to make in His own image genuinely interesting and delightful. People are an excellent way to appreciate the diversity of the God-head and the infinite measure of His creativity.

In the olden days colleges trained teachers to observe their students and build socio-grams. These were drawings that looked a bit like a spider web. The name of each child in the group was listed with lines added to show the connections between them. I learned way back then that such observations can foster understanding. The process has continued over the years and I've come to a conclusion.

It only takes one.

It only takes one listening ear to encourage a gossip.

Gossip is an insidious snare. Holding an audience's attention with private tales can be tantalizing. The sad reality is that it doesn't take a large number of receivers. Once a willing listener has been discovered both parties become complicit in the sinful act.

It only takes one hesitant mouth to support sinful behavior.

She knew adultery was sin. That was not a question. It was just that she understood how unhappy her friend was and she didn't want to sound like a traitor. So when she heard the fateful words about a secret rendez-vous she didn't say a word.

It only takes one forgotten promise to leave a need unmet.

The problem was shared on several occasions. A brother spoke up and volunteered to go by and make the repair. He really intended to offer the blessing. However, after months of waiting the door is still broken and winter is making its chilly entry.

I could go on, but I trust you get the idea. As I pondered the significance of the number one (1), Scripture came to mind.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned Romans 5:12

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many. Romans 5:15

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. Romans 5:18

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19

It only takes one ...

O Abba Father, please keep me from being the one that wanders away from You.

Teach me to turn from sin that I might not be a hindrance.

1 Corinthians 10:32

Allow me to speak your truth with love in all circumstances.

Ephesians 4:15

Train me to be a woman of The Word and my word.

Colossians 3:16; James 5:12

Dear Adonai, please cause me to be the one You use for your purpose and glory. Amen