Refreshing Faith
Jesse sat cross-legged, mesmerized by the dancing campfire enjoying its crackle and smoky aroma. He remembered watching fire dancers. If he could twirl fire, he’d show the school hotshots. He didn’t realize how close he’d inched to the fire until he heard his dad’s sharp voice.
“Don’t get too close. Fire can pop and spread.” His father pointed to the circle he’d marked. “Never cross this line without supervision.”
“Hurry Mom! Cosette ran off. Max came to get me,” my daughter called to me.
I ran to the door and saw my 90-pound poodle staring up at me. “Where is she? Show me,” I said to Max. He raced around the side of the house and zipped up and down the line of the invisible fence that faced the wooded area next to a busy road.
An invisible fence surrounds our yard to protect our dogs from wandering. Since both my dogs now know the boundary, half the time I don’t bother with their collars. Big mistake this day. A passing deer was too much temptation for my huntress.
“Cosette,” I yelled. “Come; come now!”
My heart flipped when my daughter spotted a blur of white racing along the road filled with five o’clock traffic. Finally, she pranced home happy from her chase. Later we noticed her limp—and a trail of blood.Continue Reading
A neighborhood child, I’ll call Abby, who was also in my daughter’s first grade class, showed the effect of one person’s sin. Abby’s father left her mother—and her—for another woman. Abby’s anger and hurt spilled out on the neighborhood children and her classmates.
Who did this man’s adultery hurt? His wife and child obviously grieved. But my children also suffered. The sin committed by a man we’d never met disrupted our neighborhood and his daughter’s classroom.
Believing we can corral the consequences of our private sins is like throwing a flaming, gasoline-soaked rag into an apartment and being astonished when the whole building burns down. Continue Reading
Have you noticed, commitment goes only so far? I decided to give up sugar—for a while. That night my husband came home with three large chocolate bars and said, “Your favorite dark chocolate is on sale.”
I promised to hold my tongue and say only encouraging words. Well, that didn’t last long!
Every personality carries inherent strengths and weaknesses. People who feel strong in an area emphasize commitment to overcome flaws. Jesus highlighted connection.Continue Reading