The other day, it was overcast and misty when I stepped out of the local YMCA to go home after a workout.  I could hear the familiar sound of geese honking and I looked up to see where they were coming from or where they were going.  I thought for a moment that they may have been above the clouds when suddenly they appeared from over a stand of trees, flying rather low but in formation.  As they flew overhead, the familiar honking noise was like a conversation.  Geese are known for doing this as if to encourage the leader but also to communicate the location of the rest of the flock.  Scientists say that they mate for life and when one becomes injured or sick while in migration, at least one will fall back with that goose until either they are on the mend or die.  In that moment I was reminded of an earlier scene in which a flock of geese inhabit a local area and I always enjoy watching how they tend to one another, look over the goslings and protect each other from outside threats.  To some folks they are a nuisance because they can literally take over a highway, a pond a yard or a parking lot.  I see them as community in action.

Biblically speaking, we are encouraged to restore others when they stumble, bear one another’s burdens and not grow weary in well-doing (Gal. 6:1-10).  Unfortunately, we too often are quick to rip each other to shreds, talk bad about one another and  leave people alone when they make mistakes.  What if we paused for a minute and took a lesson from the geese; honk for one another, remain faithful in our relationships, supported one another and looked after each other as simply as the geese?  What would it look like if we built our communities with the same kind of support network as the geese?

As an artist, the contrast of light and dark are an important part of an overall design to any given piece.  Nothing can be all light nor can it be all dark if we are interested in capturing an audience or the eye of someone examining our work.  The concept of light and dark is a common theme in spirituality as well.   In Christianity we ascertain that Jesus is the Light of the world (John 1:6-10; 1 John 1:5).   We are commanded to be light to the world, not hiding our faith (Matt. 5:14-16).  But perhaps one of the most intriguing verses for me is found in Psalm 139.  Here David is reflecting on the omnipotence and omniscience of God declaring that there is no place to hide from God, stating that he cannot even hide in the darkness because with God, there is no darkness (Ps. 139:11-12).

I saw this one morning when I was walking in the pre-dawn hours and it struck me that I was observing what the Psalmist was saying.  I also saw in this moment what it means to be a light in a dark and dying world.  Our character, our witness and our being should be as starkly contrasting as this light shining through the darkness.  It was a moment to pause and consider my own stance and maybe it will do the same for you.  Am I truly the light shining in the darkness I should be?  Are you?

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Today, as we settled in and tied things down for an impending hurricane to blow through, I took a few minutes to observe hummingbirds swooping in and out of the porch to gather nectar from a feeder.  It struck me that here before me was a stark contrast of God’s creative work.  On one hand, a storm of catastrophic proportions and power is spinning in the ocean a few hundred miles away and on the other hand I was observing one of the smallest birds on earth that exhibits great strength and power as its wings beat roughly anywhere from 12 to 80 times a second just to maintain their ability to hover over flowers and feeders.  I was so grateful for the pleasant interlude amidst the anxiety and unsettled feelings of awaiting the next news update to prepare my mind for what promises to be a long few days of wind and rain.

The text above is a description of the praise in heaven as recorded in Revelation.  The word for power in the Greek is a variant of ‘dunamis’ which translates not simply as power in human or mechanic form but the supernatural power of God.  It is this supernatural power that caused creation.   While communities are in turmoil and preparation to withstand hurricane force winds, catastrophic flooding and days of possibly being without power and the comforts of every day life, I am forced to remember that the same God who created the hummingbird with its powerful beating wings is the same God who can stir up an oceanic storm.  We cannot always understand the reasoning for His creation but I am assured to know that the same God who provides for the little hummingbird can provide for me in the midst of a storm with unknown outcomes.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  Hebrews 10:23-25

Birds of a feather stick together can be a term we view positively or negatively.  Negatively it connotes a sense of unwillingness to socialize with anyone that doesn’t fit into a personal norm of acceptable relationships.  It can be confining and rigid, preventing one from enjoying the richness that diversity can bring into life.  In the negative sense, the term speaks to a sense of exclusion, privilege and snobbery.  Yet there are positive benefits of staying within a group of like minded individuals.

In terms of the Christian faith, we are encouraged to “stick together”, not to bash other groups of people or to be close-minded about others but to strengthen our faith, to spurn one another on towards good deeds, to hold each other accountable in regards to our faith walk.  Without other Christians around us, our human nature is to slip back into lifestyles that were leading us on a path for eternal destruction.    Taken in the context of what it means to be a Christian, a Christ follower, our “flock” should be that group of believers that encourages us to carry out calling and commission everyday, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the poor and needy, to encourage the discouraged to carry the Gospel everywhere we go.  This requires encounters with people that are not in our “flock”.  The “flock” can be a source of protection from attacks from the enemy, the devil, but the “flock” cannot be the place where we hide out from the rest of the world that we are called to encounter boldly.

The flock of seagulls above were gathered together on a cool, windy spring Sunday morning.  They do this frequently where I live.  It appears to me that they do this because it may give them safety from the elements, safety from other birds but also is part of their social structure.  Many times I see individual seagulls flying around our area but they always manage to, from time to time, find themselves gathered in this manner.  They squawk, they walk around, they bathe in puddles, they preen one another and they even get into little squabbles over things that are not obvious to the human observer.  It is in this setting that I observe so many similarities between them and us.  I see the positive aspects of sticking together and I am reminded of the verses above.

Consider who is in your “flock”. Do they hold you accountable?  Do they have your back in times of trouble?  Are they encouraging you to grow in faith and good works?  Conversely, do they lack diversity? Do they insulate themselves from the world?  Do they consider loyalty to the flock is more important that loyalty to God?  Do they shut down any aspects of your spiritual growth?  It may be time to find a new “flock”.  You may be a bit of a loner, but remember, even the birds know they need to stick together from time to time…we do too.

Time.  Early this morning was the moment we were instructed to set our clocks forward an hour in order to begin the season of Daylight Savings Time.  I understand the reasoning behind Daylight Savings Time but to be honest I find it a bit ridiculous.  The sun will still shine the same amount of time but man in our wisdom wants it to occur in a space of time that is convenient for us.  It amuses me that we think that by changing the hands on a clock we have convinced ourselves that we have magically gained control of time.  All we have really done is assign an hour to daylight that makes us think we are getting more bang for our buck.  The reality is that we have not gained any control of the rotation of the earth around the sun or any more control of the length of daylight versus night time.

There are three Greek words in the New Testament used for time; Kairos, chronos and hora.  Chronos and hora are designated for (you guessed it) the chronological order of time as in hours, seasons, a space of time or fixed period of time.  It is the fixed period assigned by nature based upon the rotation of the earth around the sun.  It is clearly where we get the idea of not only natural seasons but the chronological order of time in seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years.    Kairos, on the other hand, is more directly related to God’s timing especially in terms of fulfilling the prophetic, completing His will and purposes.  None of these types of time can truly be controlled by mankind, yet here we are trying to control time with the turn of an hour hand on a clock or watch.

My favorite word for time is Kairos because it helps me to know that God has a set time and order for everything under the sun.  He knows the desires of my heart, He hears my prayers but everything moves in God’s timing, Kairos.  When I get a hold of this, it helps me to understand why my plans don’t always work out in the way and time I think that they should.  I can have peace as I wait for God’s timing for my life.  Kairos is the kind of time that assures me that God is in control and He has all power in his hands.  Kairos is the kind of time that can cause me to wait patiently for His will to be done.  Kairos is the kind of time that lets me know that my destiny is in the Master’s hands and there are no better hands for destiny to be in.  I will probably be trying all summer long to catch that extra hour of sleep I lost last night, but I know that no one can take away or add to God’s timing, Kairos, for my life.

In the south where I live daffodils are the first sign of hope.  Hope for the coming spring, hope for the change of seasons, hope of brighter days.  “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou dusquieted in me ?  Hope thou on God:  for I shall yet praise him For the help of my countenance.” Psalm 42:5

Oh Lord, thank you for the beauty of the closing of another day.  Let us draw near to you in the midst of quietness, considering all you did this day.  The work of your hand is far greater than my weak imagination can conceive.  I am humbled.  Now Lord, keep me through the dark of night to rise again and bring forth Your praises.  Amen.

“Morning by morning, new mercies I see”  Though we may be facing cloudy days, storms of change, doubts or fears, this lets me know a new day is on the horizon.

“but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard.  Your harvest’s aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical year.”  Lev. 25:4-5

It snowed last week in my area, which for January, most of the country would say this is normal, but for Coastal SC, it is a rare event that gets everyone in a stir.  Since I spent the majority of my childhood in Pennsylvania, snow is more a reminder of times gone by and one that still fills me with child-like awe.  I spent the entire day moving from window to door and back again, monitoring the progress of our snow.  The following day, I went out to walk around the neighborhood admiring the beauty of our fresh fallen snow.  I was off from work because of the snow and by the time I was scheduled to return to work, I began to lament that I had frittered away my time, when the Lord reminded me about the importance of being dormant from time to time.    The snow and the dormancy of life in the moment, served as a reminder to me of what it seemed like my past year has represented.  I’ve had lots of good ideas and intentions, began a few projects but especially by the end of the year, everything seemed to be lying dormant.  So how marvelous it was to be reminded by the Spirit that dormancy produces a thriving life.

The passage in Leviticus above, is part of the Law that instructs the Israelite nation to give land a rest after every six years of work just as they were commanded to give themselves a day of rest after six days of labor.  The text goes on to say that in the seventh year, the land would produce enough food for all the people, their livestock and their servants (v. 6-7).  In fact, further down in the same chapter, it says that in the sixth year, the land will produce enough food for three years, but only if they followed the instructions to give the land rest (dormancy) every seventh year.

Back to my story about the snow…interestingly before the snow and before the new year, I had been secretly hoping in my heart that God would allow me some down time just so I could regroup, reset, refocus on some goals and gather my strength and fervor again.  He answered that prayer in the form of a snow/ice storm that literally shut down all activities (even church) for a few days.  Already my life is ramping back up again.  I feel in my heart that all that was lying dormant is about to flourish in my life in the days, weeks and months ahead.  Is it your season to thrive?  Or is it your season to be dormant?  No matter which season, learn to give God thanks for the moment; He knows what is best for you and me.

I saw this turning into my driveway, the intensity of the light made me think about breakthroughs especially in dark times.  Note the directional sign to the right.  God not only gives us breakthroughs but direction.  Something to meditate upon.