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Awe, Christian Mysticism, Christianity, Community, Creation, Emotional Health, Faith, Grace, Gratitude, Jesus, Prayer, Recovery, Relationships, Simplicity, Spirituality, Stories, Thoughts From the Porch, Trust, Uncategorized, What Can I Do, Writing

Holy Moments

December 18, 2018 gregoryjoel

Thoughts from the Porch: Holy moments. If you’ve experienced them, I don’t need to explain them. You know. They are the moments when time stands still, vision and hearing sharpened, and the wonder of the universe pours over you. In a brief instant, everything fades away, but we momentarily touched eternity and saw beyond our little world.

I’ve experienced them before. They always come on the cusp of change, as if God says, “watch this”. It happened a couple of nights ago. I stand in anticipation of what to do next…

I had finished dinner with Margaret and was cleaning up the kitchen. Terribly mundane stuff I might add. A song, “Lead Me to the Cross”, played from the other room causing me to stop what I was doing and retire to the desk to listen.

A wave of emotion rolled over me. Sometimes I forget just what grace cost the Creator and grantor of unending grace. Sometimes I forget that worship and praise for the God of my limited understanding is the only response to the miracles in my world.

The song ended, and I retreated to the porch. Darkness had fallen, yet everything appeared brighter, the stars more visible even in the city lights. I could, “a mouse pee on cotton” as Uncle Carl used to say. Yet, everything was perfectly still. I was struck by the stillness while being amazed and overcome with awe. Even in the windless, motionless quiet of the evening, everything around me was in constant motion: bound together by a mass of whirring atoms. All was well. Nothing had changed, yet everything had changed.

A holy moment can come anywhere, at any time. Ironically, they rarely happen in churches…

I’m not sure how long I sat there. Cleaning up, working on the next appeal letter or blog post, the things that make up daily living – they all faded away. There was nothing to do but stay in the moment. Maybe that is what God meant when He said to “be still and know that I am God”. I couldn’t help but be keenly aware of the holiness of this precious moment.

Slowly, the world began to spin once again. The sound of cars on the nearby freeway began to creep in. My first thought was to write about this incredible experience. I rushed to the desk and stared at the keyboard for several minutes. I realized there was absolutely nothing for me to say. To anyone who shared such an experience my explanations would only deal an injustice to the moment. To anyone who hadn’t, well, they just wouldn’t understand.

Ironically, the song that started it all, “Lead Me to the Cross” was extremely short-sighted. I’m grateful it was the impetus for my holy moment, but the path doesn’t stop at a cross. It leads to an empty tomb, a resurrection, and a new life of abundance, joy, and a whole new definition of what constitutes common sense.

Margaret often reminds me of how blessed we are to get “to live two lives in one lifetime”. Holy moments are reminders of that. Resurrection people know what I mean. They know what it is for the self-centered ego to die and be reborn – to emerge from the tomb, so to speak.

I’d love for you to share your “holy moment” or moments. What inspires you to live better? that.

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An Attitude of Gratitude

December 14, 2018 gregoryjoel

Thoughts from the Porch: I wasn’t going to write today, my thoughts anyway. I have a ‘to-do’ list a mile long. It’s a blustery, chilly morning so ‘porch time’ was brief. The coming days bring more pressing matters to the ‘to-do’ list. It’s all good stuff, mind you, but suddenly there seems to be a shortage of hours in the day.

Even though our time on the porch was brief, my wife made it a holy moment for us both. She recounted a phone call yesterday from a friend. The gist of the conversation was how much her friend appreciated my wife. Both of us were a bit teary-eyed by the gratitude we felt. Prayer came easier afterward, even if all we could muster was “thank you God”.

I write of gratitude often. Probably more than anyone wants to hear if I get honest. I remember a friend told me several years ago there were only two topics worth talking or writing about: grace and gratitude. It’s taken a few years, but today I know what he meant. I hope that you, gentle reader, aren’t bored by my seeming lack of topical diversity.

In my interactions with other folks I’ve noted that those who have experienced the depths of God’s grace have one common denominator: gratitude. Gratitude seems to be directly proportionate to grace. The deeper the experience of grace the more gratitude one feels and lives out.

Gratitude changes the way I see the world. I’m more patient, courteous, and giving when I’m grateful. I’m more honest when I admit my own faults and in turn, more tolerant of other folk’s faults. I experience far less conflict and greater serenity. I don’t feel obligated to have “my” way as often. “Enough” is word I understand today.

I don’t always stay there. I still slide into worry, morbid self-reflection, and stubbornness at times. I’ve also come to acknowledge my own humanity with all its imperfections. It doesn’t take me as long to get back to an “attitude of gratitude”. That usually is the result of an awareness of grace. Funny how it all works…

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Miracles of Healing…

December 13, 2018 gregoryjoel

I’d been doing some SEO copywriting all day and had to take a break from the computer screen. So, I drifted off to the porch to mull my project over in my mind and have a cup of coffee. Even when it’s overcast and a bit chilly the porch is a welcome respite from the keyboard.

I was checking text messages when I got a call from my friend David. I’ve written about my friend before.

David has been a constant in my life for many years now.He’s been an excellent mentor and example of what friendship truly is. He’s been with me through some rough times. When I was in Neuro ICU with several strains of post-operative Meningitis, I can’t tell you how often I came to and saw my friend sitting there. When I’ve had business, and more importantly, spiritual questions, David has been my support. I can’t even express in words how grateful I am for him and his wife, Nikki.

Seventeen months ago, Nikki called to tell me that David was in the hospital. He had been diagnosed with Stage Four cancer. It was my turn to be the visitor rather than the patient. Although the initial prognosis leaned toward a positive outcome, the cancer spread from his liver to his lungs. Suddenly, the future wasn’t so bright anymore.

Throughout the chemotherapy and radiation treatments, many of their friends, as well as Margaret and I, prayed for David and Nikki. David did his part. He completed the treatments. His health improved, and he even went back to work. His business (which I need to plug right here because his company does amazing work – and here’s the link! http://artisticstoneworks.com). Still, the black cloud of remission hung over him.

The phone call was to share the miracle that my friend iscancer-free! In seventeen months, David went from stage four cancer to cancer-free. David did his part and prayers were answered.

I got to spend some time with David yesterday. I treasureour time together. He also told me that the same day his black cloud was lifted, one of our mutual friends passed away due to her cancer. The irony isn’t los ton me.

I don’t know why some folks are blessed with the miracle ofrecovery and others aren’t. I don’t pretend to know the answers. What I do know is that prayers for healing manifest themselves differently.

My friend Jim lost a wife to cancer. Sometime after she passed, he was driving, crying, and overcome with grief, questioning why God didn’t answer his prayers for her. He heard a voice, as clear as day, tell him, “You asked for healing and that’s just what I did. I healed her from her pain”.

He would always tell me that story when I found myself in my own struggles. Clarity seemed to come afterward, as it did for him. Sometimes we need to redefine our definition of healing.

Two people affected by the same cancer had two vastly different outcomes. I’m so grateful for my friend David’s recovery, but I mourn my friend Kim’s passing. Still, both are healing miracles. One is a beaming light in a dark world. The other is a reminder that this isn’t all there is. Both remind me that all we have is today. So why not live it well?

There are no words to explain the joy I feel when it comesto David’s miracle. I’m happy just to spend another day with him.

There are no words to explain Kim’s miracle either. Words hold little meaning for those of us in grief. Now is not the time for words, but for being there for one another. Sometime in the future, each of us will work through our loss only to discover the meaning of a life well lived.

I haven’t always been good at taking time out to show my appreciation to those who are important in my life. Yesterday was a reminder that I need to listen to the quiet little voice that says to stop and enjoy the presence of those I love and call friends.

Yesterday also reminded me of the importance of “carpe diem”: seizing the day and living it fully.