Nov 30th, 2021: Appreciating One Another

 

I was talking to a business owner who runs a trucking business last week. Their business is good, but it is hard to attract young people to work in that business. Maybe it is hard on family life for truckers. Sometimes, it has an unfair reputation. Regardless of what we think, trucking is one of the backbones of our economy. Until we can find a more effective ways to transport goods, we depend on these men and women for our well-being. It was hard for them to find a rest stop when the pandemic began in March 2020. We should show more appreciation for these folks.


We fail to appreciate people who work hard for our comfort because we take it for granted. That is the beginning of ungraciousness. It happens at all levels of human interaction and relationships. When we think that it is our God-given right to be comfortable, we also fail to appreciate how God has taken care of us through others.


We are not aware of the sacrifices and challenges many have to experience in order for us to have food on our tables and heat in our homes. I know some truckers leave home early Monday mornings and come back late Friday evenings. It is hard on their families. They like what they do, but they are not immune from the hardship of their job.


We are living in a very interconnected world. When we fail to take care of one segment of society, the rest will suffer. We need to have the courage to reach out to others beyond our comfort so we can have a better understanding of what we are facing together. Knowing it or not, we depend on others for our well-being, so let us not be self-centered and self-loathing about how important we are.


Ephesians 4: 32

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."


1 Thessalonians 5: 11

"Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

Popular posts from this blog

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Oct 1st, 2022: Be With Those Who Suffer

Image
  Listening to a young woman who shared her experience of being raped repeatedly by a family member for over four years as a teenager made my heart ache. The man who did that was a leader of a church. He was imprisoned for seven months and released. He was her stepfather. Her mother chose to pick him over her after his release. Her life has changed forever. She had to go to a foster home. Her foster parents helped her with her restoration and her faith in God. Her supervisor at work asked me to see her because someone at work was inappropriate toward her. That triggered many emotions within her. I did not expect the story I heard from her. The meeting took longer than I thought, and it was toward the end of the day. She kept talking about her anger and the pain she felt when men treated her like a subject. I knew that the best I could do was to listen. She told me she had not been able to tell anyone as much as with me. God reminded me of the true calling of being a pas...
Read more