Quiet Wisdom

Read Psalm 32:1-7
Hear, my child, your father’s instruction, and do not reject your mother’s teaching. -Proverbs 1:8 (NRSV)
My parents had gone shopping. As I stood alone in Mom and Dad’s bedroom and my grandmother was napping in another part of the house, I noticed a box of matches on my Dad’s bedside table. As I picked up the box, I could hear in my mind my father’s voice saying as he had many times, “Don’t play with matches!” Behind the table were lovely white curtains. What would happen if I struck a match and touched the curtain quickly? A small hole appeared in the curtain. I was horrified and quickly tucked the curtain behind the table. Maybe they would never see it.
That night as I got in bed and pulled the covers over me, my stomach began to hurt. It got worse, and I wept. My father came to me and asked, “Son, what is the matter?”
I said, “I have a bad stomachache.”
My father sat quietly by my side, “Where does it hurt?”
He put his strong hand on my chest and asked, “Does it feel like a burned curtain?” Then he said, “Son, I think you have learned your lesson. I love you. Now get some sleep.”
My stomachache immediately stopped. My conscience was clean. I never forgot my father’s quiet wisdom. Through the years as I have grown in my faith, I have come to understand that God’s love and forgiveness clear the conscience.

Woody A. Adams (North Carolina, USA)

Know Regrets

Read Philippians 3:7-15
If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9 (NRSV)

A great man and religious leader whom I admired often said that he had lived his entire life with no regrets. However, as I reflect on my choices, I have many regrets that trouble me. I have spent countless hours reflecting on words I said, decisions I made, or actions I took that I wish I could “un-do.”
John wrote, “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I realize that not all of the actions I regret are necessarily sins; rather, some are unwise choices or errors in judgment. For example, I once decided to take a job many miles from my home and family, a job that kept me from participating in the joy of birthdays and many other parts of family life. For both sins and errors, God’s message is the same: It does no good to look back and wonder "what if . . ." or "if only I . . . ."
I have learned that to lead a good life — a God-centered life — it is not important to have no regrets. When I reflect on the past but keep my eyes on the future, I can see some value even in the things I regret. Our experiences, especially the mistakes we have made, can serve to make us stronger and wiser.
Jack Cameron (North Carolina, USA)

Forgiven and Clean

Read Psalm 103:7-18

As far as the east is from the west, so far has [the Lord] removed our transgressions from us. - Psalm 103:12 (NIV)

The sign above the 24-hour laundry/dry cleaning storefront reads, “Decent Cleaners.” This unusual name catches my attention each time I see it. Just what is the difference between decent and exceptional, decent and excellent, or decent and extraordinary? Why would I want my clothes to be laundered just “decently”? Why shouldn’t they be extraordinarily clean or exceptionally clean? Who is satisfied with merely decent? Am I asking too much if I desire excellence?
In a spiritual sense, what level of clean can God accomplish? Psalm 51:7 says, “Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” I think of “whiter than snow” as exceptionally white, clean from top to bottom. For clothes, it means they are clean inside and out, pockets and cuffs, hidden linings and front lapels. The Bible tells us that every sin can be forgiven, that every spot on the heart can be removed, and that no guilt can leave a permanent stain on our soul.
Our own attempts to wash away our shame or cover our sin cannot succeed. But the forgiveness God offers is exceptional, excellent, extraordinary, and thorough. I need to be cleaned of the guilt and released from the power of sin, and only God can do that. Each of us can confess our failures to God in prayer and be cleansed and forgiven.

Sharon Braner (Oklahoma, USA)

Perspective

Read Romans 8:15-31 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. -Romans 8:18 (NRSV)

My great grandpa’s wrinkles deepen when he chuckles. His blue eyes reflect a schoolboy’s mischievous sense of humor. Nearly 100 years of living, through personal tragedies and historic disasters, has shaped my great-grandpa’s perspective.
He listens to my frustrations with an occasional nod. Great-grandpa’s response reflects gentleness that often comes with age. “Well . . .” signals his turn to talk. He pauses to complete his thought before putting it to words. My worries for the day will be fleeting thoughts, he assures me. He’s not minimizing my concerns; he just has a different perspective. His wisdom and peace of mind come from having always found God faithful.
Our Creator’s perspective goes back much farther than Great-grandpa’s. It didn’t start in 1913; God’s perspective has always existed; it’s eternal. God doesn’t minimize our struggles but sees them in light of eternity. God doesn’t minimize our pain but sees it in light of eternal glory. When we cannot understand why God isn’t working as we ask, scripture encourages us to trust.

Jodi Schumm (Ohio, USA)

Bullied

Read Psalm 35:17-28*
O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. - Psalm 35:22 (NIV)

From sixth grade through high school, I was constantly bullied and teased. I learned to live with it, but many days I came home in tears, wondering why God was doing this to me. When my graduating class’s ten-year reunion was announced, bitterness and anger filled me as I recalled what some of these people had done to me in the past. I sought solace in the word of God. I stumbled upon Psalm 35 and was floored. God spoke directly to my heart through the psalmist’s words about not letting enemies laugh at him or hate him when they have no reason.
This psalm explained so clearly my current feelings about my past bullying experiences that my anger dissipated in seconds. I realized that God was fully aware of how I felt, had always been aware of the pain that the bullying caused, had not wanted it, and had never abandoned me during those difficult times.
Bullying is always damaging and painful for those who endure it, no matter how we try to explain it. But that doesn’t mean that the victims of bullying have to live with pain, anger, and bitterness forever. God is always with us in our times of trial, and God wants to free us from preoccupation with past hurts.
Justin Swartz (Pennsylvania, USA)

Valuable Lesson

Read Luke 6:37-42
Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? -Luke 6:41 (NRSV)
When I was 10 years old, I complained to my mother about my best friend, who teased her little sister and played mean tricks on her. My mother listened as I went into a lengthy, detailed story.
When I was through, Mother said quietly, “If I remember right, I heard you teasing your little sister just before dinner. Don’t you think you should remove the beam from your own eye before you criticize your friend?”
She was right. I had been teasing my sister, and I was embarrassed to have been caught. I replied rather flippantly, “A beam is too big to fit in anyone’s eye.”
Instantly I knew I was in trouble. “Young lady,” Mother replied, “you know full well what I mean. Furthermore, you will not make light of the Bible’s words. Is that understood?”
I nodded meekly; my face grew red with shame, and I wished I were somewhere else. My mother made me read and memorize the verses about the beam and told me to think about how they related to my complaining.
Now when I find myself tempted to criticize, I hear my mother’s words again and breathe a prayer of thanks for the lesson she taught me that day.

Doris Kennard (Michigan, USA)

Daily Courage

Read Joshua 1:1-9
Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
As I waited for my husband to complete his rigorous physical-therapy regimen, a poster in the office caught my eye. It said, “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow. ’ ” (words of Mary Anne Radmacher)
Few of us will be called to do something as heroic as saving a child from a burning building, donating our bone marrow, or giving our life for our faith. But many of us will be called to live patiently with a handicap, to do our best at a frustrating job, or to love as Christ would even those whose apparent aim is to cause us misery. Those situations call for daily courage.
Whatever our circumstances, we can take heart from God’s words to Joshua: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Whether our daily challenge is a stressful job, a stubborn child, or the struggle to recover from an illness or addiction, God is with us. We can turn to God for the courage to try again tomorrow.

Lisa Stackpole (Wisconsin, USA)