Unparalleled Love

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's most read poem, Sonnet 43, is better known by the words of its first line: "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." The poem, published in 1850, is believed by most critics to be a declaration of the poet's love for her husband and fellow Victorian poet, Robert Browning. Her love for him was strong and passionate! 

This poem came to mind as I was reflecting on the reality that tomorrow is Valentine's Day. A day in which we are reminded of the joy of love. Indeed God has blessed me with a wife whom I have loved since the day we first met over 48 years ago. Rare is the day I do not thank God for bringing the two of us together. 

But Valentine's Day is also a good day to remind ourselves of One whose love for us is unmatched. For it was while we were yet sinners that Jesus Christ gave up his life for us! What love he has for us! As I began to reflect upon his affection for his people, I thought I would take liberty with Barrett Browning's poem and rewrite it from the perspective of Christ. 

How do I love you? Let me count the ways.

I love you no matter how far you might fall

Or how often you fail to give me your all.

Though you may deny me or often defy me, 

My love for you never ever loses its gleam.

Your heart may be prone to wander, 

But my heart for you only grows fonder.

 

So you ask me how do I love you?

Take a look at the palms of my hands, 

For next to the scars you will see a brand,

That I will carry with me for all eternity

Your name engraved for everyone to see. 

Thanks for stopping by,

PJ

When the Ground We Stand upon Gives Way

In the early morning hours while most were asleep, a powerful earthquake struck portions of Turkey and Syria on Monday. No warning sirens blared. No evacuations were ordered. All was dark and quiet as it should have been. Then the ground began to shift and shake. Hundreds if not thousands of buildings collapsed into piles of rubble. Thousands were killed. Tens of thousands

were injured. Multitudes were left with no where to sleep but the cold, snow covered ground. 

Our hearts go out to the victims as our prayers ascend to heaven. This is a human tragedy that will mark many for the rest of their lives.

I am guessing that most reading this blog post will not have experienced much beyond a mild tremor when it comes to earthquakes. At least literal earthquakes. But what about earthquakes of another kind. The ones that so rock our world that it feels like the ground we stand on is giving way. Everything we count on to bring stability to our lives is turned upside down. 

Since we are broken people living in a fallen world we will all face such times. If not today. Tomorrow. If not tomorrow. Next week or next month or next year. I am not being pessimistic just realistic. So, when life begins to collapse around us, what can we grab hold of that will keep us on our feet? Or perhaps, better said, WHOSE hand can we grip as we begin to lose ours? The Sons of Korah give us the answer in Psalm 46:1-3. But before looking at the first verse, consider verses 2-3:

2 

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

3 

though its waters roar and foam,

    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. 

The writers here are describing an earthquake. In doing so, they are saying even if some sort of calamity falls upon us so that everything that brings stability to our lives is shattered, we do not have to fear! We need not go to pieces. Why so? Their opening verse gives the answer: 

God is our refuge and strength,

    a very present help in trouble.

2 

So when life begins to seem like it's falling apart, we can flee to Christ. He is our refuge. We are safe in his arms. He is our strength. He is always near! So reach out and grab the hand that Jesus is always extending to you. He will help you to stand when you can't stand on your own! 

One last thought before I sign off. Though we cannot travel to Turkey and Syria to help, we can “lend a hand” in the relief effort by opening our wallets and making a contribution toward the aid that is so desperately needed!

Thanks for stopping by, 

PJ 

Is There a Doctor in the House?

Recently I read the following rather sobering assessment: "Data published in 2020 by the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the U.S. could see a shortage of 54,100 to 139,000 physicians by 2033. That shortfall is expected to span both primary- and specialty-care fields."

After reading this, I found myself nodding my head in agreement. I was NOT surprised. I am guessing you are not either. For all of us who need to see a doctor, whether it be our primary care physician or a specialist, we are growing more accustomed to being scheduled days, weeks, or even months out! So yes. We could certainly use more doctors (as well as nurses, imaging techs, pharmacists, etc.). Good bodily health demands it! 

There is much better news when it comes to the health of our souls. In this case, we have only one doctor. He is the only one we need. Our Great Physician, Jesus Christ,
is on call 24/7/365. His capacity for patients is unlimited. His wisdom to diagnosis our need is infinite. His bedside manner unmatched. So no matter your heart need, you can go to Christ and find his loving care. Depressed? He is the light of the world. Broken hearted? He is the one whose heart was broken for us. No matter our need, he, our gentle and lowly shepherd, will take us in his arms and comfort, heal, encourage and strengthen us. Hallelujah, what a Savior! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

PJ

"Behind Every Great Man . . . "

 

It's been said often that behind every great man is a great woman. In the case of Abraham Lincoln there is little doubt this proved true. 

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, is arguably one of the greatest if not the greatest of American presidents. He served in a tumultuous time in which a wrong decision on his part may have very well led to the end of the Union as we know it today. Thankfully for our nation, his crisis leadership, faith, courage, and strong intellect was exactly what our country needed at that moment in history. When the survival of the union hung on a thread, Lincoln came through. Not only did the Union survive, the evil institution of slavery was destroyed. Yet Lincoln, was a most unlikely prospect to become president, let alone save the Union!

Lincoln was born in poverty in the back woods of Kentucky. Schooling? In his own words it came in "littles,” a day a week here and a month there. Historians believe that when you add up the "littles" his formal education amounted to about a year. And
yet this man, through educating himself went on to write one of the most brilliant presidential speeches ever given, the Gettysburg Address! So how did he get from a one room, dirt floor log cabin to the oval office in the nation's most famous house? The answer in part can be found in one woman in his life.

When Lincoln was just nine, two years after his family moved from Kentucky to Indiana, his mother died. A year later his father, Thomas, took a trip back to Kentucky and returned with a new wife along with her four children. Sarah Bush Lincoln became a champion for young Abe. She persuaded Thomas to allow his son to read and study at home along with any of the "littles" young Abe could grab when schooling opportunities happened along. Af first Thomas was reluctant, but he gradually came to the point of offering some mild encouragement to his son in this regard. 

The championing of Abraham Lincoln's step mother of his desire to learn was certainly a key to him becoming the man for his times. Without her influence, we might need a passport to travel to Virginia today! 

All of us need a champion. One who will have our best interests at heart. One who will stand by us through both good and hard times. One who will always encourage us to keep on keeping on. I can think of a number of "champions" who greatly impacted me. I would not be the man I am today without their fingerprints on my life. But I can only think of one "Champion" who has changed me (and is continuing to change me) from the inside out! His name is Jesus. He is behind everything I do. And he has promised to never leave me no matter how many more steps remain on my journey through life. 

How about you? Is Jesus YOUR champion? Have you heeded his call to come to him, realizing you need a Savior? And if you have decided to follow him, how is that going for you? 

If you'd like to chat, feel free to reach out to me at jsmith@gracewv.org. 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

PJ

Flying Fast and Getting Nowhere!

Back in my childhood days, getting a rare sight of Canadian Geese was a thrill! Every fall, I could look up into the skies and see (and hear!) flocks of various size winging their way south for the winter. Six months later, they returned overhead, now flying north to their summer breeding and feeding grounds. But over the years, an increasing number of these beautiful creatures have been staying put in their locales all year round (except for those in the far north).  

My wife and I moved into a new home at the end of August. We soon discovered there were numerous geese who make their home nearby. Each day I hear their loud honking overhead as they encourage one another to fly on! But fly where? Unlike their migratory cousins, who appear on the northern horizon only to disappear as they wing their way south, our neighboring geese fly in circles trying to decide which empty field might yield some tasty delights. 

I see myself in these neighboring geese. I am often running here and there, seeking this or that, when I should be running the race God has set before me. There is a finish line ahead. I am called to run toward that goal, keeping my eyes focused on Jesus. He stands there at the finish line cheering me on. Yet, like my feathered neighbors, I an prone to run fast ... but to run in circles. This happens when I take my eyes off of Christ, and look to find satisfaction in what this fallen world has to offer. 

How about you, my friend? Do you find yourself flying fast and getting nowhere? If so, take a look at the thoughts filling your mind, the values filling your heart, the activities filling your days. Are these things helping you to grow more in love with Jesus? Take stock. Stop flying fast and getting nowhere. Instead go hard after Jesus. For he, and only he, is the way the truth and the life.

Thanks for stopping by, 

PJ

Tick, Tock ... the Sounds of the Clock of Our Lives

One of the highlights of my childhood was Sunday dinner. Always at Grandma's (although my step grandfather also lived there!). Always consisting of roast beef done just right, creamy mashed potatoes, and steaming hot gravy. And of course, the obligatory vegetable. In this case dreaded green peas . . .  of which the eating of them led to a few showdowns between me and my parents (my parents would be proud of me as I now enjoy eating peas!). But I always got a pass at Grandma's! After dinner, my twin brother and I got to spend cherished time with Gramps as we affectionately called him.

Gramps, although average in weight and height, was a giant in our eyes. He and Grandma lived in a tiny (and I do mean TINY!) one room apartment in the basement of an eight story downtown Harrisburg apartment building known as the Greyco. Gramps was the maintenance man. We thought he owned the place! Gramps sure knew how to provide fun for two youngsters! He would take us up to the eighth floor and as we walked back down the stairwell, allow us to throw the bundles of yesterday’s newspapers down the chute to the incinerator (times sure have changed a bit over the years!). Feeding the gold fish in the large cement pond in the apartment building's courtyard was another favorite activity (we fed them Quaker Oats oatmeal ... maybe that's why I love oatmeal now!). And there were the trips into the subbasement. Those was both exciting and scary for we never knew what was lurking in the shadows! 

Then there were also trips with Gramps outside the Greyco: Skipping stones across the surface of the Susquehanna River (the Greyco was only a block and a half from the river), walking across the the Walnut Street Bridge to City Island, going hiking around Rockville (located about 8 miles upriver from Harrisburg.). I hope you can agree with me from what I have shared, Gramps was a great granddad! 

As I reflected on these memories this morning, it hit home that I am now "Gramps." No, I am not a maintenance guy for some apartment (and renters everywhere can be happy that is so!). And my grandkids don't call me "Gramps" but rather "Papa." But, like my grandfather, and his grandfather before him, I enjoy the opportunities to spend time with my grandchildren.  

Yet in the midst of the joy of grand parenting, I am nagged by this question: Where have the years gone? I remind myself that it won't be long before my grandchildren are reflecting on their time spent with me (and I hope they do so with fondness). 

So I leave you with this question: As our lives are quickly passing, "like vapor which appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14), are you asking the Lord to teach you to number your days carefully, so that you might gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:2)? Let me recommend sometime between now, December 31st and the close of New Year's Day, you open your Bible and read the only Psalm credited to Moses, Psalm 90. For we all need reminded that each and every day counts, and once gone they cannot be retrieved or redone! Let's strive to take hold of each day and live it for Christ. 

Thanks for stopping by … and a blessed new year to you all. 

PJ

Beware the Post Christmas Funk

The build up to the Christmas holiday in our culture is frankly overwhelming! Christmas music begins to dominate the airwaves soon after October is in life's rear view mirror. Retailers start pushing their Christmas sales before Thanksgiving, and the Hallmark channel begins its popular "Countdown to Christmas" the final week of October! Pressure is on to buy, bake, and decorate. Expectations for this "Most Wonderful Time of Year" run high. And before we know it, Christmas is here and gone, leaving many of us exhausted by the hubbub of the season and feeling robbed of the joy we thought we would experience and did not. But wait ... perhaps rushing off to the mall or going online to use our gift cards will help us overcome "the blues!" But will it? 

So after all the gifts are unwrapped and our family gatherings are done, how do we handle this post Christmas "hangover" that so many of us experience? Here's just one suggestion. Take a deep breath (or two or three or more!), sit down, and hear these words from God through the pen of the Apostle Paul: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Take a few moments to reflect on your standing in this life because of Christ's birth that first Christmas morning. You are RICH! But you might be thinking, "Hold on John! After this frigid arctic blast, it's going to be tough for me to pay the heating bill. I don't call that 'rich' by any means!" 

It may be very true you are not "rich" as the world defines the word. But if you have chosen to come to Christ, receiving him as the God-Man Savior and Lord, God says you are indeed rich! And by that he means rich in the ways that matter. Consider these words from Ephesians chapter one: "Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). The Apostle Paul goes on to name some of these riches: Our adoption into God's family, our being set free from our bondage to sin, God's forgiveness, and even a future inheritance awaiting us in heaven! 

Allow those words to sink into your mind, heart and soul. For those of us who claim an allegiance to Christ, we are rich! Not with the riches we will have to leave behind one day. But eternal riches to lift our hearts today, tomorrow and for all eternity! 

Thanks for stopping by, 

PJ