Heigh ho and off we go! Again.

Montana summer

I have two more nights at home this summer. If all goes as planned. (When do things ever go as planned?)

Tonight is one of those two nights. I hop a plane tomorrow to celebrate a special anniversary. I was one of two flower girls a half-century ago; the surprise party should be fun! (IF you know who I'm talking about, please keep it a surprise.) Mom said I played "Jesus Loves Me" at the ripe age of 6 ... and forgot to take off my lacy white gloves. No matter. I found a pair of white gloves today and will take them along, whether I have a chance to play for the couple or not.

Dreaming of summer

I'm almost two months behind on my first plans of summer respite. The first month after grad we toured the Holy Lands (Israel and Jordan) with a study group. Sunshine! immersion, truly a gift from God. This month, I began to sort and declutter the dissertation debris, whip the house and yard into a semblance of order, and get caught up with some of our friends. I even found time to watch a few Korean dramas.

W headed for our cabin in MT last week, working on trim, grouting a bathroom, and otherwise finishing out the building that has been his labor of love for 15 years. I'll join him in MT next week, leaving our adult kids to spread through the house on their own.

"Mom, we miss you guys, but honestly? It's nice to have the house to ourselves," go the young-adult-reviews about our extended absences. Meanwhile, W and I are happy to have caretakers and chore-doers! Jonathan ramps up his skills as a chef and baker when we're away, too. We love to see pictures of his friends sitting around the kitchen table, eating his creations.

Happy Birthday, Marilyn!

The sun shone on the dogs and me as we did our hour-walk this morning. After a visit to the doctor with Melissa, we celebrated her mom's birthday with takeout from a Chinese restaurant. Then it was time to check email and pack for the weekend as well as the summer. Except...

1000 hurrahs! The PDF of my dissertation popped into my inbox this afternoon, thanks to the hard work of copy editors Annette Newberry and Tresa Edmonds at the seminary. Between everything else, I've spent the afternoon and evening printing out the dissertation. On the way to the airport in the morning, we'll drop the copies off at the Post Office, my last obligation of the degree. The seminary will bind the copies. I'm giddy with the thought of NO MORE DISSERTATION. EVER.   EVER.     EVER!

That said, my posts may be more sporadic as I dive into summer writing projects. But if you don't hear from me, remember that you can write to me! Find me on FB or post a comment on the blog once in a while.

Happy Summer, everyone.

Read more:

*The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

*Thus says the Lord, “I will rejoice in doing good to them.” Jeremiah 32:41

*For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16

*Christ says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:10-11

Moravian Prayer: God of abundance, we hear your familiar voice and draw near to you, the one who leads us through verdant vales of vitality. May the still waters of your presence comfort our anxious spirits.

Just as the Lord rejoices in doing good for us, so may we rejoice in our great-hearted Redeemer through all we do. Let us testify to the entire world—“God is love!” In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Get to the end of the line!

Ever feel like you're running behind? Not even in the queue yet?

In a culture of competition and "me-first," it's hard to be "Average Joe" or "Just Jane." I recently read a book by Troy Meeder about ordinary men who have made a difference by being wonderfully average, filling each day with chores, coaching or cheering individuals or teams, working at their jobs with best efforts, and building strong families. They resisted temptations to quit, laze around, or do a minimum to get by.

I recommend the book for middle-agers whose dreams of greatness or using their talents to "change the world" never materialized. Young people may wonder why "luck" happens to others while their lives remain unimpressive despite hard work. The author assures us that no life is truly ordinary ... because God has an extraordinary purpose for you and for me that no one else can fill. (To buy the book, click here.)

This book will inspire you by reminding that you're making a difference by being full human and fully present in whatever routines or requests come your way. God determines where you and I "stand in line." Very few reach the stage; most of us are in a long line ... and someone has to be the last one. That may be me. Or you.

As I clean up the post-dissertation messes to rearrange my office for real life (more writing), I'm reminded that standing out is not the goal of a believer. God call us to strive forward to stand tall at the finish line.

Tonight, before you sleep, look back on the day to ask yourself, "In what ordinary moments am I making a difference to someone?"

Read more:

"But some evil troublemakers among David's men said, 'They didn't go with us, so they can't have any of the plunder we recovered. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone.'

But David said, 'No, my brothers! Don't be selfish with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us. Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment." 1 Samuel 30:22–24

*There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved. Psalm 46:4-5

*Jesus says: "Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them." John 13:17

*The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 21:23

Moravian Prayer: God of hospitality and hope, may we walk in your ways, seeking to bring the light of Zion to this world so that all may know the comforts of your holy habitation. Amen.

The optimist's viewfinder

The post by Chris Guillebeau startled me this morning in thinking about the opportunities of an optimist: click here to view. Summer's almost here, so I feel challenged to gratefulness and celebration again. Chris notes that not all of us can do everything but we can admire and appreciate those with gifts like and unlike our own. Who deserves our applause today?

A closer look at "ordinary"

I found these flowers this morning along our gravel driveway. In their natural setting they were unspectacular. In a vase, amazing. People are like that too, sometimes sparkling in unexpected style.

Sometimes the constraints we feel aren't real. Sometimes we act as though we're tethered when God has given us incredible freedom to act and be, empowered by his Spirit. I walk my dogs on a leash but I'm rarely holding the leash. It trails behind them. If they wanted to take off, they could ... but they think I'm in control so they follow on my heels. Good doggies! (Silly people.)

Tethered. Sort-of.

Almost 4 weeks in Israel's sunshine has snapped me back to reality and healthy optimism (after 6 months of NW winter depression = life feels full of possibilities on sunny days but dreary and worthless during endless rainy Seattle mornings.) It's not always enough to have an office window facing south, a "sun-like" HappyLite staring me in the eyes, three brooder hanging lamps overhead (like hatchery lights), and two bright lightbulbs on the ceiling. The sunlight and outdoor exercise on the Holy Lands tour provided a rebirth from winter-death. Those of you with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) understand.

Whatever our day brings, we will choose the viewfinder. Our actual life options may be wide open. They may be narrowly constricted by health, finances, and relationships. God who sees us through his lens of loving Truth––as we are, where we are––offers us the benefits of abundant living, regardless of our circumstances. That starts in the heart and mind.

Bronze mouse sculpture, wasp's nest, and moss

Let's take advantage of his mercy––regardless of others' perceptions of our opportunities or challenges––with a positive "yes" to his bounty and the beauty around us! What ordinary and extraordinary things are within your reach?

Read more:

*God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” Exodus 3:14

*Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:35-40 NIV

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Revelation 21:6 

Moravian Prayer: Lord, may we never question the infinite presence that is you, the great I Am. As we value you, may we also value all of your creation, remembering that all are worthy because all are from you. Amen.

Oh so quiet!

Today's the weekday American Christians normally call a day of rest. Except that most of us go-go-go-full-steam ahead after church. We've bought into the culture's religion of "more is better," and our Sundays are spent running errands, catching up on the 101 to-dos, and "DOING" rather than resting.

The students on the Holy Lands tour remarked how awful it was that Israelis worked six days a week "and only have one day off." Ahem. Note to self and students: that's one day less than most of us work. After our 5-day workweek, we fill up our weekends with duties, activities, and emotional highs and lows. Then we're exhausted rather than refreshed for the week ahead.

What would it actually feel like to unplug all the technology, phones, and computers, not to drive, and to set aside time for friends and family? Restful.

Our son and his mother-in-law flew in this morning from Montana, visited here long enough to have breakfast and pack Melissa and Kinsey's things, and scooped up the young mom and baby (who have been here since Tuesday evening).

A day of rest

Our house feels quiet. The Vitamix is washed (used to make baby food this morning). The toys are picked up and put away. I can hear the washing machine swirling water through Melissa's bedding. The dishwasher is rinsing the breakfast dishes. The filters in the fishtanks are bubbling. I'm listening to the click of the baby food jars as they seal (yum: 1. mixed veges and potatoes; and 2. mixed veges, beets, halibut).

A few things still sit in the entry, waiting for our youngest son's trip to return his brother's car. Jono will take lunch over and eat with Timo, Melissa, Marilyn, and Kinsey, and return to them any left-behind objects.

My pedometer reads 11,000 steps - and it's not yet 11am.  Kinsey, the dogs, and I have already done our walk (7:30-8:30pm) and I have no more duties to fulfill today. Usually we'd be in church but I am resting. I'm seriously taking the rest of the day off.

We act as though this happened...

I am utterly grateful for a God so good that he designed a day of rest. He's no sloth, lazing about the universe doing nothing. But he's not a heathen god or idol who is never satisfied with our worship and efforts. He's also not an American taskmaster, demanding more effort and more production until we drop in burnout.

Knowing our human inclination to "do" rather than "be," he graced us with the Sabbath - a day of recuperation, enjoyment of his presence, and connection to other people. Thanks be to God.

 I'm unpacking that gift today!!! My Sabbath ends at 11am tomorrow. YAY for rest!

Read more:

*Behold, here I am, let him do to me as seems good to him. 2 Samuel 15:26 (NASB) 

*The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name — he is holy. Psalm 99:1-3 NIV

*Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

Moravian Prayer: We covenant with you, O purposeful Providence. Your will is written in our lives and works and is lived out in the world you created and saved through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Quiet before the little storm

All's quiet. Our granddaughter is stirring in the next room. It's early morning and once she awakes, the day starts its run. The first thing is a warm bottle and a long walk with Oma and the dogs. We went 3.5 miles yesterday, long enough to tire Kinsey out and drain the excess energy from Oma's head.

Melissa, our daughter-in-love, is recovering from back surgery at our house while her husband serves as best man in MT for his best friend. Melissa can't hold Kinsey for 3-4 weeks. For now, I'm hoisting the toddler up to mom-height for hugs throughout the day.

Meanwhile, we have a designated drawer where Kinsey can haul out the dishcloths and tea towels. She's sifted and sorted plastic containers into bowls, taken apart Easter eggs, and walked the breadth and length of the house many times. 

Some women, especially those with selective amnesia, don't remember how much work it was to raise children. As grandmothers, they exclaim how busy and exhausted they are, watching their grandchildren. Personally, I shall never forget how many diapers and feedings a baby needs. Mothering our kids––from the first to the fourth child––was a constant parade of feeding, cleaning, laundry, and training that my husband escaped by working to support us. One or two kids were in diapers for 11 years, with a two years break somewhere near the end. I was happy for the little pause before the last one arrived!

I'm happy to have "outgrown" that stage of life, especially as I watch and thrill to Melissa's great care of their little darling. Now, the love of little hands reminds me that Oma is a good stage: I get to enjoy Kinsey for a few more days before her other grandma arrives to care for her daughter and granddaughter. 

God's attention to little ones, from the time their baby toenails start to grow, through this stage––learning to walk and explore––amazes me. Kinsey's high trust and love of people demonstrates Melissa's wonderful mothering and safe household she's growing in.

This morning, I'm grateful for "little storms" of activity that blow into our house, like sweet Kinsey. And I admit that I'm thankful for the pre-whirlwind hush, too!

Read more:

"The LORD is God, shining upon us." Psalm 118:27

*Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power;  praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.  Psalm 150    NIV 

Ouch and Aaah

We got up at 5:15 and were at the surgeon's at 6am. He removed the bulging disk distressing Melissa, our daughter-in-love, and dropped it into a jar for display.

Meanwhile, baby Kinsey, the two dogs, and I walked for an hour in the morning sunshine. Kinsey ate breakfast and had a few diaper changes before we went to get her mom.

"I can't believe it. The pressure is gone from my leg," Melissa said in the car. "My back will have to heal, but my leg doesn't hurt anymore." By 10am, we were home. Kinsey and Melissa both conked out for a nap while I watched an hour of Korean dramas.

It's amazing how a skilled surgeon will cut through healthy flesh to reach an area of damage. Melissa's skin will have to grow together and her muscles will be sore where the surgeon moved them out of the way to reach her spine. But the point of irritation itself? If all heals as expected, it's gone.

Sometimes, when Jesus touches us, the hurts are peripheral, seemingly unconnected to our prayers for his intervention. In order to reach our deepest brokenness, he sometimes sets aside healthy muscle and cuts into sound tissue. We cry in pain without realizing that we are already healing and being restored to wholeness.

Thanks be to God who heals us, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. His competence ensures that - regardless of how we feel - he will help and not break us. What are you willing to go through for holistic restoration?

Read more:

*His anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5

*God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 

*So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13   NIV

Moravian Prayer: Gracious God, we stand in awe before you. Your amazing grace is showered upon us, offering us salvation even when we’ve strayed. Help us to know your everlasting love through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Dealing with cravings

Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water… 

If I find in myself a desire, which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. – C.S. Lewis

What do you desire? What are you craving today? The ability to rest? Freedom from physical or emotional pain? Spiritual renewal? Relationships that are whole and healthy?


If you follow Christ, you are the child of another world. Tell your Father in heaven what you need, and receive hope for today as well as for your future. 

Read more:

*Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success. Psalm 118:25

*All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT

Meltdown to the disciplines

I'm definitely back to veganism again. Within a week of arriving in Israel, I had been able to eat anything - cheese, lamb, chicken, eggs ... the daily sunshine and hot weather provided restoration and reprieve for my body and soul.

When we got back to Seattle, the freakishly cold and gloomy "spring" assaulted me like a battering ram. I sat in the house for days, unable to do much more than write and take the dogs for long walks, trying to soak up enough sun to get out of bed in the mornings. Happily, W was out of town so he missed most of the inner drama while I returned to a restricted diet.

I had an internal meltdown last night on the way home from wonderful visits with family. I'd ordered chicken for lunch and enjoyed deli coldcuts for supper.

June: a typical Seattle day

Driving home in the car, I huddled on the passenger side, unable to think of anything good in my life. The pavement, lakes, sky, clouds, and rain pressed on me in grey heaviness. The green trees, grass, shrubs, and bushes gloated with moisture. My heart pounded with anxiety as W zipped in and out of traffic on the wet roads, wipers splashing away the water. I read most of the way to ward off reflexive braking and protective jerking as tail lights flared in front of us. But my mind raced: why had I married? Why did we bother raising a family when they were just going to go through sorrow and pain? My planned sabbatical in MT (rest and recuperation after the dissertation) had all but fizzled away into other obligations.  Plus, my dissertation had come back for printing with the spacing I had carefully worked out disturbed.

I didn't say much in the car, afraid of a verbal explosion of words I wouldn't mean in saner moments. At home, I crawled under the covers to sleep off the toxic effects of animal products.

Peach muesli with soymilk

This morning, I made a fabulous fresh peach and pecan muesli (rolled grains, nuts, and seeds) and started to print out the dissertation for one final scrutiny. The sun lamp and 5 other lights are on in my office and I'm sitting in front of the southern window. (There's little light coming in from there, mind you. Surprise, it's another rainy day.)

My sweet husband seems almost perfect again. I don't have to ride in his car, which I dislike because of its 'new' chemical smell and uncomfortable seats, among other things. I'm grateful that my excellent copy editor A.N. carefully made the needed editorial adjustments. The dogs are thrilled to be beside me; we're skipping our walk because it's raining and I don't have a slave-master driving me into the dripping landscape. I feel almost human.

Vegan meal

It was SUCH a relief to let my taste buds and available food define my meals in Israel, especially for weeks at a time. It's not that I don't like vegetables and grains. I do. But I love meat and eggs and dairy. With the Seattle curse crashing back in, I'm resigning myself to the discipline of diet restrictions. Some day I'll escape this grey-green jungle and be able to eat normally. I look forward to that!

Those of you who struggle with depression for whatever reason will understand. And the rest of you? Maybe you're a thief, a liar, a blasphemer, a drunkard, a glutton, an adulterer, or a gossip. (Or like me, any one of those at various times.)

Everyone who follows Christ strains to please God in spite of our brokenness and illness. We live within the human condition under God's mercy. Regardless of where your flaws lie, ask for His loving-kindness today to help meet your own challenges. I'll check in tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm off to eat a square of TJ's dark (vegan) chocolate to ward off the drizzling blues.

Read more:

*You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound. Psalm 4:7

*Let all who fear the LORD repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the LORD  than to trust in princes." Psalm 118:4–9

*The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. Isaiah 60:19-20 NIV

*We brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:7

Moravian Prayer: How do we measure abundance?—?in our worldly possessions or in the richness of our souls? O great Provider, help us to lay aside the blanket of belongings for the blanket of blessing that envelops us in your love. Amen.

The relief of wind on water

My apple "pancake"

Friends of ours who recently purchased a boat asked us along for breakfast in Kingston and a day on the water. We left the house at 7am and just got back, 12 hours later. Mind you, we had pizza on the way back.

We walked the little craft market at Kingston before heading to Oak Table Cafe for biscuits and gravy (W) and "an apple pancake" (me). My meal was so huge they rang a bell when it left the kitchen. Seriously! I gave W a quarter, cut off a thin wedge for Donna, and ate the rest of that quarter. We have half left for tomorrow morning. W's two biscuits were so huge they hardly fit into a big soup bowl, heaped with creamy sausage gravy. I ate his two eggs, too.

W's biscuits and gravy, with 2 eggs

The wind blew as we left the slip and returned to it. As we crossed Puget Sound, the waves gently lifted the boat. So much water between shores. So much air moving over the land and sea.

After steering us back through the Chittenden Locks, Jim let me "drive" through the ship canal (he's a high trust person) and it felt utterly relaxing to be chugging along. I could sense and feel the continual interplay between water, boat, and air in the turning of the rudder and adjustment of the engine.

"You have to compensate for the wind," he told W and me.

Likewise, life's currents influence our decisions. We choose to run before the wind, to fight the drift, or to plow headlong into the gale. May God give us wisdom to know what to do in any kind of weather.

Read more:
*You shall worship before the Lord your God; and you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given you and your house. Deuteronomy 26:10-11 (NKJV)

*I made the earth, and created humankind upon it. Isaiah 45:12

*Give thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20

*Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water. Revelation 14:7

Moravian Prayer: Awesome God, we thank you for little things, for things we touch and smell and see and taste. In appreciating little things, help us to appreciate big things. May this one day, as it comes, be part of a life lived for you.

We delight in the wonder of the world that you, our divine Designer, have made. May we worship you by tenderly cultivating all of your creation. Amen.

Soiling our own nest

Bird cleaning its nest

"Vögel scheißen nicht ins eigene Nest." Growing up, I heard that German saying many times. Roughly translated, "Birds don't soil their own nest."

Sparrows roost above the front entry light at my parents' place. First, you see the head of the mama or papa bird as they guard and turn the eggs. In a few weeks, there is faint cheeping which swells to a daily hunger protest. Soon little heads peek over the sides, pulled back to safety with passersby. Before long, the chicks feather out and fly off.

The nest is constantly cleared, cleaned, and made welcome for the healthy development of the young ones.

Bedouin home

We saw similar cultural habits among the Bedouins who settled in Israel. Their yards may be full of the plastic bags and junk they toss out their windows, but we were told that the inside of the home is spotless. Generations of Bedouins tossed biodegradable items beyond the tent flap, keeping the interiors clean. In the morning, the desert sand and scavengers had taken care of the leftovers. Sadly, the routines remain and the non-biodegradable trash flies around the countryside, captured by fences and shrubs.

The tendency to clean our own nest, not to despoil our surroundings, is cross-cultural. But the longer I live here, the more I learn about our adopted country's counter-intuitive acts. We monitor others but turn a blind eye to ourselves.

Please read this article (click here) and share with fellow readers what feelings this reality stirs up in you. Patriotism? Pride in America? Surprise? Shock? Dismay? Or ? Personalize Anna with your name ... if you were Anna, if Anna were your cousin or your neighbor, would you feel the same, reading this?

View of foreigners by C19 Japanese

It's easy to police other countries. We were horrified by the Holocaust Museum in Israel, where we saw the results of systematic brainwashing: "Jews are subhuman and don't deserve to live or own property in this land. They are leaches who feed off the hard-working people around them." It's so convenient to shake our heads at the Nazis who tried to eliminate an ethnic group. Who among us would act so brutally today, so inhumanely?

I can finally whisper a question to myself, a few weeks after viewing the ungodly hell inflicted by "my people," my ancestors' government. No, my family didn't know what was going on. But how could they and their communities have missed it? I saw judgment in the eyes of students when they found out Waldemar was Polish and I was German. "Our people" had dared to do this to the Jews. It's true. "We" did it, to our eternal shame. But how are my actions different today from my tribe's actions two generations ago?

Today I'm asking the difficult question of you the reader, too. How is the American immigration propaganda and policing different for those desperate ones who came here to raise their kids, eat decent food, and live in safety? We're not just deporting people from the USA. We're letting our government––paid by our taxes––kill them ... while we look away. Read the statistics in this article.  We can justify it any way we like - and know we're not the first in the USA or elsewhere to do so. (Kosovo. Sudan. Nigeria. Uganda. Vietnam: a short list in a longer ongoing travesty.)

We're all from elsewhere else. Some came on land-bridges or boats thousands of years ago and others on ships as recently as 500 years ago. (Buildings are considered young in many countries at that age.) Some of our ancestors found a haven in the United States: they became citizens so we enjoy that privilege, too. Others of us arrived more recently, with Green Cards or citizenship applications in hand.

Ellis Island, NY

Still others would love to integrate. They live desperately "under the radar," working hard, trying to make a go of it because starvation or death are their only options if they remain in their birthplace.

Once again, the Jewish people––through their memorial of our propensity to do nothing, eating and drinking in safety while others perish–– become our conscience and a goad to serve God as fully human as possible. It cost "my people" death to stand up for Jews two generations ago. Am I willing to risk any comforts to help others in similar circumstance?

How can we prove God's love to those seeking refuge near us this week? This month? In our lifetime?

Read more:

*The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2

*Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. Exodus 22:21

*But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 NIV

*Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:10-12

Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for your kindness to us, strangers and aliens in this world. Call us, O God, to demonstrate your mercy and care for others. Let us love the foreigner among us, for you have set us in a strange land and will call us home when we have finished our sojourn here on earth. Amen.