Tag: share

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Gathering in Christ’s Name

A gathering of prairie dogs in Prairie Dog Town at Devils Tower National Monument
A prairie dog peeking out of its burrow
A prairie dog standing on its hind legs
Acts 10:33 (ESV)—"So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

They stand on mounds of dirt, stick their heads out of burrows, and generally scamper about the grassy field known as Prairie Dog Town. I lift my camera and aim the lens at the prairie dog peeking out of its burrow. Another sits yards away, chewing on the grass. Still another sits upright, head moving side to side as if in search of danger.

Without this keystone creature, the ecosystem at Devils Tower National Monument and nearby Badlands National Park could collapse. The black-footed ferret could starve without its meal of prairie dog, burrowing owls couldn’t claim abandoned prairie dog burrows for homes, and the grass would grow tall and prevent other plants from sprouting.

Likewise, without the keystone of community, the wheels of Christianity could stop turning. Without gatherings, there is no listening, no sharing. Without the exchange of information, truth remains hidden in the shadows.

For Simon Peter, an invitation to share the gospel turned into a learning experience when the truth came out of the shadows. He recognized salvation was not only for Jews but also for Gentiles—for everyone!

For sure, gathering in Christ’s name causes the wheels of Christianity to move. Community creates a space of listening and learning, of sharing and hearing—a place where God reveals truth.

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Sharing Our Hurts

Hurt, such a small word for such a big emotion. Hurt comes in many shapes and forms, from a harsh but true critique of our writing from a trusted friend, to feeling like a failure when we receive yet another rejection.

Hurt, however, drives our spirit toward God. When we share our cry to the Lord in our writing and, more important, God’s healing result, other people receive a truth about God. Indeed, our proclamation of God’s truth makes others aware of God’s power to heal hurt, driving them toward the Healer.

So let’s share our truth, our cry to God, remembering he can bring our words to life for others.

1 Kings 17:21 (ESV)—Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child's life[a] come into him again.”

1 Kings 17:24 (ESV)—And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”
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Sharing Our Story

Your story, in print, for anyone to read. How does this make you feel? Intimidated? Uncomfortable? Like hiding under a blanket and never coming out?

When writing for God, we don’t have to fear sharing our story. Why? Because God can use our story as a lesson for future generations, providing a glimpse of his glory through our writing.

Isaiah 30:8 (ESV)—And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever.
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Powerful Hands

I stared over the edge of the rock wall beyond which lay ten feet of rock and patches of snow ice, followed by a precipitous drop into the Grand Canyon. Gazing at my ice-cleat-clad feet, I gulped even though the cleat’s grip made slipping almost impossible.

“Come on, Amy,” the tour guide encouraged. “Kneel behind the wall and reach up like you need help!” After my husband and I kneeled and posed as if we dangled over the edge, the tour guide encouraged me to stand on the wall. “Amy, grab your husband’s hand.”

I stood and grasped my husband’s hand, saving him from a fictitious tumble sure to break a bone or two. If this situation were reality, and I had to use my hands to pull my husband from the cliff’s ledge, would I be able to do it? Maybe, because the hands are powerful and not only in clasping, pushing, and pulling but also in praising, praying, working, as well as other things.

On the basis of my search of Bible Gateway for the word “hand”—a search pulling up 1,591 results—I know, one, that God’s hands are powerful (obviously!) and, two, that human hands are powerful too, but in a different way. Human hands can fail without God to guide them.

Human Hands

The Beautiful

  • Nehemiah 8:6: Human hands praise God.
  • Deuteronomy 2:7: Human hands work.
  • Deuteronomy 1:25: Human hands share.
  • 1 Corinthians 16:21: Human hands encourage.
  • 1 Timothy 2:8: Human hands pray.

The Ugly

  • Genesis 27:17: Human hands deceive.
  • Matthew 17:12: Human hands bring suffering.
  • Matthew 26:45: Human hands betray.
  • Jonah 3:8; Number 22:29: Human hands commit violent acts.

God’s Hands: Always Beautiful

  • Zechariah 4:8–10: God uses human hands to fulfill prophesy.
  • Acts 6:6; 2 Kings 4:34: God uses human hands to heal.
  • Judges 7:20: God uses human hands to fulfill his plan.
  • Ephesians 4:17: God uses human hands to inspire faith and belief.

  • Numbers 20:11: God uses human hands to provide.

  • 1 Peter 5:6: God’s hand provides a place of refuge.
  • Hebrews 8:9: God’s hand leads us.
  • Matthew 14:31: God’s hand saves us from our doubts.

  • Matthew 8:2–3: God’s hands heal.

Human hands alone, without God, are so powerful and capable. Capable of deceit as well as kindness. Able to share as well as kill. Fit for hard work as well as destruction.

With God, our hands are a powerful tool to work as if working for the Lord, to encourage one another, to share with others, to do God’s work.

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Jesus Upholds: A Journey in 2023

A dirt trail with trees on both sides, turning to the right
Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)—He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Happy New Year, Everyone! Life is a journey, for sure, and this year I embarked not only on adventures on the West Coast and in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Birmingham, and Gulf Shores but also on a path of newness toward God. Looking back at 2023, I see God’s path unwinding like a switchback up a mountain.

Not so long ago, I prided myself on my independence. I lived life with an attitude of “I can go it alone.” My tune changed with an anxiety attack, one I believe God used to gain my attention to his lessons. I learned not only self-care such as meditation and yoga but also community care from my loved ones. God’s outcomes have filled my life with happiness, and these are only a few:

I shared my experiences through devotionals published on various websites.

I reached out to my family more often and shared some of my experiences.

I made an effort to expand my community through volunteering and organizing social activities.

I learned more about myself and the fruit of the Spirit I need to apply to myself.

I began memorizing Bible verses.


With each of these events, I see the connection between the trials and the joy and Jesus upholding my life. God used my reaching out in my troubles as an invitation for another to reach out to me in their troubles. I learned God’s Word to write devotionals and blog posts and subsequently used his Word to calm myself. I treated myself with the fruit of the Spirit and feel happier despite my trials.

Although my journey sometimes feels as if I’m trudging up a steep trail and I can’t see past the trees to the next turn, I know if I stay on his path, I’m traveling toward his glory. I invite you to review your 2023 and list ways God has touched your life. May you start 2024 with your mind on his glory!