Super Heroes

Super heroes,  every culture has some. The bible has some too. Sure, you know about Samson, and David, and Solomon (who I always sort of think of as Dr. Xavier from X-men), but there are others, men, just men like you or I, who did extraordinary things.

Check out 2 Samuel, Chapter 23 - David's Mighty Warriors

⁸ These are the names of David’s mighty warriors:    Josheb-Basshebeth,^[a] a Tahkemonite,^[b] was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed^[c] in one encounter.
 ⁹ Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim^[d] for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, ¹⁰ but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.
 ¹¹ Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. ¹² But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory. ¹³ During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ¹⁵ David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” ¹⁶ So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. ¹⁷ “Far be it from me, LORD, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. ¹⁸ Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three.^[e] He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. ¹⁹ Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.  ²⁰ Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. ²¹ And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. ²² Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. ²³ He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

     Okay, so that was a longer excerpt than normal, so sue me. But read it. I mean, these are men who, in their day, performed acts of such heroism that their names are still spoken millenniums after they perished. Did they really even think that thousands of years later their feats would still be recorded and read aloud as part of God's holy Word? So what did it take to be a hero then, in those times? It took courage, and dedication, and faith.  
     We have our own armies to fight against, our own battles to wage in a war that is never ceasing. Whether it is the fight to keep your mouth shut, to not belittle someone in your mind, to continue to persevere and have faith that things will get better, or to surrender to an uncertain Will - it all takes the same qualities that were admired so long ago:

• The courage to do what must be done, even if it is difficult, you don't necessarily want to do it, or it's down right terrifying
• The dedication to pursue and perfect the character and heart and mind that God desires for us to have so that when we are engaged in battle, we are well-prepared and adequately equipped to meet the adversity before us
• The faith to believe, to know, that the task we have set ourselves to completing is achievable and is the best use of our knowledge, strength, and passion

      I must confess that most days, I fall woefully short of being anything close to a hero...the three traits listed above are often far beyond me, and much of that is on account of my own failure to make the time to immerse myself in God. You hear it all the time, you give it lip service, but I dare any of you to read, really read, the Word, for just 10 minutes a night and to have a discussion with God about what you've read - even if it consists of you questioning God about the nature of what you just read; you will find, I absolutely guarantee it, that you think a little more before you react, that you breathe a little deeper and you let go a little easier. Miracles aren't always headline news, sometimes just taking a breath without cussing in traffic or smiling at work while your efforts are being "improved upon" takes every last drop of miraculous you can allow God to siphon through you.

Here's to a miraculous tomorrow, because today was pretty well eat up with mortal frailty and pettiness.

God Noticed You

¹³ Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
 ¹⁴ Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ¹⁵ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

 Matthew, Chapter 19

As humans, we all seek that spark of connection, that moment when we feel like someone, or some entity in the case of God, stops addressing the masses and addresses just us, individually. For me, that moment came when, as a child, I understood Jesus to admonish adults for pushing children aside as a nuisance and raised them up as loved and cherished. I didn't realize that the believing nature of a child was also what was being praised, not at that age, but I did connect to a God - for the first time my God - saying I was important and He wanted to see me and love me and know me.

I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to explain to nonbelievers (and sometimes believers also) that God does not want you to just be a good person and do nice things. That's not actually why God created you. That would be like mortal parents saying "I want to have a child so that I can make sure it does all the things I ask it to do and so I can lord over it." That's not why humans have children and that isn't why God created you. Humans have children because they want to meet the new, completely unique creature that they can create from themselves and, hopefully, from the love they share with another. Guess what? God pretty much did the same thing. God wants to have a RELATIONSHIP with you. He wants to get to know you and all the little weird quirks that make you so special and unique.

But, you say: "God is omniscient so He knows everything; that means He already knows all about me." Okay, this is the down and dirty version of my reconciliation of God's being omniscient with humans having free will - God is like the author of a huge, pretty much infinite, choose your path book. For each human life, He knows all the possible outcomes of every choice you could possibly make (that's giving Him a LOT of credit because that's a degree of possibilities I can't even fathom); what He DOESN'T KNOW is which choice you will choose because you have the free will to select whatever option you want. He may know what will happen either way, but He doesn't know which way you will decide to go. So yeah, God really wants to know you and experience the wonder of watching your story unfold. 

That, ladies and gentleman, is why I love talking to God. Every day, about any thing, all the time; He is my FRIEND, and my comforter, and my father, and my salvation. When not another soul of the face of the earth knows you, want's to know you, or can know you, God does, wants to, and can. Some folks will tell you that you shouldn't "waste God's time" praying about little things, I say that prayer is how you communicate with God and you should communicate with Him as much as you can and rejoice that you have been granted the grace to do so.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Ephesians, Chapter 6

But Murder is Totally Worse than Lying

"All sin is equal in the eyes of the Lord." - Sound familiar? Sure it does. But it isn't actually in the Bible anywhere. The philosophy is likely derived from Romans 3: 10-12

⁹ What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. ¹⁰ As it is written:    “There is no one righteous, not even one;
 ¹¹ there is no one who understands;
   there is no one who seeks God.
¹² All have turned away,
   they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
   not even one.”^{[See also: Psalms 14:1-3, 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20]}

 So, is all sin equal in the eyes of the Lord? Well, maybe but maybe not. There are various places in the Bible where one type of sin is compared to another and one is eventually determined to be "worse" than the other. As humans, we tend to inherit or develop our own scale of egregiousness. Some believe that while sinful action is deplorable, the sin can be mitigated or exacerbated by the intentions behind it. Hebrews 4:12 states "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews doesn't say, "it judges the actions." This allows for repentance to lead one to redemption, because while you cannot take back the act, you can take back the intention behind it.

The truer philosophy, in my humble opinion, behind Romans 3:10-12 isn't that all sins are equal, it is that the result is still the same regardless of the sin: it separates you from God. What is sin? Well, we could all rail off a pretty long list of actions that constitute sin in our estimation. But the definition of sin is NOT a list of rules that, if broken, create this thing called sin out of thin air. Sin is actually pretty simple to define and pretty complex to apply: Sin is anything, thought, emotion, intention, or act, that separates you from the Will of God. Note I said WILL, not LOVE. Romans 8:38-39 states "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[nor heavenly rulers] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (By the way, you ever wanna discuss whether I believe in the existence of powers beyond the mortal but not of God, read this passage first, it pretty well sums it up for me)

So, while lying to spare someone's feelings is probably less egregious than running them down with your car, in the end, you still put distance between you and God...and when it comes down to being a fulfilled entity, ANY distance between you and the eternal Creator of everything, is too much distance and, if you subscribe to judgement, which I do, one step or one mile, you still can't reach to the other side if you aren't standing in the grace of God.

Hey! No Fair!

Who invented the "line"? Who decided there should be an ordered manner of approach applied to a mob of people all seeking the same thing? Whoever it was, they are both a boon and a burden to us all. So, what do you do when someone "cuts" in line in front of you? How do you feel about the person who gets in line and then "holds the place" so that their friend, or friends, can then come get in line alongside them? Feel a little cheated? Slighted? Of course you do.

Humans have an innate sense of what is "fair." What mechanism of our creation prompts us to know what is fair and what isn't is beyond me. I'm certain that there are psychological reasons and theories positing why we know what is fair and what isn't...I just don't know them, and what's more, with or without social norms and a cultural bias, I still think a human being would know what was fair and what wasn't. We often measure what is fair by what we ourselves have endured to attain the same thing another person is seeking. If we've waited for hours to get in to purchase a new computer, then other people who got there before us, and have therefore waited longer, deserve to have access before us while those who arrived later than us and have therefore waited less time deserve to have access after us.

Here's the hard part: as Christians, we are asked to enforce not what is "fair" but what is merciful and charitable and generous of spirit. Ouch, that hurts, huh? But God is a just God you say, surely He understands the tenet of fairness and would not hold it against us for wanting only what is fair and what is due us on account of our efforts. Well, you should really hope you're wrong and that, in addition to being a just God, He is also, and more often, a merciful and generous God.

You know that guy that you're pissed off at for getting to merge ahead of you in traffic because he rode up the right turn lane and then cut over? You're usually hoping that he gets a ticket or gets stuck behind a slow-driving semi or something, right? Well, think back to when you ran a stop sign or a red light because you were distracted and thinking about something else. What about the time you didn't see that other driver and you changed lanes cutting them off? How about the time you inched up close to the car in front of you so that you wouldn't have to let in the guy trying to "cut in line" in front of you...but then when the guy behind you lets them in, you realize they weren't trying to cut in line at all and really only wanted to get into the turn lane; sort of feel like a jerk now, huh?

Here's the thing: if you were  held accountable for all the jerk moves you've made, intentionally or unintentionally, you'd be just as screwed as the guy you think deserves to be "punished." When you realize that you are just as much in need of mercy as the other guy, it becomes easier for you to let things go, show forgiveness and generosity, and feel like you're actually making a positive impact on your world...which is really what you should be striving to achieve as a Christian, not making a "fair" world.

The Mind of God (Warning: REALLY long one)

25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way[or: and so] all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is[or: will be] my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”[Isaiah 59:20,21; 27:9 (see Septuagint); Jeremiah 31:33,34]

28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now[some manuscripts do not have now] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

 Romans - Chapter 11:Verses 25-32

First let me say that Romans is one of my favorite books of the Bible. Second, let me emphasize my love of this book by qualifying it with the statement that I struggle very much with Paul's contributions to the new testament and still I love this book...but that is a blog for another day.

So, on my own advice from the previous blog, I decided to select a passage about acceptance and then try to understand God's intent as set forth by that passage.

In my younger years, I struggled greatly with the idea that a person's blood could make God "love them more" as the "chosen" people. While you could convert to the religion, you couldn't become one of the chosen blood...but, if you were lucky, your children might be able to. Let's also state, for the record, that such a perspective was NOT set forth by God, but rather by the patriarchs of the Israelites; for God, all mortal blood is equal, but the intentions of the heart through which such blood flows, those could set you apart in the eyes of God (another topic for another blog).

According to this passage, God allowed, even "bound [us] over to," become disobedient, "so that He may have mercy on [us] all." So wait, let me get this straight: God allowed, even caused, mankind to become disobedient to His will in order that it should be made apparent to all mankind that we need God's mercy. Well, yeah, actually, that's about it - at least according to Paul. Did I mention that God's nature can become complex the more you try to examine and explain it?

Paul's passage here assumes a few things that, as readers, if you do not also assume, or do not qualify under, then this passage won't apply to you or won't seem logical.
1) The reader understands that there is one true God and that to refuse/disobey His will is to sin
2) We as humans, creations of God, require His mercy and forgiveness of our disobedience in order to be able to draw near to Him
3) Drawing near to God is the purpose of our existence

If you can accept the above premises, then Paul's explanation seems logical. In order to realize how much God loves us, He had to allow us to arrive at a place where we could not fulfill our purpose for existing without the aid of His love. It's sort of like the dating catch 22: you wouldn't know a good guy when you meet him unless you've known a few really awful guys first.

More than explaining those premises and Paul's logic though, if we are to believe Paul's explanation to come even remotely close to the truth, what I would like to focus on is the possibility that the rebellion of mortals is actually a part of the master plan. For whatever reason, humans learn best through misery, tragedy, and suffering. (You think I'm wrong? Look at history or any other socio-religious philosophy. There's a reason initiation into schools of knowledge was/is often accompanied by physical rigors - again, another topic for another blog)

So, did God risk the souls of the rebellious to save the souls of the more timidly doubtful? I don't know. I have no idea why God set up our world and our faith the way He did, or why they have both arrived at their somewhat lamentable states. As a Christian, the single most difficult tenant of my faith is the idea that those who refuse the mercy offered by God through Jesus Christ will perish eternally and never fulfill their purpose for existing: to draw near to God. In the same book that holds this agonizing tenant, I find some semblance of relief:

1) I am not seated at the right hand of God in pure, irreproachable victory...I am therefore (thank God above) never going to be called to judge the soul of another creature. For some who call themselves Christians, the idea that they have been given permission, or have even been tasked, to proclaim the judgment of God against the actions of others, is as natural as breathing; completely obvious. I don't know, maybe I am supposed to warn people against acting on sinful motivations or turning away from God...maybe I'm failing as a Christian because I don't share that most important warning with others...but, I just, I can't believe that I truly know the will of God for another person (geez, isn't it difficult enough to figure out what the will of God is for just me?)

2) God obviously loves all humans, Israelite or not. Our faith posits the stories and trials and triumphs that depict all the ways God has tried to show His love for us. And the above passage does state "so that he may have mercy on them all." But you know, love, in order to be true love, must be returned, and returned freely and happily.

3) Those who find themselves rebelling against God, whether by their own choice or because God "prompted" them to rebel and they failed to recognize their rebellion and seek a way out of it, don't actually care whether they draw closer to God as we know Him as Christians (we will discuss those who never have the opportunity to know about God and Christ in yet another blog post - this is a VERY misunderstood aspect of Christianity). Most non-Christians I have discussed the idea of redemption and damnation with simply don't care whether they are "damned" or if they ever draw closer to the Christian God. They are aware of the Christian faith, they are aware of the God who is at the heart of that faith, they have, in most cases, been asked at some point to embrace our faith and our God...but they made a conscious decision to reject both. While the consequences of that decision may be known or unknown, they were weighed in that person's consideration before choosing to ignore them. And I have to respect that choice. Whether it causes me anguish as a Christian or not, it simply is not my place to dissuade them through cajoling or fear-mongering or empty promises. I can, however, express my contentment with my life, my faith, and my God and offer the opportunity to find out more about any of those to someone who may, one day, wake up in their rebellion and turn to seek God.

One final note about judgment and understanding what is sin: accepting and loving the PERSON, doesn't mean I ignore or accept their ACTIONS; I can love another and still not approve of their choices - in so far as that person doesn't define themselves by their actions, this is a working theory for both parties. But I wasn't told to judge the actions of an unbeliever, I was told to love all men and to chastise my brothers and sisters in the faith when necessary...if they aren't within the faith, I may make them aware of how my faith views their actions, but I cannot, in good conscience, chastise someone who didn't consent to the Christian family values.

Do you think I'm pretty? (fair warning, it's a long one!)

Let's talk appeal.  As a Christian who can count the number of fellow Christians in her circle of acquaintances and friends on just one hand, but who couldn't even hazard a guess as to the number of pagans (neo-, wiccan, or other) that comprise that same circle of acquaintances and friends, I will hazard to say I have a vague understanding of what makes the pagan faiths so appealing to some Christians. I've heard many Christians voice their support of a great portion of the tenants that are woven through the majority of pagan faiths (and really, there isn't a true cohesive "faith" to be had; for many, that's equally appealing)...but those same Christians know that, practitioners of christopaganism aside, for them, it is impossible to marry a faith that calls you to make disciples of all men with a faith that inherently shuns proselytizing. But I don't think it's the lack of a call for evangelism that many find appealing about pagan faiths; I think it is the mystery, the mysticism, the ritual, the balance of a feminine-divine. For some, it is even the practicing of magic, in whatever form, that is most appealing. What it doesn't tend to be, is the lack of ultimate justice (for many pagans, there is no great judgment, no heaven, no hell) or the glorification of the human divine (as Christians, we are exceedingly aware of the wounded nature of mortal man).

So, let's BRIEFLY talk about mysticism, ritual, and the feminine-divine.

The idea that Jesus is someone you can neatly describe in one page or less and who will fit perfectly in your pocket as you go about the mundane affairs of your every day is an approach that began with the very best intent but has lead to one of the greater shames of our faith. Should you build a relationship, a friendship, a romance with your God? YES! By all means, pray to God about all things, from the leaf that fell gracefully across your path as you walked the dog this morning, to the presentation that you have to give at work on Friday, to your friend's sister's mother-in-law who is terminally ill. Draw Him close and know that He cares about every detail of your life, passionately. But having the omniscient Creator of the universe on stand-by all the time doesn't mean He, or any of the gospel about Him, should be taken for granted as something akin to a first-grade textbook. You didn't, by any means, read and assimilate the entirety of God's message or your faith by the time you made it out of youth group or your college bible study. The mysticism was there, IS there, page after page and day after day...but you have to see it. Truly, if you seek mysticism, begin to try and unravel the nature of God. It seems painfully obvious, and simple; He is Love. But then ask yourself Why about any number of things and  you begin to make His nature more complex in an effort to arrive at an explanation. You could read for a lifetime and not find all the answers and all the different facets we as His children have tried to explore and explain. Try reading the Nag Hamadi...or re-reading your Bible with a fresh perspective.

Ritual is a double-edged sword. On one had, it can serve to focus you and sharpen your attention to your faith. On the other, when the ritual becomes empty motions and faded traditions without any real, living meaning and intent behind them; or worse, a means of inspiring fear and uncertainty to make the followers of them afraid and easy to control - then ritual, as a barrier that numbs you to the anguish and ecstasy of true grace, or as the whip wielded by an echelon of some men above others, becomes the very thing that Christ railed against so vehemently. Meditation, candle lighting, the creation and use of an alter, mantras, all these things, are ritual elements that can be used to enrich your pursuit of the Lord. But you must be mindful of how you use them, of the intent behind your use of them. Take, for instance, the rituals that accompany many pagan practices involving magic. In my experience, there are two things that many practitioners of magic seek: power to harness, and control over seemingly uncontrollable aspects of the mortal life. For me, Christians have a source of power and influence over their lives that can be equivalent to magic. If, in order to tap into the "magic" or your Christian faith, you need a simple ritual to invite God into your heart and life, then I say go ahead. But be mindful. The least appealing thing about practicing pagan magic for me has been the idea of inviting an influence to affect my life that I neither know, nor can trust; having nothing occur as a result may be the best outcome you could hope for.

The feminine-divine. I cannot speak for any of you, but for me, I firmly believe that Christ had a balancing female counterpoint. But even if you do not subscribe to the idea of Christ having a help-meet in life, you must surely confirm that the Lord our God has no shape, no gender, no color, no age. He is nothing and He is everything. So why then, should your faith conform to the mortal artifice that there is no Mother in the Father? I personally prefer to approach my God as my Father. But He is not singly Male. He is just as surely She if that is what you need to find a connection. And if you begin to seek out the feminine aspects of our Christian history, I think you may well find plenty of that mysticism we were talking about as well.

The Superman Paradox

 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live with Superman? Think about it. You'd never have to wonder who was at the door. You would always have warm coffee. If you burned dinner and smoked up the house, he could clear it right out for you. If your AC broke, he'd have you covered. Not enough time to make a trip to the store AND get to soccer practice? He could make a run to the store and be back before you buckled yourself in. And the phrase "he hung the moon" wouldn't be too far off the mark.

But if you lived with Superman, and every day the incredible and extraordinary were common-place events, wouldn't the novelty wear off? Maybe; but not necessarily.


We are often told that as Christians, we should do two diametrically opposed things: Expect the miraculous to happen every day because God is so amazing and so powerful, and then be awed and amazed and hold such miraculous events in reverence.  Well, it's sort of hard to hold your morning toast in reverence, even if it magically appeared on your plate out of nothing.

This blog is part of managing those two things. Here's how I try to fulfill both expectations:

1) Recognize that miracles take many forms. Is the sudden healing of a sick child a miracle? You betcha. Is the sole survivor of a statistically terminal accident the recipient of miraculous protection and grace? Yep. Is catching every green light on your way to work an act of God? Actually, yes, yes it is (more so if you happen to live in the D.C. metropolitan area like I do). God gives you what you need, and sometimes, many times, what you receive are miracles. Especially designed to fit into your life on that day...even being 20 minutes late for work is a miracle - you may have been late for work, but you were also late for that 3-care pile-up.

2) Invite a friend to have dinner with you and Superman. By this I mean, share your little (and medium, and big, and ridiculously huge) miracles with someone who isn't exposed to them every day. It's like taking a kid to see the ocean for the first time. What you have already accepted, they are still awed and amazed by.

Christians are commanded to share Jesus with all those they meet. Most of us are a little uncomfortable doing that. But are you uncomfortable telling someone you found a $20 in your jeans when you washed them? Are you uncomfortable telling someone you saw a rainbow on the drive home from work? Are you uncomfortable telling someone you got rock-star parking?  No? Good. Next time you tell someone you found a $20 in your jeans, follow up your happy dance with a short, but clear "Thank You Jesus!" to let your audience know who you credit for your blessings.

Discovering Your Blessings, even small ones

19 Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. 20 But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek,[dispute] because they disputed with him. 21 Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.[opposition] 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth,[room] saying, “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.” Genesis 26:19-22

In this passage, Isaac's servants discover a well of fresh water. In the middle of a harsh land, a source of fresh water would have been something to consider a great blessing, and having found it a miracle (however mundane) of God's grace. The passage goes on to describe how twice, this blessing was given to Isaac and his camp and twice the blessing was disputed by others. Isaac does something remarkable when the herders of Gerar quarrel with Isaac's servants: Isaac leaves the disputed wells and his servants seek out a different well. This displays two thought processes of Isaac's which we can apply to our own lives:

1) Isaac's actions, leaving the quarreled-over wells (blessings) to others and sending his servants to find a new well, indicate that Isaac had every faith that God would again provide him with the blessing of a well; one that was intended for Isaac.

2) Isaac sent his servants to move on from the disputed wells and find a new well for their camp. It may seem that the blessing God has brought into your life is exactly what you have been waiting for, but, it may be that you are only an avenue through which others will receive the blessing. You should not mourn the loss of "your" blessing, because as Isaac's story shows us, God will provide you with the blessing you need and when he does, there will be no doubts or quarrels accompanying it.

What seemingly "mundane" blessing have you encountered this week? Did someone let you in while commuting to work in the morning? Did you find that parking space you needed? Was the water pitcher filled when you came in from the heat of the day and needed a glass of water?