Confession
With repentance
Walking with righteousness
Stepping forward into light
Obedience
Invitation
Hungry feast
Nourishes spirit’s needs
With faith and grace
Forgiveness
Resurrection
Empty tomb
Grace overcomes darkness
Transforming our “broken glass”
Redemption
The outstanding characteristic of a Christian is this unveiled frankness before God so that the life becomes a mirror for other lives.
From 2 Corinthians 3:18: “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”
This short story was written in December, 2019, and it encourages each reader to draw upon his or her thoughts. The ending paragraph speaks from the heart of a writer who looks for a future filled with hope.
There was once a leader in a far-off land in the “Make Believe” world of a toy box. This leader was made of wood, and featured the well-crafted workmanship of his Creator.
Despite appearances, there were flaws in the leader’s character. He was dishonest and bullied everyone around him. His actions as leader led to friction and decisiveness in the toy box. The leader continued to govern with a misguided mind and agenda. His heart seemed hardened to the point that other toys really wondered if he even possessed a heart.
One day, the boy who played with the toy box every day asked the leader, “Why is your character so bad?”
The leader ignored the question, and the boy played with his other toys. Perhaps being made out of wood had made him inflexible with a hardness of attitude. Everything the other toys did or said seemed to go against his grain.
Meanwhile, more and more heat came from some of the fiery citizens in the toy box. Their patience was wearing thinner with each passing day. A few toys even threatened the leader with more than just words. The leader was paranoid about being literally “put on fire” from some of the other toys’ actions. After all, he was made out of solid wood.
After observing the crippling turmoil in his toy box, the boy told the other toys, “I will ask the Creator to help us with this mess.”
The boy prayed a special prayer to the Creator:
Dear Creator, the toys and I ask for your help. Our leader needs to change his bad ways so that all of the toys will enjoy a better life here in this toy box. We look to you for aid and support. Amen.
The Creator heard the boy’s prayer-filled words. Overnight, he came into the toy box and removed the leader, who was sleeping soundly. He remolded the leader into a better person with a benevolent and caring heart, which had been missing all along.
The leader was returned to the toy box with a heart no longer as hard as wood. He was transformed into a Gospel-led leader.
From 1 John 1:6-7: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Traveling earthly journey
Living alongside our Lord
Following His path with trust
Feeling love, grace brings accord
Pursuing God’s righteousness
Confessing sins, big and small
Obeying Holy commands
Hanging up when evil calls
Trading former self for love
Abandoning temptation
Accepting Jesus’ new light
His way, life’s blessed station
Teaching life from Father’s Word
Steering lives in righteous ways
Walking in light, blessing faith
Rejoicing with lasting praise
From the words of American pastor and Christian teacher, Charles Stanley: “Are you trying to carry old baggage into your walk with the Lord? The attitudes, habits, and conduct that were yours before Christ must be abandoned in order for you to walk with God.”
Relationship
With Father
Through timeless prayer
Grace connects us together
Hope
Guidance
Holy Spirit
Empowering our obedience
Following God’s sacred will
Faith
Revelation
God’s Word
Strengthens our character
Transforming life’s imbalanced alignment
Believe
Infectiously joyful believers have no trouble convincing people around them that Christianity is real and that Christ can transform a life.
From Philippians 4:4-5: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.”
You can’t have creativity unless you leave behind the bounded, the fixed, all the rules.
When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.
American professor of literature, Joseph Campbell (1904-1987), was also a prolific writer about many aspects of the human experience. His best known book was The Hero With a Thousand Faces (1949).
As people of God
Graced to be Christ’s hands of change—
World’s transformation
Followers of God
Called as voices for justice—
Filled with Grace of Christ
Our Creator calls
Walking in Jesus’ footsteps—
Lives for renewal
From Psalm 111:1: “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.”
Pessimistic and gloomy attitude
One negative brick follows another
Suffocating and negative self-talk
Sounding more like Eeyore’s little brother
Time for transforming callous attitude
With praise and thanksgiving, eyes upon God
His Grace offering truest Bread of Life
Believe, follow, accept His blessed rod
Breathing in our Lord’s trusted, living Word
Dropping negativity’s jagged sword
Accepting our Father’s mercy and love
Trading bitterness for His sweet accord
Learning from God’s Holy teachings and creeds
Feeling His just and faithful, love-filled works
Listening to each breath, His spoken Word
Maturing in faith’s righteous masterworks
Embracing God’s eternal covenant
Studying His Word, bearing full delight
Celebrating Him with salutations
Singing with attitude of praise, now right
From Psalm 111:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.”
From Romans 12:1-2: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Imperfect humans
Walking darkest trails
World twists upside down
Christ calls, without fail
World crying out with
Endless, empty claims
Filled with dead end thoughts
Christ drowns looming flames
Noisy distractions
Countless temptations
Follow His footsteps
Christ’s supplications
Waking to darkness
God’s will lights each day
Struggling with life’s sin
Christ bridges the way
Share genuine love
Holding fast to good
Serving the Father
Christ transforms driftwood
Zealous in spirit
Rejoicing in hope
Walk with humbleness
Christ’s love helps us cope
Marked with our Lord’s truth
Walk with Christian steps
Soul and mind renewed
Follow Christ’s footsteps
From Hebrews 6:19-20: “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Big Sky Buckeye 