The little old lady in the Fred’s parking lot seemed to appear out of nowhere and I was taken aback by her forwardness when she started asking about my pregnancy.

We chatted awkwardly for a few seconds before she asked if she could make something for the baby. Once again, I wasn’t sure how to respond.

When she asked for my address, I panicked a little. Knowing that we’d be moving soon and not wanting to be rude, I quickly jotted down the address of my father- in-law and didn’t give her another thought.

It’s been over eighteen years since she showed up on the doorstep with a beautiful hand-made afghan. She refused to stay long, nor would she give her name, but every time I see the pastel blanket, the kindness of a sweet stranger comes to mind.

One of my favorite parables is found in Luke 10:25-37. A man was going about his daily business when tragedy struck. As he lay beside the road, beaten and stripped of his clothing, two men passed by.

These men, both religious, knew they should stop but neither did. Instead, they went about their lives, turning a blind eye to a stranger in need.

Maybe they had more pressing matters. Could it be that they were late for work or worship or worse yet, just didn’t want to get involved?

Jesus tells us that finally one man did stop and not only did he have compassion for someone he didn’t know, but verse 35 tells us that he was going to come back to continue his care.

When’s the last time you took the opportunity to help a stranger? Was it the last earthquake, tsunami, or tornado? The Lord’s people are quick to respond to disasters whether on the other side of the world or the other end of the block.

May we never become too busy, too afraid, or too tired to get involved in a stranger’s life and show them the love of Christ (Galatians 6:10).

—Paula Harrington

I was trying to explain an exercise to a Bible class of preteens recently. Each student was going to have a chance to tell something wonderful about one of their classmates, a great achievement, a talent, or something about their character.

I grouped them into pairs, and we got ready to begin when one student took a long, hard look at his partner, who just happened to be his sister and then blurted out, “Seriously? You want me to do that?”

It took us a few minutes to get going, but once we did.
They filled an entire white board with the positive attributes of their peers and siblings. It was one of the best classes we’ve had to date

How many times in the Bible do you think someone asked, “Seriously, God? You want me to do that?”

Can’t you hear Moses on Mt. Horeb (Exodus 3)? You want me to go there and say what? Nobody is going to listen to me. Don’t you know that the Israelites had to think to themselves, “March around Jericho how many times?  Seriously?” (Joshua 6).

We know it crossed Jonah’s mind, as well. You want me to go to those people? Why would you want to show pagans your love and mercy?

At first, Naaman flat out refused to obey the word of the Lord (2 Kings 5). It didn’t make sense to him.
Surely the prophet of God could have immediately healed him of his leprosy. Dipping yourself in a muddy river is a waste of time.

The rich young ruler just wanted to keep his possessions (Mark 10).

Love others the way Christ did and does? That might put me around people who make me feel uncomfortable. It might make me unpopular.

Forgive others? But I have scars that run deep and legal papers that say I don’t have to.

Go the extra mile? Do you realize how far that is?

Too often we want to tell Jesus how it’s going to be.
We will follow him, but he better not ask us to do that or go there. It’s easy to follow when we’re the one calling the shots. Right?

However, God’s ways aren’t ours. He sees the big picture. He understands the heart. He’s in control.

Following Christ might bring many of those, “You want me to do that?” moments because Jesus calls us out of the mundane. He beckons us into his story and out of our own selfishness.

This life is about Christ. Lord, help us to trust and obey even if we don’t always understand.

by Paula Harrington

I love a new school year and getting to see old friends and learn new faces.

While on my first recess duty of the year with the Kindergarteners, one cute little blond walked up beside me, told me his name, and then sincerely said, “I love you.” I looked down into his sweet eyes and replied with the only adequate reply I could think of and told him that I loved him, too.

He skipped away and left me standing there recalling the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:3, “Unless you change and become like little children…”

Kids don’t have a problem loving others. They don’t tell those who care for them that they have to behave a certain way or follow a specific set of rules before they will love unconditionally. Children, even if broken and bruised by those they trust the most, offer genuine love.

Someone asked recently where I see God and I immediately thought of that sweet kid on the playground. I see God in the way children love. I see him in a true emotion that isn’t based on what I do or don’t do. I see him in a love that isn’t going to be jerked away if I fail. I see him in a bond that isn’t going to be broken just because I might be. I see him in a relationship that isn’t based on rules but an affection that was established long before I ever took my first breath.

I see God in a love I can’t even wrap my mind around because the one who set the universe in motion choose to enter that universe, not as a great and mighty warrior but as a tiny, helpless child.

Jesus looked at a group of adults who were struggling with sin, heartache, and a worldly view of religion and told them that they needed to be more like children.
Unless you change and become:

• Merciful
• Trusting
• Courageous
• Joyful
• Forgiving
• Compassionate

It’s time to put away our fears and anxieties and love and trust without boundaries. God wants us to look at those around us, tell them our name, and then tell them that we love them, not for what they can do for us but because of what he did for them.

It’s time to shine a light into a dark and violent world. It’s time to love.

Don’t be afraid of change. It’s the only way we’ll enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

–by Paula Harrington

I sat at my desk recently and planned to write about the media and the steady stream of negativity and blasphemy that seems to be permeating our culture when it dawned on me–why am I so surprised?

Why am I shocked every time this world calls good, evil and evil, good (compare Isa. 5:20)?

Why am I taken aback at the filth and terror so readily available in the media and on every block?

Why do I keep expecting this world to be a land of peace, justice, and morality?

Is it because my stakes run too deeply here? Do I keep buying into the lie that this world is my home because I just haven’t quite grasped the truth that there is a better place, one with no sorrows, tears, or disappointments (Mt. 25:34)?

When will I finally realize that focusing on the seen breeds fear while fixing my eyes on the unseen initiates hope, peace, and faith?

The extent of the depravity in our midst is sickening, but it shouldn’t be surprising. Friends, we are living in desperate times and I’m afraid that we’re moving toward an age when worshipping publicly will be outlawed in this nation.

There may come a time when children of God will be watching over their shoulder while worshipping their God. It’s already happening in other parts of the world.

Take every chance to tell your children how precious their God is and what he has done and continues to do for us. Don’t just shuffle through this life. Live purposely.

Surprise those struggling in the darkness:

When you have the right to shun, love.

When you want to carry a grudge, forgive.

When you’d rather walk away, go the extra mile.

When you want to react to difficult people harshly, respond with compassion.

When you have the chance to speak the name of Jesus into the lives of others, take it.

Expect the best from the family of God but be prepared for the worst of the world. Shine on. And let the love of Christ be the greatest surprise in this world.

by Paula Harrington