Lord, You have always given

This poem, from the Daily Celtic prayer, moved me:

Lord, You have always given
bread for the coming day;
and though I am poor,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always given
strength for the coming day;
and though I am weak,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always given
peace for the coming day;
and though of anxious heart,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always kept
me safe in trials;
and now, tried as I am,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always marked
the road for the coming day;
and though it may be hidden,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always lightened
this darkness of mine;
and though the night is here,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always spoken
when time was ripe;
and though you be silent now,
today I believe.

Why does He reveal Himself most to our hearts at such times?

Often Christ is found more in the bitter taste of sorrow, worry and melancholy than anywhere else; it is then we become aware of how much He supports each step and moment in our fragile lives.

Why does He reveal Himself most to our hearts at such times?

With hearts and minds laid bare by such turmoil, the world cannot override what we instinctively turn towards. Why do we turn towards Christ when our lives are broken, or sad, confused or vulnerable? Because we know He knows what it is like to suffer, and so will not turn from us. Having been lonely, rejected, and sorrowful Himself, He has infinite compassion upon we who call to Him and cling to Him. He is there to help shoulder the greater share of our grief, worry, vulnerability and sorrow....He carries us in these storms when we could not walk alone.

-Beth Haynes Butler

Convicting.

Convicting.

In that space between deep sleep and wakefulness, I was shown a room. Such a room it was too; with richly colored walls, and a huge fireplace, roaring with light and warmth. There were many soft lights, and tables with food and drink. The floors were soft, thick carpet, and there were many comfortable, plush chairs scattered throughout the large space. People weren't sitting on the chairs though....they were standing in groups, laughing and talking. They were dressed nicely, their features were animated with laughter and mirth...they were clearly having a good time.

Against the far wall were a row of palladian windows, that showed the world outside to be a dark night, with an icy rain coming down. A big contrast to the warmth of the huge hall, with its fire, food and geniality.

At the far window, on the outside, stood a forlorn, emaciated youth. With dark, longing eyes, tattered clothing and a shivering frame. He stood with one hand on the window, gazing as much at the camaraderie as at the tables laden with food.

A man, the servant..the acting host?, it was unclear, was rushing over to the window...to close the drapes so that the guests would not be unsettled by the sight of the youth. Who was to be left outside in the rain.

In this half wakeful state, as my eyes and heart took all of this in, a voice said to me in the dream, "Child, why are so many of my churches like this?"

And I awoke fully, feeling shamed.

For how often, in our comfortable lives, do we not look outside of ourselves to see the loneliness and want all around us? How often do our churches operate as social clubs, where we discuss theology and politics and the newest youth group production? Where we gather up some money and a little bit of food and have them handed out to the poor outside our doors, feeling smugly confident that we have done enough?

Why haven't we brought the poor inside our doors, into our company and fellowship? Not just the literal poor, but the lonely, the broken, the outsider? How many homeless people do you know by name? How many disenfranchised youth do you know and care about? How many single mothers or single fathers who are struggling to get by? How many gay people who just want to know that God cares and that YOU care?

How many people are we keeping outside our fellowship because they don't fit in? And why are we drawing the curtains instead of throwing the doors wide open?

Lord, there have been times I have not been loving and welcoming enough to those you put in my path. There have been times I have closed my eyes to need, both the physical and also the spiritual and emotional. Please forgive me. Help me to see with renewed eyes and compassion all of those who hunger for the warmth of fellowship and the love of Christ. Help me never to close the curtains of my soul to another,

In the name of He who loved me first, I pray,
Amen.

May you be open to sharing fellowship with those who need it. May you be blessed this day, and always, and may you be a blessing to someone else,

-Beth Haynes Butler

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else."

Most of us won't ever be great leaders, write soul shattering books, make that amazing scientific discovery, paint that masterpiece....and that's okay.

Because we can all make the world a far better place, even in our "regular" day to day lives; to quote Charles Dickins, "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else."

We can all spread kindness, be a listening ear and a compassionate heart. We can all use our hands to aid others in their work, we can use our words to champion those more vulnerable than ourselves.

By living a life that seeks to make a positive difference in those around you, you will cast out ripples-- one deed spreads into many. The broken hearted friend that you listen to, pray for and help very well may go on to be such a help to a dozen more people. That child whose future you champion may change the lives of thousands of people. That person whose suffering you eased may carry a message of compassion to someone else who desperately needs to hear it. That family you feed may change the direction of an entire community in the years to come.

A gentle smile, a helping hand, a caring heart, a praying soul, a good natured joke, a meal and clothing may not seem like much to give to another, but any of those things can alter a life for the better.

Be blessed, my friends, and may you be a blessing unto others.

-Beth Haynes Butler

What do you want to write on the scroll of your life?

Your words, your deeds, fill up the story of your life. There are those who wish for peace, for kindness, for mercy, for unity, for love in their lives, and yet sow words of discord, anger, divisiveness, hatred, drama and purposeful misconception. And then they wonder why their lives are not bearing the fruit of good things, but are instead constant swirls of a storm of their own making.

We will all enter into storms in life, sometimes because other people bring them to us, sometimes because it just the way of life, but often because we have stirred those storms up ourselves. If you would have peace in your life, then spread seeds of peace. If you would have love, then be loving. If you would see people united instead of divided, then share ways to communicate ways of bringing people together, instead of talking about how we are divided. If you don't like drama, then don't stir it up.

If you want love, be loving. If you want mercy, be merciful. If you want kindness, be kind. If you want peace, be peaceful. Reach out to all, find ways to bring peace to people, seek to unite instead of divide, be generous with compliments and encouragements, be slow with words of criticism. Be silent with words of cruelty.

What do you want to write on the scroll of your life?

Be blessed, my friends, and may you be a blessing unto someone else,
Beth Haynes Butler

I was asked the other day, by a friend, if I ever got tired of trying to be cheerful and chipper.

I was asked the other day, by a friend, if I ever got tired of trying to be cheerful and chipper.

It rather made me laugh, actually, because there are many, many days when I am certainly not cheerful.

But I do try to be. As someone who has a tendency to fall into chronic depression and melancholy, I long ago made a choice. I would not just go along with the flow of depression, I would combat it. Now, part of that has been taking medication- though I haven't needed that for a while. Part of that is prayer, a large part actually. Part of that is the support of my loved ones, especially Charles, who has learned that when I say I'm having an emotionally "hard day" to just breathe deep and help me through it. Depression is a hard battle and one that is renewed daily, sometimes multiple times a day.

A huge part of overcoming my depression successfully on most days though is the purposeful attempt to be cheerful, grateful and content. All three of those can be chosen deliberately, and I strive to do so. I look for reasons to be grateful (if I am down, I tell myself to name 10 blessings in my life and by the time I've reached number six or seven I'm usually in a much better frame of mind!).... and then that in turn helps to foster contentment.

I look for reasons to be amused and cheerful; as my husband, parents and friends can attest, it does not take much to amuse me or delight me. A cute joke, a sappy song, a beautiful sunset, a playful cat, jaunty birds at the feeders, a creek in the forest, a new book, the perfect up of tea, the scent of good food cooking, the sight of flowers in bloom all delight or amuse me....really the list goes on and on and on.

This world will give you endless reasons to be upset, angry or disillusioned. We don't have to look far to find sad stories, horrifying events, or bleak circumstances. And it can be easy to dwell on those...but doing so will only poison your soul.

The world around us is also filled with loving people, beautiful nature, art, music and simple pleasures. If you decide to focus on such people, creations and situations that are delightful, thought provoking, and soul enriching you'll find yourself the better for it. Your mood will be brighter, you'll get into a habit of being content, and your outlook on life will be sweeter...as opposed to the bitterness that comes from living in the sludge of anger and cynicism.

Each day can be filled with either a series of blessings or disappointments. You get to choose what you are going to seek out, and what you find and focus on is what will shape your soul. CS Lewis said that each choice we makes determines the type of person we become (I'm paraphrasing here)...and I think whether we choose to view things in a positive or negative light has a huge amount to do with whether or not we end up being a positive or negative person. And I don't know about you, but for me, life is much nicer to go through when one is content, grateful and happy.

Now I am not claiming that my route of dealing with depression will work for everyone; some folks need to remain on medication to help regulate brain chemistry, and some people need counseling. By all means, my friends, get help if you need it.

We all can choose how we want to travel through this life; what kind of person we want to be. Do you want to be negative and bitter? (Because really....life isn't a whole lot of fun that way.) Or do you want to see each day as a gift full of small surprises and delights, with chances to make a difference in the lives of others and be open to wonder, faith and friendship? The tone you set for each day will help shape how the day will go.

If you look for reasons to be grateful, content, amused and delighted...you can find them. But you have to look and you have to cultivate that habit. Is it worth it?

It is for me.

Be blessed, my friends, and may you be a blessing unto others,
--Beth Haynes Butler

Everyone has a story to tell, and a lesson to teach, if only you will take the time to listen.

Everyone has a story to tell, and a lesson to teach, if only you will take the time to listen.

I've been asked by a few different friends these past few days why I believe in a God, and why that God would allow suffering.

I've been asked by a few different friends these past few days why I believe in a God, and why that God would allow suffering.

Both good questions, and I hope I gave them good answers.

I don't tend to get into the dramatic arguments about whether someone can, or should, use the Bible as a source of validity for faith. For those who want to believe, the Bible provides enough historical evidence to satisfy, and for those who don't want to believe, there will never be enough evidence. I don't tend to dredge up lots of articles on archaeological excavations in the Middle East, and I am not, nor ever shall be, a language expert that can trace roots and word usage of ancient texts through the journeys of a nomadic people. I am intrigued by much of that stuff, and try and do my own personal reading and study when I can fit it in, and I do read some apologetics, but those aren't the big questions I spend a lot of time pondering.

Faith is faith, for a reason. Unlike the Apostles who saw Christ risen, or St. Paul who met the Lord on the road to Damascus, I have not been presented with an "in person- touch the wounds in the Hands" experience. (And I don't need it.) To believe in Christ, even with the Bible, and the archaeological findings, and the historical writings by non-Christians, takes faith. (But then again, most things in life take faith. Faith that society will continue. Faith that your spouse will be true. Faith that other drivers will obey traffic laws. So on, and so forth. Much of our daily lives are built on issues of faith.) When someone today is willing to take a stand for their faith, to die for their faith, they are taking a leap into unknown, and trusting God will catch them in this life, or the next. We do not have the guarantees that those original followers had; they must have truly believed they had seen Christ rise again...or else why would they have gone so willingly to be tortured and killed for His Name's sake? Would they have willingly gone to the cross, the arenas, to the beheading sword for what they knew was a lie? Or did they go, with hymns and prayers and meekness because they truly believed they had seen their risen Lord?

I have faith because Christianity gives me what no other religion or belief system has; and I studied, read, talked and explored other religious venues. It gives me hope. A reason that this world has gone mad, and what is being done to fix it. An answer to death and a promise of life. Christianity, and her preponderance of writers gives me intellectual fodder, her musicians (I tend to like high church music myself) inspire me, and her art touches me. The fellowship found with other believers gives me companionship and a sense of brotherhood/sisterhood, and the teachings of the faith give me direction and purpose.

But more than that, Christianity, for all her benefits, is simply the vehicle by which I encountered Jesus Christ; who has given me everything. When people talk about a "personal relationship"....I have it, as well as a communal relationship through the Church, and an intellectual relationship through the richness of the Bible and the teachings of centuries worth of writers. I was blessed to be raised in a church going family, with wonderfully devout parents. I was even more blessed that I was raised attending a church that valued scholarship, study and a personal accountability before Christ. But even with all of that, I had my periods of doubt, and anger at what seemed a cruel world and an absentee God. (Ever notice that people who don't want to believe in God believe in Him enough to blame Him for atrocities and suffering? It's like "angry teenager syndrome" but for years...been there, done that, got bored with it and moved on.) It took years, and the twists and turns of life before, as CS Lewis says, "I gave in and admitted that God was God." I had always had the intellectual knowledge of what Christianity taught, but until that time, I had never had the experience of what the Holy Spirit does when it kicks into high gear.

Christ changed me, and continues to change me. When I asked for the grace to be more compassionate, He began breaking my heart for almost everyone I knew. And unless, in a fit of the melancholy I can be prone towards, I let go of His peace, I can always feel His presence no matter what the storms of life are. When Charles and I were told I had cancer some years back, and after breaking my parent's hearts with that news and making the long drive back home, we were able to praise God, who gives and takes away, even in the midst of that storm. It was praise with tears mingled in, but still the truest praise I have ever offered. In that storm, God proved Himself to be my harbor. And through that storm, Christ proved to be my healer; for that cancer was miraculously gone when they did surgery, and only a blood sac remained.

I believe because Christ is so interwoven in my heart and soul that He cannot be cut out. When you truly give of yourself to Christ, when you surrender to Him, He tells you what He is going to do with you- He is going to make you a new creation. That will involve breaking down the old you and rebuilding a better you. And I can see in a hundred ways over the years just how He has done that with me...and since I need a lot of work, He's going to be at it for a long time yet!

I believe because I cannot fathom not believing; it is no longer an option for me. Christ has claimed all.

As to why there is suffering; because this is a fallen world. Just as people can choose to be kind, loving, and wonderful, they can also choose to be cruel, selfish and horrid. There are far better teachers and writers than I will ever be who tackle why there is pain, suffering and death; and I advise those with such questions to seek them out. All I know is this; this world is fallen, and people are hard on each other. Death is wretched, suffering is horrific, and apathy and indifference are amongst the worst of human attributes.

Why doesn't God do something? He has, in many cases. But He doesn't want robots, so He doesn't micromanage how we all feel, or act; we know what is right from wrong and yet so often, even and especially in the little things of life, we take the shortcuts, the easy path, the small wrong because we think we can get away with it. The Bible teaches that there isn't one righteous person, and when you look at the world today, you can believe it. We feel good about ourselves because we compare ourselves to someone else we disagree with....and thus we look good in comparison. But when we, in the quiet, still moments of the night, look at ourselves against a standard of true goodness, then we see how far each of us has fallen, how broken we all are.

God tells us that He is going to make this all right; this mess is going to be fixed. Christ dying on the cross is about that; reconciling the sinful to God, if only they will come. The Cross tells us that God will go to almost any length, short of ignoring sin, to bring us back to Him, and He promises that heaven and earth will be made anew. On that day there will be more more tears of sorrow, and no more heartache. God will make all wrongs right.

Okay, you say, but what about now? What about my sadness, my sorrow, my brokenness, my heartache, my sick child, the atrocities around the world...what about these, now? The future may be dandy, you say, but what about now?

I can attest that God does still work miracles; I've had them, and I know others. But He doesn't answer every prayer with the answer we want to hear. Sometimes death comes, and only God knows why. But, beloved friend, just as Christ wept for Lazarus, He weeps for your sorrow, you do not cry alone. And just as Christ had a plan for Lazarus, He has a plan now. He is our co-suffering savior, we carry no burden by ourselves, we never suffer alone. He always takes the bigger share. And many things, if you give them to Him, He will take, but that takes trust and the willingness to give that burden up.

And for the hungry in the world, the vulnerable, the broken, the war-torn...Christ gives us this charge: we are to be as Christ to those we encounter, and so make the world a better place, if only for a moment. When we see hunger, we are not to ask God why, oh why, but instead to mobilize and feed the hungry. When we see a single mother struggling with daily life, we're to help her. When we see the outcast, we are to sit with them and bring them into our circle of fellowship. When we see atrocities, we are to be as Christ there too; like the Orthodox priests in Ukraine, or the nuns feeding the poor in Syria. If we cannot be there ourselves, we can support such people. We can build hospitals and dig wells in Africa, we can deliver medicine and food to flooded Asia. We can always do something in the face of suffering and Christ commands us to do so.

Why is there suffering? Because this is a broken, fallen world. Sitting and complaining, at each other or to God, fixes nothing. We're to get out there and ease suffering, secure in the knowledge that in the end, God will make this all right. He will fix this. Christ's death on the cross set the countdown in motion; He provided the means to fix the brokenness of our souls, and He'll fix the brokenness of our world too.

What that all leaves me with is a rather simple faith; one that revolves around the love that God has for me and that because He so loves me, I am able to love Him in return. That inspires a deeper love for neighbor; not for a "reward" from God and not to secure my salvation; for Christ secured that, and good deeds do not get you a reward. You do acts of love for others because in them you see a glimpse of God; for we are all made in His image. It makes each person exceedingly valuable; not for what they do or have, but simply because they are. Such a faith makes the the world around even more beautiful, because each created tree, rock, animal, etc is an echo of the Word of God, for He spoke them into being. (And no, I'm not getting into a discussion of how the world was made, for I really don't care. Science is but one way to explore the wonders of what God has made.) The coin or currency of my faith is love. I think the narrow road Christ talked about is one of love; that many people will choose not to be loving, not to love God or neighbor, but instead only themselves. And how lonely it is to be outside the fellowship of love, even if it is the road one set themselves upon. I'd much rather spend my time in the warm company of Jesus than to try and walk this life alone.

Jesus taught that when we see Him, through the Bible, through His teachings, we see God. "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9) What do we see when we look at Christ; the depth of love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and understanding are astounding. I may make my faith too simple, but I think I'll continue studying love and trying to be love. If God is greater than I can imagine, then I can't fathom His love, mercy and kindness, nor His holiness and righteousness. I am so thankful that Christ stands to intercede for me before that holiness, that instead of judgement I can rest in love.

There are a lot of hard questions in this life, and often the answers are messy and hard as well. We're all broken people, rubbing our edges off against each other. Christianity will not give you every answer the moment you demand it, it will however lead you down the paths of great questions, and the answers will come....but you'll have to be ready first.

Be blessed, my friends, and may you be a blessing unto someone else.

-Beth Haynes Butler

Whom will you not have compassion on?

Whom will you not have compassion on? Whom will you not show mercy? By that you will know the limits of your faith and humanity.

We are taught that we are given mercy by the same measure we give mercy, that we are forgiven by the same measure we forgive. So when we withhold compassion and mercy from others, we put limits on what we ourselves can receive.

Beth Haynes Butler

We can't love the whole world.....

We can't love the whole world.
But we should remember 
that God has placed us 
in a specific community 
at a particular time.
We're called to love those around us.
Loving them means serving them. -C.S. Lewis

If you

If you would have mercy, then be merciful.

If you would be shown compassion, then be compassionate to others.

If you would seek forgiveness, then be a forgiving person.

If you would see love in your life, then be loving unto others.

When we withhold these things from others, we shut ourselves off to them as well. It is only in being loving, merciful, compassionate and forgiving that we can experience the fullness of life and spirit.

May you be blessed, my friends, and may you be a blessing unto others.

-Beth Haynes Butler

Speak gently

Speak gently love into each heart you meet; touch softly with kindness each soul you encounter. For we are all wounded and broken, making our way through an often harsh world; if we will not be love to others, who will?

-Beth Haynes Butler

If you would see the Lord act within your life, then earnestly pray for the Lord to be active in your life.

If you would see the Lord act within your life, then earnestly pray for the Lord to be active in your life.

Lord, give me your compassion.

Lord, show me moments of your grace.

Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours. 

Beth Haynes Butler

(But if you should pray for such things, be prepared for what the Lord will do. For He will take you up on the offer.)

A PRAYER FOR GRACE

A PRAYER FOR GRACE

I am bending my knee
In the eye of the Father who created me,
In the eye of the Son who died for me,
In the eye of the Spirit who cleansed me,
In love and desire.

Pour down upon us from heaven
The rich blessing of Thy forgiveness;
Thou who art uppermost in the City,
Be Thou patient with us.

Grant to us, Thou Saviour of Glory,
The fear of God, the love of God, and His affection,
And the will of God to do on earth at all times
As angels and saints do in heaven;
Each day and night give us Thy peace.
Each day and night give us Thy peace.

(author unknown to me.)

Friends may be living in an age at this moment in which they will be put to the test of preserving their spiritual identity...

"Friends may be living in an age at this moment in which they will be put to the test of preserving their spiritual identity under conditions similar to those faced by the early Friends. We must gird our loins and put oil in our lamps. We are faced with the necessity, in this work of larger spiritual reconstruction, of reconstructing our own spiritual foundations, of finding anew the full meaning of the Inner Light as it applies to our own times, of putting renewed emphasis upon our worship, of rededicating ourselves to our traditional concerns, of reaching untouched areas in our fulfillment of the free ministry, and of applying in our daily living, in all of our direct and indirect human relationships, the rigid discipline of personal righteousness, "to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God." --Howard W. Hintz