Tag: Comfort

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Christian Blog encouragement

Helping Others Find Their Wings

One mid-week, the airport terminal was almost empty. Yet there he stood: an older gentleman staring at the TSA check point like a deer in the headlights. Hoping to encourage, without embarrassing him, I said to my wife, “This way, sweetheart?”as I started through the roped off maze. The man followed.

So far so good. But then I overheard him, on the other side, asking an airport employee, “Which one of these is Alliance Airlines?” She brushed him off with a polite, “Gee, I don’t know.” So he shuffled over to a service corridor, head down, fixated on his boarding pass.

It was time to come along side. “Sir, I don’t work here, but may I help you?” “Sure!” he exclaimed, handing me the crumpled up paper. I couldn’t make sense of it either. “Let’s check an overhead monitor,” I offered, as we walked together across the concourse. He quickly found Phoenix under “Departures.” “It’s gate H4,” he said, almost gleefully.

We went with him—just to make sure. “Yep, this is it,” I confirmed. “Someone will be here at the counter soon.” The man thanked us as we parted ways.

Walking down to gate H12, in the opposite direction, God reminded me how far from my comfort zone I’d felt during our trip. A family emergency had called us several states away at moment’s notice. Yet at every twist and turn the Lord used others to help us along the way. Now I was helping someone else. It was like God said, “Ok David, it’s your turn.”

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father, the God from whom all help comes! He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God.

2 Corinthians 1:2-4 (GNT)

Thank you for reading. 🙏❤️ prayers and love.

PS. This post began as a comment on Matt’s blog, Jesusluvsall, where he shared about helping a young Afghan refugee. He then asked his readers to share a similar experience. Thanks for bringing this one out of me, brother! “Iron sharpens iron.”

Read Matt’s post here

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Christian Living Comfort

Teddy Bear Out The Window

My wife and I were driving to church one Sunday morning, when there he was: a big brown teddy bear—lying face up on the shoulder of the interstate. Both of us agreed there must be a story behind this seemingly lost friend, one that involved a heartbroken little person.

It’s interesting how we develop emotional attachments to objects like stuffed animals. Somehow, they generate security and help us self-soothe.

Until I was 4 years old, my “teddy bear” was a small crocheted blanket our family aptly named, “Nasty.” I’m told I refused to let go of Nasty long enough for him to be washed (hence the name). And when my mother DID coax my little comforter from my grasp, I stood in the laundry room and cried the whole time.

I still have Nasty. He is safe in a trunk with several other family heirlooms. Yet other adult security blankets have taken his place, a special co-worker, a much loved family member or friend, or even a favorite chair. Can you relate?

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

God draws NEAR to the broken hearted; He doesn’t keep driving when our teddy bears go out the window. The Lord HELPS those who are crushed in spirit; He sent an angel to comfort Jesus when he collapsed at the cusp of His own crucifixion (Luke 22:40-46).

And He will comfort you and me. Guaranteed.

Check out the very next verse Psalm 34:19!

A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;

Psalm 34:19a

Hold on Teddy, Daddy’s coming…

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

This post was originally published on June 9, 2019.

Categories
Christian Living

Falling out of the Nest

I was doing some yard work the other day when I noticed what looked like a little black ball underneath the mimosa tree. As I came closer, I realized it was a baby bird. I looked up and could see the nest–about 10 feet high in the fork between two branches. Mom, a yellow billed cuckoo, was sitting up there with two other hatchlings visible beside her.

My wife and I debated about what to do. The chick on the ground seemed no worse for wear. Should we put it back in the nest? A quick internet search told us that birds have a poor sense of smell and don’t normally reject a chick handled by humans. But we also found a warning to not disturb migratory birds or their young. Well, our apologies to the wildlife service, but we decided to intervene.

I grabbed a six foot step ladder, put on some disposable gloves and waited. Before too long, mother bird decided to run some errands, and that’s when I sprang into action. Positioning the ladder under the tree, I gently picked up the baby bird, and put him back in the nest with his siblings. Mom returned a few minutes later with some food and all was well.

This whole scene brought to mind a promise from Psalm 91: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge (vv. 1, 4a).”

Obviously, the little hatchling didn’t fall out of the nest on purpose, but his predicament also reminds me of something Jesus said when he arrived in Jerusalem before that last Passover.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate.

Matthew 23:37

The application to the body of Christ is clear. In the nest (fellowship of believers) we are safe in God’s care. However, outside the nest, we are vulnerable to predators.

Satan and his demon goons are like lions on the savanna–waiting to cull one of God’s children from the herd (1 Peter 5:8). The enemy seeks to separate Christians from each other, because he knows this: when we stray from the fellowship, we are alone and defenseless (Matthew 9:36).

To enjoy God’s best, we must stay in the nest!

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

Psalm 133:1

“Bird’s Nest” by Rugged Lens is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0