Letter to a Beloved Atheist

By Janet Morris Grimes –

Dear Friend,

I am not sure where to start. I see you over on the opposite sideline, pacing, contemplating, but never wondering. Often, our eyes meet for a second too long, but we just turn away, afraid to address our differences.

But I love you, and with that comes this obligation to share what is on my heart, whether you want to hear it or not. Because I love you enough to allow you to be mad at me, if that’s what it takes.

I love you enough to no longer remain silent.

Here is what I know about you. Your path has been difficult, filled with betrayal by the people you loved the most. You craved acceptance, but received just the opposite. You feel as if you have let everyone down at one point or another, so rather than carry that guilt around with you, you had to let it go. Your survival demanded it.

You lost most of the people who have been close to you; some to death, painful and unexpected. Others walked out of your life by choice, which left even deeper scars. You searched for a life raft to keep you from sinking when surrounded by one storm after another. But a timeline of disappointments left you feeling more abandoned than ever, and you decided the only person you could truly depend on was yourself.

Still, I know that at one time, you believed.

But something within you has changed. Did it become easier to decide there was no God at all, than to consider the possibility that if He was here, He must not care about you?

After all, how could a God who loves you allow such terrible things to happen?

I have asked that same question many times.

So, I get it. And I know this relationship I have with God is not something I can shove down your throat, nor can I be the extension cord that connects the two of you; it is something you have to discover for yourself.

At times, I hear you mocking me, even as I pray; even when you are the one that drops me to my knees. You stand with your guard up, ready to debate every theory from evolution to eternity; the beginning to the end. You crave the argument, and any chance to spread doubt in others, as if you enjoy keeping score.

I will never buy into the battle that pits God vs. Science. Science is the study of all that God has created; the universe is too magnificent to have happened accidentally. The One who knit the world together thought of everything, and He does not need our help to figure it out.

Still, I love you enough to listen to your opinion. For now.

But, Eternity is where I draw the line.

Because I love you too much to allow you to be separated from God forever. Away from God, no good thing can exist, which is the definition of Hell.

It all points to Heaven. This is the reason life makes little sense at times. This world is only temporary.

In the end, I need for you to be there with me. In Heaven, back in the arms of the One who created you.

Because you are perfect in my eyes.

And I love you.

Luke 16:27–28 “…I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.”

Sea of Forgiveness

By Cheri Cowell –

Skipping stones across the water to see how far you can send it is a favorite lakeside pastime. This summer many families will camp or enjoy a picnic along the shores of lakes ensuring this age-old tradition will continue. Young and old, male and female, will enter into the competition to see who can skim it the farthest. I was never very good at it, but my dad was the king of skimming. He could make that stone go so far it looked as if it would never stop. My father was good at this game, but my Heavenly Father is even better at it. He takes the rocks that weigh us down and sends them sailing.

It is as if God, with His mighty hands and outstretched arms, takes the sins that weigh us down and hurls them across the universe. He sends those rocks skimming across the sea of forgiveness, which runs as deep and wide as His love. We stand at the shore and try to imagine how far that must be, but we cannot. No matter what sins we have committed, no matter how badly we have behaved, no matter what rocks are weighing us down, He wants to send those rocks sailing. All He requires is that we offer Him the stones.

AUTHOR QUOTE: Praise God for the depth of the sea of His forgiveness, and for His mighty hand, which chooses to hurl your sins across that sea. Ask Him to help you to give up the rocks that are weighing you down so He can set you free.

“As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our sins from us” (Psalm 103:12 GNT).

The Perfect Centerpiece

By Rhonda Rhea –

There’s hardly anything I enjoy more than a good meal. That’s probably why I don’t cook much.

I guess that’s also why I love, love, love whoever it was who invented the marvelous, miraculous…frozen dinner. What a genius! I owe this person. Everyone talks about those fancy ice sculptures. But me? A frozen family-sized lasagna is a thing of beauty to me. There’s a centerpiece you can sink your teeth into!

Those frozen masterpieces not only rescue those of us who are oven-challenged, but they’re also great for helping with that “what to have for dinner” decision. Anytime I’ve stared blankly into the pantry for more than a few minutes and still can’t decide, I head straight for the freezer. I open that magic door and find, oh glorious day, someone has already decided! Other times when I’m having a bad grocery day and there aren’t enough ingredients in there to put together anything besides a pickle-loaf/noodle/Dorito casserole, I check that freezer—and dinner is done! Some days I just plain don’t want to spend an hour in the kitchen. No problem. In the freezer, dinner is already done! If they made it any easier they would be digesting it for me.

I’m embarrassed to admit how much I depend on my freezer for dinner (though, for the record, I do try to make sure I do all my own digesting). And working in exquisite harmony with my freezer, I can’t forget my microwave. My beautiful, beautiful microwave. We’ve never needed a dinner bell. The beep of the microwave signals everyone that dinner is ready. That beep has become music to my ears.

Seriously, even sweeter music to my ears? The sweet, sweet song of salvation! Our redemption is all about and all through Jesus. When He paid our sin debt on the cross, it was finished. In Jesus, it’s already done!

Just take a look at how the Amplified Bible expresses Hebrews 7:25:  “Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them.” We might even think of it as a “centerpiece” kind of life, bringing His perfect “peace” to our very “center.”

Jesus saves to the uttermost. Completely and perfectly. Finally and eternally. Sound the beautiful beep, it’s done! He had already decided before the foundation of the world to redeem His children back to himself. And what He decides to do, He does. We don’t have to stew over our redemption. We only have to accept it and live it out.

But speaking of stew, I just heard the microwave sound the dinner bell. It’s playing my song. Though just in case you think I never fix anything at all that’s not frozen, you should know I also make a mean Italian sauce. Never frozen. … It’s from a jar.

Abundantly Blessed

By Carin LeRoy –

Shortly after our second anniversary, my husband and I found out we were expecting a new addition to our family. As we anticipated the birth of our baby, I was excited to prepare and get ready. At the time we lived on a remote station in the jungle as missionaries, so I could not go shopping or prepare a nursery like most mothers. A friend purchased some material in a local town and sent it to me, and I began sewing a blanket and some nightshirts. As I worked I wondered how to get the necessary things needed to care for our little one. As my tummy began to grow, so did my concern. I figured when I flew into the capital city, Port Moresby, to await the delivery that I’d race around hoping to find things I needed.

Months later I received a letter from my mother that our church in South Carolina had given us a baby shower. My mom was the guest of honor and opened all the gifts. She listed all the items that were given for our new baby—clothes of every size for a baby boy or girl, shoes, diapers (Yes, cloth ones!), bottles, playpen, foldable crib, toys, blankets. You name it, they had given it. While reading my mom’s letter, I burst into tears. God had more than provided for this baby; He had abundantly blessed her with provision.

Short term missionaries coming for the summer brought everything to the capital city. When I arrived in town preparing for the baby’s delivery, a trunk, suitcases and duffel bags full of all the items awaited me. Overwhelmed, I sorted through the gifts. I had everything I needed—and more.

If God sees the sparrow fall and knows the number of hairs on our head, then doesn’t He know our needs? Let’s claim the scripture “and my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NIV). God’s provision that day showed me that God loves to bless us with His abundance and to show us His love and care. Whether He provides for us in unexpected and copious ways or chooses not to, we need to trust that whatever He chooses for us is what we need. He is a God that is active in our lives and will meet our needs according to His desires for us.

PRAYER:  Father, thank You for Your promise to supply my needs. Keep me mindful that You are a faithful God who loves to bless me with Your provision. Help me keep my eyes on You for meeting what need I have today.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20, 21 NIV).

Weed Control

By Jennifer Slattery –

Last August our family went on a week-long vacation. We came back to a dead, bone-dry lawn. Turns out, we’d blown the fuse connected to our automatic sprinkler system. Apparently, there hadn’t been enough rain to keep our grass alive. Unfortunately, the weeds thrived, taking over our yard.

I spent the next afternoon tearing through the dead grass to reveal the soft dirt beneath, humbled by how closely the yard paralleled my spiritual life. Without the deliberate watering of our sprinkler, our grass had to “catch what fell”. Unfortunately, the occasional summer storm wasn’t enough, and without my constant care, those weeds that could have been eliminated easily upon first sprout, extended their roots deep within the soil, devouring any drop of water that fell. As the grass died, the weeds grew stronger.

All for lack of water. In our absence, the grass was left alone. How often do we do that in our spiritual lives? As believers, we know we’ve got the Holy Spirit and we love to talk about how it’s God’s job to grow and change us. All good and true, but God never intended us to be passive observers. Like my parched, brown grass, if we’re waiting for God to shower His Spirit upon us, chances are our hearts are nearing dehydration. And as they do, it isn’t long before weeds begin to sprout, reaching their roots ever-deeper into our hearts and minds. Weeds like selfishness, laziness, greed, bitterness and discontent. Like our lawn, my heart needs care and nurture. It is my responsibility to see that I am fed. And I need to be on the alert, scouring the deep recesses of my heart for those pesky little dandelions about to seed.

So what do you do once you notice those weeds invading your heart? As always, the best defense is a good offense.

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.  But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (Galatians 5:16-25).

Jesus promised if we abide in Him, He will abide in us. When we stand in the presence of God, meditate on His holy Word, and surrender to His limitless love, the weeds die. And in their place sprouts love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, and self-control.

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