My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 
JOHN 10:27-28 

I have a few friends who are great at playing instruments and writing songs. They perform on stages and compose masterpieces on their pianos and guitars. Whenever Sweet Maria and I go to one of their concerts, their music seems so effortless, like the songs just burst out of them. 

One time I asked one of these friends what it was like to write a hit song that everybody sang along to. When he told me about his process, I was really sur­prised. He said his songs usually started with a vague melody or a series of chords. While he drove around, got the car washed, took a walk, or made dinner, he would have these notes in his head and start building on them, thinking about them, humming along without a clear sense of how they might become a song. He wasn't trying to finish the song all at once. He was just living with it. 

This reminded me of a time we took hundreds of kazoos to the school we built in Gulu, Uganda, for kids who were the first generation after a twenty-five-year civil war had ended. At the beginning, all the random blowing sounded like the stuff of Beethoven's nightmares, but then the students started suggesting songs for us all to play along to. There are so many languages and cultures represented in the room, deciding on a song would have only solved half the issue because everyone would be singing different words to it in their traditional languages. But with the kazoos, we didn't have to know the words-we just blew a tune we all knew and the music did the translating for us. 

Maybe you don't know the words to the song God is creating with your life. Don't sweat it, just give it some time. Drive around with it. Go to the car wash with it, take a walk, make dinner. Live with it for a while, and ask God to give you the words later. 

What words is God speaking to you? 

"Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." 
MATTHEW 12:48-50 

These days it's possible for us to live where we want to live, regardless of where we work and play. We can drive across town to churches, attending the ones we like the most instead of learning to like the ones near us. It's given us the freedom to connect with like-minded people who are far away and the freedom to avoid those who are different from us, even when they're nearby. 

We need to give some thought to how much our lives have become tailor­made to our likings. It isn't necessarily a bad thing when we choose to live among people who look like us, or go to church with members who think like us, but we might not realize we've slowly been cutting out the people who are different from us. And those who are different from us are often the ones we need to learn from the most. 

Instead of huddling with people who make us comfortable, let's seek out those who are different so our circle of love can expand. If we only love the people who are like us and love us back, we confuse the life Jesus gave us to look more like a buffet, where we just take what we want and disregard the rest. Think of faith like your real-life family instead. I bet there are a few members of your family who get on your nerves a little and a few who are just plain weird. The family of God should look like that, where we go through life with people who drive us a little crazy but we love them nonetheless. 

Jesus didn't call us to be picky with one another. He said to love like Him. 

Who's difficult for you to love right now? 

Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.

JOHN 13:21

It's always fun to hear people share what kind of meal they'd plan if they knew it would be their last. As friends go into how they's like their fillet cooked or how many flavors of ice cream they'd want with their Chicago-style pizza, you get a glimpse into the foods that bring them joy. I've never heard anybody say they'd want kale. But even more fascinating than learning about deep-fried Twinkies is hearing about who they'd want sitting around the table with them for their last meal.

Hearing the answers to these questions, you get to know more about who shaped our friends into the people they've become, the ones who were there when they got their battle scars, the ones who were loyal. But we rarely hear about their enemies. It's not surprising. People don't gather around the table with the ones who broke their hearts or crushed their dreams or betrayed them.

Just before Jesus went to a garde to plead with God one last time to provide a way out of His looming death, He invited twelve of His closest friends to have one last meal together. As they passed the wine around the table, Jesus told them He knew one of them would betray Him and one would deny Him. Shocked and dismayed, they all said it wasn't them, but He knew just hours later He would be handed over to be crucified.

A final dinner together, and Jesus coudl ahve had anyone there. He didn't send invitations to the most influential or helpful or even the people who had supported Him during His life. He invited the ones He knew would soon wrong him. If I had one last meal, I wouldn't spend it with the person I knew would betray me, but love does.

Who would Jesus invite to dinner if He were you?

If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, LORD, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. 
PSALM 130:3-4 

I love watching baseball in person. The atmosphere is electric. If a game is tight in the eighth or ninth inning, every pitch and every swing feels more important than the ones in the first seven innings. Everyone is standing or craning their necks to see what happens. The only smart move is to slide your nachos under the seat or you're bound to launch them with a spontaneous leap from your seat. 

I always feel anxious for the batters in these late-inning moments. When the game is on the line, all the pressure is on them. Every time they swing and miss, the umpire yells "Strike!" and throws his fist through the air. The failure is amplified as the pressure builds. 

While it's fun to experience the pulse-pounding moments of a tense ball­game, I think T-ball games get it right. In T-ball games, there's no umpire to yell strike and no pressure to connect in three tries. You can chop at the ball as many times as needed. No one keeps track of how many times they miss. We just wait for the hit so we can cheer. 

A lot of us treat life like a major league playoff game instead of neighbor­hood T-ball. Instead of rooting for one another to swing for the fences and get a hit no matter how many swings it takes, we keep track of the misses, the failures, the disappointments. We treat life like it's "three strikes and you're out." Jesus says we're all in no matter how badly we've messed up. 

When our insecurity wants us to keep track of our failures, remember grace isn't keeping score. It doesn't even start counting. 

What part of your past has God forgotten but you keep holding on to? 

The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 
MATTHEW 20:1

When Jesus tried to tell people what the kingdom of heaven was like, He knew descriptions would fail, so He told stories. He said God's kingdom was like someone who was lost but then was found. He said it was like a tiny seed that grew into a large tree. In one of my favorite stories, He said it was like a land­owner who hired some laborers to work in his field for a day. 

The landowner went out around nine o'clock in the morning, looking for workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them fifty dollars each for a full day of work. Then he did the same at noon and three and five o'clock. At the end of the day, the workers all lined up to get their wages, and the owner of the vineyard gave each one fifty dollars regardless of when they started. 

When the workers who started in the morning saw the others receive the same amount, they started grumbling. I get it. I think I' d be a little miffed too. But I love the story because it reminds us grace doesn't keep track of when you punch the clock. It's ironic that it doesn't bother people who know how much they need grace to see it given without hesitation. It only upsets people who think they need to earn grace with their hard work. 

Grace doesn't work if we're concerned about getting our fair share. God's grace is infinite and unending. It's never accurately seen in short supply. Instead of grumbling about someone else getting a little grace, celebrate with them. And be thankful, too, that God gives you just as much grace as you need. 

Who around you is receiving grace right now? How can you celebrate with them? 

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 
COLOSSIANS 3:13 

After Nelson Mandela was released from prison in South Africa, he said: ''As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison." 

Nelson Mandela knew he had been wronged, but he didn't want to be controlled by the people who had wronged him. He chose the more beautiful path of forgiveness. He knew loving his country meant letting go of his anger, even if his anger was justified. He stood like a mountam and decided to love 
like an avalanche. 

Most of us want to be the kind of people who extend forgiveness, but we can't give it away unless it's genuinely been stored up in our hearts. Forgiveness is an overflow of who we're becoming when no one is watching. If we regularly take time to think about how God has forgiven us for everything we've done (even the things we've managed to hide from other people), our hearts will begin to take the shape of forgiveness. Do this long enough and we'll turn into the kind of people who naturally extend it to others because we ve felt its transforming power. 

As difficult as it can be, the only way to multiply love in the world is to let go of the wrong done to us. We don't need to minimize it or make excuses for people; we just need to see their failures alongside our own record that Jesus wiped clean. When we become people who extend forgiveness, especially when it's costly or hard, we'll be well on our way to loving like Jesus. 

What do you need to let go of? 

God does not show favoritism. 
ROMANS 2:11 

We care most about the things that cost us something because those things are more valuable by their nature. Love works like this too. We can parade around things looking like love, but they won't last or be worth much to anybody. When love requires us to give something, then it's the kind of love that sticks around. Selfless love has no outs, no disclaimers, no expectation of returns. It just simply gives itself up. The most unnatural thing we can do is act for someone else's benefit. Selflessness is uncanny, almost suspicious. But it can change everything. 

Selfless love changes us and our small worlds. Sure, we stand to lose what we've come to know as comforts, but we'll gain the kind of things we've wanted all along-like love and purpose and connection. We'll experience true friend­ships and community because we'll be a part of a collective larger than one where we're merely looking out for ourselves. Our accounts with fear and pride will go bankrupt, and their once-convincing voices will get smaller and slim­mer. It turns out, the cost of selfless love is all the selfish parts of us we grip for safety. Selfless love is always costly. Fear can't afford it, pride doesn't under­stand it, and friends never forget it . 

God said His plan for loving people on earth was us. He said people will know He delights in them when they feel unconditionally loved by those who share His name. Jesus never said anything about tough love. He didn't tell us to push people away so they'd know the pain of the loss of community. Those are just ideas people made up along the way to punish people. 

God told us to welcome people into His love. People don't grow where they're merely informed; they grow where they're accepted. Don't cut people off from the source of love when they lose their way. Draw them in close and breathe life back into them like Jesus did when He was here. 

Who might God be calling you to welcome? 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 
PSALM 51:12 

If you've been reading through this book, you probably know by now that my family and I head to Canada each summer where we built a lodge. This magical place didn't happen overnight. For the first few years, we just camped on the property until we could build a little something to get us out of the elements. Over the years, the lodge took shape and housed some of our best memories. 

It was the middle of the night when I got the call. The lodge had burned down. We were getting the exterior restained to protect it from the harsh Canadian winters. Some highly flammable, combustible rags were left in a pile, and they spontaneously caught fire and leveled the place. There weren't even ashes left when the fire went out. We lost everything. 

How crazy would it have been if I had showed up with a can of stain the next day to keep working on the lodge? There was nothing there. It's an extreme example, but sometimes I wonder when we show up with some varnish for our lives after one of our dreams or ambitions or relationships has burned down, if what we really need instead is a good Carpenter. 

God isn't interested in what your faith looks like. He cares about what it is. The next time you're feeling a little broken or burned out, don't go for the cosmetic fix first. Go to God and ask Him to help you completely rebuild. It'll probably take longer, but it will be the only way you can be truly restored. 

What does God want to rebuild in your life? 

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

HEBREWS 12:2 

I have a friend named Charlie who has endured some really hard things in his life. As a young Ugandan boy, he was captured by a witch doctor who per­formed a horrific ritual that left Charlie scarred for life. We became his legal guardians and set out to make him whole again.

Charlie went through a series of surgeries, and his body was in much better shape. The surgeon restored some of the damage caused by the witch doctor, but I felt like something was missing. Charlie needed something to convince him his courage was intact and his heart could be made whole too. So I told Charlie I would take him anywhere he wanted to go for an adventure. You know what he picked? He said he wanted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. I didn't want to break my promise, so we headed to the famous mountain. We had the gear, the guide, and a dream worth chasing.

People have asked me what the views were like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. The truth is, I never really looked up to see. I had my eyes fixed on the boots of the guide in front of me. Where he went, I went. He went over a couple of boulders I would have rather gone around, but if he went over them, I went over them. He went around a couple of rocks I would have rather gone over, but if he went around them, I went around them. I didn't need to know where to go next because I was following someone who did.

The next time you're asking God to make you whole, remember that there isn't a straight line to the summit. There will be plenty of switchbacks and hard work. Don't worry about the trail ahead. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus' feet. When you've got a guide you can trust, you don't have to worry about the path you're on.

Where is the Guide leading you today? 

Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same. 
LUKE 3.:11 

Airporrs are a place to build patience. Few things amp up my anxiety more t􀀎an sitting on the runway a few feet short of the gate while I miss a tight connection one gate away. Or waiting for the last plane out before the storm, then having it canceled at midnight. Airports are a place where babies cry and strangers bump into us with roller bags and all comfortable seats have been removed.

I used to dread airports for all these reasons, but when I started thinking of them as opportunities to give away love, my attitude changed. Now when I interact with a customer-service agent who isn't moving as fast as I want them to, I think about how many people have probably been rude to them that day, and I try to make them smile. When I'm seated next to a screaming baby on a flight, I imagine how tired their parents must feel, and I do my part to make the kid smile.

When I think someone ought to be more loving, it's usually me. The longer I follow Jesus, the more I'm trying to see through the eyes of other people. Don't get me wrong. It's not always easy, and I've got a lot to learn. We come into contact with people every day who need to encounter love. They need to know that whatever they're going through at the moment, they don't have to go it alone.

One word, one kind and understanding nod in the direction of someone struggling, can change everything. When we choose to step in the shoes of people having a difficult time, we usually find they're a lot like us. They just need to know they're loved and valued and that it's going to be okay. Don't leave it to someone else to do the loving for you.

What one word can you share with someone today to show them love? 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
JOHN 3:16 

John 3:16 is probably the most famous verse in the Bible. Even if someone has never cracked the cover, they've probably heard this verse a couple of times. This verse boils down who God is and the sacrifice He made by sending Jesus to us. What we heard doesn't stick with us nearly as much as what we see. People who follow Jesus might be the only living version of John 3:16 another person ever sees.

Here's the problem. We're prone to backstabbing and gossip, infighting and pridefulness, and making camps out of opinions to declare on behalf of God who's in and who's out. If God sent Jesus for the whole world, why do we cause so many divisions in what He said He wants to bring together?

Jesus' life started with His coming and ended in His sacrificing. In between, He showed forgiveness and acceptance, grace and truth. He put himself on the hook for our wrongdoings. We need to find a way back to the beautiful truths about our faith rather than telling everyone else what they need to do. Take a breath. Get a puppy. Do whatever it takes to show the kind of love Jesus had for the world to the people next to you.

If you're holding a grudge or putting out a stiff arm to keep someone you disagree with at a distance, step back for a minute. Remember that God gave His one and only Son for us. He didn't do it for just some of the world or just for the people who acted a certain way. He loved the whole world and everybody in it. Maybe we can too. And since you're part of the family, He's invited you to be an ambassador for that truth-not with what you believe but with what you do about what you believe.

If God gave His one and only Son for you, what can you do today for someone else?

What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. 
MICAH 6:8 

Have you ever been able to change someone's heart and mind with a compel­ling argument? Yeah, me neither. I'm a lawyer. I win arguments for a living. Still, what sways a jury won't reshape our worldview. I think there are a number of reasons. One is that we can try to convince someone about what's " true," but we can't make it matter to them, and people will only move forward on things that matter to them. I'm not saying we shouldn't voice our opinions or disagree with people, but I think we need to reboot how we're having the debate. I've learned the power of letting other people have the last word. It won't kill you. Yield the last word and you'll make an impression. 

The next time things get a little heated, make it an opportunity to show love and grace, even if you've got a different opinion. Say the truth in love but be willing to concede the last word. When we let other people have the last word, we let them know we're more interested in spreading love than winning arguments. Instead of convincing people we're right, let's be humble. Humble people know when to speak up and when to be silent. People listen to our lives even more than our words, and it will be love that moves them in the end. 

In what ways can you be more humble today? 

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. 
JOHN 13:35 

I've heard a lot of people say something like this: ''I'm not big on religion, but I could really get into Jesus." Have you ever heard that? I think it's because people assume religion is a bunch of rules governed by religious zealots who spend Perthhapeir s daya ms deore ciding who's right and wrong. I can't really say I blame them.

Perhaps a more accurate way to see faith is that it's a bunch of ideas and Jesus was a bunch of action. Sure, there are times in the Bible where we see Jesus teaching. But more often, we see Him telling stories or getting down on one knee to look a child in the eye or feeding hungry people or healing the lame.

We all know about love and heaven and hell. But ideas can only get us so far. If your car breaks down in rush hour traffic, do you want someone to send you a detailed diagnostic of what went wrong? Or would you prefer a pair of jumper cables, a lift, or a call for a tow truck? If you know a single parent who lost their job, do you think that person wants a performance review or a gift card to a local grocery store?

Understanding the Bible is important, no doubt. I spend loads of time discovering the truths in its pages, but the moment we chase knowledge at the expense of others, we've missed the point of Scripture. Remember that the world will know what we believe by seeing what we do. Be love, and you can't go wrong.

What will you do for someone today that demonstrates God's love?

Those of you.who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. 
LUKE 14:33 

The Bible tells us about an extraordinary practice in ancient Israel called the Year ofJubilee. This came around once every fifty years, and it was a time when all slaves and prisoners were set free and every debt was forgiven. God set it up for the people of Israel because He wanted to communicate in a human way what His mercy was like, and it looked like freedom for everyone no matter their burden or debt. 

Everyone's debts were different. I bet some were only short fifty dollars and some owed what would be millions. The point of the celebration was to say God's mercy wipes all our debts clean, whether we've blown it in big ways or just failed to show up when it mattered. It's all the same in God's economy. 

Each of us starts in a different place when we choose to follow Jesus. The debts we owe reflect the different lives we've lived. The cost of discipleship looks different from person to person. Some of us have to give up our need to be the center of attention, and some of us need the courage to find our voices. What feels like a sacrifice to you might come naturally to your neighbor. They're just facing a different kind of battle. 

Following Jesus costs each of us something different, but mercy looks the same for all of us. It looks like God letting us off the hook for the ways we've fallen short and a celebration for all of us because Jesus covered the cost. 

What is following Jesus costing you this week? 

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" 
JOHN 5:6 

In the Bible, there's a place called the Pool of Bethesda. The spring was believed to be stirred by angels every so often, and when it was stirred, those who managed to jump in the pool would be healed. Every day, a large number of disabled people would lay next to the pool, getting as close to the edge as possible so they wouldn't miss their shot at healing.

One day Jesus walked up to the pool and met a disabled man who had been lying by the pool for thirty-eight years. Jesus struck up a conversation with the man, wondering if he wanted to be healed. The man told him every time the water was stirred, he tried to hop in but someone else always jumped in front of him and he never quite made it. When Jesus heard his story, He told the man to take up his mat and walk home because he was healed.

We might not have a condition like this guy had, but a lot of us still feel we've been sitting next to the pool. We see hope for a better life, but every time opportunities come, something gets in the way. Some of us know what it's like to hope for something without seeing signs of change. It's tempting to expect more of the same tomorrow.

But grace means tomorrow's always a friend. Grace means Jesus can step into the scene in an instant and bring the healing we started hoping for. Don't believe hope is lost just because change hasn't come yet. Get back in the water.

What do you want Jesus to heal in you? 

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 
2 PETER 3:18 

If you have a neighbor with a green thumb who likes to grow vegetables, you've hit the jackpot. It's not unusual for them to stop by in the middle of the after­noon with bags full of tomatoes or some other produce. It's never just a small basket either; it's more than you could eat in a week's worth of meals.

How weird would we look if we took their offering then asked why they didn't bring us watermelons? Not only would it be ungrateful, we'd also look silly. They didn't bring us watermelons because they didn't plant watermelons. They can't harvest something they don't plant. And neither can we.

I wonder why we ask those questions in our lives though. We tend to grow the virtues we've planted: clutivating grace makes us more gracious, giving away love makes us more loving, practicing patience helps us become more patient. We can't take jabs at people behind their backs and then expect to become more tenderhearted toward them. But we can practice giving the benefit of the doubt to people and watch compassion for them grow in our hearts.

God created the earth with these rhythms of planting and harvesting to teach us about His kingdom. He gave us tools to understand His work of redemption in our everyday lives. We'll fill our lives with what we cultivate most. Plant grace by the acre.

What are you cultivating in your life? How can you cultivate more grace and love? 

The Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal. 
LUKE 11:38 

Jesus didn't do things by the book. He wasn't beholden to the playbook the rest of humanity seemed to be living by. Whenever I'm reading, or writing on occasion, I'm trying to stay inside the lines. I mean, the rule for writing and reading is stay inside the margins where all the words are. The words somebody pored over getting their point across or their poem in perfect meter with clever rhymes. We don't really notice the space on the edges. 

When I say Jesus didn't go by the book, I mean that He pretty much spent all His time in the margins. Instead of being enamored by the fanfare and well­formed arguments of the Pharisees and religious people, He went to the places everyone else seemed to forget. What if we decided to fill up the margins with our love instead? What would it look like for you to share a meal with someone who genuinely creeps you out? Or give them hope and a listening ear? That's the stuff we do in the margins. 

When I feel a little listless or restless, it's tempting to go straight for the words I know, the ones in the middle of the page that are comfortable and reassuring. But when I look at Jesus, I see someone going outside the lines to the poor, the orphans, the widows, and the prisoners. Those are the ones Jesus set His sights on. Sometimes we need to trade the words we've known for the margins where God calls us. 

What rules or expectations can you break to love people on the margins? 

He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" 
JOHN 9:25 

The Bible tells a story about a man who was born blind-the man Jesus healed with some mud and the touch of His hand. When the Pharisees caught wind of the story, they went on a tear to find the guy who had been healed. They wanted to hear his story. You get the sense that the Pharisees were threatened that Jesus was stealing their spotlight. 

When they found the man who had been healed, he simply bore witness to the miracle Jesus had done. He admitted he didn't know anything about Jesus. He didn't know where He came from, and he didn't know if Jesus was a sinner or a Savior. He just knew one thing: he had been blind and now he could see. He didn't turn it into a lecture about illness or theology or try to convince the Pharisees they were wrong about the world; he just told them what he had seen Jesus do. 

I've come to realize there are two ways of telling stories about ourselves. Our stories can stay focused on us, presenting us in the best light. Or our stories can be an entryway into telling the truth about what God has been doing in our lives, even if we can't explain it. 

Instead of telling stories to brighten your spotlight or hold on to power, simply talk about what you've experienced Jesus doing in your life. We don't have to have the answers or look like we have big faith. We just have to be humble and tell it like we've known it. 

With whom will you share a story about Jesus' work in your life? 

Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 
MATTHEW 5:16 

I've always thought outdoor Christmas trees were magical. Ever since I was a kid, when I passed a Christmas tree in the center of a city, I would stand back to take in the scene. Kids notice Christmas trees with a little more energy and excitement, quick to point out the size of the gifts beneath them, wondering if anyone would notice if one went missing. Even grownups can't help but be grabbed by the sight of a beautifully lit tree. Part of their splendor comes from the way they illuminate the whole block. You don't need store lights or lamps in city centers in December. The Christmas trees shine bright enough. 

Wouldn't it be weird if someone decided to draw attention to the tree by putting up construction lights to shine a spotlight on the tree? The tree would lose its magic because the spotlights would get in the way. They would detract from the subtle brilliance of the warm lights on the tree. The tree gets more attention when it stands tall against the backdrop of the night sky with no spotlights adding extra light. 

All of this seems so obvious it almost goes without saying, but we don't see it so obviously when it comes to the light in our own lives. Jesus said our love is the light that shines in the darkness. He said people will see our acts of love and see Him in the process. We don't need to draw attention to ourselves; our good deeds will attract all the attention Jesus needs. Shining light on them would only get in the way. 

Bright lights don't need spotlights. Just be love and it'll light up everything. 

How can you let God's light shine brighter in your life? 

When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. 
MARK 11:25 

Several years ago, a sweet little old lady named Lynn was driving home from her seniors' exercise class when she blew through a stop sign and T-boned me with her car. I was driving a convertible jeep, and the collision catapulted me through the open roof into the middle of the road. They make you pay for those kinds of rides at the state fair. Incredibly, although my car was upside down and totaled, I landed on the street and was just fine. 

Lynn was in knots about the wreck for weeks. She was afraid they would revoke her driver's license since this might prove she wasn't fit to get behind the wheel, and she was anxious about losing her independence. She also felt awful about totaling my jeep and about launching me into the intersection. I got to thinking about it and figured out a way to let Lynn know that she was truly forgiven. I called the flower shop and told them to send Lynn the biggest bouquet in the shop with a note saying, "It was great running into you. You're forgiven." 

It might sound like a crazy idea, but it actually wasn't my idea; it was God's idea. God responds to us the same way every time we blow it. We hijack His plans and make a mess of things, and He gives us grace in return. There's nothing we've messed up that He hasn't been able to turn into something redemptive and beautiful. There's no sin we've committed that's stopped Him from giving us grace. 
Give away a breathtaking amount of grace. We have an endless supply since it comes from an infinite source. 

Who needs more grace in your life? 

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 
1 JOHN 4:11 

My friend Jamie runs an organization that helps connect people who are depressed and addicted to the help they need. It started when he met a girl who believed a bunch of lies about herself, and she turned to heavy drug use and self-harm to try to drown out the lies. When she looked in the mirror, she saw a screw-up. But Jamie didn't see a screw-up; he saw beauty. 

Jamie and his friends hung out with her for a whole week of detox, passing the time at concerts, sports games, and scheming new adventures. After the girl went to rehab, Jamie knew there were more people like her who needed a family to fall into when they couldn't fall much farther, so he started an organization to help spread love to them. 

Anyone who knows Jamie knows him as someone who always has words of hope and love for people in desperate places. It's not a surprise when they're met with hugs 1f they show up on his doorstep in the middle of the night. It's not a special occasion; it's just Jamie. 

Tremendous love makes big grace look effortless. When our lives revolve around loving people, grace becomes a natural outpouring. People don't have to worry about bothering us or wearing out their welcome. They know we'll be gracious just because it's Tuesday and that's who we are. 

Give away tremendous amounts of love and watch grace come along for the ride. 

Who do you know who needs to be loved like Jamie's friend? 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 
PROVERBS 3:5-6 

Since my kids aren't making mischief from home anymore, I'm always working on finding some reasons to hang out with them. My son Adam recently took up skydiving, so I decided to get my skydiving license without telling him. I had this daydream of him freefalling through the air and then I float down next to him. "Oh, hey, Adam. What are you doing here?" I would scream into the wind. 

One weekend I drove Adam to the drop zone like I did each weekend. He got out of the car, grabbed a parachute, and got in the plane. This time I got out of the car, grabbed a parachute, put it on, and got in the plane next to him.

"Dad?!" Adam said, shaking his head at me. 

"How hard could it be?" I shot back at him. 

Sometimes on a weekends we'll still grab some lunch, catch up on life, and then jump out of a plane together. It's fantastic. 

The craziest part about the whole skydiving thing is that when you're fall­ing through the air at around 125 miles per hour, you pull a cord connected to a tiny, metal pin that deploys the parachute. Your whole life depends on one piece of metal that is less than an inch long. When it's pulled, the parachute either goes off or it doesn't. 

The truth is, I sometimes trust God less than I trust that pin. I don't believe He's going to catch me at the perfect moment. I'm afraid He won't be there when I need Him to be. I think He'll let me plummet ifI make a mistake. Or I believe He'll withhold His grace if I mess up one more time. 

Sometimes God leads us into difficult circumstances so we'll realize our absolute need for Him. 

In what difficult circumstance are you finding it difficult to trust God? 

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 
HEBREWS 10:24 

I was at a coffee shop the other day and overheard a conversation between two young people about to graduate college. I was trying to be polite and not eavesdrop while lobbing over big smiles and positive vibes their way. 

One friend, with a twinkle in his eye, was talking about whether he should start a company, join the Peace Corps, or backpack across China. But the other friend chimed in each time about why he didn't think the ideas would work or why they were foolish. It made me wonder why this friend would rain on the other guy's parade. I mean, it's fine to give someone a hand as they take the next step, but this guy was a fire hydrant of negativity dousing enthusiasm, dreams, and hope. I wanted to chime in, but I held my tongue. 

I don't know why the negative friend was saying what he said. But it made me wonder if cynicism is really just fear posing as confidence. There are enough voices in our lives, in addition to our own, telling us what we can't do. There's a multitude of people who are ready to say our idea is crazy or irresponsible. Don't let them steal the microphone in your life, and make sure you're not the one speaking discouraging words over your friends. 

Next time you're tempted to rain on someone's parade or feel like you need an umbrella from someone else's downpour, remember that cynicism is just fear in disguise. Ditch the fear and go bold with a boatload of encouragement instead. Failure or not, we all need voices that shine light on dreams. The world is desperate for people who do this. Be one of them. 

Who needs encouragement in your life? 

Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 
1 THESSALONIANS 5:11 

Every year in May, our organization hosts a cycling trip called the Love Does Tour. People from all over the country gather together in Monterey, where they start a ten-day bicycle trip down the coast of California. Some of them are experienced cyclists, and some don't even own their own bikes, but they come together because they care about the cause. They want to raise money for kids to go to school in Uganda and make new friends in the process. 

These adventurous men and women know they'll face difficulties in the five hundred miles to come. They're likely to get a flat tire or two along the way. They know they might hit thunderstorms or high winds as they ride through the mountains. They expect it to be challenging, with maybe a couple of close calls too. But they also know if they get a flat tire, they can rely on other teammates to pull over with the right tools. And if they hit thunderstorms, they'll huddle under tents and weather the storms together. No one will be left alone. 

Life isn't easy. Difficulties and disappointment are real. Here's the thing: we can bank on grace. There's no challenge we can't face when we've got friends who've got our backs. The fact is, nothing has the power to overcome us, because Jesus faced even death head-on and kicked it in the teeth so we would win, too, when it came for us. 

The bike tour ends most years down by the bay in my backyard. A couple of times we've had the ones who weren't afraid of a little rust ride right into the water. I love to hear the stories about the uphill stretches where the peddling was most difficult and about the views they saw when they got to the top. Grace isn't always like the view from the top or the downhill coast. It feels like having someone with us on the ride. 

Who can you show up for today? 

Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 
MARK 5:19 

I recently learned about an artist whose trademark is painting over old photo­graphs. He gets portraits of families, gathers pictures of landscapes with oceans, mountains, and vineyards, and then turns them into a totally different art form. Sometimes he covers the entire photograph, and sometimes he just adds a little color here and there, but either way, the pictures are transformed. 

When I see his pictures, I can't help but think about grace. God takes us as we are, with all our gifts and quirks, and He turns us into people who are altogether different yet still ourselves. Take the possessed man who was living in tombs when he met Jesus. The people in the town said the man couldn't be contained. He broke chains on his wrists and irons from his feet. He cried out and cut himself with stones when people approached him. 

But Jesus had compassion on him. He asked the man his name and then delivered him from his torment. When the people from the town showed up, they saw the man dressed and in his right mind. I like to imagine he cut his hair and trimmed his beard and greeted them with a smile as they approached. He was still the same person-they could recognize his characteristics-but he was totally transformed. Like a beautiful painting over an old photograph. 

When we decide to live a life following Jesus, God doesn't do away with our old selves altogether. Instead, He points us in the direction of Jesus and says, "Go be like Him." Grace is like allowing God to paint Jesus into our lives. 

What would Jesus do today if He was you? 

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect 
1 PETER 3:15 

As a lawyer, one of the things I'm really good at is memorization. All the codes and rules and laws are a snap for me to access. Lawyers have to memorize a lot to pass bar exams and try cases, so this was a good fit for me. 

Sometimes I wonder if we give too much importance to the power of memo­rization in our faith. Don't get me wrong. I read the Bible a ton and try to find truths God has left for us there: Some of us were told to memorize scriptures when we were young, so we drilled verses into our minds like kids cramming for the big test. We memorized doctrine, too, so we could explain our faith to people. We were told to be ready to give an account for it at all times. What didn't get a lot of airtime was doing these things with gentleness and respect. 

When we merely memorize our faith like we're cramming for a test, we download a bunch of information, but the problem is, we're not transformed by it. What if, instead, we memorized grace the way we memorize a song? Here's why. When we memorize songs, we play them on repeat as we go about our days. Years later we can still sing the words. When we memorize music, it becomes a part of us and shapes us. It moves us to reach out to people and makes us feel less lonely. We don't memorize music the way we crammed for tests; we learn from it by allowing it to become a part of us. 

Let's memorize grace. We don't need to download doctrine like we pre­pared for tests with flashcards. God doesn't need a lawyer to defend Him. He's stronger than the whole world. Instead of memorizing a few verses and calling it good, listen to grace and let it transform your whole life. 

What part of God's character are you learning these days? 

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 
LUKE 6 37 

There's a quote you might have heard that goes something like this: "Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies." It made me wonder if we could start this quote: "Forgiveness is like drinking poison for someone else and you both live." Here's what I mean. 

If you've been alive for more than a couple of years, someone has probably hurt you in some way at some time. Maybe it was a big way that made your life feel off-balance for a little while. Maybe it was a small way that you just can't seem to get over. Whatever it is, perhaps it left you in a place where forgiveness is hard to come by. 

The hardest part about giving forgiveness is when the person who is wrong doesn't ask for it. We should give it anyway. If we don't, we'll have the poison of unforgiveness flowing through our veins and making our whole life feel sick. 

It doesn't have to stay this way though. In a sense, forgiveness isn't like drinking poison; it's more like giving you both the antidote. Forgiveness is an invitation to humble ourselves and turn toward the people who have hurt us. It opens the door for grace to come in and surprise us with a renewed sense of love and commitment to each other. But even if that doesn't happen, forgive anyway. Every time we forgive each other, we create a little more space for love, and it's this new space that has the power to change us.

What's keeping you from forgiveness? 

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 
JOHN 15:2 

Jesus taught so many lessons with nature as a metaphor, I figured I should learn more about wheat and seeds and trees and stuff So when I come across farmers or lumberjacks, I do a little informal research to learn what it's all about. In one of these conversations, a lumberjack actually helped me understand the reason behind some of the pain and failure we all go through at some point in life. 

He said for trees to be healthy, they have to be pruned on a regular basis. He climbs up the trees, sometimes with a chainsaw, and cuts off all the diseased branches. He also cuts out dead branches and limbs growing in the wrong direction so the other branches can grow in healthy directions. 

When I heard him describe the process, it made a lot of sense to me. Jesus talked about trees and branches. He said even healthy trees-the ones that bear fruit-need to be pruned sometimes so they'll bear even more fruit. It makes sense when I think about all the times I've had to cut things out of my life. Sometimes I'm not the one pruning either. Often God will take things away to guide me in a different direction. When He does, I've figured out later it was to help me become more of the person He had in mind for me to be. 

God doesn't enjoy seeing us go through the pain ofloss and failure, but He loves watching us grow. Sometimes we do the cutting, and sometimes He does. The end objective is for us to grow into the people God sees us turning into. 
 

Who is God turning you into? 

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. 

HEBREWS 4:13 

I'm a big fan of all the plays and performances little kids put on. Whether it's a ballet recital, Christmas pageant, or school play, what's better than watch­ing a bunch of little kids do their best with whimsy and joy and without any self-consciousness? 

You know how the scene goes. Jane is fidgeting with her fingers on the left side of the stage while Johnny is staring at the ceiling on the right. The ones in costumes in the middle of the stage are tripping over their tails. And two best friends are playing patty-cake to the side when they should be making a big entrance. The kids speaking from the stage don't even care if they mess up their lines. They just keep going, and the crowd gives them a standing ovation in the end. 

Don't you wish adulthood could be like that? When we grownups trip up or forget our lines in speeches or business deals, we're mortified. We fumble around to find something to fill the silence and then beat ourselves up about it the rest of the day. But not kids. When kids forget their lines, they either improvise or completely ignore the mess-up. 

What if we saw moments when we forget our lines as opportunities to improvise or just walk away like it never even happened? What if, like kids, we put a premium on joy rather than obsessing over whether things go according to the plan? God already told us that the people He made are more important than our projects and productions we put on. God is less concerned about you looking polished and perfect like a Broadway star than. He is about you know­ing that neither your successes nor your gaffes define you. 

The next time you do something that makes you feel like disappearing, remember God sees you and loves you just where you are and just as you are. Grace lets us improvise when we've forgotten the lines to our part. 

What part of your life do you feel tempted to hide from God? 

He lifted me out of the slimy pit. out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 
PSALM 40:2 

Close your eyes and take ten seconds to remember one of the most embarrass­ing moments of your life. 

Got it?

Okay, if you're anything like me, that moment was something that hap­pened in front of someone else. Embarrassing moments in private usually make us chuckle at ourselves. Embarrassing moments in front of other people, well, that can be cause for a lifetime of unnecessarily beating ourselves up. If that weren't true, why is it so easy to remember our failures?

I think it's because we've been exposed. Sometimes it's just a blooper, like our pants splitting when we bend over in public, but sometimes it's a moral failure, when we're embarrassed in our relationships. In those moments, it can feel like our whole fragile selves sit in the hands of the people who witnessed our failure. We wait for their response. Will they tell other people? Will they scold us the way we've scolded ourselves? Will they use us as an example to the rest of the world, making a mockery of what little dignity we have left?

We never forget the way people respond to us in our failures. Will they show us empathy or forgiveness, or will they kick us while we're down? The moments when people are most exposed are the times we carn have the greatest impact on their lives, for better or worse. We can confront people with their failure or surround them with our love. Either way, we'll be remembered.

Who do you know who's been experiencing failure lately? 
What can you show them about who they are instead?

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed. 
ISAIAH 54:10 

The best holidays are the ones with open invites to all the people who have nowhere else to go. When strangers come through the door from all corners of our communities, and they leave as friends. These are the potluck dinners when we tell people to bring whatever they can, but most of all their authentic selves. 

When we celebrate holidays potluck-style with an open-door policy, we always end up with more food than we could possibly eat. The more guests we have, the more leftovers we send home, and no one spends the holiday hungry or alone. Love works the same way. We tend to think we should limit the number of people we let in because we think love is a finite resource. We think there won't be enough to go around. This just isn't the way love works. 

The more people we let in, the more those people fill us and energize us, the larger the potluck dinner. You walk into the living room and see old friends engaging new friends. You hear new stories about traditions and trips, books and recipes. Each person, each conversation is another main dish for us. It's no different than what Jesus did when the potluck consisted of a couple of fish and loaves of bread. They brought what they had to Jesus and let Him decide what to make of it. 

When we ration our love, everyone goes hungry. But the more extravagant we are, the less it's wasted and the better we're fed. Love isn't a limited resource. It's like a potluck where everyone who comes brings what they've got-and there's more than enough for all of us. 

How have you been rationing love?