Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. 1 Peter 3:15 (MSG)
For Reflection:
In the local strawberry patch, amid the most mediocre berries I’ve seen in years, I find myself processing disappointment. All year long, I dream of big, scrumptious, perfectly flavored berries. But as my expectations and reality collide, I’m reminded that this space is often the birthplace of disappointment. How we experience it…and how we walk through it…matters, whether it’s tiny berries or big dreams.
I feel the sun picking up in intensity and I pop a berry into my mouth. I’m savoring the flavor as the wind picks up and I become aware of God’s presence with me. I bring my thoughts to a place of gratitude and begin to hunt for berries with renewed delight as I let go of past expectations and focus on what’s right in front of me. The sweet taste of the berry lingers and brings a smile to my face. I’m chatting away with friends as I continue to search to fill my flat with berries.
A few minutes later, I found myself in a conversation with the lady in the next row. She had overheard me talking about church. As we connected over the disappointing berries, she shared a few things about herself: she used to go to church, she believes God is watching from a distance and is really only needed for big prayer requests. I could sense her distance from Him.
I wondered with her… what if God is actively working through people here on earth right now to reconnect what is broken within the relationships between us and God, each other, ourselves, and even the earth that produced these tiny berries? As we chatted, I prayed. I prayed for God to help me say anything that might draw her back to Him. I released my agenda and spoke as honestly as I could about God’s presence in my life, hoping to stir curiosity and possibly spark some rethinking. I leaned into the things that tether me to my faith. I say, I appreciate the rhythm of church each week that keeps revealing a bit more about how much God’s love for us brings peace to my soul.
Sometimes in conversations, I say that I’m studying the person of Jesus when I sense that the word Christian might feel too complicated. Then, if there’s a follow-up question, the focus is actually on Jesus—his life, how he healed, how he challenged people, and how he ultimately displayed the most generous, sacrificial love of all.
Peter reminds us to always be prepared to give an answer for the faith that we have and offer it with gentleness and respect. I wonder if I would have missed this conversation altogether if I had let my disappointment about berries cloud my mind. When I’m paying attention I can see opportunities to encourage others and speak the hope of Jesus. Have you noticed these opportunities too? Ask Jesus how to engage…even if you don't get peace each time you ask, you are building your awareness of people and your connection to God’s Holy Spirit that promises to be with us….. always!
Let us pray:
God, thank you for tiny things that draw our attention back to you. Would you continue to let us see with your eyes the people around us…would you equip us with words when it’s lifegiving and silence when that is needed instead. May we keep studying our Lord and Savior Jesus, listening well to others, and offering thoughtful words that explain our faith. Amen.
I wonder how I might prepare to articulate my faith today.