Category Archives: prayer

be still and know: how we find certainty in the deep end

Posted on by September 5, 2025

The more we know, the more we realize how little we know. And this is both good and bad: It’s great for humility, curiosity, and continued growth, but it’s not always so good when you actually are right but you doubt yourself.

be still and know: how we find certainty in the deep end || Shannon Guerra at Copperlight Wood

For example, a few weeks ago when we were helping friends move, we pulled into a storage facility right as some other people were leaving. The security gate was open to let us in, and then it closed behind us.

We drove across all the rows of storage units, and…our friends weren’t there.

“They said it’s the one by the church, right?” Yep, that’s what they said…but we’re smart enough to know that there are things we don’t always know, which means this might not be the only storage facility near the church.

Maybe, after we got separated along the road, they went to some other place we’re not aware of, because no one else in our party – which was originally a convoy of six or seven vehicles, including a giant U-Haul – were there.

We pulled back up to the closed gate and waited for the sensor to kick in.

Buuut there was no sensor.

Instead, there was a code box for customers…and we weren’t customers.

Visions of passing Sunday afternoon locked in a storage yard with five kids flashed through my mind. Fortunately, the sign had the company’s phone number on it, so I called that while Vince called our friend to let him know our situation.

My call went straight to voicemail.

“Hi, we’re helping some friends move,” I began, “but we must’ve gone to the wrong storage facility–”

Vin, on the phone with our buddy: “Hey! We pulled into the storage place but–”

Me: “– the gate was open when we got here because some people were leaving, but then it shut behind them–”

“–uh huh…yeah, no, we’re here–”

“– and we don’t have the code to get out, so we’re stuck inside. If you could call me back AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, my name is Shannon and my number is 907–”

“They’re on their way,” Vin said, hanging up. “They missed the turn.”

” – what? Wait, they’re coming? OHHhhh – Okay, nevermind, disregard, this is the right place and our friends are on the way, thankssomuchhaveagreatdaybye.” It’s fine, we’re fine, please don’t call the cops, etcetera, etcetera.

Moral? You can be right but still think you’re wrong because you’re early, or you’re alone, or everyone else is wrong, or you’re afraid, or a million other reasons.

When we know enough to know we don’t know everything we need to know (kudos if you don’t have to read that at least twice), it can be a little intimidating. Inhibiting. Unnerving.

In seasons of deep growth, we realize more than ever that there are so many people who already know what we need to know. In any given situation, there are people who can do this better. Who have the right answers, and all the training. Who don’t make things awkward, or aren’t accidentally rude (sigh), or had polished beginnings that make our raw edges seem to stand out all the more.

We feel over our heads in the deep end, but Jesus is asking for trust and intimacy, not impressive performance. Not back up plans, not fail-safe programs. Not our know-it-all, I’ve-got-this, watch-what-I-can-do mentalities.

We like those things, because they puff us up and make us look good. But we’ve got some dying to the flesh to do.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but wisdom is with the humble.

– Proverbs 11:2

So we have to know enough to know that we don’t know everything.

But also, and just as important:

We have to remember that the Lord tells us what we need to know when we ask Him.

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.

– James 1:5

Do we really believe that, though? Because here’s the next part, and it’s where we tend to get hung up:

But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

– James 1:6-8

Well, great, what does that say for us? I thought this was the right place…but no one else is here…and I must’ve got it wrong somehow.

But no, that’s not doubting or double-mindedness. The “doubting” referred to in that verse is not condemnation for not knowing something, or being confused, or having a misunderstanding, or getting the rug pulled out from under you.

It doesn’t mean we always have to be certain about everything. God already knows we don’t have all the answers; that’s why we’re asking in the first place.

In the original Greek, the word for doubting here is diakrinó, and we learn more about it when we look at the root words it’s made from: dia, which means “through,” and krino, which means “to judge.” So you could say that this doubting is “through our own judgment” – or, arguing with God because we think we know better.

Here’s how it goes: We don’t know, so we ask, and He answers.

That seems like a simple flow chart, pretty straightforward.

But we tend to get muddled in the “He answers” part, because that’s where the flow chart forks into two options: We either believe Him and act on what He said, or we doubt Him – diakrinó – and argue.

Because we do hear His answers, but sometimes before we have a chance to put our pants on and act on them, the enemy hisses into our ears, and it’s the same thing he said in the very beginning.

“Did God really say…?”

And we start to have doubts.

Did I really hear God? Was that really Him?

Is He really that good? Is the answer really that simple? That full of joy? That much of a relief?

Or, just as often:

But I don’t want to ______ (wait, move forward, obey, abstain, be alone, whatever).

It’s too _______ (hard, radical, uncomfortable, soon, expensive, whatever).

That must not have been Him.

And there we are, a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind, double-minded and unstable in every way.

In this case, we must not expect to receive anything from the Lord because He already gave it to us but we said, “Ehhh, I don’t think so, no thanks.”

But also, sometimes we start to act on what He said, but then circumstances shift and we question the original plan.

After a year of no broody hens, our darling Uno has decided at the very end of summer that she wants to hatch chicks again. It’s not the best time for it, especially in Alaska, because our winters usually start around mid-October. So I searched “broody hen in fall” and scoured the internet for answers.

And the consensus from chicken keepers all over, including cold climates, said Yes, go for it.

But still, this is Alaska. So I prayed some more, hemmed and hawed, and discussed with the husband and kids. We all agreed, sure, let’s do this. Uno and her eggs would need to be moved to a more protected coop, but we’ve done that before, no biggie.

We didn’t know, so we asked, and got answers. Easy peasy.

And then we moved Uno…and she threw an absolute fit.

Refused to sit on the eggs. Tried to rush us to get out of the new space. Clucked and scratched and rolled in the dirt. Poked her head through the fence to make faces at the other hens.

She totally diakrinó-ed, like she forgot that this is what she wanted in the first place.

Meanwhile, the warm eggs sat in the neglected nest, getting cooler by the minute.

I wavered, and second guessed, and did a little diakrinó-ing of my own while I watched her fuss: Should we have moved her so soon? Maybe we should’ve put her in the other spot. Or used the other box. Or left her for a few more days. Or, or, or…anything, because this doesn’t seem to be working.

But no, I remembered. We clearly heard Yes, do this, and we knew she had to be moved. She couldn’t stay where she’d been because it wasn’t a safe place to hatch chicks. And we couldn’t move her to the other place she brooded in last year because it wouldn’t be warm enough in the fall.

The Lord knows this hen and this process better than we do. We can trust Him. And we can remember that just because things don’t look like they’re working, it doesn’t mean they actually aren’t working. They’re just still working out.

So, how do we know what’s from the Lord, and what isn’t? How can we be certain?

We have to know Who we’re dealing with. When we know Him, we recognize Him. And when we look toward Him, we become like Him.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

– 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

When we know Who He is, we know better who we are. And as we abide, we remember that we have the mind of Christ and can know the things we need to know, and can reject the things that are beneath us.

But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.

But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.

– James 1:22-25

Wouldn’t we like to be blessed in our doing? We have to act on what we hear, and persevere.

God is instilling in us the faith to walk in a little uncertainty and discomfort without doubting Him. When we obey and persevere, we can handle the tension that comes between our act of obedience and the fruit it eventually bears.

This is how we can be still and know.

After about 40 minutes – longer than I’d like, but not really that long in the scheme of things – Uno finally settled on her eggs. I peeked in on her, and she had knocked over the food and kicked dirt in her water and made a general mess of things, but she was sitting on those eggs like it was her great mission. (Which it is.) We both made it through the doubting and arguing and trusting our own judgment, and settled into trusting the Lord for a nest of chicks in fall.

Can I throw one more wrench in the works here? One of the biggest reasons we doubt – or argue with God – is because we’re actually afraid of what we want.

Often, we’re afraid of freedom.

Here’s what that might look like:

  • Fear of healing because it changes our routines, what we’re used to, and how we (and others) see us
  • Fear of Jesus following through with His word and promise
  • Fear that it’s “just what we want” and not really what God wants to give us
  • Fear of what the Lord will ask us to do in return, as though we’re making a deal with the devil – and oooh, do you see how deceptive that is?
  • Fear that we’ll get in trouble if we rock the boat instead of maintaining the status quo

…so it feels safer to doubt God’s voice. Our judgment is better than God’s judgment because He’s really not as good as the Word says He is (but we would never say it that way, of course).

We know what we’re already dealing with and we can just live with it. We don’t know what change might bring, or if we can handle that – and if we’re honest, that’s because we’re not trusting God in any of it. We are afraid, so we hang onto control instead of letting go in surrender.

If you recognize yourself in any of these thoughts, it’s time to examine where those thoughts come from.

Not all thoughts are our own thoughts. Something flies into our head, and we think it’s our thought because it sounds like our voice, therefore it must be from inside us…right? But we’re horrified by some of what we hear, not knowing the depths of where those thoughts come from.

But no, they’re not all from us. Many of them – particularly the ones that contradict the things we know and leave us feeling confused and double-minded in their wake – are planted by the enemy, attempting to get us to make agreements with him.

He whispers, “God doesn’t love you” and even though we know that’s not true, we wonder if it is…and the more we wonder, the more we slide out of truth and into agreement with the enemy. He sneers, “God doesn’t want to give you that” or “God’s mad at you” or “That’s too good for you” or any other statement that rejects God’s truth and goodness.

We can recognize these counterfeit thoughts by the instability and confusion they bring. I know this is wrong; why am I thinking it? Or, I know this to be true; why am I having such a hard time believing it? Because the enemy wants you to. We have to learn to identify and filter out those attacks, to take every thought captive. And we do that by knowing which spirit we’re dealing with.

It doesn’t mean we always have to be certain about everything. It just means we have to be certain about God, and His goodness.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would approach God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

– Hebrews 11:6

When we’re in over our heads, we want our default to be trust and intimacy, not insecurity and performance. Because when our default is corrected, we move forward in boldness and peace.

We have to remember what we heard in the first place. We have to remember that the Lord tells us what we need to know when we ask Him.

He really does.

God is offering us freedom in the areas we’ve learned to be rigid, restricted, lazy, inhibited, intimidated, and stifled.

When we trade those in for His freedom, we have the margin to be disciplined in the ways He actually wants us to be, which brings joy and beauty and order, rather than the empty pride of a checked-off box or feeling of superiority.

The old flesh is dying off, and we find life underneath it.

This post is also available for free as a short study that you can use for journaling, or small groups, or with a friend. You can print the short 2-page version with just the questions, or the expanded version (8 pages) which includes the post broken into four parts with the appropriate questions for each section.

be still and know expanded studyDownload

P.S. Want more on this? Here’s a related post — If you’re finding yourself a little (or a lot) over your head in all new terrain, unsure of what you’re doing or how you’re doing it, I have good news for you: This is where God increases our capacity. Read, or catch the audio here.

making the cut: dedicating our life’s fabric to Him

Posted on by July 14, 2025

It’s that time again. Meaning, it’s been a couple years since I last repaired it, and once again our cats have littered our duvet with several tears from their cute little claws.

And because sometimes I go out of my way to make a simple solution more complex, rather than just sewing it with the machine like I did the last time, I thought it would be brilliant to make some gorgeous scrappy patches for it, à la Pinterest.

The method: Determine color scheme. Gather fabric scraps. Waste time perusing the internet for ideas, under the guise of research.

And finally, pick up a piece of grey cotton, and hold the scissors against it.

Angle the scissors this way and that. Try to imagine the finished shape I’m going for.

Hem and haw, uncertain.

Aaaaand I’m stalling, doing nothing…and I realize I’m actually afraid to cut into the fabric.

Why? It’s just a small piece of unused material. It’s not like I’m ruining anything if I make a mistake.

But no, making a cut means a tiny bit of commitment. It means I’m officially starting this project. And it means the possibility of error, of ending up with something I don’t like, of eventually tossing these efforts into the trash bin.

And that’s the real crux of my hesitation.

I’m afraid to make this cut because I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m afraid it will be ugly, that it will be a waste of fabric, time, attention.

Holy Spirit corrects me: It’s not a waste. It’s never a waste. It’s how the process works, and you are learning.

And hey, Love…you’re making it out of scraps, anyway.

He’s right, of course. This is a project pulled together from scraps of material, worked on in scraps of time.

And the first try is ugly. A mess. Wrong stitches, wrong placements.

But this is how we learn: By trying. By making the cut.

Part of the problem was that my cuts were too small, too safe, too conservative. I was trying to not use too much fabric or make the pieces too big.

Why do we do this? The Lord offers freedom and gives us so much creative material to use. But whether it’s perfectionism, procrastination, overthinking, or fear of what others will think, we often hesitate and hold back, entertaining all the wrong what ifs.

But why are we afraid to waste what is already dedicated to burn?

For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

– Galatians 2:19-20

If we have really laid ourselves down, determined to die to self and let Him be Lord and live through us, why do we keep trying to jump off the altar? Why do we keep trying to determine how hot the fire gets, and to control the burning?

Maybe we use the phrase “making the cut” in the wrong way. We think it means approval, that we’re allowed to stay in the game, that we’re good enough. And that’s the problem right there.

In Jesus, we already have approval. We’re already in the game. He has made us good enough, because it was never about us being able to meet a particular standard.

It’s always been about Jesus being the standard.

So really, making the cut is about our willingness to move forward in that freedom. We invest the talent, the time, the materials, the effort. We risk the unknown outcomes, and lay down our desire to be seen as flawless and infallible, rather than burying ourselves safely where we don’t even accrue interest.

Will we mess up? Yes!

Will Jesus be shocked, dismayed, and disappointed? No.

We make something beautiful by daring to try. We may not start perfectly – we might need to undo, redo, and repent. But we use it all, our whole life, and we don’t hold back to preserve what’s meant to revert to dust anyway.

And then we find that instead of a stifled lifestyle that ties us up in knots of stress and perfectionism and anxiety, focused on self-preservation and lack, we are walking in Kingdom culture. Our lives breathe the Kingdom in vulnerability and discernment as we are willing to risk honesty and transparency with others.

Can I ask…where have you been hesitating? To what material have you been holding the scissors to, afraid to make the cut? And what is the fear you’re fighting? If you can identify it, you can move forward faster.

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you need help untangling this; just reply to this email.

Personally, Vin and I have made several “cuts” in the last few weeks as the Lord has brought clarity and certainty to us about a shift we’ve been sensing. We’ve arranged meetings and asked for advice and counsel. We’ve said things out loud that surprised us. And it’s all been good – don’t panic, I’m not getting ready to drop a scandalous announcement – but it has also pressed us (at least, me) into a new level of bold surrender.

Are you ready for a soft announcement?

We’re moving toward full-time ministry, which means we are also moving into being fully donor-supported. Still writing, still sharing, but with less paywalls and prices. Less business, more availability for the needs God is putting right in front of us…whether they are local or in our inbox.

We are using it all, our whole life, to help people live out Kingdom culture, deep and wide.

He himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

— Ephesians 4:11-13

As a result, we’re even more focused on wholeness and healing, and we’re asking for monthly partnerships to help us do the work of expanding Kingdom culture, so we can still do other exciting things like pay the mortgage and buy groceries.

Many of you already support us through monthly or yearly subscriptions, and we’re so grateful for you. If you’d like to increase that giving or become a monthly supporter, you can mail donations to our address below, or donate through Buy Me A Coffee or Zelle (our email there is contact@vinceguerra.com). We’re still fleshing this out and will have more info to share soon….thanks so much for helping us make this cut.

To anticipate one question: We are not (and won’t be) a non-profit, and we will continue saying whatever God leads us to, whether the government or other entities like it or not.

As for the duvet, I’m just handstitching it. Forget Pinterest. :)

Praying for you,

Shannon
P.O. Box 298086
Wasilla, AK 99629

P.S. This was a fabulous little message about overthinking.

P.P.S. Grit is going to be available in paperback next month! You can pre-order it here and they’ll ship on August 19th.

making history: how our relationships change the world

Posted on by July 7, 2025

Since it’s summertime, showers and baths around here – for the boys, at least – have mostly been replaced with garden hoses, water fights, and the kiddie pool. But we finally put our foot (feet?) down, and told the boys they needed to actually get in a real bathing facility to scrub their hair.

Groans, protests, picketing with signs.

“You know, the water in the hose is really warm,” Vin said. “They really could just wash their hair outside…if I hold the hose for them.”

I made a face, imagining streaks of unrinsed shampoo down their legs.

“They could use baking soda,” I thought out loud. “You know, get their hair wet, sprinkle the baking soda on, let it sit for a few minutes, rinse it out. Easy.” I’ve been doing this for months with great success, but was pretty sure the boys would balk at it.

But no, boys are full of surprises.

“They have agreed to the baking soda and hose procedure,” Vin announced.

“Can’t wait for their reaction when you tell them it’s called the ‘no poo’ method.”

But I never heard the reaction because Vin took care of the boys’ showers. It was one of the last of many big and small tasks we’d been knocking off a list in preparation for a momentous event in our marriage and family:

Vince and I were going away, just the two of us, for the first time in…like, ever.

making history: ow our relationships change the world

For the record, since some of you remember, we did have that one trip in 2017 which was two days of work and ministry banked by red-eye flights.

At the time, someone I considered a close friend squealed in excitement, “I’m so glad you’re finally getting a vacation!” It was eye opening to realize how clueless some of our closest friends still were about our family, mission, and lifestyle at the time, and ironic, too, considering that the purpose of that visit was to communicate such things to a larger audience. (News flash: Media interviews are not vacation-y.) I still don’t understand why 48 hours of flying and appointments for a special needs adoptive couple should be the equivalent of the same kind of rest and reprieve as two weeks on the beach for her or anyone else, but I digress.

So anyway, that doesn’t count.

Also in full disclosure, there were those adoption trips in 2012…which also weren’t romantic vacations…and there was that one time in a galaxy far, far away, back when we only had three kids (was that even us?!) when a dear friend stayed with them, and Vin and I stayed at a cabin for a night. That was sometime before 2009, not sure when.

If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith.

– Galatians 6:8-10

So it’s been a while. And if you know us in person you’ve probably heard us joke about our lame dates over the last couple years because most of our outings together have been to meetings, funerals, and the courthouse. But those were huge, freeing steps in and of themselves. It meant we could go somewhere alone together, which was something that rarely happened from 2012 to 2023ish.

Thus, when a couple months ago a friend at church offered us his family B&B for a weekend this summer, we were a little aghast. Really? Without the kids? (He said we could bring them or not, and we chose Not.)

This was definitely an upgrade from our historically lame dates: Two days alooooone at a beautiful lakeside home. No work, no ministry, no kids, no appointments. We weren’t going far, but we weren’t going to be within screaming distance, either.

Astonishing. Miraculous. And honestly, a little unnerving.

I am a happy homebody hermit (maybe we should trademark that) who loves our rooms and walls and acre of land. Garden, books, knitting, cats. What else do I need?

At least, this is what I told myself.

I mean, it’s true, but also…well, we’ll get there.

Over a year ago two of our favorite adults offered to watch the kids for us sometime, so now we had an opportunity to take them up on it. They came to our house, we went through instructions and routines, we hugged, we left. Drove off. Picked up food. Found the place. Unloaded our bags. Left our worries at the door.

Within thirty minutes, someone texted us about poop.

And I thought to myself, This is why we needed this.

A few more necessary texts, plus a phone call with more explicit protocol (because “How To Deal With Pooptastrophes” was not part of our initial orientation), and then we left the worries at the door. I think we actually sort of shoved them out kicking and screaming, and bolted the door behind them.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s the obvious question: How many books did we bring?

Fourteen, my friend. Plus our Bibles, and a notebook each.

Out of those fourteen books, I’m thrilled to tell you that three of them were by Wodehouse because I have finally roped Vin into reading them. Every time I heard him laugh, I felt deep gratification because he loves them as much as I do and I TOLD HIM SO.

We sat out in the sun, turning pages, drinking coffee out of unfamiliar (but beautiful) mugs and sitting in unfamiliar (but super comfortable) chairs, while tiny bits of friendly cotton floated through the air.

I should tell you that when our friend offered this, I was so touched by his generosity and thoughtfulness, but I didn’t have any wild expectations. I thought, Wow, what a gift. A couple days away is definitely something we should take advantage of.

I was not thinking, I bet this place will be stunningly beautiful and change the way I look at rest and hospitality forevermore.

But it did. It added light and color to other dreams we’ve had and held onto.

A reset occurred as we sat on unfamiliar furniture and ate out of unfamiliar dishes. The shape of this mug is different from any of ours at home, let’s try it. This couch is like ours, but so much deeper and roomier. At home, most of our drinking glasses are recycled jars. But at the B&B, not so much.

I felt a shift in my heart and perspective just in being in different rooms and having the space to let my own thoughts broaden out. Any new experience can bring a leveling up, of sorts, especially when our own routines have been so steady for so long. And I love our routines. (Most of them, at least…not the pooptastrophe protocol, of course.) But a breath of newness is good, too.

Less than 48 hours later we packed up, and in some ways it felt like weeks had passed but in others it was like only minutes had gone by. The weather that morning was bland – not dramatic rain and thunder like the first night, not sunny and breezy like the full day in between – but pale, reserved, grey, stiff upper lip, nice-to-meet-you-but-we-shouldn’t-get-so-attached-now-that-you’re-leaving, and so on.

The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

– 1 Peter 4:7-11

What else do we need? Perspective, and space. Those of us who tend toward stillness need to move around a little to go wide, and those who tend toward restlessness need the margin to be still, and go deep.

And we need friends who see things differently, who see us differently than we see ourselves, who validate things that we pooh-pooh, who recognize needs (and wants!) that we would put off or deny ourselves.

Try this. Look at this. Sit here. Look out there. You’ve gone deep for so long in the same place; it’s time to move a little wider.

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

– 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

When you have room to breathe, you suddenly realize how long you’ve been holding your breath, and how much you’ve craved a little more oxygen.

Since those two days — about ten days ago as I type this — I’ve forgotten about my phone more times than I can tell you. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and forget where I put it the night before. That, too, was oxygen I’ve needed.

Why did our friend give us this gift? Because we’ve been praying for him. And because he, too, knows how to minister.

Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of powerful deeds, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

– 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

The Sunday after we got back, we combined congregations with another local church. The sermon was about how we live in community and care for each other, and it was given by the other church’s pastor, who is also our daughter’s boss. He didn’t recognize us but I’ve known his wife for years because before we adopted, in that galaxy far, far away, we were involved in our local pregnancy center, and she’s the director of it.

“You are my favorite writer,” she said as we hugged, confirming her as one of my favorite readers, too.

They sat to the left of us in the same row. In the row in front of us was another friend I met in those pregnancy center days; it’s been seventeen years. And right behind us, the friend we’ve known for less than a year who blessed us with the B&B. Hands up, worshiping together.

It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and strive with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me…. I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

– Colossians 1:28-29, 2:2-3

We see and serve each other, and this is how we make history. We change the world by caring for each other, in whatever way God has gifted us.

Do we get it wrong sometimes? Absolutely, yes, sometimes our efforts go amiss. We say the wrong thing, we misunderstand each other. But we continue trying as we abide and obey, offering the gifts we carry.

I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift….He himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

– Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13

A community has history, but our relationships build and bond in making history. It’s not only about time lapsing through years, but in investing in each other, which just takes moments of attention. And as we attend to each other, we protect each other from dying of exposure, or from stifling in too much crowding and chaos.

I was thinking of you…you guys said one of your favorite things was reading on the couch on the weekends…my family has this place, I would love to give you a weekend away…

What happens when we love those we live with, and care for those we worship with? We bring oxygen, and allow space, and give perspective. We change lives, our own and others.

It is a big world and a small world, and the Lord has hemmed us in to worship and make history together.

Thanks so much for helping us broadcast content about wholeness,
deep and wide.
Sign up for a free or paid subscription to get posts like these,
straight to your inbox.

I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.

I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

– Ephesians 3:16-19