Broken Alabaster Boxes

Personally, it was probably one of the most memorable family devotions of my childhood. Recently our family had been heavily involved with several very needy individuals. It was tiring. And frustrating. And hard. That night my dad came in carrying a bucket of snow. And in the snow he placed a handful of candles. "Imagine that each of these candles are people with needs," he said, naming several. "And they are outside in a blizzard. How much of yourself would you give to keep these candles lit, to help them love Jesus? Would you stay out there even though you were cold? Even though you were freezing? Would you protect these souls even though it cost you your life?" My life? I envisioned myself frozen stiff, huddled around a few struggling little lights. I didn't even enjoy helping these people, much less want to give my life to keep these candles burning. But experience has been teaching me that in order for a soul to remain burning, there must be w...

                                                                                                                                 Thanks to Pexel for this picture.    My work day may begin before others rise, tired eyes straining at the road on the way into work, hoping to avoid any would-be road kill. Or it may begin at 2 o'clock in the afternoon when others are beginning to think about going home to supper and a relaxing evening.  We who be fast food workers aren't all as stupid and lazy as you think we are. We work sometimes long, inconvenient hours, spending most of the time on our feet in a fast-paced work environment. We sweep and mop large...

Thank you, God, that I am not that homeless man, standing with a hand-written, cardboard sign, “will work for food.” Thank you, God, that I am not that foster child living with strangers, wishing to return to their broken but familiar family. Thank you, God, that I am not that handicapped lady I see driving aimlessly through town in her motorized wheelchair, confused and lonely. Thank you, God, that I am not that druggy, eyes glazed, unable to rest, a soul tormented by addiction. Thank you, God, that my family has not been torn apart like those from Mexico. Thank you, God, that I am not a refugee, unwanted by the entire world. Thank you, God, that I am not that young girl who deals with depression, who can’t sleep at night. Thank you, God, that I am not that mother in Africa who lost a child, again. Thank you, God, that I have not been abused or neglected. Thank you, God, that my life is good. But what happens when life isn’t good? Nights of tea...

  She was there when I got to work that day, curled up in a back booth with a thin fuzzy blanket. Underneath the booth and surrounding her were bags and a backpack.  “There’s a shopping cart out back with more blankets,” my coworker said.   I wondered who she was and how she survived with a shopping cart in the cold autumn weather. She looked gaunt and haggard. Hopeless and lost. I went to her, not because I was a worker there or because I was a manager, but because I was a person and she needed help.   “Is there anything I can help you with? Anything I can get for you?” I asked.   At first she seemed confused by my question, but then she answered blankly, “No, I’m just waiting for my brother.”   I wondered if it was true.   As I turned away I saw the first small glimmer of life I had seen in her eyes. What was she thinking?   But she couldn’t stay there indefinitely, so eventually the police came. And she was g...

Hello, and welcome to my blog.  Personally, I think every blog should have a purpose. In saying that, then, what is the purpose of this blog? Why have I chosen to write? My first intentions were to have a place for creative writing, a place to make me develop any writing talent I may have. But secondly, and probably more important, is to perhaps share a few of the things I have learned, as simple or hard as they may be. So these posts at times will carry humorous experiences and light subjects. And other times they will carry sorrow and brutal honesty, for that's life. I do not blog to inform the world of my life. I do not write to enforce theology on anyone. Yet in writing there will be glimpses of parts of my life and examples of what I believe. I do not write to sugar-coat my life or explain away the hard things God has given me. I write to learn, and perhaps others can too.  The title of this blog begs for a definition. It comes from Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-11. A...