Mindful

What is it that tempts you the most? Is it an action, a person, or a place? It is something that seems innocent enough, like a food, a drink, or an event? When you really start reflecting, you find that there are many temptations all around. Even if you are strong and never succumb to a certain temptation, it is still there waiting for a weak moment in your life.

One difficultly in the life of a disciple trying to live a stewardship way of life lies in the temptations we never actually see. We are too busy thinking about past failures or successes, or we are fixated on what possibilities the future holds that we miss the important things going on in the present. Jesus could be standing directly in front of us, but we miss him because we are looking everywhere except straight ahead.

Being mindful means that we are looking out for how and when God will call us this very day. Our decisions this day will have a huge impact on the future. If we only look to the future, we will miss those important calls to action. We may even find ourselves in a desert of sorts, looking for any way out we can find. However, God may need us to give of ourselves for a reason we cannot yet discern while in that desert. We need to stay awake, be aware, and look for His hand in all things. If we don’t, we may even miss the pathway out of that desert when it presents itself

Prayerful

When my children were younger, they could make me laugh and sometimes cry. I would have conversations about animals, nature, outer space, and so many amazing things in life. I would play with them one day and then work to bandage a boo-boo the next. There were so many dynamics to our relationship. However, one aspect was my favorite. It was when one of them would snuggle up next to me on the couch silently, often leading to sleep. There was no better feeling, and I didn’t want to move for anything. It is crazy to think of all the things we would do together, and my favorite was when we essentially were doing nothing.

Do you think God desires a portion of you? Without a doubt, He wants all of you: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Walking with Him daily is so important, and we can never become the disciples and stewards we need to be without a deepening relationship. Yet, prayer is not just talking and listening. It is also being. We sometimes seek to communicate so much and do so many things that we forget the value of stewardship of presence. The giving of ourselves completely to another often requires us to simply be with that person. We feel their presence. We rest in their being. No words are needed because words would destroy the moment. This is what we are called to in a relationship with God. This is good stewardship because it is about giving of our very presence to God and receiving strength from that resting in Him. Sometimes, all we need is to snuggle up to our God on the couch

Grateful

Happy Birthday! It may or may not be your birthday now, but I know it will be coming up at some point. I hope you receive many cool presents and get to spend quality time with friends and family. On special days like birthdays, Christmas, and anniversaries, it is good to celebrate. After all, we need some fun and celebration in our lives.

But what about the day after? Presents remain, but the presence of others may be over, and it is back to the daily grind. Yesterday, you were filled with gratitude. You hold the memory of yesterday still close so that fuels you for the day. However, how about 2, 3, or 4 days from then? The truth is that many joys in this life cannot stay with us forever. They belong to a certain place in time. We will have our memories, yet those thoughts will never be a suitable substitute for the real thing.

There is one joy that remains throughout all our days: the joy we find in Jesus. What he gives us does not fade. The amazing thing about what he offers us is that it also provides a lens through which we see all things. Now we can see the smallest reasons to be grateful. We no longer have a life where we go from one celebration to another with the ordinary in between. All life and time are extraordinary! All gifts, great and small, are precious. This offering seems too good to be true, so what’s the catch? Like all gifts given to us, for the gift to have meaning, we must be willing to receive it. The choice is yours. You can live in the ordinary, or you can revel in the extraordinary, now and forever.

Gracious

Vacations can be great times for refueling the body and renewing bonds within a family and between friends. No matter how good the vacation was, it is almost always good to get home when it is over. Sleeping in our own bed, taking a shower in our own bathroom, and resting on our own couch are some of the aspects of home we can miss while on the road. That’s why encountering truly gracious and hospitable people while we are away is so important. These people are not family, but they sure can provide for us a glimpse of home. They can be waiters at a restaurant, desk hosts at a hotel, or even Uber drivers. They enrich our lives if for only a moment, yet that moment can make all the difference.



When disciples of Jesus Christ act in a gracious manner to all those they meet, they provide a glimpse of home. This home is not in a house in a particular location, but it is a home prepared for all of us for eternity. No matter how comfortable we may be in our earthly homes, it truly pales in comparison to eternity with God. In that heavenly home, there is no darkness, only light. There are no tears, only joy. There is no hate, only love.

We are ambassadors for heaven by how we offer ourselves to others. Our stewardship of hospitality allows others to see a glimpse of what God promises to us. Unless we truly step up and act in a gracious manner, will those we encounter ever know the Truth? I hate it when I am on the road and fail to meet people full of joy and welcome. At least I can look forward to coming home. What do those along the way look forward to in the next life that you can’t show them a glimpse of in this one?

Committed

I remember Jim Valvano, Jimmy V to many, saying the iconic words, “Don’t give up; you can never give up.” The former coach of the NC State men’s basketball team was dying of cancer, yet he refused to throw in the towel and give in to his disease. His words exemplified the best of the human spirit we all share. Sometimes, living out those words seem much more difficult than saying them.

These words are also important for our faith life. The life Jesus calls us to is not easy. When working toward a life of greater generosity and surrender of all to God, we are prone to fall flat on our face many times. We are not called to this life only when we are strong. It is how we respond when times are the most difficult that truly defines us as disciples and stewards. The world may think we are down for the count, but rising again gives testimony that in Christ we are stronger.

Commitment takes a willingness to do the things needed to get stronger and build our spiritual muscles. We cannot expect to find success in the spiritual life unless we continue to work on our resolve and grow in our knowledge of the faith. A marathon runner would never be able to make it to the finish line unless they have trained and prepared in advance. We must work hard to stay the course and prepare for the race at hand. No matter what this life may have in store for us, we are called to not give up. God will never give up on us. 

Accountable

Easter is only a week away, and churches everywhere in the West are beginning the holiest of weeks. For a moment, even the secular world will bow to religious observances: closings on Good Friday, Easter baskets filled with treats, and television specials featuring Biblical figures. You and I will be reflecting on the meaning of Lent and how we have died and risen with Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Either we have prepared well for this Holy Week observance, or we are left lamenting that maybe next year will be when we get back on track.

The question before us is: “To whom are we accountable?” Did our Lenten observance only have to do with us? Does it matter to anyone if we really took this time seriously or not?

Both faith and community are gifts from God to us. The Church exists so we may live out that faith and respond to God’s call, being strengthened by the grace imparted through the sacraments and the community in which we find ourselves. If we are accountable to no one, then the community is simply an option on a Sunday morning, much like golf or household chores. If we are not accountable to God, then our faith is simply something we look to periodically when we are sad or frightened.

However, if we are accountable to each other and to Jesus Christ, then we must answer for our stewardship gifts of faith and community. The Body of Christ is counting on us. Without a strong sense of accountability, we think our actions only affect us. In the end, we are connected to each other through Christ in such a manner that no one ever stands alone.