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Depression, Grace, Healing, Prayer, Words of Endurance

People Help People

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March 26, 2014

- Depression, Grace, Healing, Prayer, Words of Endurance

The Body of Christ is a big part of the delivery system
of healing and growth that God has in store for His people.
HENRY CLOUD
(HOW PEOPLE GROW BY DRS. HENRY CLOUD AND JOHN TOWNSEND)



When he was a teenager, Henry Cloud dreamed of becoming a professional golfer and he was well on his way to fulfilling that dream. A successful amateur, he was recruited to play NCAA golf in college. But the dream began to fade when he developed severe tendon trouble in his left arm. Doctors couldn’t figure out the cause or how to treat it. Henry’s game suffered and after two years of hampered play, he quit. The dream was over.



One afternoon, alone in his room, Henry tried to figure out what to do next. The enormity of his loss became unbearable. He explains,



“I looked at various interests and majors only to arrive at a deep emptiness and sense of darkness regarding the future. I was at the end of myself. Thoughts about all aspects of life that were not working went through my head like a whirlwind. What will I do? How will I find my way in my career and in my relationships? How can I change into a person who is not so depressed and unable to figure all this out?”



Although the door to professional golf was shut God had other plans for Henry. Slowly Henry’s perspective on what his life would be began to change. He committed his life and his uncertain future to God. He joined a Bible study that helped anchor him spiritually. Yet he still struggled with depression. One day he confided to a Christian friend,



“I asked God to help me but I don’t feel any better. I thought that if you prayed God would make you feel better.”



Because he still felt depressed Henry concluded that God wasn’t doing much in his life but that shattered perspective would change too. Henry’s friend introduced him to Bill and his wife, Julie. Bill was a wonderful Bible teacher who helped Henry discover his love of the Bible and theology. Through conversations with Bill and Julie, Henry discovered that the emptiness he was feeling “was not emptiness at all but sadness and hurt about the loss of my dream to play professional golf.”



As Henry worked through the counseling material Julie gave him and began applying what he was learning, the burden began to lift from his shoulders. Before long, he knew God was calling him to go into Christian counseling.



“Sometime later,” Henry continues, “I realized my depression and feeling of emptiness were gone! I actually felt good about life and about me.” But
Henry was also disappointed and disillusioned. “God had changed my life. My life had taken a 180-degree turn. But God had not healed me when I sought healing. He had not supernaturally ‘zapped’ me.”



As he talked to people about his disappointment, Henry heard the same thing over and over, “God uses people, too.” Henry “hated” hearing that phrase. I wanted God to touch my depression instantaneously and help me. Instead, he used people.”



Henry’s difficulty was that he had always considered God’s supernatural intervention to be true spiritual healing – Plan ‘A.’ He thought that when God used people to heal it was the ‘inferior’, although effective, Plan ‘B.’



“I accepted that I was one of those people who got Plan ‘B.’ So there I was, grateful and somewhat disappointed at my grade ‘B’ healing. It was good but it felt more like sitting in the bleachers than in the box seats.”



Then Henry read a Scripture passage that changed his perspective on how God had been working in his life:

From him the whole body,
joined and held together
by every supporting ligament,
grows and builds itself up in love,
as each part does its work.
EPHESIANS 4:16 (NIV)



Henry couldn’t believe it so he read it again. Plan ‘B’ wasn’t second rate after all! People helping people were in fact God’s Plan ‘A’!



While Henry was waiting for God to share his grace through supernatural ‘zapping’, God was giving it to him through His people.



“I was waiting for Him to speak to me directly; He was speaking to me through his people. I was waiting for him to give me direction in life; he was the strength behind the direction people were giving me. I was waiting for him to heal my depression; He sent special people to comfort me.”



Henry’s perspective on life and how God would work in his life had been completely transformed. He no longer felt as if he had gotten Plan ‘B’ – as if he had received a lesser healing.



“I had received God himself and the healing he had always planned to give through his people.”




We are so thankful that God used Henry Cloud and John Townsend to bring healing to the both of us through their writings and counseling sessions. God restored our shattered perspectives through these two men of God who through their own God gifting brought us to a healing place and there we saw the power of God.



God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere;
but they all originate in God’s Spirit.
God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere;
but they all originate in God’s Spirit.
God’s various expressions of power
are in action everywhere;
but God himself is behind it all.
Each person is given something to do that shows who God is:
Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-7 (THE MESSAGE)



On the Journey with You,
Dave and Jan Dravecky

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Grace, Hope, Prayer, Words of Endurance

Triage For a Shattered Perspective

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March 6, 2014

- Grace, Hope, Prayer, Words of Endurance

A healthy spirit conquers adversity,
but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?
PROVERBS 18:14 (THE MESSAGE)



Sometimes our perspective shatters so violently when adversity hits that we are deeply wounded and our spirit is crushed. And when our spirit is crushed it may seem like we will never conquer that adversity but that is when we need the help of others to heal physically, emotionally and spiritually. The following suggestions are steps you can take when your spirit is crushed and your perspective is shattered.



SEE YOUR DOCTOR if you think you may be depressed. Whenever we experience adversity and the stress from that adversity – it affects our emotions that in turn will affect us physically in a negative way. You may experience insomnia or sleep all the time. You may experience weight gain or weight loss. You may feel overwhelmed, numb and unable to experience the joy that you once felt before the adversity. Both of us experienced a season of clinical depression and we went to see our physician who developed a treatment plan for the both of us. He helped us heal physically.



FIND A COUNSELOR. We also needed objective Godly wisdom from a person who was trained in dealing with physical, emotional and spiritual wounds. Our counselors helped us understand what had happened to us and why. They also led us to God’s truth and we learned new and better ways to respond to our adversity. They helped us heal emotionally.



CONNECT WITH PEOPLE WHO CAN PROVIDE SPIRITUAL SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT. It is so healing to be a part of a Christian community who loves and supports you without judgment. We were part of grace-filled church community who loved us through the ugliness of our journey. The emotional support, spiritual wisdom and prayers we received were like a breath of fresh air – a refreshing wind from God! They helped us heal spiritually.



AND BE ASSURED …

And this same God who takes care of me
will supply all your needs from his glorious riches,
which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
PHILLIPPIANS 4:19 (NLT)



On the Journey with You,
Dave & Jan Dravecky

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An Awakening from Brokenness, Grace, Grief, Words of Endurance

Ministry Born Out of Brokenness

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August 22, 2013

- An Awakening from Brokenness, Grace, Grief, Words of Endurance

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need.
My power works best in weakness.”
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9 (NLT)



During my season of brokenness, I can’t tell you the number of times that I begged for God to remove my weakness. I remember crying out in my prayers to Him – “How can I possibly serve you and minister to others in my weakness? What good can come from this?”



I remember how embarrassed I was for my weakened state – I apologized to everyone. I was so ashamed that I had failed and had become so useless for the kingdom of God. I felt worthless.



But I was so wrong. First of all, my worth is not found in what I do for God. My worth is in that I am His beloved child – priceless – that will never change! But to my surprise God showed me that my value – my usefulness for the kingdom – my ministry to others – was not born out of my strengths and successes but out of my failures and weaknesses. Wow!



I was encouraged when I read what Francios Fenelon, the Archbishop of Cambrai, France, wrote to the court of King Louis the Fourteenth almost five hundred years ago …



It is amazing how strong we can become
when we begin to realize what weaklings we are.
It is in weakness that we can admit our mistakes
and correct ourselves by confessing them.
It is in weakness that our minds are open
to enlightenment from others.
It is in weakness
that we are authoritative in nothing
and say the most clear-cut things
with simplicity and consideration for others.
In weakness, we do not object to being criticized
and we easily submit to censor.
At the same time we criticize
no one without absolute necessity.
We give advice only to those who desire it
and even then we speak with love
and without being dogmatic.
We speak from a desire to help,
rather than a desire to create
a reputation for wisdom.
FRANCOIS FENELON, LET GO



I accepted my weakness and I was humbled by my powerlessness yet I rejoiced in that the power of Christ could now work through me in a much more powerful way through my brokenness rather than my own personal strength.



The late Michael Yaconelli, the co-founder of Youth Specialties, validated my experience when a fter a retreat at the L’Arche community, Michael shared …



Finally I accepted my brokenness …
I knew I was a sinner.
I knew I continually disappointed God,
But I could never accept that part of me.
It was a part of me that embarrassed me.
I continually felt the need to apologize,
To run from my weakness,
To deny who I was and
Concentrate on what I should be …


I came to see that it was in my brokenness,
in my powerlessness,
in my weakness that Jesus was made strong.
It was in the acceptance of my lack of faith
that God could give me faith.
It was in the embracing of my brokenness
that I could identify with others’ brokenness.
It was my role to identify with others’ pain,
not relieve it.
Ministry was sharing, not dominating;
understanding, not theologizing;
caring, not fixing.
MICHAEL YACONELLI (Excerpt from ABBA’S CHILD)



There is true freedom for me knowing that I don’t have to relieve, dominate, theologize or fix anyone else’s pain in order to minister and encourage them. But it is validating one’s pain by identifying, sharing, understanding and caring where true ministry and encouragement through the power of the Holy Spirit takes place.



So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ can work through me.
That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses,
and in the insults, hardships, persecutions,
and troubles that I suffer for Christ.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10 (NLT)



On the Journey with You,
Jan Dravecky

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Grace, Healing, Words of Endurance

Step Two: Aggressive Forgiveness – Grace

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April 3, 2013

- Grace, Healing, Words of Endurance

… with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace …
ROMANS 5:20 (THE MESSAGE)



Step one for me was to make a vertical transaction with God – asking God for His forgiveness for my sin and forgiving he who had sinned against me and hurt me deeply. I brought this before God because I knew that only through God’s power I would be able to forgive and then ultimately be healed.



This step did bring healing to my heart and allowed me to see my offender’s sin against me through the eyes of God with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. Only through the eyes of grace could I truly forgive him with no desire for revenge or justice. It was only then that I could move forward horizontally to meet with my Christian brother – ask him to forgive me for my part and move on with grace for him whether he repented and asked for forgiveness or not.



The truth is that he never repented or asked for forgiveness but I walked away from meeting with him set free – set free from the hook that had hold of my heart for way too long. I had forgiven him with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace.



I actually feel sad for him that he has not been able to receive the same healing that I did. I had attempted for reconciliation and have continued to do so but to no avail and I am at peace with that – I carry no bitterness. I truly do love him but it is only because of God’s love and grace for me. I am grateful I learned that …



Grace always invites rather than demands reconciliation. An apology may push the issue away for the moment but it won’t heal a relationship, and it rarely solves any issue.



The courage to refuse quick fixes and to engage long and vulnerably enough to woo honest, humble reconciliation from the depths of our new hearts … this is the work of human beings loving with the love of Jesus.
THE CURE (JOHN LYNCH, BRUCE MCNICOL, BILL THRALL)



Maybe you, too, have been hurt deeply and have been carrying that hook in your heart for way too long. May I encourage you to take the vertical Step One bringing your pain and unforgiveness before God – He knows and understands. Only He is able to give you the power to forgive and then take the horizontal Step Two of the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. Through God’s Grace there is life …



Grace, because God is putting
everything together again through the Messiah,
invites us into life—
a life that goes on and on and on,
world without end.
ROMANS 5:21 (THE MESSAGE)



On the Journey with You,
Dave Dravecky

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Discovering Who I Am, Grace, Healing, Words of Endurance

Step One: Learning to Forgive

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March 20, 2013

- Discovering Who I Am, Grace, Healing, Words of Endurance

At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask,
“Master, how many times do I forgive
a brother or sister who hurts me?
Seven?”
Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly.
Try seventy times seven.
MATTHEW 18:21 (THE MESSAGE)



I can honestly tell you that it has only been over the past five years that I have had to learn to forgive and it was someone who had hurt me deeply. And what made it even more painful was that it was a Christian brother. I know that this is unusual being that I am 57 years old but it is the truth and I can tell you that I experienced such deep pain that I thought I would never be able to forgive that person.



What made it so difficult was that I also needed forgiveness for my part. But I remembered that the Apostle Paul declared …



Make allowance for each other’s faults,
and forgive anyone who offends you.
Remember, the Lord forgave you,
so you must forgive others.
COLOSSIANS 3:13 (NLT)



But regardless of how much I knew that I needed to forgive him – I simply did not know how! Ever been there? Well I was fortunate enough to get some wise counsel from the book, The Cure, and I want to share that wisdom with you.



Forgiveness has an order. We must initiate the vertical transaction with God before we can move into the horizontal transaction with another. First, before God, I forgive the offender (s) for what they’ve done and the consequences they’ve borne in my life. This is before God and me and it does not excuse any action. It does not restore relational forgiveness to the other. This is the vertical transaction. It is a choice to free myself, to begin healing.



Trusting God’s character, strength. love and protection, I place the entire list of consequences and loss into His hands. This is a big decision. It’s a scary beautiful, overwhelming moment of trust.



I actually imagine removing every effect of that sin and placing it onto God. I hand over everything. I trust God will not mock me or ignore this or forget my pain. I trust He will protect me and defend my heart, bring beauty out of hurt. I trust He will cleanse me as He promised.



I am giving up my rights to decide what is best for that person or myself. I’m handing the case over to the only Judge who can see the entire story and who loves both the offender and the victim perfectly.



This is a unique moment when faith becomes a risked action. I’m putting everything on the line because after all this is my life my pain my reputation. Never is the proof of new life more evident than when I cede control because of my trust in His character, love and power.



Then the whole incident moves out of my sphere into God’s.



Only then will I be freed to go to my offender and forgive him. If I don’t get this right – if I attempt to forgive, unclean before God – I move toward my offender in veiled bitterness, judgment and a spirit of retribution. I bring the residue of unresolved sin into the equation and everyone can smell it.



If I say, “I’m not going to forgive until he repents,” I end up in resentment. In my unwillingness to forgive before God, I become the issue.



The question then is how do I know I’ve actually forgiven someone who’s sinned against me? Answer: The moment I can offer that person my love again. When forgiveness stays only in my mind, as a formula or technique, it doesn’t sink deep into my heart.



When I choose to let go, to forgive vertically before God, it’s like huge cement bags have been lifted off my shoulders. It’s like coming out of a moldy basement with a a cement floor and suddenly breathing ocean air on the sand at Big Sur. It feels like being home.



And now, I’m ready to move on.
THE CURE (JOHN LYNCH, BRUCE MCNICHOL, BILL THRALL)



And so my first step was a vertical move to bring it before God because I knew I was unable to force this in my own strength. It was the first step in the right direction.



It is not by force nor by strength,
but by my Spirit,
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
ZECHARIAH 4:6 (NLT)



On the Journey with You,
Dave Dravecky

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Discovering Who I Am, Grace, Words of Endurance

Learning to Love Others Well

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March 13, 2013

- Discovering Who I Am, Grace, Words of Endurance

This is my command:
Love one another the way I loved you.
This is the very best way to love.
Put your life on the line for your friends.
You are my friends
when you do the things I command you.
JOHN 15:12-13 (THE MESSAGE)



We have heard it said before that the best way to have a friend is to be a friend. So how do we “be a friend?” Jesus gives us the answer when He commands us to love one another the way He loves us – with grace and unconditional love.



The greatest gift we can give to others is to love them well. But you may ask – as I once did – “How do I love others well?” Well once again we can go to the Scripture and learn and see what true love in action looks like …



Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7 (THE MESSAGE)



That is a pretty tall order if you ask me! I don’t know about you but there are a number of actions on this list – if I am going to be honest – at which I have failed miserably – like “me first” – ”flying off the handle” and “putting up with anything.” Just ask my wife, Jan.



But I can honestly tell you (and Jan will confirm) that as I have been discovering who I am and learning about the Grace and Love that God has for me – loving others well has become much easier and more natural. Loving others is easier when it is the natural overflow from the heart that starts with the love that our Heavenly Father has for us.



Love from the center of who you are;
Be good friends who love deeply;
ROMANS 12:10 (THE MESSAGE)



On the Journey with You,
Dave Dravecky

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Anger, Discovering Who I Am, Grace, Guilt, Healing, Hope, Words of Endurance

Humbling Myself and Receiving the Father’s Love

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October 16, 2012

- Anger, Discovering Who I Am, Grace, Guilt, Healing, Hope, Words of Endurance

Humble yourselves before the Lord,
and he will lift you up in honor.
JAMES 4:10



Men do not like to receive. We like to be the giver. We like to earn everything that we receive. Unfortunately – with that stance of pride – that attitude can get in the way of receiving the Father’s love.



Jesus tried to give a true picture of our heavenly Father’s love by telling a story of a father and his two sons (see Luke 14:11-32). Both of the sons – even though so different – had to learn the same lesson – how to humble themselves and receive their father’s freely offered love.



The younger son in Jesus’ story was rebellious. He lived in the lap of luxury growing up. When he came of age he took his inheritance and hit the road. He spent everything his father had given him on the very things that broke his father’s heart.



When he was out of money and his “friends” had abandoned him – he found himself living in a pigsty. When he finally admitted his pitiful situation he decided to humbly go home. He hoped he could come crawling back to his dad and at least get decent meals working as his servant. He rehearsed his speech all the way home – ashamed about his behavior and no doubt nervous about how his father would receive him.



When he was still a long way off his father ran to him and embraced him – an action I am sure surprised Jesus’ listeners. The father hugged his son and kissed him and wouldn’t even let him finish his prepared speech. Instead, he told his servants to prepare for a celebration! He put a robe on his son’s shoulders – placed the family signet ring on his hand and fully reinstated him to his place in the home. All the young man had to do was receive the love that his father so freely offered.



The older brother had a different problem – he was performance-oriented. He had spent his whole life trying to earn his father’s love. That is why he grew baffled, jealous and angry at his father’s surprising response to his younger brother.



“But Dad,” he objected, “I stayed here – worked the land and brought in the crops. I have served you and performed for you my whole life – but you never gave me a party like this!”



His father tried to explain that all either of his sons had to do was receive what had always been there for them. The older son missed the father’s love because he was too busy ticking off on his checklist the things he thought he had to do to earn it. When he saw his father freely giving his love to his rebellious brother he became confused.



We can be like either of these sons. We may stay away from the heavenly Father because we are ashamed of how we have disappointed him. We may feel that we have broken every commandment God ever etched in stone. Or we may keep our distance – missing it completely – because we are too busy “doing” – trying to earn His love. Both of the brothers in Jesus’ story had to humble themselves if there were to receive the father’s love … and so must we.



God wants all men – those who perform well – those who may not – to know that His love is a gift – it is free.



God saved you by his grace when you believed.
And you can’t take credit for this;
it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,
so none of us can boast about it.
EPHESIANS 2:8-9 (NLT)



There is nothing we can do to earn it and there is nothing we can do that will disappoint our Father in heaven so much that He will withhold it. God’s love is there for the taking to all who will receive it. But it must be as freely received as it so freely offered. That is the only way. And I am so glad it is! Remember …



… indeed, nothing in all creation
will ever be able to separate us from the love of God
that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ROMANS 8:39 (NLT)



On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky

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Discovering Who I Am, Grace, Love, Words of Endurance

Accepting the Love of God

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October 9, 2012

- Discovering Who I Am, Grace, Love, Words of Endurance

I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—
nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic,
today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—
absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love
because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
ROMANS 8:38-39 (THE MESSAGE)



As I was on the path to discovering who I was, one of my major roadblocks was accepting and believing God could really love me. No that is not exactly right. I believed He could love me; I just always struggled with how could He love me – even in spite of my sin and my failures…



It is one thing to accept truth intellectually – it is quite another to get it into your heart. I knew that God is God and He is who He says He is. I knew what He has done for us through the death of his Son. But I struggled to connect with this affection that God insists He has for me – I struggled to understand and accept His unconditional love.



Thank God for the one thing that helped me to bridge the gap between my head and my heart – my love for my own kids. It was not an exaggeration to say that I loved my kids so much that I would die for them. I hate to think what I would do to the person who tried to harm them. I could not see how I could ever exchange one of his or her lives for the life of someone else – yet that is exactly what God did for us.



“For God loved the world so much
that he gave his one and only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him
will not perish but have eternal life.”
JOHN 3:16 (NLT)



When I thought about that and about what Scripture says of the love of God for me – it became easier to accept that He really does love me. If I can love my own children with such passion then how much more was He who is perfect able to love me?



Such reflections also helped me to realize that when my children failed – I didn’t love them any less. When they would go their own way of disobedience – despite what Jan or I would ask – did I love them any less because of it? Of course not! Sure I would get angry with them but my love never disappeared because of their disobedience.



More over, it struck me as I looked at my disobedient son or daughter – I saw myself. I was no different than them – just a bigger, older version! I was not different at all.



So what does that mean? Could it mean that God continues to love us despite our sins just as we continue to love our kids despite theirs? Absolutely! God does not rejoice when I fall nor does He rub His hands and say “Aha! I told you so!” I found great comfort in that.



This revelation was a real eye-opener for me because I tended to get down on myself whenever I sin or failed. I did not want to go to God at those times – I turned away in shame. Yet that is when I needed Him more than at any other time – I needed to turn to Him – bring my sin and failures before Him. And remember that …



But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins,
because we can trust God to do what is right.
He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done.
1 JOHN 1:9 (NCV)



I close today with the same prayer for all of you that the Apostle Paul had for the Ephesians …



And I pray that you and all God’s holy people
will have the power to understand
the greatness of Christ’s love—
how wide and how long and how high
and how deep that love is.
EPHESIANS 3:18 (NCV)



and his prayer for the Thessalonians as you endure your journey …



May the Lord lead your hearts
into a full understanding and expression of the love of God
and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
2 THESSALONIANS 3:5 (NCV)



On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky

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Grace, Walking Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

…Then Love Your Neighbor

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August 16, 2012

- Grace, Walking Weak & Wounded, Words of Endurance

‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’
MATTHEW 22:38 (NCV)



After we have tended to our own wounds it is then time to love our neighbor by tending to our neighbors’ wounds. The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a wonderful example of neighborly love in action.



The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus replied with a story:

“A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem
down to Jericho,
and he was attacked by bandits.
They stripped him of his clothes,
beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
“By chance a priest came along.
But when he saw the man lying there,
he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.
A Temple assistant walked over and
looked at him lying there,
but he also passed by on the other side.
“Then a despised Samaritan came along,
and when he saw the man,
he felt compassion for him.
Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds
with olive oil and wine and bandaged them.
Then he put the man on his own donkey
and took him to an inn,
where he took care of him.
The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins,
telling him, ‘Take care of this man.
If his bill runs higher than this,
I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’


“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
LUKE 10:29-37



Henri Nouwen asks and answers the same question …



Who Is My Neighbour?



“Love your neighbour as yourself” the Gospel says. But who is my neighbor?
We often respond to that question by saying:
“My neighbors are all the people I am living with on this earth, especially the sick, the hungry, the dying, and all who are in need.”

But this is not what Jesus says. When Jesus tells the story of the good Samaritan to answer the question: “Who is my neighbor?”
he ends the by asking:
“Which, … do you think, proved himself a neighbor to the man who fell into the bandits’ hands?”
The neighbor, Jesus makes clear, is not the poor man laying on the side of the street, stripped, beaten, and half dead, but the Samaritan who crossed the road, “bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, … lifted him onto his own mount and took him to an inn and looked after him.”

My neighbor is the one who crosses the road for me!
HENRI NOUWEN (THE DAILY MEDITATION)



Be a neighbor and love your neighbor by crossing the road and tending to their wounds!



On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

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Grace, Words of Endurance

We are God’s Gift of Grace to One Another

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April 24, 2012

- Grace, Words of Endurance

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement
and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you
in every good deed and word.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:16 (NIV)



What a privilege to extend God’s gift of grace to one another. As our hearts have been encouraged by His grace – we have all been called to share His grace with others.



Grace is God’s love applied to our human condition. It is seen in a helping hand for the weary, in compassion for the broken, understanding for the confused, tenderness for the wounded, acceptance for the fallen and a loving embrace for the returning prodigal.



God’s grace is …


*Grace is powerful beyond our imagination. It is the most amazing act of grace in all of history. It compelled the King of Heaven to become a man and die a terrible death on behalf of the human race.



*Grace is water for the thirsty, food for the starving, a helping hand for the weak, tender compassion for the sick and shelter for the homeless. The gift of God’s grace is the single greatest gift we can offer a pain-wracked world.



*Grace is God’s love in action. The expression of God’s grace is the most precious commodity in all of creation. It Makes God’s love real to even the hardest, most wretched, wounded and hopeless heart.



*Grace isn’t shocked by the depth of human brokenness or sinfulness. It doesn’t turn away in disgust or judgment from the sinner or the soul in pain. Instead it embraces the one made in the image of God no matter how marred the image may be.



*Grace does not excuse wrongdoing. It does not excuse sin. Instead, it chooses to love the sinner.



*Grace doesn’t judge or condemn. It knows that all people are broken and in need of mending so it does not presume that one is better than the other.



*Grace places no expectations on its recipients. It is given freely – no strings attached.



*Grace embraces us right where we are. It doesn’t sit on the sidelines awaiting our arrival at an acceptable position before it is given.



*Grace takes the high road in human relationships. It chooses to reach out rather than to rather than to retaliate. It chooses to forgive, accept and embrace rather than turn away in anger, contempt or indifference.



*Grace is gentle and unassuming. It creates a safe place for the wounded and downtrodden to uncover their wounds so that they can be healed.



*Grace has no limits. We need only ask God to provide it. He never tires of our requests because He knows our need. Because we know …



For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
MATTHEW 11:40 (NIV)


“The King will reply,
‘Truly I tell you,
whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you did for me.’
MATTHEW 25:40 (NIV)



On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

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"The journey of our suffering was not hopeless. Through it we discovered the power of endurance - not in our own ability, but in the comfort, encouragement, and hope that God provides"

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