Category: The Bivocational Life

Office Angst: 7 Signs of a Toxic Workplace (Part 2)

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In my last post,  I examined the first four of seven toxic workplace traits and provided Biblical support to each section. For today, I want to conclude this series with my final three attributes along with a recap pod summarizing my points. As a reminder, while we’re exploring cultural and environmental red flags, we’re not hiding from leadership issues as the topics ultimately cannot be detached.  

Without further ado, let’s tie a bow on this… 

5) Inconsistent Leadership 

 When we talk about toxic work cultures, there are several dismissive characteristics we could cite from narcissism to manipulation to arrogance; however, there’s one, in particular, encompassing a multitude and that is incongruence (I.e. when a person’s actions contrast their words).

Ask any leader or tenured employee with authority and they’ll admit responsibility and accountability are essential to positive team performance and morale. Yet, where there are inconsistencies between expectation and execution, there is room for misinterpretation, miscommunication, tolerance, even negative emulation down the line.    

The good news here is the fix doesn’t have to be complicated: If you’re a team lead, supervisor, or director, walk the talk.

For example, if you say you’re not a micromanager, don’t micromanage, even if your intent is to the contrary. Rather, assess your intent to probe past normality and be willing to receive feedback if the actions involved communicate distrust or produce uncomfortable vibes. Remember seeking clarity is one thing but second-guessing motives without compassion, grace, and understanding is another.  

If you struggle to model any of these qualities, dare to explore any area where intention and action aren’t aligned. Naturally, no one should want to be inconsistent in their work; hence, why leaders especially should understand consistency isn’t limited to the fruit of one’s hands but also the words of their mouth and the reflections of their heart.  

Supporting Bible verses: Psalm 19, Matthew 7:3, Mathew 23:3, Luke 16:13, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Galatians 6:9, 1 John 4:20 

6)  Overtolerance and Permissiveness 

To be fair, this point flows from the one prior, but based on perceived abuse, this warrants a separate explanation. If you say certain actions won’t be tolerated, don’t make the principles behind them conditional. Instead of granting exceptions based on seat or situation, handle moral failures and detrimental conducts consistently regardless if the person involved in an established personality or rookie within their probationary period.

From what I’ve seen, the top-down ripple effect of steady rationale and decision making can be empowering in the long term, even if it’s messy in the short term. Whenever trust bends or breaks, abiding by proper protocol will not only enhance security but also encourage people to adhere to higher standards of integrity.  

Put another way, if you’re a leader, don’t sacrifice reproach by synonymizing forgiveness and tolerance. If an employee has an established track record of poor conduct, scale the offense, and timely oversee the appropriate actions in a way that benefits the whole of the team. When in doubt, just say ‘no’ to permissiveness and ‘yes’ to due diligence and follow-through.   

Supporting Bible verses: Proverbs 21:16, Romans 6:1-2, 11-15; 2 Timothy 4:1-2, Ephesians 4:2, 1 Peter 3:8-11 

7)  Lack of awareness and accountability  

No workplace is perfect, and employees, leaders and teams may display negative traits from time to time. However, if that behavior is pervasive, leadership must consider how the culture they’ve cultivated may be impacting the trend. Unless a single employee is the root of the hostility, a leader best serves their company by investigating beyond the conflict into its source region.  

Often, if an employee starts deregulating, there’s a corporate tie-in, be it a lack of recognition/development, unclear communications, and/or insecurity. Yet, even if these currents aren’t underlying, there could be larger problems involving personal, domestic, and/or health issues, which leads me to a key point:

When a work boundary is breached, don’t automatically assume ill-intent but gauge the transparency of your corporate principles and reassess them before the repercussions. 

Handled the right way, a potentially volatile situation can de-escalate into a refreshing reset when humility meets resolution. Conversely, if a leadership committee lacks awareness and accountability, the employee will almost always follow suit.  

For instance, you may have a teammate or subordinate who acts ignorantly at times. Yet perhaps he/she feels ignored, like a number within a company that hoards autonomy and withholds clarity. In these cases, don’t deal with the contention topically but with meekness that anticipates understanding.  

‘Cause truth is: If leaders and teams don’t take inventory of their internal processes and how they affect personnel, discouragement, even burn-out will inevitably result. Why not rightfully deal and scale tension internally before your clients and supporters smell smoke? 

Supporting Bible verses: Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 27:17, Ephesians 4:15, James 5:16, Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:11 

As always, selah, thank you for reaching and…

Cover photo creds: Wellable

Marketplace Ministry Origins: A SOAP Study on Mark 6

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If you’re a longtime follower, you know it’s been a while since my last vocational post. Thus, I figured for today we’d travel back in time to 2016 when I first started to explore Jesus’ cleansing of the temple (Luke 19:45-48). To guide our discussion, I’ll once again we taking a SOAP Bible study approach to help us synchronize revelation. 

Get ready, set…

Scripture: “When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.” 

Observations: Taking a bird’s eye view at Mark 6, we soon realize there’s much going on in this passage. While author ‘Q’ is renowned for his truncated style, this doesn’t undermine the literal and figurative ground covered in this chapter.  

After Jesus’ rejection at Nazareth, we note he is intentionally mobile starting in v. 7 where we find a Great Commission preview in the sending out of the 12 disciples. Verses later, we find a surprisingly long account of John the Baptist’s death (No offense, John, I think your 16 verses could have been cut in half and we would have been fine) followed by the feeding of the 5,000 and walking on water accounts (v. 30-52). Honestly, it’s almost like author ‘Q’ is creating this Gospel popery, an EP of Jesus’ greatest hits for future generations to share.  For most, the chapter concludes in v. 52 once Jesus has calmed the storm; however, in terms of time lapse, there’s still over half the book to go. 

Enter v. 53, where we find Jesus passing over into Gennesaret* and setting the stage for one of the most overlooked segments in Scripture (I.e. v. 54-56). To best understand the significance of this excerpt, we must first take note of the setting. Having crossed the Sea of Galilee from Bethsaida, we find our Ocean’s 13 crew in an exhausted state, more from past pitstops than the 9.8 km sail. Upon porting, we note the crowd instantly recognized him, which may be a subtle detail to some but bears emphasis when we zoom out.

For before Jesus’ presence could be seen, it was often first felt.  

Even when oral tradition and word of mouth were the only vehicles, the awareness of Christ’s authority kept increasing. Just imagine if social media existed 2,000 years ago. Jesus would have needed 12 bodyguards in addition to the 12 disciples!  

Either way, with corporate cognizance ignited, the hustle put into rounding the sick and afflicted makes sense. After all, the Isaiah 53 prophecies were compelled to verify in light of the Messiah. No wonder there was such an initial reaction considering the anticipation was manifesting off the heels of past divinations.

Contrasting the comps of this passage, I can appreciate the conclusion in Matthew’s account: 

“…and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.” (v. 36) 

A safe and sound finale, it’s no surprise author ‘Q’ takes a similar approach lacing the climax and resolution with one swoop; however, while he maintains the same canon, we’re gifted a slight wrinkle in v. 56. See if you can find it…

“...And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.” 

Pause. Did you catch that? Where did they lay the sick again? The marketplace, you say?

Indeed, from city to country, the social fulcrum was corporate Israel! 

Ya’ll, that is crazy and completely mind-boggling. Just think if that were to happen today, how much culture shock this would cause on social and vocational levels. As much as the church would be expected to help in these situations, would it yield some responsibilities to non-religious epicenters?

While the answer there is a blog for another day, when we consider the ending of Mark 6, we must understand the temple and outer peripheries where marketplace extended were social hotspots. In fact, if you analyze the places Jesus roamed during His ministry, the temple/marketplace tandem topped the chart! As we transition into potential applications, one must wonder what today’s “marketplace” looks like…

Application: Outside the sanctuary, where would Jesus be hanging out if he came back today? Bars, clubs, cafes, and transport hubs come to mind. Per your comment adds below, I’m sure there are many others. Regardless, I can’t help but marvel knowing the workplace was at one point in history the nerve center for where Jesus did ‘business’. Put another way…

The brunt of Jesus’ labor occurred not in the synagogue, but in the highest concentrations of people and their transactions.  

This speaks to me on several fronts. For starters, the modern tendency is to endure work, be it a basic necessity or worse, a necessary evil, on route to finding Jesus anywhere else. We may reference Christ a few times throughout the day, mostly internal. But for the most part, we’re pressing through the office part of our day to get to the good stuff.

However, in Jesus’ time, the black and white lines of today didn’t apply as He constantly referenced the Father within His itinerary. In past posts, I’ve talked about the intentionality of Christ and how it manifests administratively, to planning, leadership development, and time management among other criteria. Interestingly, when you layer Mark 6 with Matthew 14 and Luke 9, we find the Spirit-yielding logistics of Jesus’ mission as the backbone of His greatest works. As much as we tout the miraculously, we must also acknowledge the leadership of His lordship from delegation to per diem.

Secondly, Jesus never advised His disciples outside of what He’d already established as best practice. Whatever He asked the disciples to do, He had already done and was doing alongside them. Could one argue Jesus was the great middle-manager in history? Absolutely. However, unlike some we may know in real life, Jesus did not direct apart from His directive. To that which Jesus was on mission, so were His disciples on co-mission. And the encouragement for us is two-fold:  

  1. Just as Jesus established the marketplace as a place of freedom where teachings and miracles occurred, so, too, did He empower His disciples to do the same in rural areas. 
  2. Just as Jesus intended the marketplace to serve as an apostolic arm, so, too, must we embrace this corporate call in current times.  

Granted, I understand how thousands of years have made certain external factors a case of apples and oranges. Still, I can only imagine what could happen if more marketplace ministers today served as compassionate conduits of Christ’s desire to heal, as ambassadors reconciling others through the ministry of prayer and availability! Whatever changes in our midst starts from within and I implore you, my friends, to not segregate the sacred from secular at work but live your faith transparently. Do not literally hide God’s Word in your heart in so masking the evidence of sanctification. Rather, love on purpose so others may find your company as an extension of safety to where requests are exchanged and prayer has more runway.

I’m telling you, even a few mindful tweaks can have deep, far-reaching impact. Follow the Gospel model set forth by Jesus and His Spirit will awaken you as you yield and abide. 

Prayer:

Footnotes

*The name Gennesaret is associated with the area mentioned in two NT references (Matthew 14:22; Mark 6:45). After feeding the 5,000, Jesus’ disciples crossed over the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida (6:45), then crossed back again (6:53) and came to land at Gennesaret. Sometimes, however, the name is not restricted to the district, for Luke speaks of the lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1), referring to the Sea of Galilee 

Graphic creds: Tenor

Halftime: Reflections on 2023 and the Road Ahead

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Three Impressions From 2023 So Far

  1. Boundaries are an amazing thing when they are based in health and life wellness where self-preservation isn’t the primary driver but an overflow. I think many times we manufacture parameters that keep us comfortable, sometimes sheltered; however, this should never be a function of self-effort. Regardless of your situation, if you’re contending with mental and/or emotional deficits, if you’re being unfairly handled with negative physical implications, adhering to limits and routines can be healthy.
  2. Grief is a gift that allows you to encounter and encourage people who have been there. Grief tears down walls, lets you meet people who understand pain and suffering with compassion, and promotes vulnerability along the way. Essentially, grief is a powerful tool in our ministry arsenal and can capture hope (and our ability to respond to it) in relatable ways.
  3. Contrary to popular belief, not only is there a difference between mourning and grieving (see breakdown below) but there’s room to receive hope and choose joy in each case. While some people think you have to grieve to mourn only to get to the “good stuff”, this simply isn’t true. If we try and move people away from sadness instead of encourage them through it, we’re marginalizing God’s ability of reconciliation as it intends to operate through the saints. In an ideal world, the church can be a leader in the conversation, serving as an oasis for those in crisis where God’s healing presence is fostered.

Note: Per point #3, consider grief as a container holding your thoughts, feelings, and experiences when someone (or something) you love dies. In short, while grief is the internal meaning given to the experience of loss, mourning is when you allow grief to manifest externally with the aim to persevere and endure.

Cover photo creds: Wallpaper Flare

Bready or Not: A SOAP Bible Study on Matthew 15:21-28

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Note: A more detailed analysis of this passage will be included in the Juby Journey book I’m working on. For now, I’m converting preliminary thoughts into the SOAP Bible study below to archive insight and encourage the saints in the short term.

As one dealing with grief, who went through the ringer last year while Juby was alive, I can’t help but resonate with this passage. Like the protagonist, Lys and I can relate to an afflicted daughter and the desperation for her deliverance. Granted, Juby was not demon-possessed but stricken with chronic lung disease. Still, as we cried out for Jesus, hopefully not to the chagrin of others, we discovered a posture far greater than a spiritual bookmark but of a daily exercise with reproducible influence.

Accordingly, without further ado, I’d like to unpack the remarkable faith of the Syrophoenician woman and how her hope can be a blueprint for those seeking restoration.

Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28

“And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.’ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she is crying out after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ And he answered, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.“

Observations

1. Before we can dive into the dialogue, we must first assess the setting. While time and place may seem arbitrary, in this case, they carry notable purpose. With the end in sight, Jesus withdrew with the disciples outside Jewish territory to prepare them for the Cross to come. His days numbered, Jesus realized some final exposures and tune-ups were necessary to groom them for life in ministry without His physical presence. As such, the fact He retreated to the hostile confines of Tyre and Sidon should not be perceived as random as Jesus desired to foreshadow the Gospel going out to all peoples. How amazing it is to know Jesus, even in His last days, never stopped breaking down barriers through radical love.

2. Fast-forward to the woman’s cameo, it’s interesting to note what she requests right out of the gate. Instead of healing or intervention, she addresses Jesus as ‘Son of David’ and calls for mercy, instantly acknowledging the Master’s identity, authority, and sovereignty in one swoop (v. 22). While intellectual origins are unknown, somehow, someway, she understood who Jesus was much to the surprise of the cohort. Per the importance of this sequence, we’ll break this down as we go.

3. I also find Jesus’ response to be somewhat peculiar: “But he did not answer her a word” (v. 23). This, to me, is a critical point to examine and requires us to broaden out to consider the context. Again, this will be explored in the points below.

4. Starting with the woman’s location and situation, we find her labeled as an unclean outsider despite her Canaanite designation and erroneously judged for her non-Israelite daughter’s condition. In terms of geography and timeline, we aren’t informed of any prior wonders performed in Tyre and Sidon prior to this passage. This adds a curious wrinkle to the story as one must wonder how a woman of this stature and status could recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

5. Going back to Jesus’ response, we find multiple motives. For the disciples citing the woman as a distraction, Jesus addresses their bias prior to answering her cry (v. 24):

“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

The reason behind this is at least twofold: On one hand, Jesus wanted to remind the disciples who He was in light of what He came to do as clearly, a portion of the twelve were still pigeon-holing His kingship. On the other hand, Jesus’ intended His initial silence to be an opportunity for the woman to show patience…and resilience. From ‘have mercy’ to ‘help me’ in consecutive pleas (v. 25), the woman wasn’t just conveying poetic symmetry but reiterating Jesus’ mission. Already she had correctly identified Jesus as the Son of God (a full two chapters prior to Peter’s declaration in 16:16); now, she was begging Jesus to be consistent to her…

…what you do to Israel, please, Lord, do to me and my household as well.

6. In addition to the woman’s opening inquiry, I’m captivated by her posture. Even if she just said, ‘Son of David, please help me. My daughter is possessed’, Jesus would have recognized the woman’s understanding of His lordship through her positioning. While the woman’s kneel wasn’t evident during her first appeal, the fact Jesus gave the woman more time, in part, to let her go deeper in referencing Him was not part of instinctual circumstance. Rather, it was an intentional maneuver for her to anchor her surrender and confirm her awareness in front of a freshly humbled core of disciples.

7. The exchange between Jesus and the woman immediately following is arguably one of the most profound moments during His ministry. Up to this point, Jesus hasn’t said a word. Now ready, we again see the silence’s effect per His decision to test the depth and sincerity of her invitation. With the woman’s hopelessness on a timer, He uses the woman’s location and sense of identity as a means to assess her heart:

“It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (v. 26)

Here, Jesus elects to use ‘dog’ knowing the term was derogatory as a Gentile reference. To be a dog in Israel was to be regarded as a dirty, street scavenger; however, Jesus doesn’t associate the term to her poverty as much as her perceived sense of spiritual destitution. At the time, the rift between Jew and Gentile (between ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’) was still strong but, in a preview, we find a woman authenticating her hope while also foreshadowing the expiration of Gentile believers’ spiritual homelessness.

In the woman’s reply, “Yes, Lord; but even the pet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters’ table” (v. 27), we not only find confidence beyond imminent healing but in the salvation of her people. While the woman’s yieldedness was key as a demonstration of submission, Jesus knew this wasn’t simply a self-centered strategy to obtain instant results.

8. Finally, per the prior point, the significance of ‘crumb’ cannot be understated. For a “lost sheep of Israel” (v. 24) to be so hungry for Jesus that even a mere morsel would tell us the woman saw her situation as secondary to the power and presence of God. In essence, she accepts the status of a family’s dog knowing just a crumb of Jesus would be powerful enough to defeat the demon oppressing her daughter. No question, the woman had her priorities and perspectives set straight, almost as if she had anticipated the moment in advance.

Application 

Despite its short duration, the passage carries immense application and universal relatability potential. Regardless of our situations, we can all identify and empathize with the Syrophoenician woman if not at least through her adamant clinging to hope in a bleak situation. Even when we’re struggling with our identity, a love deficit, and/or challenges outside our control, even when we feel stuck in a dark place, we can approach God in humility with thanksgiving acknowledging who He is and what He can do.

For some of you, you may have a loved one, a son or daughter, burdened by a disease or satanic assignment. You may feel the target on your back and paralyzed to shake it off. If this is you, don’t work to faith and prayer; start with faith and prayer. To the Lord of grace, ask for mercy and request His appointed portion of providence. If you’re lost, don’t deny the position but receive yourself as one worth saving. Like the woman, you may be deeply conscious of the misery of the soul, but this doesn’t disqualify you from bread of life crumbs.

For others, you may not have a grim circumstance on the board, but you may be thirsty to anticipate the proximity and power of God. While we don’t know exactly how the woman learned of Jesus before His arrival, we know she put herself in position to receive Him following His arrival. Like her, you don’t have to limit your bended knee to the moment. Rather you can extend it as a general posture wherever you go. Ask yourself, ‘Do I want more of Jesus? Do I want a fresh touch of Him today?’ If the answer is ‘yes’, know whatever He decides to give is more than enough even if what He offers is partly an invitation to go deeper.

Either way, dare to believe good things will happen when you seek Jesus and ask of God according to His will.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before you today as we are. Heavy laden with our fears, anxieties, and insecurities, we lay them down in anticipation of what you’re going to do. We may feel “dogged” by life, by consequences of past decisions, by unforeseen trials and happenstances. But like Mary, we choose you ahead of any other commitment and priority in our life right now. We thank you for going before us but recognize your faithfulness before us now. For those who are hungry for you, we ask you provide something afresh to they may taste and see a new facet of your goodness. For those who don’t realize they’re hungry, guide and position them to discover the bread of life you carry. Stir in all of us an awakened passion to the wonder of you and help us to see even what we can’t control as opportunities for sharpening, pruning, and maturing. Whether or not we’re personally afflicted, we pray you prepare our hearts for inevitable testings to come and remember those who are going through tragedy, who are journeying through grief. Tend their hearts and make us sensitive to our part in nourishing them just as you are intentional in nourishing us. Whatever piece you intend to give, we receive it with praise on our lips and gratitude in our hearts. In Jesus’ precious and holy name…

Graphic creds: EnduringWord; Mr. Muncle

The Grief Gap: Why Coping is Not a Solo Exercise

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It’s another stormy Fryday night as I type this in the middle of a chase.

Nothing like getting ahead of a whirlwind in the middle of nowhere amidst an historical event. Not a bad way to spend a night…at least to this guy.

Yet, I’m not here to document pending tales of roadside bravery. Conversely, I’m here to share about an observation, one that’s come to greater light since Lys and I started group grief counseling at Vanderbilt earlier this month.

The short and skinnies are simple:

  1. For those who grief, it’s hard to know how. For those around grief, it’s hard to know what.
  2. To understand your grief, you must not only face it but embrace it. Only then can you make the transition into biblical mourning.

Of course, there are many challenges to this, most notably the mock premium of individualization our culture has placed on processing. Give yourself a few minutes to research the matter and you’ll find many resources with premises centered on coping by way of escape/retreat, calibrating perspective by a reverse orientation to still minds and ‘happy thoughts’.

Granted, there’s a time and place for those pursuits. I’m not here to bash a particular tool of the trade or what has worked for some in moderation. I’m just saying we, as people who deep down want to be unified and understood, need to wake up and recognize the ministry of availability within our communities and not be afraid to be relational even when we can’t relate.

For Lys and I, as we’ve said before, we appreciate the support we received when Juby was alive. Words can only go so far in capturing our gratitude. But during the last quarter and half, we’ve noticed a concerning trend, a punch to the gut if you will, and that is we’ve hardly been encouraged and tended since Juby passed away.

Why is that? Why is it so hard for people to send a simple text or have the courage to ask how you’re doing, how you’re feeling? Why do some people ask but only want a few sentences, in turn, exposing the cap to their care? Why do people assume hearts aren’t broken if the brokeness isn’t tangibly evident? Is there some sort of valve that shuts off at a certain point? Do people just assume it’s easier for grievers to journey through loss after a loved one has died as opposed to their final days?

While I have bias to what the answers should be, my mind struggles to access the surface translation. At work, at Vanderbilt…there is life and in some cases, in abundance. But at church, where the body is supposed to be the body? Let’s just say confusion abounds and I’m just about over it. It’s been several years since Lys and I experienced a church home in an environment where the amount of life exceeded its transverse. We miss those days when deficits weren’t distractions, when you could approach a sanctuary and look forward to being inside it without the proximity of people who have written you off or have deemed you not worth the conversation.

And hear me, this is not a call out to every church. I know there are safe places out there where people truly love one another and make their compassion/kindness known. Such a dichotomy is a desired reality I hope to encounter at some point. For now, while my expectations in fellow believers acting like Jesus to us may be too high, I can say this as a broad statement across the board: Whether in or outside leadership, you cannot assign parameters to someone else’s grief. You can’t tell them to level or mask up, to just be okay already, to do what you need to get better as soon as possible. If that’s the message you’re conveying, intentionally or not, you are giving the enemy a footstool and sowing destructive seeds, even if the only consequence is withdrawal and separation noticed by a select few. Sure, we may have some days our emotions are a bit more on the sleeve. Guess what? There’s no agenda there. Sometimes, it’s just hard to swallow the tears. Heck, even worship lyrics can be triggers to heaviness.

Whatever the case, I’m sure there are bodies of believers out there who know how to let people grieve, who know how to simply ‘be there’ when times are tough, and aren’t afraid of making the effort. But from what I’m seeing? When it comes to soul tending and post-traumatic nourishment, the healing pathway is more a function of individual walk sprinkled with isolated interactions that may or may not lift spirits in the moment. If the church can promote the afflicted to take confidence steps on their roads to recovery and restoration, watch out. There will be so much new glory to be discovered and testimonies to be shared!

As for closing thoughts, I apologize to those I’ve inadvertently forsaken during their grief battles. I know it’s easy to be narrow-minded, single-focused, to reserve encouragement to those we’re comfortable with. I know I’ve missed my share of opportunities so I don’t want to sound like a victim in all this. Preaching to the choir, I just want us to wake up, to not be afraid to be uncomfortable. If it helps, just ask us, ‘Good day or bad day?’ I promise you, it’s so much better than a cold shoulder, a blind assumption, or any other fruitless maneuver that shuts God out of the operation.

We can do this. I’m not giving up hope.

Selah.

Photo creds: Healthday