YONDER BREAKS

I was reading in John the other day and an idea struck me: Could it be a good thing that this world, and particularly America, is so divided? Let me explain... In the account of John , the last thing Jesus prays over His disciples is for their unity. Not only the twelve disciples, but future believers also: "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,   that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.   I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (John 17:20-23) As I read this the other day, it occurred to me that, if God can bring together a people who believe so many different things (and sometimes...

A few weeks ago, all I wanted to do was surf. It had been a while, but a friend invited me out and so the prospect was there. A couple contingencies blocked my path though: my oldest daughter needed to be napping and my youngest needed to stay quiet while she was napping. As my wife and I rocked our youngest to sleep, watching another episode of  Fixer Upper , I kept a keen eye on the clock, knowing my friend was paddling out at 4pm and that it was already past 3. Unfortunately, the television could not drown out the sound of  both  my daughters crying as the sweet possibility of surfing was slipping away before my eyes. I tried hard to not let my hopes get up for a surf session. When that was becoming less possible, I tried hard to let go of those hopes. But I found myself doing anything but. Downright anxious, all I wanted was for the kids to be quiet so I had a good excuse to go surfing. It was consuming me, making me angry, ir...