Daily Devotional

Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; it is not arrogant. – I Corinthians 13:4

Valentine’s Day is a time when we talk a lot about love. We plan dinners and treats for our loved ones and stress about how much money to spend and how elaborate to make it. One story I read this year was about Carmella and John Finnegan, a couple celebrating their 75th Valentine’s Day. When asked how they have maintained such a long and happy marriage, Carmella said, “I always say it’s the two Ps: patience and perseverance.”

November 11, 1981, is one of the happiest days of my life. It was the day my oldest daughter, Michelle Emily, was born! She was a happy child, and she did well in school. She graduated in the year 2000, Y2K, when all the computer programs were predicted to crash. I will never forget; we had enough firewood and water for ten years!

Michelle wanted to be a pharmacist, and she and her best friend were accepted to Southwestern Oklahoma State University and were roommates. She loved college, worked hard, and was accepted into Pharmacy School. She started dating her roommate’s brother and they were married in May of 2006, and Michelle graduated from Pharmacy school that December.

I became the proudest GIGI in 2008 when my first grandson, Mason, was born followed by Carson in 2010…

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105

When I take time to think about how I have strayed from His path, it is easy to look back and remember the moments when I chose self-indulgence rather than the path of righteousness. The path is so clear, it is already lit in the darkness before us, but we often cave to our desires and our selfish ways.

This line from the Book of Psalms is beautiful imagery for the path we attempt to travel to avoid sinful ways…

A significant and meaningful part of my earlier career was helping several Oral and Maxillofacial surgery practices merge and create a larger multi-site practice, Oral and Maxillofacial Associates. I was their Administrator for seven years and the life lessons I learned during those years were profound.

Dr. William (Bill) Croom was one of the doctors I worked with, who was also a member of St. Luke’s. Our families were close, and we shared many of life’s milestones together. He was a devoted surgeon who had a heart for the needy and underserved. He volunteered locally, providing oral surgery services at King’s Klinic and Crossings Clinic, as well as volunteering at Living Faith Ministry for ex-offenders. We loved his stories about this work, but the memories we made with Bill when Bob and I traveled to Russia with our mission group are treasured ones. Although I was not clinically trained, I did my best and assisted him with his surgeries on that trip. He returned to Russia three more times and remained tireless in his efforts to help those in need. Bill developed Parkinson’s later in his life…

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “You are not all clean.” When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

“Let your light so shine:” — Your lowliness of heart; your gentleness, and meekness of wisdom; your serious, weighty concern for the things of eternity, and sorrow for the sins and miseries of men; your earnest desire of universal holiness, and full happiness in God; your tender good-will to all mankind, and fervent love to your supreme Benefactor. Endeavour not to conceal this light, wherewith God hath enlightened your soul; but let it shine beforemen, before all with whom you are, in the whole tenor of your conversation. Let it shine still more eminently in your actions, in your doing all possible good to all men; and in your suffering for righteousness’ sake, while you “rejoice and are exceeding glad, knowing that great is your reward in heaven.”

I am writing this devotional on Groundhog Day in February. The day, of course, centers around a groundhog who foretells the weather. But what I think about most on this day is the hilarious movie, Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray.

It is the story of a cynical TV weatherman, Phil Connor, who finds himself reliving the same day over and over when he goes to the small town of Punxsutawney to film a report about their annual Groundhog Day. Phil is the sort of guy who thinks he is better than everyone. He believes he should be working in a bigger market, and he hates doing “fluff” pieces. He treats everyone around him poorly. It is here in this little nowhere town the story begins. Every day, he wakes up in his bed hearing the same song on the radio by Sonny and Cher, I Got You, Babe. He meets the same people every day in the same locations, doing the same thing they did yesterday and the day before that, and the day before that.

While this movie is a comedy… it is also a movie with a message about how people can change if given the time… time to look into their souls and see how their actions and attitudes affect the people around them…

Over the last few months, my oldest daughter Cate has been taking piano lessons with Candace Fish, the Director of Traditional Worship at the Edmond Campus. Candace is so incredible with Cate; she is calm, kind, and patient – everything you could want in a teacher.

Now, something you should know about Cate is that she has some sensory processing hurdles and upper limb weakness which can make something like playing the piano, which requires strong hands and loud noises, tricky. Additionally, she can be incredibly hard on herself when she doesn’t get everything right on the first try. A little over a month ago, they had a specifically hard practice…

For much of my career, my success depended solely on what I knew and what I did. But when I became a manager, my success suddenly depended on others. The change was disquieting, to say the least. My mentor explained, “Your job now isn’t to know everything; it’s to know how to handle things.” He told me there would be times I would try things that wouldn’t work, and I’d have to try something else. “Chris,” he said, “you have to learn to be comfortable with discomfort.” I thought he was just talking about my job, but he was really talking about life…

One of the practices I use to help me connect to God is listening to music. There are so many wonderful Christian songs with powerful messages. Whether they are great hymns or contemporary songs, I find tremendous comfort and inspiration in the lyrics, melodies, and performances of these songs. One of the songs that I have enjoyed of late is “How Far” by Tasha Layton. It is a powerful song that reflects so beautifully on the message of our faith.

The opening of this song expresses the feelings that so many people have about their own life. It also reflects the depth and breadth of the mercy and love of God. Here are the opening lyrics to How Far:

How far is too far. I thought I’d be there by now. I followed shame to the place.
I was sure Your grace ran out. So I kept running and running and running.
But You kept chasing and chasing and chasing. A million miles of my mistakes.
Still couldn’t keep Your love away. However far away I am from home.
That’s how far Your love will go…