2 Corinthians 5:19a – In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. (NRSV)

This is a story of two men.

The first was my father. His name was Grant. Grant was born and raised on a small farm in Ontario, Canada. In 1939, while he peered into a mirror and carefully scraped shaving soap and a few sparse whiskers from his young face, the farm radio crackled with the news that Canada was at war. Grant soon bid farewell to his parents and boarded a Toronto-bound train where he volunteered to serve in the Canadian Army.

The second man was named Karl. Karl was born and raised in Germany. When his country went to war, Karl joined the German navy.

The war ended and Grant returned to civilian life, as did Karl. Years passed, and the 1970s found Grant serving as minister of Mackay Presbyterian Church in the northern Ontario mining town of Timmins. Strangely enough, Karl's journey also led him to Timmins, where he found work as a night watchman on a construction site. It was there that Karl met a Christian architect who befriended him, helped him to dedicate his life to Christ, and invited him to worship at … Mackay Presbyterian Church. Karl found a warm reception amongst that faith community.

Not long afterwards, as part of a Remembrance Day Service talk with the children of that congregation, Grant invited Karl to join him at the front of the sanctuary to help share a message of peace with the little ones.

There they were, two men, former enemies, a soldier and a sailor from opposite sides of the ocean, from opposite sides of the war. Some 25 years later, they stood side by side, united by nothing less than the peace and reconciliation of Christ.

Who is your enemy? Who is it that upsets you? Who triggers rage in your heart? Who is it that you find impossible to forgive? Let the names come to you.

And then search for the light of Christ in that darkness. Listen for the voice whispering, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9 NRSV), and pray that the reconciling love of our Lord would find a way into human and hurting hearts everywhere.

Prayer: God of all people, You know whom I consider to be my enemies: those who undermine my work; those who tie my stomach in knots; neighbours; relatives; strangers. God of reconciliation, plant seeds of love in my heart, and lead me by Your Spirit, so that together, we may build bridges of peace and unity, in the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (ESV)

In my experience, the Lord usually takes His time in answering prayers. Sometimes, we receive the answers that we are looking for, but sometimes, the answer is not what we expected. His answer might be Yes, No, Wait, or "I have something better in mind!"

Recently, I had a message on my phone from a cousin whose cat had just died. She wanted to know if she had prayed in the wrong way by asking God to heal her cat of diabetes. Her prayer was not answered. Did her prayer cause him to die? I called her back and assured her that her prayer was absolutely genuine and right.

During our conversation, she suggested that she would like to see a Christian counsellor. I promised that I would see what I could do and get back to her later in the week. We live seven hours apart, and I did not know of anyone I could refer her to.

The next morning, I sat down at my desk and said to the Lord, "Help me begin to find someone to help my cousin." I then forgot about it and went on with my morning duties. One hour later, I checked my emails and noticed one from someone whom I did not recognize. It was from a Christian counselling service in a nearby city. The person who sent it said that this was being sent to me in case I knew of anyone who could make use of their counselling services.

With tears in my eyes, I thanked the Lord for giving me the wisdom that I needed in order to bring assistance to my cousin. I emailed the person back explaining that their outreach to me was a direct answer to prayer and told them about my cousin. He said that they could refer my cousin to a therapist closer to where she lived.

I called my cousin and shared this with her. She was overcome with gladness and was so thankful that God had answered our prayers so quickly.

Have you ever had an almost immediate answer to prayer? They are miracles, and we never forget them. The next time you pray, who knows, you may receive an answer almost before it is off your lips. A friend of mine often says, "God is seldom early but never late." Let us thank Him that His timing is perfect.

What a friend we have in Jesus!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for answering our prayers, whether over time or immediately. We leave our cares and concerns in Your loving arms. Amen.

Children are so motivated by rewards. When I teach French to my grandchildren, we usually play number bingo, using cards from my teaching days. They listen as I call out the numbers in French, and when they have a complete row, they shout "Bingo!" They are excited to collect their tiny bonbon, less than a centimetre in size. They can play this game for an hour.

Another day, we grandparents took all four children to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. There they loved to take part in various sports challenges like "skiing" by standing on a platform that moves from side to side, while avoiding obstacles on the "ski hill" projected onto a screen.

When they had exhausted every challenge, the two boys discovered a scavenger hunt based on the Stanley Cup, Canada's famous hockey trophy. They ran around looking for answers to the trivia questions on a sheet of paper. That meant actually reading the information at each display, searching for the obscure bits of information. Finally, every blank was filled, and we rushed triumphantly to the front desk to hand in our answers. "There's not actually a prize for this," said the receptionist. I could sense the boys' disappointment; they expected something for their efforts.

As adults, are we not motivated by rewards as well? When I taught in a school whose students and staff memorized Scripture every month, we were recognized at the morning assembly if we memorized the entire portion by the end of the first week of the month. In June, we were especially rewarded if we had accomplished this feat every month of the school year. A paper certificate and applause was nothing, however, compared to the internal satisfaction of hiding God's Word in our hearts.

Acts 10:38a – And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good. (NLT)

We are so programmed to achieve in order to receive a reward, and we are often disappointed when we do good and are not recognized. We should learn to do good things just because that is what Jesus did. The Bible does, however, promise that eventually, we will be rewarded when we work for Him.

Ephesians 6:7-8 – Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do. (NLT)

Let us shift our focus and realize that it is an eternal reward that we are working for, and it doesn't necessarily come in our lifetime. Just as the master in Jesus' parable praised his servant, "Well done, my good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:23a NLT), let us look forward to words of commendation from our Lord when we finally see Him face-to-face.

Prayer: Lord, help us to work enthusiastically for You, realizing that our real reward comes from You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Galatians 5:16-17a – So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. (NLT)

When Minnie, our miniature donkey, arrived, we were excited to meet the new member of our livestock family. Within a short time, however, we realized that something was wrong with her feet. Her hooves all pointed slightly upward, instead of facing down. This caused her to walk on the tender flesh of the back of her legs. We called the farrier immediately, but he was not encouraging when he saw the problem.

Next, a multitude of x-rays revealed that Minnie's leg bones were deformed, which in turn was causing her not to be able to stand flat upon her hooves. The vet sent the x-rays to a bone specialist who verified the findings and said that there was nothing to be done and that perhaps euthanasia was the kindest option. After much thought and prayer, we decided to keep her and give her a chance.

We had the farrier return, and he cut the toes of her hooves very short. He continued to return every month to do the same thing. Minnie's walk began to improve slowly. The children and I continued to pray. Now, six months later, somehow, someway, Minnie is walking and running and leaping like any healthy, normal donkey. The farrier is mystified, but I am not.

Romans 3:23-24 – For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. (NLT)

Before we come to know Christ, each and every one of us has a crooked or deformed spiritual nature. Once we commit our lives to Jesus, however, then and only then is our crooked nature able to realize healing transformation through Christ's Holy Spirit, Who indwells all believers. His Spirit begins to take what is crooked within us and to straighten it out. Through His power, somehow, someway, He is not only able to guide us to do God's good and perfect will, but He is also able to give us desires which are the opposite of what our sinful nature desires. The crooked becomes straight.

We don't know just how Minnie's deformity is being made straight. We are just grateful that it is happening — just as I, and all God's people, should be thrilled and grateful for the transformation that His Spirit is making in our spiritual lives each and every day as we endeavour to follow our Lord.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for the transforming work of Your Holy Spirit within us. May we always yield to His guidance. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

One of the newest members of my congregation is Jeffrey Alexander. He is nine months old. You should know two things about him. First, he loves to cuddle, and second, he can sleep anywhere. He teaches me things about trust.

I've heard lots of sermons about trusting God with one's life. I still have trouble with that. I think that most twenty-first-century people want to be in charge of things and to run their own lives. They may have trouble believing that God is to be trusted, or even have trouble believing in God, period.

Jesus said, "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Luke 12:6-7 NIV) I think that little Alex, as he's called, at nine months, understands this better than I do.

I can be holding him during the fellowship hour, and he will nod off to sleep, right in my arms. He doesn't seem to care that I'm not one of his family. He has all the trust in the universe, as he snuggles in against my shoulder and drops off to sleep. To him, the world is a secure place, filled with loving people who care. He is free from grown-up hang-ups, and he can return that love freely.

Matthew's gospel records that one group of people who were full of grown-up concerns were the twelve disciples. They were asking, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus took a small child, stood him in their midst, and told them, "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:4 NIV)

In time, Alex will learn other things about trust; but for now, let's allow him to help us learn about trust in God's kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, in this busy world, full of so many things that we think are important, help us remember that You do care for us, as a parent cares for a child. Lord, if we became more like children, the better adults we would be! In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Today, I washed my windows and found myself happy and sad: happy when I found tiny little fingerprints on the window, but sad because I miss the one who put them there.

A few weeks ago, my daughter, Missy, her husband, John, and my sweet granddaughter, Jenna, came for an unexpected visit. For two days of their visit, we stayed home, relaxed, and watched Jenna be Jenna. It was wonderful seeing how she had grown and become such a little lady. We laughed when she bopped us with her head as a sign of affection; according to Missy, she learned that from their cat. We read her books over and over again, making funny faces and loud noises to see if we could get her to fall over laughing, which she did quite easily.

Whenever the door was open, her little hand went in the air as a sign that she wanted to go outside, and we were more than willing to give her that wish. We all laughed as she ran and explored to her heart's content. She brought us flowers — sometimes dead ones — and leaves, and sticks. She laughed to see the dogs run past her with lightning speed, and she pointed to the cats that also joined the fun. The picture is still in my mind of her running, and those sweet red curls blowing in the breeze.

We watched her every move, to the point that she counted on her fan club to be watching. She would check to see if we were watching, and we were.

As I relived those few days, my thoughts went to my heavenly Father and how He is so anxious to give to His children — to you and me.

Matthew 7:11 – If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (NIV)

How He must enjoy watching us and being our fan club!

I am so thankful for what God gives me, but I need to think of Him more as my loving Father and my best fan. As I receive good gifts, I want to think of His broad smile and adoring eyes. As Jenna looked into the faces of loving parents and grandparents, I need to know that the Lord looks upon me with that same kind of love, but even more so.

To be honest, I left a few of those fingerprints just to remind me of that wonderful time spent with this beautiful family and the fun we had with our sweet Jenna! Children and grandchildren are surely one of those gifts that our Father happily gives us, and He smiles as we enjoy His wonderful blessings.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for being our fan club. Thank You for the love that You shower upon us each and every day. As we receive Your good gifts, help us to remember to thank You for them. Amen.

Joshua 4:20-22 – And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.'" (NIV)

One of the ways I cope in difficult situations is to remind myself Who God is and how He has shown up for me in the past. These are three of my treasured touchstone memories.

Anointing: As I trudged to work one morning feeling overwhelmed by what was waiting for me at the office, I had a sensation of oil being poured over the top of my head. I tried to wipe away the drips but there was nothing there. I assumed my mind was playing tricks on me. But then, it happened again the next morning, and this time, the sensation was unmistakable. It felt like God was anointing me — assuring me of His presence and encouraging me.

Healing: Someone stood up at church one Sunday and said they felt the need to pray for someone dealing with a neck and shoulder issue. I knew it was me because I had a very painful pinched nerve in my neck. The pastor and a couple of other people gathered around me and prayed for healing. I was healed immediately — completely and supernaturally. I was in awe and so grateful.

Direction: I felt I needed to retire from a job I found miserable but was worried about finances and unsure whether I could afford to. I woke up suddenly one morning with the same severe pain in my ankle that I had had from a bad sprain a couple of months previously. It had mysteriously returned. I couldn't walk and had to stay home from work. God spoke to me that day and made clear His will for me to retire. He brought to mind the story of Jacob and how he wrestled with God and his hip was wrenched. My ankle was like Jacob's hip. That Sunday, I was looking for confirmation, and sure enough, the sermon was about Jacob, and we sang the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness". The words "All I have needed Thy hands have provided" jumped out at me. I put in my notice immediately, and on the third day of my retirement, I was blessed with an offer of lucrative part-time contract work which suited me perfectly. God had made a better path.

Looking back, many of us see the hand of God at work in our lives. In the same way that Joshua collected twelve stones as a memorial to the parting of the river Jordan, we collect our own touchstones. They assure us that God sees us, that He cares for us, and that He is faithful. Whatever we are facing right now, we know that He's got this.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, thank You for our powerful touchstone memories. Bring them to mind in times of trouble so that we are reminded of Your love and faithfulness. Amen.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (NLT)

She ran from her past, but she couldn't hide from it.

Frances and her sister lived with an abusive father. Their mother died when they were both very young. Their father molested them sexually and drank continuously. Finally, child welfare intervened and placed them with an aunt.

Frances' restless spirit wouldn't rest. She joined the hippie movement and all the accompanying activities when she was old enough. She drank to excess, experimented with all types of hallucinogenic drugs, and travelled the country trying to find herself. Occasionally, she showed up to visit her old childhood sweetheart, who still loved her dearly. He wanted to marry her, but she wouldn't commit. She didn't know it, but she was still running from her past, trying to make it disappear through unhealthy relationships and habits.

One day, Frances decided to put her restless spirit to bed. She called up her childhood sweetheart and proposed to him. They married, but there wasn't any happily ever after — just happy. Drugs and numerous sexual relationships had presented her with a sexually transmitted disease for which there was no cure. She died shortly after taking her vows.

The apostle Paul gave the formula for putting our pasts to rest. It doesn't happen through free sex, addictive substances, financial security, or through the hundreds of other ways that we might try. We lay our past to rest through a relationship with Christ. Frances' childhood sweetheart knew that, but he could never convince her until it was too late.

Knowing Christ through faith doesn't erase our past, but He gives us a different perspective. The baggage of past mistakes — self-inflicted or not — will always follow us, but it doesn't have to haunt us. Christ forgives our past, present, and future mistakes and sins immediately when we ask.

Who we are in Christ presently isn't who we once were. Others may label us addicts, abusers, gamblers, or criminals. Christ labels us forgiven children. We may remember how terrible our past was, but Christ forgets it and gives us the ability to tell it goodnight.

If you're in Christ, put your past to rest so that you can get on with the present and future.

Prayer: Father, thank You for forgiving our past and giving us a bright future. Amen.

Editor's note: Welcoming children to the Lord's table is commonly but not universally practiced among Christian churches. In some denominations, such participation is at the discretion of the elders and with the consent of the parents, and varies from congregation to congregation, as does the way the elements are served and the actual elements used.

Luke 22:19 – And [Jesus] took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." (ESV)

As we visited multiple churches to worship with extended family and friends, my young son had become quite a connoisseur of the sacramental communion elements. He voiced his pleasure or displeasure in loud whispers from the pews. Preferring soft white bread to the crusty loaves, he exclaimed, "Mom, they have King's Hawaiian bread!" Disappointed and shocked in the paper texture of the communion wafers, he asked, "Are we really supposed to eat this?" Or alarmingly realizing that it's not grape juice and declaring, "This is wine!" We just never knew what he would say or do during communion time.

Once, as his favourite soft bread was being passed, he pulled off two big chunks of bread, one for each hand. Double-fisted. I suppose I could have been embarrassed by it and shrunk down in the seat with my hand on my forehead. I also could have thwarted his excitement and corrected him to immediately return the second piece. (But then again who wants communion bread that has been put back by a child's hand?) I decided that I'd explain it to him later and chose just to smile and enjoy the pure innocence and exuberance of my son in the moment.

Did he understand the complexities of holy communion? The forgiveness? The sacrifice? The reverence? The poignancy? The symbolism of body and blood? Of course not. He only knew that it had something to do with Jesus' love for him … and that it was tasty, soft bread. Is it enough that his only perspective was that God provides us all our needs through Jesus, and right now, He is supplying physical food of a couple of handfuls of delicious, sweet bread? In my opinion, it is more than enough at his age. He associates church and communion with a doting church family, loving parents, good food, and a divine man named Jesus Who loves him unconditionally.

As he grows and continues to partake of this holy sacrament, his knowledge and his faith will grow. One day, he will be excited that it is the King's Bread (not King's Hawaiian). But until his own understanding matures, his act of double-fisted exuberance ministered to me and hopefully to those around us. It whispered to me that we should all grab hold of the gospel message assuredly with two hands! In the innocence and whole-hearted delight of a child, may we be spiritually and physically fed by the bread of life and bask in the double-handed generosity of Christ the Saviour!

Prayer: Thank You, God, for letting us partake of Your holy meal. Whether we are holding on to You by a thread or grabbing hold with two hands, thank You for Your extravagantly generous, sacrificial, and merciful love. Amen.

John 10:10 – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (ESV)

I suspect that most of us have a predisposition to want more in life. Presently, I want more time to work. I had a minor surgery last month, and as a result, I am still not finished with the refurbishment that I undertook over two months ago. If I am going to heal, by the grace of God, I have to do less and let the healing process do its work.

Finally, I now have my brain back from the fug caused by the earlier pain. I have learnt from experience that, in an attempt to distance itself from the pain, my body attempts to switch off. It is quite scary how, separate from the site of injury, pain can deaden the brain's capacity to think. Years ago, I had the same fug caused by work stress.

It is in these situations that we may find it harder to hear God, because the high level of pain — physical or mental — gets in the way of being in a peaceful state of mind to receive. It reminds me of the POMs (Poor Old Me) where I am preoccupied with my focus inwards instead of upwards. I sometimes talk about the "little boy" who calls out to my inner self, "Life is not fair", and so it is in this case. I want healing!

Pain is not the only incitement that can stop us from seeking God; depression, wilfulness, and foolish desire are some others that, in a similar manner, can crowd out the voice of God. Consequently, God's Word to us in the Bible can seem miles away.

Yet, we know, as in today's Scripture verse, that God always wants to bring us life. Sometimes, it comes in the form of redemptive healing, but for us as Christians, it is found mainly in the heart and mind. Life in Jesus with the Father, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, is what we are created to treasure whilst we are here on earth.

As we find this treasure, we are promised abundant life: a place where we are found at peace in Jesus.

So, it is up to us to ask for Jesus' help to change our focus, to let go of the fear, frustration, guilt, and shame, and to hold our nerve.

As we call out to Jesus in praise and thanks for His life given for us, by this grace from God, may we subdue all things not of Him, because Jesus came to bring us freedom. It is a matter of will and determination to reach out to Jesus in prayer.

Prayer: Lord, help us. As we reach out to You today in Jesus' name above all other names, set us free from doubt, anguish, and fear, and grant to us Your life-giving peace and presence. Amen.