Last week I posted a blog about a high school employee in Florida who felt “attacked” by a Bible verse written on someone else’s assigned parking place at school. It would seem that how I explained my point was offensive to at least one reader who misunderstood my reaction to the story and was chagrined that I was somehow happy that something bad had happened to another person. Consequently, I removed that post. Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time considering how to make my point more clear. So… here’s my second try:

 I can’t help but wonder why words from I Corinthians posted on a parking place were so very perilous for this woman. This verse isn’t judgmental, it isn’t militant, it isn’t a call to action.  It is simply an “I” statement of fact for believers. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”   

Let’s propose a different scenario:  Let’s say that the person assigned that school parking place, instead of posting that verse posted something else: Namaste.  Black Lives Matter. My Body, My Choice. F*** You.  I wonder if any of these would have triggered that same woman in the same way. Would she have complained or felt unsafe as a result? Would she have felt attacked?  I wonder.  We are constantly barraged with slogans– spray painted on walls, on protest signs, on bumper stickers, on t-shirts. Most people simply read them and pass on by. I do. Each of the above possible slogans has a degree of offense to me attached to it, yet they don’t beset me or make me unsafe.  The question then, is what is it about this sentence that assailed this woman?

The answer to me is easy, and it is reassuring.  Let me explain.  Easy: it’s clear to me that these words are powerful because they are GOD’S WORDS. They come from the Creator of the Universe. The Bible itself has a ton of verses that claim and explain this power:  2 Timothy 3:16 says that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  So there – right there is the explanation of why a verse written on pavement can produce a powerful response. Those are words from God, words that have a function and use. Hebrews 4:12 continues the story by telling us,  “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”  Whoa!  Here’s the explanation of why the woman responded as she did – the words touched her.  The words touch us deep inside. The words convict us and encourage us to consider and hopefully acknowledge the sovereignty of our LIVING GOD.

Which brings me to why I am reassured: The fact that she experienced a strong reaction to some spray paint on asphalt is clear proof to me that Hebrews is right in asserting that “the word of God is alive”, and by extension, it is proof to me that I serve a LIVING GOD who is continually active and desiring a relationship with us, even in today’s wicked world.

So, finally, my ultimate point: John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world so much that he gave us Jesus to take on and pay for our sin – giving us a reason to live the earthly life we have and giving us a hope for an eternal future. It seems obvious that God’s desire is for us, all of us, to trust Him and be saved.  One of the ways that He accomplishes that is with His word. 

Back to the lady in Florida.  In fact, yes, I am happy that she felt attacked by a Bible verse written on a parking space because I do not think that what she felt is a bad thing.  Being convicted – God seeking her, and her being touched by the word of God – is never a bad thing, and it gives her the opportunity to react to God’s word and God Himself. My hope and my prayer for her is that she will investigate her inner feelings and explore her reaction and that that journey will bring her to Him. 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16 

The blog I posted here on Monday was badly said and didn’t convey what I wanted to say. I was trying, albeit not as eloquently as I’d like, to celebrate that words written two thousand plus years ago can still rouse something in us to, hopefully, lead us all to the Truth.

Thank you to the First Presbyterian Women for inviting me to your luncheon yesterday! Lunch was terrific, and I enjoyed very much meeting you all and sharing a bit about writing and Wyoming history!
Thank you Brandy Selfridge for helping me.

Just released!!!

     Just days after the armistice ending World War 1 is signed in 1919, a telegram arrives that demands action.  Leaving England, her career as a surgical nurse, and the fragments of a cracked heart behind, Emmaline Monroe returns to southern Wyoming to make peace with her dying father and her old life while also carving out a new future for herself and her six-year-old adopted daughter, Solange.

     Doctor Graham Harris’ well-conceived plans after the war fall apart with one misdirected letter. Holding on to the hope that it’s not too late, Graham embarks on a journey to recapture his dreams with little thought about the cost or sacrifice it will require.

     As a servant to the baron and baroness of Grey Rocks in northern England, Martin Blakely’s days had always been predictable and orderly.  When he is asked to accompany the baron’s son, Graham, on a life changing, headlong race to America, Martin’s world expands into a kaleidoscope of opportunities and choices he’d never imagined. 

The challenge for them all will be to learn to embrace the blessings they are offered.

In this welcome sequel to her novel Questioning Grace, author donna coulson takes us on an adventure through history and heart, exploring the changes and challenges life in Wyoming in 1919.