• Displacement

    The Mystery of Following Jesus

    Sometimes, cliches exist for a reason. My least favorite is never say never, probably because I do say never. I have said to myself that I never want to move to the Bay Area. I still don’t want to live there, but it became abundantly clear that it is God’s will that I live there for a year—maybe more. At first, I mourned, which looked like listening to melancholy break-up songs on repeat. The words of one song in particular always left me teary: If you’re strong enough to let it in, you’re strong enough to let it go. Leaving…

  • Forgiveness

    Toxic Forgiveness: A Harmful Imitation

    Toxic forgiveness is akin to toxic positivity; underneath, it is a lie. To forgive a grievous wrong is not unlike the picture of grief I hold in my heart of a giant ball of gnarled string, each one a memory that must be looked at and let go. Letting go of the past is not a one-time task. Instead, it is a day-by-day release as one steps into the present fully. Of course, the words of Matthew 6:12 asking God to forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass us hang over those of us who have suffered significant…

  • Featured

    Inviting Jesus into our Horror

    The Horror of Abuse I recently discovered an extremely healing prayer method, touching areas I didn’t know existed and areas I thought could not be made well. It is enormously simple, consisting of just one question. I only have to ask, “Jesus, what door of my heart are you knocking on?” And, of course, he is knocking at the door of my heart. Revelation 3:20 says: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me. WEB…