Rising Above
Kris Silbaugh plays American football with just one hand. What’s more, he plays receiver—a position that’s all about using two hands. A receiver must catch passes thrown to him by a quarterback and then run with the football before being tackled by the defense. In 2015, the young man set the all-time receiving yards record at his high school, having amassed more than 912 receiving yards (the previous record) for his career. Born without a left hand due to a birth defect, Silbaugh says, “It has never stopped me. I just don’t let it—never have.”
hope
Today was a day of gladness; tonight has been difficult. A seemingly small event had unleashed a torrent of emotion in me. The day before, my husband and I had received difficult news. Being stirred with faith, during the daylight hours I had grabbed on to the inexplicable determination and joy God placed in my heart—even in that difficult place. As the day turned into evening, though, I didn’t feel victorious. I felt lonely, discouraged, and frustrated.
adventures
At the beginning of the classic book The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins was enjoying a comfortable and predictable life in his home in the Shire—until the mysterious Gandalf dropped in for a surprise visit. Gandalf turned to Bilbo and said, “I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.” Bilbo replied, “I should think so—in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! We don’t want any adventures here, thank you.”
June 23, 2014
How has God helped you through a difficult challenge in your personal life recently?
encouraged
When I was young, one of my favorite days was May 1. Known as May Day, it gave me a chance to hope for a kiss on the cheek from my latest crush. Making small baskets filled with candy, my friends and I would leave the gifts of affection on the doorsteps of those we knew, ring the doorbell, and run. If we left a basket for someone we liked, we ran slowly because getting caught meant getting kissed. Gone are those days of innocence.
in the light of God
Pastor G. Campbell Morgan was quoted as saying: “What we do in the crisis always depends on whether we see the difficulties in the light of God, or God in the shadow of the difficulties.” When people face any kind of crisis, they tend to look through the lens of fear and anxiety.
shattered dreams
A friend had been working at a job he loved for many years when he was suddenly laid off. He took another position at a new company, but the work was not as fulfilling and didn’t pay well. Then the first employer asked him to return, which he did with joy. Sadly, he and most of the workforce were again laid off just 7 days later. The other company wouldn’t take him back, and he’s now working a menial, low-paying job. His dreams of having a position he needs and loves have been shattered.
chariots and computers
I stared at the blank screen on my computer. It wasn’t a white page beckoning me to fill it with words—it was totally dark. I jiggled the mouse. Nothing. I removed the battery and tried to start it with just the power cord plugged in. Still nothing. Finally, the screen blinked to life. Back in business, I thought. Then, the machine blacked out again, and I knew a new computer was in my future.
“Christ” offends people
A few years ago, a prominent Christian group removed the word Christ from its organization’s name. The organization defended its name change, citing research which revealed that 20 percent of non-Christians were alienated and offended by the name of Christ. So they stated that they were merely looking for a name that would make the organization more effective in sharing the gospel.
remember
Last week I took my adopted son and his buddy (whom my friends adopted from Ethiopia) to the beach where I grew up in Florida. Watching the boys as they splashed in the gulf, played in the sand, and curiously poked at a dead jellyfish that had washed up on the shore, I marveled at God’s work in their lives.
investing for eternity
Jesus said that those who would be His disciples must do three things: “Turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). Then He raised the bar even higher: “You must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). Considering the hard realities of these requirements, why would anyone want to follow Him?
disappointments
Ian Usher was so disappointed with his life that he decided to auction it on eBay. He wanted to rid himself of all the memories he shared with his ex-wife. The Australian said, “On the day [all my possessions] are sold, I intend to walk out of my front door with my wallet in one pocket and my passport in the other and nothing else at all.” His plans included a short visit to his mother before heading to the airport to figure out a new place to call home. “I’ll see where life takes me from there. It’s time to shed the old and in with the new.” A novel approach, but definitely not the way Paul told the Roman Christians to handle life’s disappointments.
actions and adventure
On a recent visit home to the United States, I got my first taste of D-BOX—motion theater seats that pitch you forward and backward, side to side, and up and down in sync with the action depicted on the screen.
August 12, 2013
What hard thing has God helped you accomplish this summer? How has the experience changed you?
tell it to move!
Everywhere I look, there are people facing mountains. High, powerful mountains. Mountains that seem utterly impossible to move.
These immovable mountains are hurting the hearts of many. These mountains come in the form of financial problems for many. Debt so big with no way to overcome it. We do our best to work hard, pay our tithe and offering, pay our debt,…
