A Bright Corner

 When I was young, we lived for a time in Tulsa, which sees a relatively high number of tornadoes. During one particularly violent storm, the weather bureau declared an emergency for our neighborhood. Mom was at work, while Dad was home with the kids. We didn’t have a basement, so he took us to the middle of the house, split us into groups and told us to lay on the floor in the doorways. He then took mattresses from our beds and laid them on top of us. It was like this that we waited for the storm to pass. I remember laying under a mattress with my little brother. We couldn’t see much, but we could hear the radio and dad’s calming voice. I was too young to appreciate how serious the situation was, but I didn’t panic because Dad was in control. Later, I heard my older brother and sisters talking about it. They had done the math and figured out that Dad did not have a doorway or a mattress for shelter. Throughout the whole ordeal, he stood in between doorways as he watched over...

The US military requires recruits to take standardized tests when they enlist. The AFQT (Armed Forces Qualification Test) and the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) are used to reveal someone’s areas of strength and ability. The test results are used to determine which job opportunities a recruit can pursue. I know someone with a B.S. in Accounting who talked to a recruiter. She was told she would be able to put her degree to good use in the military. However, her test results showed a high aptitude for linguistics. Despite no prior education in the field, she pivoted. The Army sent her to language training, and she became a translator. While this sort of thing might work in a professional setting, I don’t think it’s the right approach when looking for opportunities to serve. We’re not browsing the “Help Wanted” ads. You’re not looking for career advancement opportunities. It’s not about tying your strengths to a certain position. Mercy is different. It’s neat when your...

Do you remember turkey hand plate stick thingies? I’m not sure what else to call them. I’m talking about craft projects you did as a little kid. You trace your hand with a crayon onto a paper plate, color it, cut it out with scissors (with rounded tips instead of pointy tips) and then glue a popsicle stick to the back of the plate. Walla! You’ve got something that vaguely resembles a turkey. I’m open to suggestions for calling it something else, but for now I’ll roll with turkey hand plate stick thingy. This was a common kiddie craft project around Thanksgiving. Some kids weren’t into it, but some were. Perhaps it dawned on them for the very first time that a turkey was hidden in the shape of their hand. Perhaps it was the opportunity to use crayons from a big box they didn’t have at home. Perhaps it was simply a craft project and that alone was reason enough to get excited. That boy going through the motions? He was likely to forget his turkey hand plate stick thingy as soon as the be...

Earlier, we discussed the problem of being a hearer only. Let’s expand on this idea to include sight. Throughout the Old Testament, the people of Israel struggled with idolatry. They practiced monotheism, which was conspicuous in a world dominated by pagans. It was easy to look across the border and think others had it better. Even though the grass was not greener on the other side, this mentality led to dissatisfaction. Paganism allows a form of tolerance. For example, the Moabites worshipped different gods than the Edomites, but neither thought the other was wrong per se. They might fight over whose gods were better, but they didn’t think the other’s gods were fiction. The Israelites knew the one, true God, and that pagan gods weren’t real. This meant their neighbors just didn’t believe differently, but they were wrong. Unsurprisingly, this was construed as offensive. From a modern perspective, worshipping idols sounds silly, but harmless. Who is hurt if someone prays to a statue?...

For a long time, I never gave much care to my own health. Consequently, my level of fitness gradually decreased from unimpressive to alarming. Over time, I became severely obese. I needed help.  I’d heard about a local weight loss program that took overweight people through rigorous personalized training to help them get on track. Hundreds applied each year, but they could take only a handful of people at a time. I was one of the many to apply … and one of the few to be selected. I didn’t know what to expect, but my first personal exposure to the program had me asking some serious questions. Tina, one of the program founders, called me and enthusiastically told me I was one of the lucky ones. She was really enthusiastic. Too enthusiastic, actually. I thought Tina was either insincere (nobody could possibly be that happy to help a stranger, right?) or she was crazy. I was afraid I might have wandered into a cult … or something worse.  It turns out that she was crazy … but in th...

This song is featured in Open Hands , page 210 (Be Engaged/Getting Started/With Giftedness). This song is also what inspired the name of this site.

I am the author of  Open Hands,   an in-depth look at the pursuit of mercy. This is my first book. Hopefully, there is more to come! On this page, I will share some excerpts from the book ... which will usually drop on a Wednesday. If you're interested in more content, check out Open Hands on Amazon .