“Who wants to go door knocking with me?” Dad would joyfully yell through the house on a more frequent basis than I liked or was comfortable with. He would go door-to-door knocking to love on people, ask if they had prayer requests, ask what their needs were, even though we were too poor to meet most of the physical ones. If Dad couldn’t be ministering in a third world country somewhere, flying with JAARS or translating with Wycliff Bible translators, he was going to do his best in the environment he found himself. This he always made very clear. My Dad was raised in the Mennonite faith, their most prestigious lines of work being teaching, nursing and missions. My Dad has always had a huge heart for . . .

I think Joseph Conrad captured the truth when he wrote, “Gossip is what no one claims to like—but everyone enjoys.” Gossip is a pervasive part of our culture and entertainment today (just look at the magazine covers), and Christians are not exempt from the influence. We love to revel in the juicy details of someone else’s drama, especially when we are privy to the news before everyone else. Even Scripture acknowledges how it entices, referring to words of a gossip as “choice morsels” (Proverbs 18:8). The lure, and the lie, is that engaging in such talk will actually satisfy us. Our curiosity about other people’s lives is normal - this is part of being human and doing life in community.  When people meet to catch up on the activities of mutual friends, the talk is not typically malicious . . . and sharing life in this way can actually be a sign of trust and intimacy.  Gathering information from others can even serve the benefit of informing people about their environment (expectations, boundaries, working norms, social cues, etc.). But even with “good intentions,” we can participate ignorantly in gossip . . . and as I discussed this topic with friends, I found out they too had a hard time deciphering their involvement. So how can we determine . . .

In part one of this article, I shared about Mark, whose daughter was killed by a serial killer. Mark is still wrestling through his anger and pain, but learning he can choose forgiveness even when his emotions tell him otherwise. Mark has discovered that his only responsibility is to engage his will; the "heavy work" of forgiveness is God's part.  For many of us, our journey towards freedom begins by duty, and we just have to “fake it till we make it.” We may only have a weak “yes” to offer God as we continue to flounder about in turmoil, but this is actually all God needs to work in our lives. Since we are shaped by what we practice, if we choose to pray for our enemies even when we do not feel like it, and we persist in obedience and surrender, somewhere along the way . . .

I check my schedule when I get to the office and notice that a patient was accidentally booked in two appointment slots. My schedule is typically full, so I notify the front office so they can open that spot in case someone calls that day needing to be seen. Later that morning I realize who filled this opening and I begin to fret inside. What possibly could I do or say to help this patient? His daughter was killed just a few weeks prior by a serial killer, and the memorial service happened to be four years to the day after his wife’s memorial service . . .