As words go, the honorable “cherish” has roots sinking deep, clear back to the midst of Old English and the 1300s. It draws from the French cher and the Latin carus, which both mean “dear.” Its most closely-tied synonyms have and hold echo back traditional wedding vows in my mind, but similarly-themed verbs of bear and nurse bring up equally-fast images of mothers with children.

To cherish is to hold close, to think of constantly, to be deeply connected to from fiber to fiber and heart to heart. It is also to be thankful for, to treasure, and to dream of — while we can.

That is the limit of cherishing. We do it only while we draw breath.

And yet, while we draw breath, we will cherish with all our might. Such cherishing is not dependent upon the physical presence of the one we cherish.

Indeed, while a man holds his beloved bride close, he cherishes her softness. And after she has left his side for Heaven, he cherishes her sweet, graceful memory.

Likewise, the parents cherishing their newborn or toddler do so no more than the parents who, aching-hearted, have to mourn the child physically lost to them in infancy, via stillbirth, or in utero.

For just as this word is deeply rooted, so too are our love for and need for and dreams for others deeply rooted. Often far more deeply rooted than we could see until they are uprooted and torn away.

Thus, it is a painful thing to cherish for all who will really dare to do it, should they be the ones left standing when the storms pass by.

And yet, what would life be without love, and what would love be without risk?

They would not be.

Therefore, I will choose to cherish Jesus most of all and ask Him to help me live and love — to cherish — while I may. And trust that He will help me bear the pain when the uprooting in or around me shreds my heart.

My husband and I were recently watching a movie in which a bad guy used the phrase “I took care of…” to refer to killing another person who was in the way of his boss’s plans. That set me to thinking about the phrasal verb “take care of” and its different meanings.

Interestingly, when we search for this phrase in most common dictionaries, the slang meaning I mentioned above (though well understood by native English speakers) is not listed.

Among the listed meanings, we may find the ideas of doing what is required to help someone who has obvious needs, treating a person or object gently so they stay in good condition, dealing with or doing a task, or covering something for others (such as paying a whole group ticket at a restaurant).

Apart from that first, slang meaning, then, all of the other meanings are pretty neutral in their sense of usage. Yet, ironically, this phrase about caring can take on a very different flavor, depending on the heart of the speaker as it may sometimes bleed through in the tone of his/her voice.

Think, for example about how differently a wife may feel between these two scenarios. In the first, her husband sees the broken household step she accidentally caused with her clumsiness and dropping of a heavy object; he grabs his tool box and a plank of wood and turns away stiffly while growling “I’ll take care of it!” under his breath. But in the second, when the husband finds his wife scared and crying after she tripped and dropped a hugh sack and nearly fell through the resulting gap in the now-broken step, he makes sure she is not injured and reaches out to embrace her and calm her shaking. Then he quietly says, “I didn’t realize that that step was in such bad shape. I’ll take care of it after I help you clean up the spill.”

I would wager the second situation will end much better for them both. Because in his tone and from his heart, she will know that by taking care of the broken step and spilled contents willingly, he really wants to take care of her body and her heart.

And that a beautiful thing.

First used in the 12th and 17th centuries, depending on the meaning, and derived from the Middle English and the Dutch, our word for scream has several meanings. The subtle but notable thing, however, is that all the meanings that have to do with the sharp high sound a person makes, as listed in the dictionary, are dependent only on the speaker. Not any listeners.

In other words, a person who screams screams. It doesn’t matter if another person hears them scream or not.

All around the world, there are many children who scream daily but no one near will listen. Sometimes the screams are audible and sometimes they are silent.

And among the millions screaming silently are those who will never cry aloud.

It is sadly that simple.

But they will never cry aloud because adults have said they have no right to try. To speak. To be.

It is simply that horrific.

In the honor and memory of those millions, shortly following a very important anniversary, I weep. May Jesus hear your cries, hold you near, and comfort you when we have not.

Today, when we talk about someone who is famous or in the center of public attention, we may say that person is “in the limelight.” But where does this phrase come from? And how can we more deeply understand our fascination with it in our current culture?

According to an article by Elizabeth Nix posted on history.com, in the mid-1820’s, Europeans discovered how to use a substance called calcium oxide or quicklime to create an intense flame-light that could be used for multiple purposes. However, it was not until 1837 that this method of lighting was used to illuminate the players on a theater stage. The actors who were in the limelight were the ones more clearly seen than any extras on the rest of the stage. (That was great for said actors but not so great for the light keepers since quicklime was dangerous to work with. They were extra glad when electric lights became the norm…)

Though we don’t use quicklime when running a theatrical show now, the phrase has stuck with us, with a basic meaning that has not changed in all this time.

We still crave the limelight. Some of us want to be the center of attention all the time. (Others just need to know daily or occasionally that we are noticed in this great big world. And we look to the world for that validation. )

But I posit that what we rightly need is to let the King of the Universe stay in the limelight — the light of glory that belongs to Him — and to be content to live side by side as unique and cherished extras on His stage, basking in the glow of His providence and goodness without trying to crowd His space and hog the adoration of which we are not worthy. Then, we will find confidence and contentment in His quiet, radiating love, and any magnificent moments spent rightly in the brighter rays with Him will bring us more lasting happiness because we know those moments were far more about Him than about us.

That’s the kind of relationship I want to have with such light. And with my Jesus.

It’s a new year with a new theme. Every week of 2021 (usually on Sunday), I plan to post reflections about a single word or phrase. I hope the coming posts might bless you in some way!

According to my Merriam-Webster dictionary app, the word NEW has several different meanings and usages. And it was first used in Old English before the 12th century, with common roots that sprang out of other linguistic bits tied to “young, youthful, fresh, and tender.” I think about the past year and the new year ahead, so that each meaning leaves a different flavor in my mouth… Here are a few of them, briefly illustrated.

“Having recently come into existence.” (Bland.) The year, never lived before, has just been born on the timeline. Therefore, there are moments when I hold my breath, suspended between worry over what sorrows may lie ahead and hope of all the wonderful that might wait on this present horizon.

“Having been used or known for a short time.” (Sweet.) While I enjoy recent holiday gifts just being initially used, I cherish the enjoyment of newer, cleaner, better-working items. And I smile at the tangible reminders of how much others care about me.

“Being other than the former or old.” (Sour.) Starting a new teaching experience at work this week has tempted me to pull my hair out. But even as I sit on my hands with puckered lips, I remind myself that the more unpleasant things we have to eat can often be good for us/others somehow in the end. Likewise, many have claimed 2021 will have to be better than 2020. But, in truth, we have no way to guarantee it will be so. We only have the promise that we can choose what attitude we will maintain in the face of our own daily growth opportunities.

“Having been in a relationship or condition but a short time.” (Salty.) Only six weeks into the marriage world at the dawn of 2021, I am still very new at this “wifey-poo” role. While it is usually a nice adventure, there are moments where the adjustment process leaves me feeling thirsty for better communication skills and deeper insight into my husband’s heart. Good thing we both have a Well of Grace to drink from as we continue to adapt to life together in the year ahead. ❤

“Beginning as the resumption or repetition of a previous act or thing.” (Savory.) Every year is a new year for us, but it is not new for God in the surprising sense. He knows what will happen. And His faithfulness will appear new and fresh, day by day, in the weeks ahead, just like it has in every past year, since time began. That’s a beautiful taste I hope my mouth never forgets — and never stops craving.

Continuing this month’s theme, we draw further from the song Only a Holy God. Verse 2 says, “What other beauty demands such praises? What other splendor outshines the sun? What other majesty rules with justice? Only a holy God.”

Today, I pause to reflect upon the ancestor of all humankind, the man we know as Adam.

Like no other human ever quite has, Adam experienced the beauty and splendor of God before anything else and more clearly than others who have walked the earth after him. And then, after he was also first to feel the sting when facing God’s righteous personal punishment, he witnessed a sacrifice for his sin: the loss of an animal life so that he and his wife could have clothing to cover their shame and protect them from the coming harm of the environment outside of Eden.

Adam knew perfection and stunning beauty. And he knew miserable guilt and anguish.

Some would focus only on the legacy of fallen propensity he gave us in the latter. But today I also celebrate the hope he models for us in the former.

Adam didn’t lay down and immediately give up and die. Subtly, we can see how he clung to the hope of the promised One that would come. He lived out his centuries of life, working the land as God entrusted he should do, loving his wife — the helpmate God knew he would need, and helping to multiple the human population. And through the line of his descendants, that promised One came.

In Adam’s perseverance, we see a kind of generosity born out of regret and reflection. It is the generosity that says, “I am going to live my life doing the best I can because I have seen absolute goodness and I have been shown humbling mercy.”

And in his life, we see how the father of all reflects the Father of all who wants to show us the most true definition of generosity we will ever need to read.

This month, I will just post twice, with two brief discussions on diligence. Talk about a virtue-word that sounds antiquated…and one that is so easy to misconstrue. Yet, has there ever been a time when we needed a greater appreciation for diligent people–and a greater understanding of what diligence is?

Today, I will mention two people who reflected wisdom about this topic as WORK in their own lives, one in what he wrote and one in how he lived.

The first is King Solomon, said to be the wisest man who ever lived. In the annals of his wisdom recorded for us, we find a lot of helpful tidbits to describe the diligent worker. Here are a few. Such a person is willing to work steadily for a long time to reach his goal or earn his due (Prov. 21:5). He shows himself faithful and true in both his actions and his words while he does his work (Prov. 12:14). He (shock of all shocks) actually works and is not afraid to dive in (Prov. 14:23)! She doesn’t wait around for someone else to wait on her but she gets up and faces even the hard tasks with what strength God gives her (Prov. 31:17). His soul is well-fed, nourished and satisfied (Prov. 13:4).

Solomon knew these things and recorded them. But he was royalty, rich at material levels many of us can only dream of, even from his early years.

The second is a person known only as Timothy, a young man potentially raised primarily (or even only) by his mother and grandmother. Yet, years later, words written to him by a mentor paint a picture for us of the diligent man Timothy must have been. We see in him a person who sought to do his work at above-reproach levels and who paid close attention to his personal growth so that he could seek to always continue progressing (1 Tim. 4:15-16). And he earned the honor he received because he was not afraid to stand up and be an honorable example for others (1 Tim. 4:12, 5:17). All of this sprung out from that mentor’s early confidence in the diligent, honorable man Timothy could become with meaningful support. What (or rather who) the mentor diligently invested in gave a good return.

Timothy learned about these things and took them to heart. And, as we see that he lived them out while showing no particular signs of living with any great financial means, we are reminded from his life that diligence does not always lead to material wealth. But, when consistently pursued, it should lead to a fruitful and honorable life.

Among modern songwriters, one of my favorites by far is Jon Foreman. Many of his themes center around the journey of and battle in the human heart when that heart comes, surrendering, face to face with the Grace that longs to embrace it.

He writes of deep and honest emotions, sometimes daring to pen lines about things and thoughts we would rather not acknowledge or discuss. He writes of precious love born out of honorable intentions. He writes of internal workings anyone who has lived with awareness long enough can somehow innately understand.

And to hear him speak in recordings, I get the sense that while he is a very talented musician, he is also a really humble, average, approachable man. A man who has been embraced by the compassion he often refers to, the Grace that flows through his music. It has shaped him well over the years.

While I was preparing to wrap up this month of blog posts, I came across one of his songs that has moved me deeply time and time again.

I love the words which remind me that none of us can truly ever be compassionate until we remember that it is only God’s compassion which is our model for being compassionate… even though He has more of a right than anyone else to be our judge and to demand that we stop judging others unfairly. It is His compassion which can turn our hearts around, melt them, and reshape them into hearts that beat more like His.

As I began the month with Christ, so I end it with the Trinity: still our best source of compassion. Father, forgive us when we lack mercy. Jesus, teach us when we need multiple lessons in understanding Your heart. Spirit, help us in our weakness. Amen.

In an age where most people around me are terrified of getting sick to the point that they stare me down in judgement when I am not greatly concerned, I can only shake my head at the irony. For the wider public is appealed to: that we must conform to standards for the greater good. I find this ironic because it essentially strips us of the will to choose compassion. Yes: compassion for the greater good, but also compassion for ourselves and our loved ones if the mandates issued are not best for us in our individual situations.

Love and compassion are things we choose. There is no law against them. And likewise, they cannot be mandated by any law.

The word art shared today highlights a quotation from a man who knew great challenges and even physical limitations. Yet, he did not allow what he lacked to suffocate what he hoped for. And his life experiences as well as his ongoing quest for knowledge produced in him a blend of compassion and deeply provoking thoughts.

Was he perfect? No. He seems to have had his vices. But I believe the power of his quoted words here stems from the idea that when we choose compassion — when we choose to think deeply of where we and others are coming from and when we choose to consider any negative ramifications of our actions and choices — that will often help us to keep negative impulses in check.

(In that light, I am particularly honored that my novel, The Voice of Melody, earned one of the 2020 Eric Hoffer Awards for Historical Fiction. Especially when a few of the novel’s characters repeatedly chose compassion, choices which later proved to counter toxic situations and people.)

Two men separated by thousands of years. One was a priest, the other a king.

Both possessed some degree of worldly wealth. But each has been better known both in his own time and in our minds today for the wealth of his wisdom.

Yet, for all the wisdom they possessed and passed on, neither was perfect.

They were all too human.

The first, before he heard of another way, was a worshiper of false, dead gods in the religious sense. And the second, though he knew from infancy of another way, became a worshiper of other types of false, dead gods — the gods of plenty and pleasure.

And yet…the records of their words and ideas still speak truth to us today. Why is this so?

Because what is really good and true always and only comes from God. And what is really wise and prudent always and only comes from God.

So whether we speak of Jethro of ancient Midian, King Solomon of Israel, or any other wise person who has lived since, we would do well to heed a two-sided fundamental reminder.

We should never elevate the speaker of the wisdom to esteem them as much as the Giver of the wisdom. And we should never forget that the Giver of all wisdom sees the potential for redemption of and communication through every human He has ever made.