Whenever There Is Silence

Whenever there is silence around me,

by day or night,

I am startled by a cry.


The first time I heard it,

I went out and searched

and found a man

in the throes of crucifixion.

I went to him and said,

“I will take you down.”


And I began to take the nails

out of his hands and his feet.


But he stopped me and said,

“You cannot take me down.

For I cannot come down

until every man, every woman,

and every child in the world

shall come together to take me down.”

“But, sir,” I said, “your cry – 
I cannot bear your cry.”

“This cry,” he told me,

“it is the anguish of those with no food,

of those who thirst,

the ones huddled naked against the cold,

the cry of those who are lonely and in prisons.


This is the cry of the homeless,

of the ones rejected and hated by society.


It is the cry of those whose lives are snuffed out

by anger, hate, or fear.


This is the cry of those living on the edge of war,

those made to wander from their homes in search of peace.”

“Then what am I to do?” I asked him.

“Go about the world,” he said.

“Tell everyone you meet:

We hang together on this cross.”

God prays for us as we reflect: “Let the person sit alone in silence, when it is laid upon them.” (Lamentations 3:28).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends during this joy-filled Season of Lent that our hearts will melt the fears, doubts and anyone who feels unworthy and in the silence hear your words of acceptance, forgiveness and loving embrace.

Valentine Sally

A little boy’s kitty named Salem died suddenly the day before New Year’s Eve of a heart attack. They found the tiny fur ball in the dining room late at night when the family’s other cat Cuddles started making an awful sound. This faithful companion was sitting next to Salem who was lying in a position as if she had been running. The family had a necropsy done and it showed Salem died of a heart attack.

Now mom and dad were in no hurry to get another cat right away, so several weeks passed before the mother of this family went to the vet to pick up Salem’s ashes. Our brave little boy accompanied his mom to lovingly pick up the ashes of his friend at the vets. The staff were extraordinary compassionate as mother and her son came to get the ashes. However, they told mom that she should take a peek at a new cat the staff had rescued that they found in a carrier on the steps that very morning. Now this vet office does not usually keep strays, they routinely send them off to another office. That morning, the staff was swamped with emergencies and they neglected to make the call to have the stray taken away. Mom hesitated for a moment because she was sure that the family was not ready for another cat but the staff insisted they go look at the orphan fur ball.

When the vet assistant opened the cage the cat ran to the little boy and immediately climbed up to his neck and started purring. Please note that this mother comes prepared and had her cell phone handy and snapped our Sonshine photo. You must agree that our little boy’s mom took a stunning picture of a “sacred moment.” Mom called her son’s dad and explained this might be the time to bring home another orphan. Without hesitation, dad welcomed the new family member with an open heart.

One wonders if that vet staff knew all along that this would happen when that little boy walked into the room. Then out of the blue our darling young man piped up to his mom that he is naming the kitty, Valentine Sally. When they got home and were looking at the kitten, the little boy said: “Did you see the heart shaped mark on Valentine's paw?” No one really noticed at the vet’s office for any special marks, but when the family looked closely they discovered a surprise under the kitty’s paw. Our little man was so proud of himself that he noticed this special sign and he felt the impulse from God to name her Valentine. Needless to say, the story continues that Valentine has bonded with her new friend. Valentine sleeps on his bed and our little love has filled a void left by Salam. Mom and dad believe that Salem must have sent Valentine to their family.

Many times we have to surrender our pets, our special furry friends who have faithfully kept us safe and warm for years. Then suddenly comes the impulse to go look again and in our search we bring home another stray who is simply waiting for an open heart. A few treats, a warm bed and lots of food never hurts either.

God prays for us as we reflect: “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever PURR for joy. Spread your little arms over them, that those who are in your name may rejoice in you.” (Psalm 5:11).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who have rescued many strays over a lifetime. For all the bird food you put out in winter, warm water in your garage for the stray cats, or the extra carrots you cut up for your horses, may God give you thanks for your open heart and may Chase be blessed with his Valentine Sally.

All Night Long and Nothing

Jesus came up with a strange idea. "Let's go fishing out into the deep water. I've got a hunch there's a catch out there." Simon, experienced fisherman that he was, tried to be polite in his answer to this landlubber. "You know, Master, we've been out the whole night, and caught nothing." He didn't add, but was probably thinking, "This guy doesn't realize that no one goes deep sea fishing in broad daylight around here". But Simon, having failed to accomplish much by his own tried and true methods, was in no position to question the Lord's strange suggestion. What he does say is the sentence that will change the entire course of his life. Perhaps he said it with a sigh of resignation. "If you say so...we'll do it." Well, you know what happened.

It all begins when Jesus comes to us in the middle of our lives, where we work, where we live, the seaside, the classroom, the hospital, the office, the kitchen, and asks us to trust him enough to do one strange little thing, like fishing in the deep water in broad daylight, like trusting in him after we have been laid off to start a new vocation. It's the kind of thing that's a little weird, quite a bit out of your comfort zone. It's the sort of request that demands trust because you wouldn't normally do it. It's like the student at church this weekend who shared that he wanted to join the Peace Corp after he graduates from college. Or, it's like the young woman who spent ten years huddled over a computer screen designing software and finds herself "rightsized." Out of work, she feels a calling to ministry and starts seminary studies not sure where she will end up. A little odd; not anticipated, unplanned. That's the way Jesus' call often comes. Christ invades our everyday lives with one of these little offbeat impulses, these strange biddings. We have the feeling they are coming from him, though we're not at all sure. And a lot hangs on what we do with them. What if Peter had ignored Jesus' strange suggestion?

The other thing about Jesus' strange request is that it came at a point of failure and vulnerability. "All night long, and nothing." I love that little phrase. For me it depicts how we often feel about our lives. Striving, working, struggling, but with meager results. It speaks of the feelings we often have of life futility, dissatisfaction, and boredom. "All night long and nothing."

But that's often where Jesus' call comes to us: where we least expect it. Where we've failed. Where we feel over our heads. Where we feel uncomfortable. Where we sense our own futility. Jesus does not typically walk into our lives where we feel in control, where we are flush with our own success. It's in our places of vulnerability and confusion, failure and sin. He likes to get us out there in the deep water in broad daylight where we feel a little silly and strange.

God prays for us in times of darkness: “Even though I walk through a dark valley, I will fear no harm for you are at my side: your rod and staff give me courage.” (Psalm 23:4).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are in deep waters over their heads. I think Jesus is constantly inviting us into the deep places. He's calling us to acts of trust and courage, while we want to play it safe. He's calling us to step out in faith and freedom while we cling to our safe and familiar fears and anxieties. He's calling us to think and live deeply, to face our doubts and fears, and abandon ourselves to the depths of God's abundant life.