Sandy shores and salty air are the best escape from Charleston’s humid summer heat. The sea island breeze that rustles the palmettos is just enough to stay cool while soaking up the sunshine.
The only thing you need is a comfy beach chair and a good read. Here are five marvelous books I’ve dragged across the dunes this year.
For the inspired…
Undistracted by Bob Goff
This read is a deep dive into the distractions that keep us from living life to the full. Goff’s authentic and charming storytelling makes this introspective journey completely enjoyable. The lessons here are so poignant, your first read through won’t be your last.
For the classics enthusiast…
Emma by Jane Austen
Just when you’re thinking “classics are boring and stuffy,” Jane Austen waltzes in from the year 1815 to change your mind. Emma follows the tale of a 21 year old with too little to trouble her and the consequences of her favorite pastime: matchmaking. Is Emma to be adored or admonished? No matter which you decide, she certainly entertains.
For the romantic…
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Not your typical Pride and Prejudice style rom com, The Hating Game follows dueling officemates Lucy and Josh as they vie for a coveted position. After making a dangerous deal to resign if the position isn’t hers, Lucy who defines herself as a reader with real depth, has to put aside her shallow judgments to win the prize.
To ponder long and hard on…
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
So, you may need more than two degrees to understand this read, since I’m still puzzling on it, but it’s gorgeously written even in its enigmatic glory. It was on my list, as a CS Lewis fan girl. Greek mythology enthusiasts (looking at you Percy Jackson gals) will appreciate this unusual retelling of Cupid and Psyche as a story of two sisters. If you read this and have a hot take… email me.
For the activist…
One Two Three by Laurie Frankel
If your favorite day of the week isn’t Monday, it will be when you finish this book. The story is told from the perspective of three sisters as they fight against the corporation that poisoned their town’s water supply, come into their own identities, and maybe fall in love.
Her wispy blonde hair hung over her chubby face, but there was no hiding the tears rolling down her cheeks. “No, Mommy!” the frustrated, but still adorable toddler cried as she fell to the floor in defeat. “I don’t wanna cupcake!”
Strange words from a 2 year old right?
Well maybe not, if in her tiny hands is clutched a bag of delicious marshmallows. Mom took the bag of mallowy goodness, much to the dismay of her daughter. “You can have a marshmallow now, but if you do, you won’t get a cupcake later! And I know you’ll want one!” She chided gently.
Our heroine remained inconsolable, eyes watery and lip quivering at the thought. Which is slightly heartbreaking, when you consider how much her mom wants her to have the best.
While marshmallows are good, any connoisseur of sweets (speaking as an expert here) knows that they don’t hold a candle to homemade cupcakes. Certainly trading a measly little marshmallow for a whole cupcake isn’t worth crying over. It’s actually quite an upgrade.
But I wonder if we’ve been that toddler before — crying over marshmallows– when what God wants to give us is better than anything we can see right now.
How to know if you’re crying over marshmallows?
There are three things I want to explore about our toddler friend’s situation.
She felt like Mom was holding something good away from her.
She wanted something right now, instead of trusting Mom’s timing.
She couldn’t wrap her head around what she couldn’t see.
Do we ever feel like God is withholding something good, just barely out of reach?
Our enemy would definitely tell us this. It was one of his first lies to mankind, actually.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve could have any fruit of any tree they wanted except one: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God wanted the best for his creations and knew that eating of this tree would lead them to destruction, so He forbade it.
When Eve encountered the serpent in the garden, he lied to her about God’s command. He tried to convince her that God was withholding something good from her.
“You will not certainly die….For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:4-5
Eve didn’t trust that God had given her everything she needed. And this woman lived in paradise!
Eve never worried about bills or food or gas in her car. Eve never tried on ten dresses in a badly lit dressing room and wished she could change her body. Eve never wondered if she’d make it into grad school.
Up until the fall, she had a perfect relationship with God and with her husband.
And yet, she still questioned if God was keeping something good from her.
It’s so easy to think that God is holding out on us. After all, He has infinite power to do anything He wants. But we have to remember that His ways are not our ways, He knows more than we could ever understand.
When we’re struggling to think that God has provided, we can remember Jesus’ words from the book of Matthew.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:9-12
Are we trusting God’s timing or doing things our way?
Again, we don’t have God’s perspective when it comes to timing, so we rely on our experience. If we’re toddlers that means time is either now, or not now. No such thing as waiting. If we’re slightly more adult, that means we want to go through stages at the times that we see other people doing things.
We think we should learn to drive when all the other teenagers are, get married when all our friends are getting married, have kids when our parents had kids, retire when successful people retire. The way we look at time is very comparison driven, and has been since the Old Testament.
Jumping back into Genesis, let’s talk about Abraham and Sarah.
God had promised Abraham that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars — but as he and his wife grew older, they remained childless.
Feeling as though time was running out, Abraham (now age 83) and Sarah took matters into their own hands. Abraham slept with their slave, Hagar, and had a child by her: Ishmael. Sarah, who initiated this whole, use-Hagar-to-start-our-family idea, mistreated Hagar out of jealousy. Things didn’t go so well to say the least.
But despite their shortcomings, despite laughing at the thought of having a child at this time in their lives, God upheld His promise and gave Abraham (now age 100) and Sarah a child, Isaac.
When we try to force things according to our time table, instead of waiting for God’s timing, it can damage our relationships and cause a lot of unnecessary pain… that said, I think we can find comfort in how God fulfilled his promise to Abraham and Sarah anyway.
Some verses to hold onto when we’re questioning God’s timing:
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
Proverbs 16:9
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. The lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:8-9
Can we still have faith in what we don’t see?
One of the big reasons why our toddler friend was struggling with letting go of the marshmallows was that she couldn’t see the cupcake. It wasn’t there in front of her. And even though her mommy said the word “cupcake” over and over again, I could tell she wasn’t quite buying it, because unlike the marshmallows, she couldn’t see it or touch it.
It’s hard to have vision. While I like to think I’m pretty imaginative, it’s hard for me to take a leap of faith towards something I can’t see or picture.
Let’s just say, if someone had pitched me the concept of building a giant boat because the waters of the deep were going to open up and flood the entire Earth… on Shark Tank… I would have some serious questions before investing.
But in Genesis there was no Mr. Wonderful, or any sharks for that matter, besides the kind with rows and rows of sharp teeth. Noah didn’t question God’s authority or wisdom. Instead, he got straight to work. He had faith in something he couldn’t see. He had vision.
Of course, the vision was not Noah’s. God was the one giving him the measurements to build in cubits. It was only because Noah walked faithfully that he was able to see the vision, and eventually see it realized. By walking faithfully with God and communicating with Him, we can align ourselves with His plans and learn more about His vision for our lives.
And if you’re wondering if that little girl got her cupcake…
I watched as Mom bent down on one knee and pulled out her phone. She showed her daughter a picture of the cupcakes. With her tiny pudgy fingers, she traced the outline of the sweet treat on the screen. The toddler relinquished her grip on the marshmallow bag, let her mom wipe away her tears, and embraced the possibility that something better, might just be in store…
After the chaos that was 2020 and the blur that was 2021, I don’t think anyone wants to claim 2022 as their year.
For many of us, the last two years have been challenging. We threw our planners and habit trackers and goal sheets to the wild winds, wishing for better days as pages of our lives whirled away.
It feels like so many of us have decided to defer our dreams, thinking “not now,” “I can’t,” “I’m not enough,” or “I don’t deserve this.”
Like the people in the book of Haggai, our lives feel empty when we’re not fulfilling God’s purpose for us, which is the true desire of our hearts.
“You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
Haggai 1:6 NIV
In the story, the Israelites are faced with rebuilding God’s temple. They’re discouraged when they think about the past and Solomon’s grand temple. Like some of us, they’re standing on ruins of years past and unsure that things will ever be the same, or even as good.
BUT despite their (and our) shortcomings and circumstances beyond our control, God is still great.
He comes to His people with reassurance and encouragement, reminding them of His power and His presence.
“Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: ‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord.”
Haggai 1:13
In our weakness, when we abandon the dreams God called us to, He reaches out and stirs our spirits.
“So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God.”
Haggai 1:14
To not now, we say the time is now.
To I can’t, we say God can.
To I’m not enough, we say God is more than enough.
To I don’t deserve this, we say no one deserves it.
What did you put away in 2021? What dreams did you tape up in a box and shove aside? What did God put on your heart last year?
It might look different for each one of us. It could be making moves to our dream job. Returning to our favorite hobby. Taking that once-in-a-lifetime trip. Feeling worthy of having a relationship that honors God. Sharing the gospel with that coworker. Writing that book.
“‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
Haggai 2:9
2022 is the year we don’t settle. There is a God full of grace for our past mistakes. He has the provision, He has the power to do immeasurably more in our lives.
God wants us to dream big, change the world, and reach for His goodness. So like Taylor sings in her re-released song, “dust off your highest hopes.”
When I think about what God is going to do this year, “all I know is newfound grace– and everything has changed.”
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Fantastic tales of other worlds, other planets, and other people. Robots who feel, aliens who are human, and magic hidden in plain sight. Those were the kinds of stories I had wanted to write as soon as I started to read.
But then something changed.
This year, I found that there were realms unknown right in front of me, if I only looked closely…
It began in Dr. Devet’s Spring 2021 classes “Technical Writing” and “Advanced Composition” where I attempted forms of writing I hadn’t previously encountered in academia.
I discovered the joys of travel writing as I wrote “Prisoners in Caesars Palace,” a piece about my family’s journey to Las Vegas to see the Grand Canyon in March 2020, just before the world shut down.
As I wrote about the adventure we had, I discovered I really was talking about another world, another time, a distant and strange land.
“Row upon row of slot machines glow with all their tempting, flashing might, but no one takes their arm. Blackjack tables stand abandoned, cards unshuffled and un-dealt on their green felted surfaces. Security staff give us beady stares as the sound of our rolling luggage fills a casino with no rolling dice.”
Excerpt from “Prisoners in Caesars Palace”
I was later so grateful to be given the opportunity to write for CofC’s Alumni Magazine– my piece, “Hearts of Stone” was published in Summer 2021.
I realized as I wrote, I was personifying statues, giving them an inner life that could only occur in fiction… or could it?
“The stone guardians of our city weep invisible tears for this year, and I feel for them.”
Excerpt from “Hearts of Stone”
And then I started this blog, from which even more possibilities sprung.
When Fall 2021 came, I was hired as an intern at The College Today, where I wrote news stories, which was quite new to me!
My supervisor Amanda was a wonderful mentor and helped me overcome my initial struggles. She coached me on ways I could grow as a writer, taught me some AP style rules for articles (rip my beloved Oxford Comma), and gave me insights into the journalism world.
During my internship, I faced real life journalism challenges. Reaching out for interviews and rushing to record an event and take photos were exciting new writing tasks.
And strangely enough, I found I was writing about a broad cast of characters and their worlds, somewhat unwittingly.
This year, I didn’t chase stories from other worlds as much as I let those stories find me. Somehow, I still ended up writing those tales of beautiful faraway lands and daring protagonists I’d always dreamed of.
When I let go of writing my way, I found I had more style and voice than ever.
I think one of my all-time favorite authors puts it best.
“Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favorite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end submit with ever fiber of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.”
Thanksgiving is one of our most pressing tasks as Christians– no, not the day where we eat turkey (or the creative vegan options out there) and catch up with family we’ve missed all year long, while we answer awkward questions about our current relationship status. I mean giving thanks to God for what he has done for us.
Gratitude is important– it’s a way of showing God we love Him, a defense against spiritual attack, and an open door for those who are seeking Christ.
While God definitely doesn’t need human approval, He absolutely delights in our praise.
Isaiah 43 mentions how we were made by God to praise Him.
“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth– everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Isaiah 43:7
“The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness, and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”
Isaiah 43:21
By being grateful and giving thanks to God, we are focusing on God’s impact in our lives and not looking around at others. Comparison is where sin comes in.
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
Proverbs 14:30
Even before this was written, the negative impact of comparison was felt by all of humanity, when Eve was tempted by Satan to compare herself with God.
The serpent told her a terrible half truth…or more accurately, a lie. He’s pretty well-known for those.
“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:5
Before this, Eve had been content with being like… well, Eve. She was delighted with being herself and didn’t give thought to other possibilities because she didn’t crave them when she was content.
But as soon as there came a comparison, there came jealousy, and a lack of faith that God had given her everything she needed already.
By avoiding comparison and instead focusing on what God has given us, we become content, because He’s given us so much when we’ve done nothing to deserve it.
When you see someone with immense gratitude, it can be awe-inspiring. When a stressed student praises the Lord after being given grace on a deadline, when a friend in need looks to Heaven after you give them a place to stay for a while… These moments make us also turn to God and want to thank Him for what’s been done in our lives.
And if you’re not a Christian, you might be thinking that every good thing comes from coincidence, and perhaps that could be possible.
I myself would struggle to believe that all the great stories being woven, all the families being knit together, all the people being in the right place and the right time… were not the work of an even greater author…
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you got to spend it with those you love!
One of the hardest things about being a human is making decisions.
You might think that having to make dozens and dozens of these little turns every single day would give us some practice to make it easier.
Well, to some degree it does, and we learn. We choose a candy bar at the gas station, it doesn’t taste very good, we don’t pick it again. Next time we pick something else. That got easier.
But other times, we’re faced with much more unique decision making situations, like where to go to college or who to marry that seldom occur more than once in a lifetime. These, not having many practice runs and also being pretty permanent decisions, are the ones we struggle over.
The best thing and first thing to do about any struggle is to bring it to God.
(Despite our gut reaction that says, “I won’t bother Him about this, I can figure it out myself.”)
How do we do it? There’s three ways I know of that are mentioned in scripture and recommended by scripture.
Pray, conversationally.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
1 John 5:14
Jesus models how to pray in Matthew 6.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:5-6
What Jesus is saying here is: don’t pray to be seen by other people, pray to be heard by God
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Matthew 6:7-8
Prayer is a conversation. As soon as you address God, you’re entering that conversation space. And like most conversations with people, you have God’s attention already. You don’t need to say a lot of words to get His attention. And unlike most conversations with people, God already knows what you want and what you need, you don’t have to reiterate what you’re trying to say so He will understand.
“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Matthew 6:9-13
This doesn’t mean to just recite The Lord’s Prayer every time you pray– it’s actually more of a formula we can follow, like a recipe for a strong prayer. Let’s break it down, shall we?
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.”
We address God as our father, remembering the special relationship with Him that Jesus made possible, we praise Him and address His power and glory. Woohoo! Great start!
“Give us today our daily bread.”
I think this part is particularly interesting because of the word “daily.” It indicates a sort of everyday-ness is really okay and desirable in a prayer. If you’ve ever felt unholy or shallow for praying about due dates or annoying neighbors or having good weather on a day you’re going out with friends… don’t. God wants us to tell Him about our daily lives, we don’t always need to pray for big things like the state of the nation or all of sickness in the world. Those are excellent prayers! But God wants the little, individual things too. The daily bread. Remember, He created us for a relationship with Him.
“And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
This part. Wow. So this is the part I usually forget myself, because I don’t like feeling wrong or bad, because I’m pretty human. It’s hard to ask to be forgiven. It really is. Especially when you’re still harboring something you haven’t forgiven.
“They ignored me when I waved at them on the sidewalk this morning, so really, me ignoring the text is perfectly fair!”
I don’t think I’ve ever heard God speak to me in audible words but I definitely get nudges sometimes that are the Holy Spirit equivalent of “yeah, right.”
We should pray to be forgiven, pray to forgive, and pray our way out of troubles and dangers that might tempt us.
Does it mean you’re a weak Christian if you ask God to help you resist temptation? Not at all. It means you’re strong enough to let yourself and your pride go and lean on Him.
Read scripture.
Scripture is an excellent tool for decision making. Will it tell you who to marry? No. Will it tell you what college to go to? No.
It’s even more important than that.
Scripture guides us to make Godly decisions as we learn about the character of God and the ways in which He wants us to walk and serve Him.
So it might tell you that a college known for parties where you know you’ll be distracted from God is not the right choice for you, or affirm you that the job you just applied for might be where you can reach people for Christ.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Seek wise counsel.
These points are in order for a reason. Your first step is to pray, your next step should be turning to scripture. Next, call in some spiritual backup.
For me, it’s my mom and dad, or my sweet “adopted grandparents,” who attend my church, or even my Bible study gals who have walked this path.
Lay out the decision in all its agonizing undecidedness in front of someone who seeks God, who has more experience or knowledge than you, and who you trust has your best interest in mind.
And while the people in your life are not God, God can speak to you through them in these situations. Be receptive and listen closely– I learn so much from the wise people around me!
And bonus, listening intentionally to others who are wise, actually makes you wise.
“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”
Proverbs 12:15
When you’re on the bridge of your next decision, I pray that God’s peace and presence will be with you as you work through the process.
“And the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Scroll for a quick guide to my downtown Charleston top five! If you’re in downtown CHS, here are some quintessential sights:
The Battery
Sea breezes in your hair, watching the sailboats drift in the harbor. Pick out the house you’d buy if you won the lottery (well, probably several lotteries). It’s one of my favorite places to walk, whether it’s a bright, breezy summer day, a chilly winter afternoon, or not gonna lie, I’ve stood along the railing and watched waves splash up against the wall, just before a hurricane.
Waterfront Park
Home of one of Charleston’s most elusive photo ops, the Pineapple Fountain. Pineapples are known as a symbol of southern hospitality, so it makes sense that this park would be one of the more welcoming places to explore.
There are lots of benches here, shaded by old oak trees. Brick pathways lead visitors to and from historic cannons and monuments. There’s plenty of grassy space where people can picnic and kids can run without fear of tripping on the uneven sidewalks and roads paving the rest of the city.
If you walk down to the pier, there are lovely swings under a shaded cover –fair warning, swings are hard to snag on busy weekends!
Rainbow Row
There are many, many rows of colorful homes in downtown Charleston, but only one is the Rainbow Row. If you spend enough time walking the sidewalks of the Holy City, you’ll hear many a tourist group asking, “is that Rainbow Row?” You’ll find the iconic Rainbow Row nestled along East Bay Street, on the block between Tradd and Elliot.
Randolph Hall
Live oaks adorned with Spanish moss frame the College of Charleston’s most famous building, setting a scene so beautiful, it’s been featured in multiple films, from Cold Mountain to The Notebook. It’s home to the oldest institution for higher education south of Virginia.
Broad Street
One of the best places to catch a sunset in the city can be seen standing on the steps of the old exchange building. The evening sky falls upon the street and it’s little alleys in shades of pink and blue that cotton candy would be envious of. The white steeple of St. Michael’s rises stately above the swaying palmettos that line the street, reflecting the vibrant hues of the sky.
I’m enamored with this gracious city. Its green canopy of live oaks, its salty, humid air, and the charm of its cobbled streets. It’s a city that embraces the old, preserving even the most hopeless remains of architecture. It’s a city that embraces new flavors, welcoming the creative. It’s a city where I want to stay.
A coffee shop on a crisp fall day is a perfect place to be. The comfy, worn chairs say “this is a place where people are at home.” The smell of espresso says “something delicious is brewing.” I order my usual and watch, mesmerized, as the barista makes a perfect latte heart, with just a slight swivel of her wrist.
When I take a seat (and a sip), I listen to the next few customers place their orders. Words like “macchiato,” “coconut milk,” “cappuccino,” “half-sweet,” “two pumps of hazelnut,” and yes, that much debated seasonal favorite, “pumpkin spice,” drop so casually from their lips like the leaves fall from the trees outside.
I look down at my own mug, quietly staring into the foam. I realize that I have basically no clue about its true contents aside from espresso. To my cup, my mind, my life I ask, what are we pouring in?
What’s in your cup?
Take a moment and evaluate: what is going into your life right now?
What movies do you watch? What Instagram accounts are you scrolling? What books do you read? What music do you listen to?
Or possibly even more important, who do you listen to? Who are you spending your time with?
Like the content of our favorite caffeinated (or decaffeinated) beverages, the content in our minds and hearts is so important.
Think about a cup of coffee. Drinking it has an effect on your body and different ingredients will bring different flavors and trigger different effects. Your cup of coffee also costs something. Consuming media, spending time with others, and other things occupying the space in our minds are the same, and just like that latte, we want to make sure the effects are desirable and the cost was worthwhile.
Philippians 4:8 offers some insight on what ingredients to use.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Philippians 4:8
Maybe you don’t drink coffee really and this extended analogy is not working for you. Okay, I get that. (I mean, not the coffee part, that’s crazy!)
But the things that occupy our minds are super important– here’s why:
There’s a side-effect.
What we take in affects us. If I drink coffee and soda all day, I’ll be up allllll night from the caffeine. If I eat something I’m allergic to, my body will react. If I take an Advil or two, a headache will subside.
“Yes, Rachel, that’s just basic logic, we get it.”
Good! I’m glad you do, because it’s about to get more interesting.
In Luke 11:34 – 36, Jesus says:
“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. Be careful, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”
Luke 11:34-26
Is there a distinct side effect to not receiving light, to having an unhealthy vision? Jesus puts it clearly: darkness.
Why do we keep our minds on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy? Why do we spend our time talking to Jesus, basking in His light? The side effect of receiving light is light.
There’s a cost.
When we consume or take in something, whether it’s a coffee, a movie, or anything else, there’s a cost.
It might cost your time to scroll for hours on TikTok. (Totally not me. Except totally me.) It might cost you a dollar to rent a movie from a grocery store kiosk. Or six dollars when you return it late.
We want the cost to be worthwhile for anything we consume. And if we are smart consumers, shouldn’t we always choose by outweighing the costs with benefits?
If I used the same time I spent scrolling social media to spend time with God, what would be different?
Social media costs time. For me that’s an embarrassing hour and a half per day. PER DAY. And what are the side effects? I’m anxious about problems that only God can handle, I’m in a mood about a negative post I saw, or I’m just super distracted by theories about Taylor Swift’s version of Red? Not ideal.
If I exchanged that time for time with God, I would be taking in light. The side effects would be… that my body is full of His light? That’s pretty amazing.
And the cost might be letting myself be convicted by the Holy Spirit.
And the cost might be letting go of sins and lies I want to cling to.
And the cost might be a challenge to what I think I know.
But there’s no cost that isn’t worth being filled with the light of our God. Our Savior. King of kings. Lord of lords. Creator of the universe. Name above all names.
Letting God Pour In
Spending time with God is important for us, but it’s also important for others. Remember how Jesus was talking in Luke 11 about how bright being filled with light is? Like always having a lamp shining on you, right?
That makes a difference when we interact with others. Haven’t you noticed that sometimes when you see your bestie, the smile on her face is just so super radiant that you have to say, “wow, you’re glowing!”
It’s a serious side effect of spending time with Jesus. When we’re filled with his light, others can see that shining out of us.
And when someone says, “Wow you’re glowing, girl. What’s your secret?” We can smile and tell them about Jesus. It’s no secret. We’ve been spending time with God, and the same beautiful gift of His grace and His light is there for them too.
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”
The sun is going down on Summer 2021 and the best place to catch the spectacular twilight colors is Sullivan’s Island. The deep blushes, periwinkle clouds, and pale blue all blur together like a watercolor palette in the sky.
The beautiful, quiet beach still seems untouched by the sprawling city of Charleston and her suburbian daughter, Mount Pleasant. Its iconic black and white lighthouse stares wistfully across the waves to its neighbor guarding Morris Island. Sullivan’s is also home to Fort Moultrie. During the Revolutionary War, a fort was built out of soft palmetto logs that defended the island by absorbing British cannon fire, instead of splintering from the blow. The palmetto fort would be the site for the later Fort Moultrie, and inspire South Carolina’s iconic palmetto flag.
Here’s my guide to celebrating the last days of summer at Sullivan’s Island:
Poe’s Tavern
Poe’s Tavern – Sullivan’s Island, SC
For dinner, grab a burger named after one of your favorite macabre tales at Poe’s Tavern. Covered in posters, portraits, and various memorabilia in tribute to the great American poet, Poe’s is a unique (and delicious) place to dine and possibly discuss “The Gold Bug,” a story inspired by Poe’s time on the island. The atmosphere is unmatched and as for the food…there’s a good reason for the long line outside. Do I ever wonder where to stop for supper on the island? Nevermore!
BeardCat Sweet Shop
BeardCat Sweet Shop – Below Obstinate Daughter, Sullivan’s Island, SC
Walk off your dinner and stroll on over to BeardCat’s for dessert. The bright colors of the shop invite passersby inside, as if the siren call of hazelnut gelato wasn’t enough to lure a weary beach walker! Sample their scrumptious flavors and take a seat at the colorful tables, being sure to ponder the framed portrait of the mysterious seafarer with a cat nestled in his beard.
Walk the Beach
The “Charleston Light,” Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse – Sullivan’s Island, SC
After some yummy gelato, it’s best to hit the beach. Wander out past the tall seagrass and take off your shoes to feel the sand between your toes. As you saunder out onto the sand, over the horizon is a unique view of Charleston. From here you can see the blazing sunset over Morris Island Lighthouse at Folly Beach, a lonely tower that’s no longer accessible by foot, its glow long replaced by the Sullivan’s Island light. To your right, the steeples of the Holy City skyline stretch up into the heavens, like hands raised in worship. Further over, the lights on the USS Yorktown sparkle at Patriots Point, basking in the beauty of the Ravenel Bridge.
I feel like this summer went by like an amusement park ride. I’ve climbed some steep hills, the kind of hills where anticipation builds up in your bones, the kind of hills where you wanna-but-can’t look down, the kind of hills where you look down anyway and the sheer height shocks and, in a strange way, delights you. I’ve taken some swift falls, wild, stomach-snatching drops where you lift from your seat and know that the safety bar is the only thing holding you from flying. Sharp turns that take your body along but leave your head reeling from the snap. And by the time I’m ready for the next corkscrew, the harsh brakes kick in and my head smacks the back of the seat from the sudden stop. Shaken, I gather my things and leave the ride, exiting summer into fall.
With a twist, I tighten the screws that hold my canvas to my easel. I loosen the lid on my jar of gesso; it crackles where the canvas-prepping substance has dried around the rim, sitting outside in the Charleston heat. I grab my biggest brush, dip it into the white gel, and begin spreading it all over the canvas, covering over every old crease, seam, and imperfection. When I’m finished, the dried canvas is just as white as it was new. It’s ready for new life.
In the same way that the canvas is given new life with a coat of gesso, we are given new life when we are saved by God’s grace. However, gesso is just the first layer of a new painting. There are still layers of grounding, under-painting, and so many brushstrokes until the masterpiece can be called complete. Like gesso, salvation is a clean slate, but only the beginning of a longer process of living the life we are called to.
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
Ephesians 4:1
Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus are just as applicable to me and you. We must live a life worthy of the call.
You’ve Been Called By God
Before you were born, God knew his purpose for you. Like an unfinished canvas, we aren’t sure of what lies in store or what we will look like when we are complete. It might take a long time and a lot of layers to begin understanding the way that God, the master creator, is taking us.
The apostle Paul is a perfect example of this– in his letter to the church in Galatia, he describes how he thought his life would go, before God stepped in and changed everything.
“I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.”
Galatians 1:14-16
I love how Paul emphasizes that God set him apart before he was even born. God knew Paul’s purpose when He created him; He knew our purpose when he created us. And as believers, we are called to serve His purpose.
You could be thinking, yes I get that, Rachel, but I don’t know my purpose, or yes, I know, but I don’t have anything special to bring to the table. But that’s the best part. The pressure’s off– it’s not about you. It’s about what God can do through you.
You Didn’t Earn It
Again, this is like, the best part! We didn’t earn the calling!
Just like God’s grace, the calling is not something we’ve earned, it’s something we are striving to live worthy of.
I don’t know if you have seen the show Yellowstone, but I’m only slightly obsessed with it. The show centers around the fight to save a seven-generation ranch. While Yellowstone isn’t what I would call Bible study appropriate, I think there are some interesting concepts that we can explore as Christians taking in worldly media. For example, the brand.
Several of the hands on Yellowstone Ranch are set apart from the rest. Marked with a smoldering cattle brand, their left chest bears the Yellowstone “rocking” Y symbol. The brand is not for everyone who works there, but it represents a loyalty to the Dutton family and whoever wears the brand is under their protection.
Unlike an initiation or rite of passage, the recipients of the brand haven’t completed a task or shown their loyalty to the group. In one episode, Rip, John Dutton’s right hand man, asks John if another character deserves the brand. John replies “the brand isn’t something you earn, it’s something you live up to.”
The same is true of God’s calling. It’s not something we’ve earned. It’s something we live up to.
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,”
Titus 3:4-5
Living Up to the Brand
Ephesians 4:1 tells us to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” So what is our calling? In a practical sense?
Our most important commandment, as described is this:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31
We are called by Jesus to love God and love our neighbors. God has blessed us with gifts — both spiritual and physical — that help us achieve this ultimate purpose.
As we take steps through trials and towards his purpose, we collect brushstrokes and layers of paint on our way to becoming complete. We don’t know what the finished masterpiece God has planned looks like, but we can be confident living for His name.
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Rachel Brei 