Light in Our Own Darkness, Part 2

Posted on July 25, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Yes, God whispers. But although He may not usually speak loudly to us, He will sometimes whisper the same thing to us twice. Or three times. Or three thousand.

Until we finally catch on.

He’s patient that way. And maddeningly polite–where we would like for Him to whack us on the head with an umbrella and shout into our ears the answers to our prayers and explanations for all the other stuff that doesn’t make sense, He instead forces us to focus on Him, to concentrate on discerning His quiet voice through the din and clanging of this world. This is our God, who chose to speak to Elijah in a still small voice instead of a mighty wind, earthquake, or fire (1 Kings 19:12).

I’ll apologize in advance for taking such a meandering path to get to my point today, but writing the previous paragraph reminded me of a very old Swedish man I played chess against a long, long time ago in a place far, far way–sometime in the last century, in fact, in a fabled land known as California. This ancient Swede had lost most of his teeth, and maybe even most of his English words. He spoke animatedly to me during our match. Trouble was, I could hardly make out a word of what he was saying. OK, here’s a confession long overdue: I really didn’t understand anything he said. Not a mumble. I wasn’t convinced he was actually even trying to speak English. So I politely nodded my head and laughed occasionally, trying my best to give the impression that I was fluent in toothless Swedish muttering.

Anyway, here’s the point of that little detour: how often do we politely nod and laugh occasionally to try to give the impression that we are fluent in the whisperings of God?

And, actually, that’s not even my point for today. Here’s where I was going with all this: I think, but I can’t be sure, that God whispered something to me week, and I believe I am supposed to share it here with you.

Last week I wrote about the dark rivers we all have running through our hearts. And try as we may, we can’t seem to vanquish them altogether, due mostly to our fallen nature, and with slimy assists from Satan, who would like nothing more than to knock us off our trajectories toward heaven.

person standing and looking at moon
Photo by Tony Detroit on Unsplash

Then this past week, in my journey through the Bible with Brian Hardin and the Daily Audio Bible family, one of the readings included Romans 7. This is the passage where Paul–the Apostle Paul, who wrote at least half of the New Testament–laments about his sinful nature:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Apostle Paul in Romans 7:14-25

So what’s the message here? There are 2 key points:

  1. Although God would never wink and look the other way while we sin, He does remind us here that even someone as great as Paul grappled with the dark river running through his heart. Meaning, even though we should seek His help to turn away from sin, when we do give in to our sinful nature, we should remember to turn to God in confession. And when we do that, we should forgive ourselves because He has forgiven us. But remember, we cannot take this as a carte blanche pass to keep on sinning (Paul talks about this as well).
  2. Although God would never wink and look the other way while we sin, He does ultimately deliver us from the eternal punishment we deserve by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord! I know this theme is sort of woven through item #1, but it’s such important great news that it bears repeating on its own.

So that’s it, the good news–the Gospel–boiled down to its core: God loves us so much that He gave us a ticket out of our vicious cycle of sin, at the cost of His own Son. We have only to accept the gift of grace and mercy.

book of John page
Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash

If this offer to save us from ourselves doesn’t convince this ailing world how much God loves us, I don’t know what will.

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Light in Our Own Darkness

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

We are called by our God to, each in our own way and as His ambassadors, be a light in the darkness of this world. The good news–and at the same time, the challenge–about this is that we each are imperfect reflections of our all-powerful and always-perfect God. Jars of clay who have been dashed against the stone floor of our sin and brokenness and are slowly being rebuilt into something more closely resembling Jesus.

So, hopefully, we try to be God’s light in the darkness at our workplaces, in our neighborhoods, on social media. For our friends and, yes, even (or especially!) with our families. Sometimes we succeed in clear and direct ways, small and large. Other times we crash and burn–or think we do–and perhaps wonder why we even tried. Maybe God can’t use me after all…

But here’s the thing:

  1. God loves to work through people who seem to be unlikely conduits of His Love, Grace, or Action. Moses was a murderer. King David was, too, and added adulterer to his resume. Jonah really didn’t want to help the people of Nineveh be saved from destruction. The Apostle Peter was so impetuous, he seemed to act first, then think later. Paul tried to do away with followers of Christ. Yet God used all of these people in powerful ways. If He used them, He can use you and me. It’s not about what we can do, it’s about what God can achieve working through us when we cooperate with him.
  2. God can take our failures and work beautiful miracles through them. So even though our efforts may not lead the the outcomes that we expected, they can lead to the outcomes God intended, which is better in the end anyway.

OK, so all this so far is about us being imperfect, flickering candles illuminating the darkness in the world around us.

But what about the darkness that wells up all to easily within us? We each have dark rivers flowing within our hearts. And to be clear, I’m not pointing the finger at any individual–this is all of us, including me. Jesus was the only perfect human being who ever lived. So the rest of us are stuck battling it out in the gap between who we want to be and who we really are.

I am trying my hardest, begging for help from God, to be a better human, the person He sees me become when I reach my final destination, in His presence. Some moments of some days, I feel myself growing in that direction, I feel Him working in me and through me, drawing me closer to Him.

But then there are other moments… I sometimes think to myself, How could I be so close, walking in lock-step with God one moment, only to get distracted and fall away a few moments later?

That’s the evil one at work. A lion, as Peter put it, prowling around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The master deceiver, he is quite skilled at distracting us from our mission of loving God and loving others. And he should be good at it–he’s been at it for thousands of years, starting with Adam and Eve in Eden.

It would help us all to remember that the closer we become to resembling Jesus, the more the enemy hates that. So the more he will attack us to try to knock us off the narrow road toward heaven and God’s presence upon which we now journey. The sobering flip side of this is that if you don’t feel under some sort of spiritual attack by the evil one, it may mean the he doesn’t see you as a threat to his kingdom of darkness.

But make no mistake: we cannot use that as an excuse for bad behavior, for giving in to sin. As Jesus’ brother James warns us:

Borrowed from YouVersion: https://my.bible.com/verse-of-the-day/JAS.4.7/651?version=111

So what are we to make of this pickle we’re in? We want to stay close to God and bring his Light to the darkness of the world, yet we struggle with the darkness within us, which threatens to undermine our closeness to God and anything we try to do in His name.

Well, for one thing, here’s some good news for us: God’s grace and love abound. They are more than enough to cover ALL of our imperfections and failures as though they never happened. There is nothing that makes gratitude overflow from my heart more than that. He takes our feeble, inept attempts at shining His light in the darkness and turns them into floodlights illuminating His glory and compassion for this world.

lighthouse photograph
Photo by Clement Souchet on Unsplash

There’s a Japanese saying I like: “Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight.” Borrowing that for the purpose of my message here, picture God saying to us, “Sin seven times, be forgiven eight.” God’s love and mercy for us overflows whatever we can ask or imagine.

left human palm close-up photography
Photo by Dyu – Ha on Unsplash

And here’s one more thing. I have sometimes wondered why God doesn’t allow those of us who want to live in close relationship with Him to stop sinning once and for all. I mean, why wouldn’t God want to grant us this request? Evidently, King David wondered something similar to this when he wrote Psalm 139:

Borrowed from YouVersion: https://my.bible.com/verse-of-the-day/PSA.139.24/697?version=111

He follows this up with the request, “See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:24 (NIV))

Here’s my theory about this: I believe that if God granted our request never to sin again, we would eventually end up believing that we ourselves are responsible for our sinlessness instead of giving God the glory and thanks for that.

And here is why I believe this. When His people were wandering in the desert for 40 years, as recounted in Numbers, God gave them manna to eat, but only enough for one day at a time. Jesus, in giving us the Lord’s Prayer, taught us to ask for our daily bread. I think that at least part of the reason He gives us things only in small doses is to help us remember that He is the only source of Life and everything glorious and worthwhile that we have. This helps us resist the temptation to believe that we can achieve anything important and eternal without Him.

That, my friends, is a blessing, since it keeps us aware of how much we need God. He’s much better at being God than we are!

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The One with All the Answers

Posted on July 11, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in the self-inflicted punishment known as “golf” (coincidentally, a four-letter word) with my son-in-law and a friend of his. Ever since I started having kids, golf became only an occasional pastime for me, so I generally subscribe to the quote, “Golf is a good walk spoiled” (which is usually incorrectly attributed to Mark Twain, according to Quote Investigator, who seems to indicate that it’s best to attribute it to no one–i.e., anonymous).

person holding golf club
Photo by Christoph Keil on Unsplash

So even though my golf game is dreadful, I nevertheless make my best attempt to not let it spoil my walk. I intentionally take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of nature (since I’m usually in amongst trees or by the water!), the glorious sunshine, fresh air, Colorado’s azure summertime sky. While this practice doesn’t improve my score (and may even make it worse), it does make it so I savor such outings regardless of the (very big and bad) number on my scorecard.

green grass field near green trees under white sky during daytime
Photo by Matthew McBrayer on Unsplash

During yesterday’s round, a gentle breeze carried a seed for a cottonwood tree right past me, floating and twirling freely yet aimlessly. This made me think of us–you and me, our society.

Each one of us floats freely yet aimlessly through our lives, like the cottonwood seed. They all land eventually, and so do we. But which ones actually take root and are grounded strong enough to become a tall, majestic cottonwood tree?

Photo by Simon Rae on Unsplash

It all depends on the soil we find.

This in turn relies on whom we pose our life questions to.

Some people ask “the universe”, and when they hear nothing in return, either conclude there is no God or perhaps concede that there is some sort of formless, nameless spiritual force working in random ways in the world.

“The universe” is not the place to go for answers. Space is, by definition, void.

There are those who may have had some sense that there is a God, but they end up trusting what their secular friends say about this more than what they learned from their parents or in Sunday school. Maybe they believe their bad experiences in life, some of which may involve Christians behaving badly (sadly, all too common an occurrence), and conclude there can’t possibly be a loving God who allows all these bad things to happen to them or in this world.

Friends who claim to have all the answers but really don’t are not a good place to go with your life questions.

One big temptation in our culture is to chase after fame and fortune to answer our life questions. There is nothing wrong with fame and fortune in and of themselves, but when we believe that the answers to life’s important questions can be found in them, they turn into idols. Similarly, when we worship those who have achieved them (actors and actresses, star athletes, politicians–the list goes on) and believe everything they say as the gospel truth, we have placed too much faith in people who are as broken as we are (sometimes more so). The actor Jim Carrey, a modern-day Solomon (who had it all and then nearly lost it all from looking for answers in all the wrong places), had this to say about it:

The World Best Quotes: "I hope everybody could get rich and famous and will have everything they ...
Borrowed from theworldbestquotes.blogspot.com

Evidently, life’s answers are not to be found in fame or fortune.

Some people ask their life questions of social media. Those who look here for answers find an endless variety of guidance, much of which is utter nonsense. But there are also nuggets of truth to be found (like here in this blog!). The trouble is, how is anyone supposed to sort out which answers are rooted in Truth and which are rubbish?

My observation is that it has turned into an echo chamber–people believe whatever they want to believe and post vitriolic responses to others who say things contrary to what they want to hear. Another thought is that there is a strong temptation to explore and believe nearly anything so long as it departs from the Judeo-Christian values upon which this country was founded. This makes me think of this admonition from the Apostle Peter:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
brown lion
Photo by Keyur Nandaniya on Unsplash

It would appear, then, that social media is not the place to go for answers since most of them are ridiculous and clearly not life-giving.

So here’s the thing: God is still God. God is still in control, regardless of what it seems like in the news (who mainly report stories of the evil one’s sneaky and nefarious actions in the world and largely ignore endless good being done in the name of God around the world).

We already know how the story ends.

But why is that? Why us?

Because we know where to go for answers.

God is the Answer Man, and we have the faith to believe that. We have learned to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not to lean on our own understanding, as Solomon suggested:

Borrowed from YouVersion: https://my.bible.com/verse-of-the-day/PRO.3.5/10780?version=111

Trust in the Lord
with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV, emphasis added)

We have learned or will learn that when God appears to not answer our prayers, he really is in the process of answering them or has already answered them. Sometimes (often) the answer may not look like what we hoped or expected, but then we remember that he is God and we are not. His ways are higher than our ways and sometimes (often) beyond our comprehension. We have learned or will learn that sometimes the answer is “no”, instead of mistaking that as not an answer.

I am confident that anyone who investigates the Bible with an open mind will realize that it is the source of Truth and Life, and that God has all the answers to our life questions. This is true even of avowed atheists, such as what happened with Lee Strobel (who chronicled his journey in his book, “The Case for Christ”) and C.S. Lewis (famous for his “Chronicles of Narnia” books, he tells the story of his journey from atheist to believer in “Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life”).

So in the end, the only way an aimless seed builds roots deep enough to sustain a thriving tree is to find its way into fertile, life-giving soil. If you are a follower of Christ, you are there. And now your calling (and mine), among other things, is to help others find the truth of that nourishing soil of our God, the One with All the Answers.

grayscale photography of dandelion flower
Photo by Herbert Goetsch on Unsplash

Author’s note: the links I provided in the above post to the books by Lee Strobel and C.S. Lewis are affiliate links. What this means is that if you follow one of these links, you will be taken to the Amazon store for an internet venture I have started up on the side. If you purchase one of the books, that company will receive a very small commission. This will be at no extra cost to you–the transaction will look exactly the same to you as if you went directly to Amazon and purchased it there. Although I have no intention of trying to monetize this blog, I thought there would be no harm in including links like this since there is no impact to you. However, in the spirit of transparency, I nevertheless wanted to mention that this was the case. If this is offensive to you, please let me know by leaving a (hopefully polite) comment, and of course, feel free to avoid following the links.

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Declaration of Dependence

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Here in the USA, July 4th marks the date our nation was founded. 245 years ago, 13 small colonies banded together to defiantly shake their collective fist in the face of the King of England, who at the time was the biggest bully on the planet. And against all odds, this young nation survived the onslaught that volleyed forth from the greatest military in the world.

The fact that America began with the signing of the Declaration of Independence by representatives from these 13 original colonies has perhaps to some extent caused the notion of independence to become highly prized in our culture. To one degree or another, many of us like to not depend on anyone else for anything. We don’t like to be told what to do. We are the Marlboro Man or Amelia Earhart.

To depend on someone else is a sign of weakness.

Or is it?

It may surprise many of us who have not read the Declaration of Independence since middle school or high school (if ever) that our precious founding document ends with this sentence:

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

from the U.S. Declaration of Independence (emphasis added)

Wait a minute. So, we’re supposed to rely (depend) on God for his providence and protection?

I guess we’re not so independent after all–only independent from the tyranny of England’s King George III.

And here’s another thing: in addition to the need to return to needing God as a nation, if the isolation over the past year (plus) due to COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is this:

We need each other, too.

girl holding umbrella on grass field
Photo by J W on Unsplash

Evidently, the founding fathers thought so as well, since they ended our nation’s founding document with a statement confirming that our lives and fortunes are inextricably intertwined. Meaning, we need each other.

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash

So, to summarize, our nation’s foundational document declares our independence from England but dependence on God and each other.

Oh, OK, I’m good with that. What about you?

Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography
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Hand in Hand

Posted on June 27, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter
Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography

In church today, as I stood there holding my wife’s hand, it occurred to me how funny it is that our hands line up the way they do, given that I’m almost a foot taller than she is. This must have been part of God’s design for us, that our hands would line up when hanging at our sides no matter how tall we are.

This also got me thinking about references to God holding our hands. In Psalm 73, Asaph (the author) speaks lovingly about God for helping him resist the temptation to envy wicked people who seemed to be prospering without fearing the Lord:

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:23-26 (NIV, emphasis added)

The picture the poet is painting here is of God standing by our side, always helping us. The love language is something I would like to have come up with to utter to my wife–in other words, very intimate and grateful for the steady presence by my side.

So in a sense, even though God is infinitely taller than I am, his arms are just the right length so that my hand slides comfortably into his.

How cool is that?

Also, there must be a reason why Asaph mentions that God holds him by his right hand. Asaph was a worship leader during the time of Kings David and Solomon. I wonder if this could have been the reason why he mentioned his right hand: soldiers in those days generally held their weapons in their right hands, so by referring to God holding his right hand, I wonder if he was alluding to the fact that God is his protector, so while holding onto God’s hand, he wouldn’t need a weapon. Asaph himself may not have been a soldier, but it seems possible that everyone hearing this song could have made the connection.

Or perhaps this: a musician generally needs her/his right hand to play her/his instrument. In this case, the reference could have been to stop whatever it is you are doing when the opportunity presents itself to take God’s hand and thank him for his steady and strong presence in our lives.

One more possibility: since the next verse refers to God’s guidance, I wonder if this couldn’t also hint at a willingness to follow wherever God leads and guides us to go. Hopefully all of us, at one time or another when we were very young, felt the loving grip of a parent’s hand around ours, leading us away from danger and toward safety. Of course, sometimes that safety may have looked like danger to us–a doctor’s or dentist’s office, a first day of school–but we went because that’s where mom or dad was leading us.

That sounds strangely like being open to going wherever God wants us to go….

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4 Things I Learned About God from Being a Dad

Posted on June 21, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

There can, of course, never be any comparison between my fathering skills and those of our Heavenly Father, so I’m not trying to draw any such parallel. That out of the way, I’ll point out a few lessons I’ve learned about God from my 26+ years of fatherhood.

Me and my family enjoying the Colorado mountains. I always say that the gray in my beard is a gift from my wife and kids, but they don’t think I’m all that funny
This is the day we added a son-in-law to our crew
That’s me ducking to make sure I don’t block the view of Neuschwanstein castle in Germany

1. I did the best I could raising my children, then I turned them loose on the world

God has blessed me with 3 children, and now he has thrown a son-in-law into the mix. With my 3 kids, I wish I could say I always did everything right as their dad, but that would be a dad-sized fib. Regardless, within my own constraints as a broken person living in a broken world, I did the best I could to raise them with all the love and patience I could muster. My wife and I tried to teach them and model for them good behavior, showing love and grace for others as much as we could.

But then there came various times in their lives as they grew up that we had to take them somewhere and leave them there, temporarily abandoning them to someone else’s care–a teacher, a friend’s mom, a coach, etc. This was a challenge for many reasons, not the least of which was that we hoped they would exhibit appropriate behavior, such as do the right thing even when we weren’t there to watch them and nudge them in that direction.

So, God pursues us and draws into his presence. As we grow in relationship with him, he guides us and stretches us and teaches us to do the right thing even when nobody is looking. I can imagine him holding his breath the first time we are doing something to serve him. “Oh, I hope he remembers to say thank you…” or (maybe more accurately) “Gosh, I hope he doesn’t screw this up…“

2. I long to help them when they struggle, but it’s usually best for them if I wait for them to ask for help

Anyone who has ever been a parent has surely experienced this. Although we didn’t usually cause the challenges they faced, our children nevertheless encountered many obstacles throughout their youth. As older, more experienced humans, we usually knew what to do to fix those situations for them. Thankfully, though, we usually managed to keep ourselves from doing so, knowing that if we always fixed everything for them, they wouldn’t know how to look after themselves when they reached adulthood.

Similarly, God usually hasn’t caused the messes we find ourselves in. And no matter how much we beg him to fix them for us, he most often gives us the tools we need to solve the problems ourselves (and/or blesses us with others to help us through them), enabling us to grow and hopefully make better decisions going forward. As the Apostle Paul put it:

Bible Verse of the Day - day 173 - image 5759 (Romans 5:4)
Borrowed from YouVersion: https://www.bible.com/verse-of-the-day/ROM.5.4/5759?version=111

3. I want to be in relationship with them because they like being around me, not because of what I can do for them

Although we all have our moments, I generally genuinely like being with these people I had a hand in creating and raising. One of the hardest things about being a parent, in my experience, has been teaching them and shaping them to prepare them to one day leave us. But my hope has always been that we would have a good enough relationship that they would still want to spend time with me occasionally. While I feel like I do have good relationships with them, I also feel like with two out of the three of them, the only time I really hear from them is when they need something from me. I am always glad to help them, but it still breaks my heart that this is the only time they reach out to me.

Hmm, so I wonder how God feels when the only time we talk to him is when we need something from him. What he has done for us and what he is to us are infinitely more than what I have done for my kids and what I am to them, so it’s easy to imagine that his heart breaks infinitely more than mine does when I feel like only a resource to my kids.

Although this is not in the Bible, the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks the question, “What is the chief end of man?” The answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” (emphasis added)

Yes, I believe strongly that God wants us to enjoy him. Although we should still revere and respect him as the Powerful Creator of the Universe, we should also want to spend time with him because we enjoy him. There must be a reason why Jesus referred to God the Father using the intimate term, “Abba”, which in Aramaic was something akin to “Daddy.”

If enjoyment is not part of your relationship with God to the point where you want to spend time with him, then I suggest you ask him to help you find that with him.

4. I love them no matter what

Each of my kids and I have gone through some rough patches (some rougher than others). But at the end of it all, I still love them. While I may not always like them (or, more accurately, the things they do or say), I can’t imagine there is anything they could ever do that would make it so I don’t love them.

And if I–an imperfect man–feel this way about my kids, just imagine how our Perfect God feels about us, his children. Actually, we don’t have to imagine since he showed us:

Bible Verse of the Day - day 173 - image 510 (Romans 5:8)
Borrowed from YouVersion: https://www.bible.com/verse-of-the-day/ROM.5.8/510?version=111

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I am God’s Little Toe, Which Means I Can Do a Lot

Posted on June 13, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

I had the honor and privilege to officiate my niece’s wedding over the weekend. I was not an ordained pastor, so I went through the process of getting ordained online. While opportunities for humor abound in this scenario (I couldn’t stop thinking of Joey in “Friends” as I was going through the ordination process), I was determined to treat it with the sobriety and respect it warranted, given that the goal was to usher the young couple into a blessed union of holy matrimony.

Here’s where I’m going with this: it really got me thinking about calling. The irony of the situation is that right after I became a new Believer in high school, I had considered becoming a pastor. The trouble I ran into in answering this calling, though, was twofold:

  1. At the time, I knew nothing about calling and the faithfulness associated therewith–either from my side (trusting God enough to follow your calling regardless how crazy it seemed, like Noah building a giant boat when there was no water in sight) or trusting God enough to know that he will bless your answer to his calling in such a way that the outcome will be exactly what he had in mind (not necessarily what you had in mind, though, like Jonah preaching a message of repentance to the people of Nineveh so God wouldn’t destroy them, and they listened to him, much to his bitter disappointment!).
  2. Several encounters I had in college with mature believers behaving badly. At the time, I was immature enough in my faith that I thought followers of Christ had to be perfect, or at least way better behaved than the average person. I laugh at the thought now, after being a Believer for about 4 decades. Oh, I know we are called to try to be like Jesus, and believe me, I do try, but I have also come to learn that it’s impossible to reach that high bar. That’s why we need grace, and why we should all be so grateful that we are floating in an ocean of it. I’m also thankful that the Bible overflows with stories of other well-intended screw-ups who God nevertheless manages to achieve his great purposes through, despite their imperfections. But anyway, at the time, not knowing what I know now (a phrase I associate with hard-earned wisdom), it really rattled my faith, knocking me off the course of becoming a pastor.

So what’s the deal with calling anyway? What does it mean to be called by God to do something? And if I miss God’s call, will he leave a message? Meaning, will I have other chances to serve him?

Here’s what the Apostle Paul had to say about calling:

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Apostle Paul, in Romans 12:3-8 (NIV)

According to Paul, then, we all have a gift–which is to say, a calling–that God has given to us. Does that mean that if I don’t fulfill my purpose, that thing won’t get done? Maybe, but I also think of my hands. I’m right-handed, but a few times in my life I’ve broken my right arm, so I was unable to write with that hand. Although my handwriting was far more labored and far less legible when I did it with my left hand, I was still able to do it.

So, I wonder how many burning bushes God had to create before someone answered the call. And was Moses the first choice? The fifth?

Regarding the connection between God’s calling and the gifts he has given to us, my favorite quote on the topic comes from Eric Liddell, made famous by the 1980s movie “Chariots of Fire” (definitely worth watching, although watching it with subtitles isn’t a bad idea if you aren’t used to “the other English” they speak in the UK):

17 Best images about Christian inspiration on Pinterest ...

So whatever it is that makes you feel God’s pleasure when you’re doing it, that’s the way he wired you, so it’s safe to assume it’s your calling.

So do we have only one calling?

I really don’t think so. Most of the people I know are really good at more than one thing. And many of the named people in the Bible are as well. I think I am, too. So are you, I’ll bet. Returning to Paul’s analogy comparing the Body of Christ (the universal body of believers) to a human body, most of our body parts have more than one function (for example, I took a break from typing to scratch a bug bite I seemed to have acquired earlier in the evening).

Anyway, bringing this back to where I started, was God calling me to be a pastor when I was in high school? I don’t know, and I may never know until I get to ask him myself. One thing I’ve learned since then, though, is there have been plenty of callings along the way, many chances for me to serve him. Something else I’ve learned is that God’s callings may not look anything like what we think it should, but it’s important that we answer when he calls. He is a creative God, and he made us to be creative people. With his help and our imaginations, there isn’t anything we can’t achieve.

One last thing: our calling doesn’t always have to save the world or save a people-group or save the whales, even though God does use people to do these things. God would be fine with a calling that helps only one other person–a spouse, a child, a friend, a neighbor. In God’s economy, it could be that one person your calling helps who then goes on to save a people-group. It’s OK if we’re “just” God’s little toe–we can still do great things to help others and further God’s Kingdom on earth.

So whatever it is that God is calling you to do–whatever makes you feel his pleasure when you do it–that’s what you need to find a way to do. You never know whom you might be blessing when you do it.

Or maybe sometimes you do. Maybe a couple ends up married when you answer a call 40 years after it first came in….

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Walk in the Woods

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter 
Green River strolls lazily along,
Draws me onward
Only forward, 
No going back.
Layers of emerald canopy glisten,
Diamonds pressed from a
Light and momentary storm.

Muddy path meanders, sometimes
Near the river, others not,
Falling, rising again,
Tracing undulating hills.
Is there a destination or
Only wandering?
The river seems to know
Where it’s going.
Why not the path?

Gentle whisper—
Is it water? Breeze? Rain?
Soundless river, motionless leaves,
No drips in the puddle before me.
My ears do not betray the
Voice speaking to me.
I lean into the not knowing.


I lose my way a few times, but
Then I am found again.
Grace, signposts.
Slippery trail has
Knocked me down, but
Each time I get up.
Green, glistening woods are
Worth being muddy and bruised.
There is a destination after all—
My true love
Calls my name from 
Just beyond the edge of the woods, and
Off I go.

David K. Carpenter
June 6, 2021

Photos taken in the woods along the Green River as it winds its way through Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky.

All images Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography
Poem Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter
All Rights Reserved

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In Memoriam, with Gratitude

Posted on May 30, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter
Monument in Gettysburg, Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography, All Rights Reserved

At a time like this, on a weekend extended for this reason, we should take a moment of silent reflection. At a time when our nation is so deeply divided, with political factions threatening to tear the very threads at the foundation of our country, we should set those differences aside. Regardless of our political beliefs, we should all assume a quiet posture of humility and gratitude for those brave and heroic women and men who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedom we have to express our opinions.

World War II Memorial, Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography, All Rights Reserved

May we not do anything to or with this nation to make their sacrifices mean nothing. Let us not destroy ourselves from inside the DC Beltway.

Washington Monument, Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography, All Rights Reserved

Although Memorial Day is set aside specifically to remember fallen soldiers, and as important as that is, I think it is no less heroic to walk into battle, towards the gates of hell, and come away with your life. So it is that, with humble gratitude, I thank all those women and men who have served in the armed forces to protect our liberty. God bless you all, and may God continue to bless America.

Arlington National Cemetery with quote from John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address,
Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography, All Rights Reserved

One last thing: it is OK–in fact, it is necessary for good mental health–to mourn our losses. This can be the loss of loved ones in battle–as is the focus of this Memorial Day weekend–or it can be other friends or family members we’ve lost in other ways. The loss of a job, or some other significant loss of a way of life. The loss of a political battle. Any loss needs to be mourned, and therefore processed through the stages of grief, in order to avoid becoming an ongoing obstacle to our mental health and stability.

In fact, in the very first sermon Jesus preached, right at the start of his ministry, he quoted from Isaiah (see Luke 4:18-19, for example):

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV)

Mourning is the first step in the journey of healing. Let us not shy away from this path, for we are a people of hope. The only way to be called “oaks of righteousness” and “a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor” is to struggle through the valley of darkness and despair and come out the other side, bursting forth into the Light. That is where we can and will shake the ashes out of our hair and put on our crowns of beauty.

Beret by Vietnam War Memorial Wall, Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography, All Rights Reserved
Wreath by Vietnam War Memorial Wall,
Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography, All Rights Reserved
Plaque in Arlington National Cemetery,
Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography, All Rights Reserved
World War I Memorial in Germany, Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography, All Rights Reserved
Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery,
Copyright © 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography, All Rights Reserved
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Sunshine on a Rainy Day

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Here in Colorado, it’s not terribly common for us to have gloomy weather for extended periods of time. And although we’re not quite there yet this season, the on again/off again rain lately caught me on my hikes both days this weekend. I don’t know if my dog will ever forgive me. In fact, after yesterday’s sudden outburst of hail, thunder, and torrential rain, today she looked at me in a way that seemed to ask, “Are you sure it’s not going to do that on today’s hike?” I shrugged my shoulders and said, “I don’t know, let’s go find out.”

As I said, she may never trust me again.

Anyway, during today’s muddy, wet adventure, a couple things occurred to me that I thought would be worth sharing.

First, I remembered times when I’ve flown on a rainy day. Anyone who has taken off from Denver International Airport knows that on a good day, you’re in for a bumpy ride, given the seemingly random and swirling winds that toss our giant metal tube about like it’s a paper airplane. Rain and thunderstorms only add to the harrowing adventure.

But here’s the thing. Just when the flight is as turbulent as it can be, and the woman across the aisle is filling her barf bag, and I begin to wonder how much more I or our aircraft can take, we burst through the clouds.

Angelic choirs break into song. For a moment, we appear weightless, floating on top of the very clouds that abused us on our ascent. Sunlight glistens off our rain-drenched airplane’s wings, illuminates the flowing cotton clouds, gentle and peaceful as far as our eyes can see.

Photo by Taelynn Christopher on Unsplash

I remembered that today, getting caught in my second sudden rainstorm in as many days. It may be gray and gloomy where I am standing. You may be cold and wet and shivering, wish you were anywhere but where you are. But somewhere above, the sun is shining in dazzling and unexpected ways.

Or maybe it’s better to say, the Son is shining in dazzling and unexpected ways.

That’s always going on, even if we can’t see it. Even when we’re caught in a surprise storm.

The second thought came to me when the sun came out, even though it was still raining. I mean, how could you need sunglasses and a raincoat at the same moment? Does anyone else find that odd?

Anyway, as I was hiking along in the sunny rain, with my dog and my older daughter grumbling at me, it struck me as a metaphor for life. On any given day–indeed, at any given moment–we can be joyful while we grapple with a problem we haven’t yet found a solution for, or we can be fearful for our future while we find a few moments of laughter surrounded by friends.

I had a pastor who used to say that we live in the tension between the now and the not yet. And I think that’s it. That’s life in all its gloom and glory.

It’s a hike through the woods on a sunny, rainy day.

But in the end, the clouds scattered and there was only sun. And in the end, there will only be the Son.

Sun Fading into the Pacific – © Copyright 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography, All Rights Reserved
Cross in Woodland Park, CO – © Copyright 2021 by David K. Carpenter Photography, All Rights Reserved
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