Steve-o's Devos: Here We Are

Grace to you and peace.

This is how Paul opens his letter to a a faith community he started in Thessalonica (click the title to read the text). Somehow, those words feel important and necessary lately. As I drive around Nashua, you can begin to see the effects of some of the anxiety that has been unleashed lately in our country. Many restaurants are vacant at dinner, the evening rush seems very manageable with often more staff on hand than there are customers. Something is happening in our city.

What intrigues me most about this passage is that it reminds me that we must come to you not only in word, in places like this blog and facebook, but also in amazing daily encounters in our city. So often, when I have been out at Panera or Unos, it amazes me how often I catch a sign of God's grace and presence in the people around me.

One need only be silent and pay attention to those around you in any coffee shop to discover the many interesting lives and ways that things are happening. One night, a couple of people dreamed about how they could encourage people to give to their ministry. A young woman took a solitary break from her every day work serving others. Another person works diligently at their computer. Further away, someone is being challenged by the Hippo paper's sudoku or crossword puzzle. Counter clerks chat to themselves somewhat nervous that a slow night might mean they have to leave early and earn less money, impacting their own personal budget.

In the midst of these various lines of life, God moves, is moving. If you wait long enough you can begin to sense it and in the more personal conversations we have together we realize why By the Way is here to help you discover a different way of life. It is a way that can break the bondage we have from things that are out of our control but which still feel like they are in charge of our lives. It is a way that opens us up to the abundance that we actually have and can share with others. It is a way that reveals a heart for one another in a world that tends to focus on selfishness.

The question remains, are you ready to be truly inspired by God's spirit? Are you ready to walk a different road that takes you by the way?