Ed Welch (Page 2)

“Life works like this. Everyone is ordinary. Yes, I know that we are made in God’s image, but that gives us no reason to take pride in ourselves. Those who have come to terms with their ordinariness are on a path of uniqueness and strength. They have learned to think less often about themselves. Get to know them and you have a sense that you are with greatness. Those who insist on personal reputation are brutish and small. Get to…

“… Walking to the beach the next day, with a relationship that was a bit chilly, and feeling stuck, a simple truth broke through. One of the beauties of Scripture is that it gives the way of wisdom and makes it available to anyone with ears to hear. Though there is a place for keen insight and sometimes our behaviours deserve careful analysis, simple truths are usually the means of our deliverance. The simple truth was this: Did I love?…

“Most of my grandchildren cried the first time I corrected them. We would talk about what happened, all would be fine, and by the next correction they had immunity to the thought that my correction was personal rejection. This grandson, however, has affection for me that goes deeper—even deeper than his desire to hoard his Halloween candy. For him, correction communicates that his grandfather is not pleased with something about him, and the perceived interruption of love is too much…

“It is hard to imagine, but try slowly dismantling your resume. What personal achievements have some importance in your life? Include health, education, weight, fitness, general attractiveness and unique abilities. If you were to boast, what might you boast about? Now, toss these out one at a time. Do some hurt more than others? What is left when the achievements are gone?” Read more…

“Every couple of months it is worth drawing up a fresh husband policy. We can always benefit from a little sharpening of our marital calling, goals, and intentions. Lately, I have been thinking about responsibility.” Read more…

We were made to lose ourselves but not by being identical to the Lord or anonymous to other people. We were created to walk with them, fit with them, complement and love them. Faith itself is relational engagement in which we know and respond to Jesus. And, when faith and love are animated in our relationships, we look more unique, more full of life because this is God’s intent for us and this is how the Spirit of God works…

“Think of emotions as a language. They say something—something very important—and part of our job is to figure out what they are saying. Sometimes the interpretation is easy. A friend says, “I feel so afraid.” She is saying that a threat looms to something that is important to her. Got it. We hear her correctly. Now there is much we can do. We want to know more about the real or perceived threat, and we want to know how to…

“Somewhere a plant grows—a stalk of wheat, an ear of corn—and this assures us that our God reigns. We have so much to do, so many worries, so little money, so many hardships. We pray about these things, yet before we complete a sentence we are off solving our problems or fretting about what could be. If only Jesus’ words would slow us down so we could listen and consider the realities of our Father’s care. It certainly would be…

“In a world of shysters and cons, you are wise to be alert to their strategies. When at the train station in Rome, pickpockets are everywhere so keep money and important documents secure. When you receive internet requests for money, ignore them. When you are promised a 10% return on your investment, don’t give up a penny. And when you have an enemy who is always out to get you, stay current with his schemes.” Read more…

Among the many embarrassing choices in my life is that I have gone to a few vacation timeshare presentations—I will not say how many. I tell my long-suffering wife that the presentation will only be an hour, I will tell the presenter “no” up front, and we will get some kind of award for attending. When the presentation begins, the initial price for the timeshare is outrageous and I remain firm in my “no.” Then the price comes down. Still…