Roller Coaster & Rich Soil

 

Readings 072426

I know a man raised in faith.  

Life happened—  

and life can be a roller coaster.  

Ups and downs.  

Highs and lows.  

Good and bad.  

Debauchery and piousness,  

woven together in the same human heart.

But even in the sway of that ride,  

there comes a moment of clarity—  

a moment when a man remembers  

the One who loved him  

and gave Himself for him.  

A moment when he can say with St. Paul:  

“The life I now live in this body,  

I live by putting my trust  

in the Son of God.”

And the Lord, in His mercy,  

still speaks:  

“Return, rebellious children,  

for I am your Master.”

Not to shame,  

not to scold,  

but to gather,  

to heal,  

to restore.

Because God knows the soil of a soul.  

He knows when it has been trampled,  

when it has been dry,  

and when—by grace—  

it becomes rich again.

And Jesus tells us:  

The seed sown on rich soil  

is the one who hears the word,  

understands it,  

and bears fruit—  

a hundred, sixty, thirtyfold.

Remember the man raised in faith.  

Remember the God who never stopped calling.  

Remember that every heart—  

even one weathered by the roller coaster of life—  

can become rich soil again  

when it trusts the Son of God  

who loved us first.

Prayer  

Lord Jesus Christ, 

Let my wandering heart 

remember Your steady love,  

turning rebellions into pathways 

that lead me home.

Make the soil of my soul 

rich again with grace,  

plant Your Word deep 

where fruit can rise and shine.  

Let my life lift in trust of the Son 

who loved me first. 

Amen

The Parable on the Goal Line

 

Readings 072326 

Last night at my grandson’s summer football drills,  

I watched a parable unfold on a goal line.

After an hour of speed, strength, and agility work,  

the boys were worn out.  

Then came the 100‑yard dashes.  

Some glided across the field—  

smooth, effortless, almost floating.  

Most ran steady, including my grandson.  

And then came the big boys—  

the ones I know well from my own life—  

slow, heavy, determined.

By the fourth sprint, one seventh‑grader—  

well over six feet, close to 300 pounds—  

bent over in agony,  

crying, unable to go on.  

But the coaches ran to him.  

His friends ran to him.  

They lifted him, encouraged him,  

and with their help,  

he finished the run…  

and even two more afterward.  

Never the fastest,  

but unmistakably the most determined.

And that is where the Gospel speaks.

The disciples ask Jesus,  

“Why do You speak in parables?”  

And Jesus replies:  

Some look but do not see,  

some hear but do not understand—  

their hearts grown heavy, closed, tired.  

But blessed are the ones  

whose eyes still see  

and whose ears still hear.

That young man could have quit.  

His body said “stop,”  

but his heart said “go.”  

And when he could not lift himself,  

others lifted him.

This is what it means  

to have eyes that see  

and ears that hear.

To recognize mercy when it comes running toward you.  

To accept help when your strength runs out.  

To trust that God sends people  

to pull you forward  

when you cannot move on your own.

Many longed to see what we see—  

the God who meets us in weakness,  

the Christ who speaks in stories  

so our tired hearts can understand.

So keep running your race—  

not the fastest,  

but the most faithful—  

with eyes open,  

ears open,  

and a heart ready  

to be lifted by God  

and by the people He sends.

Prayer

Lord, 

Open my eyes to the grace 

that meets me in my weakness.

Steady my steps when life 

feels long and heavy.

Send companions who lift me 

when I cannot lift myself.

Keep my heart soft, listening, and ready 

to understand Your Word.

Make me faithful in  trusting You 

Amen