Thorns to Wound and Heal

September 16, 2026September 16, 2026 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Rereading this Scripture today, I was struck differently by Paul’s words than I have read them before…

Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He says here that God gave him a thorn in the flesh in order to keep him humble. It caused me to question my own heart and ask, How often do I pray that God would take away a hardship, a trial, or even a personality flaw that I find to be such a weakness?

Immediately following the scripture, Paul says that God’s grace is sufficient for us, and that His power is made perfect in our weaknesses. Paul then says, that because of this, he will glory in his own weaknesses. He says that, although he has much to boast about, he will not boast in those things, but rather boast about his weaknesses, so that Christ’s power will be revealed and His glory would be known.

How often do we take pride in our own abilities, our skills, our talents, and our strengths that make us “look good” to those around us? How often do we boast about the success we have achieved, the good deeds we have done, or the great strength we believe we have?

We never want our weaknesses exposed for the world to see. No. We’d rather they see the picture-perfect life we choose to present.

Yet. Paul said he’d glory in his weakness so that Jesus’ strength might be revealed through it…

This isn’t the first time I’ve read this. Not was it the first time I’ve thought more about it or even taught it to someone else through discipleship.

But it might be the first time it’s truly awakening something within me…

I believe I will be thankful for that thorn in my flesh. Even when it makes me bleed, and I pray to God He’d take it from me.

For His glory, I’ll praise Him in spite of it.

What is your thorn in the flesh?

Wounded Warrior

September 2, 2026September 3, 2026 / The WheatandTares

You walk out the door just as quickly as you can, but everyone longs to say hello.

They want to give an update, express a need, ask a question because after all, you’re suppose to obtain them and always seem to care.

Yet all you want to do is get out of sight, out of mind, out of earshot, to let the tears fall.

That one sentence. That one image.

Brought back all the pain, all the turmoil, all the brokenness that you work so hard to hide.

Most days, you don’t even think about it anymore.

It’s been so long now. The memory has faded for so many. It’s almost as if it didn’t happen.

If they all forget, is it now just a made up event in your mind? Not many know the whole truth anyway.

Would it make a difference? No. Not really.

It’s not their story to know. Some of it’s not even yours to repeat.

So, you walk a little slower to appear engaged. You smile and answer the request as needed and cast a caring look their way.

It’s not their fault you were triggered. They had no idea. The knife was invisible. And they don’t deserve for you to wield it.

But it still pierced. It still made you bleed.

So, you turn and resist the urge to run. You resist the compulsion to loose it right there in the parking lot.

You hold it all in and let the tears flow freely once darkness of night has shadowed you from view.

And that’s when He walks in. That’s when He does His best work.

He lifts you from the ashes and dries your rosy cheeks. He holds you close and reminds you Whose you are.

And then, He shines your armor and picks up your sword.

And offers you to join Him for the battle once more…

…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Psalm 30:5

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:3-4

Take The Good With The Bad…

August 30, 2026August 30, 2026 / The WheatandTares

I went for a walk the other day, actually two days in a row, and I caught a glimpse of beautiful sunsets both nights. The pictures I was able to capture just really didn’t do great justice to the reality of the moments because they were truly breathtaking.

Yet literally 2 minutes before each of these sunsets, I ran into this. Both nights. Almost in the same place. Had I not been on high alert, watching each night, those moments could have ended so differently…

The first night, I looked down, saw that little guy almost under my foot. And I jumped over him like a gazelle! Talk about an adrenaline rush. I turned around just to make sure it wasn’t a stick I’d imagined. Nope. It was real. He looked at me with his menacing, beady little eye. I laughed at myself minutes later, thinking if anyone had seen me, they might have wondered if I just had a sudden hurdle-jumping-imagination. Haha. Surely, they couldn’t see what I saw right there on the pavement.

The second night, right about the same time, I was looking and searching, just to make sure there wasn’t another. Lo and behold, there he was again. Pretty sure it was the same little guy. I walked clear around him this time and circled back, thinking he must be dead and just simply stuck on the road. Nope. He turned his head to look my way. I skedaddled quickly out of range.

Got the pictures to prove it, though. And you better believe that third night, I went way on the other side of the road. Nope. I’m not gonna give him a chance at “three times a charm” to strike me! I actually don’t think he was still there, but nope. Not gonna take a chance!

However, here is my whole point in this story: I have a choice to dwell on the beauty of the sunset or the anxiety producing copperhead. I can think about the endless possibilities of running into that little game changer again, or I can reminisce about those golden pink streaked skies and search for another awestruck evening. It’s my choice.

And that’s exactly how life is. There’s always going to be good and bad. There always going to be days when everything seems to be beautiful, and we feel like we are “topping trees.” And then, there’s gonna be others when we’d like to be buried under those trees. Those marks on our calendar will appear when we wish they’d never have come to us and when we’d like to see them never come again.

And every single time, we will have a choice to decide what and where we will place our focus. We get to determine what stays in our realm of contemplations and what we toss out.

And what stays often establishes what we see tomorrow and the next day and the next.

See, even though that third day, I cautiously walked on the other side of the road, even though I might have fought a little internal flutter of trepidation, I was intentionally going to look for that setting sun to show out just a little brighter. And just as I got ready to go chasing that sunset, my eye caught movement up on the little incline. Right about the place that mean ol’ juvenile was the night before…

(A little out of focus, but a sweet memory still.)

Had I stayed away out of fear, walked by too quickly out of anxiety, or just simply looked away to avoid the horror, I would’ve missed this new little guy who came along to visit.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things arejust, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:3

Grief’s Lament

August 13, 2026August 13, 2026 / The WheatandTares / 8 Comments

What do you do when facing grief?

Do you weep uncontrollably and inconsolably?

Do you grow angry and jealous of those who don’t seem to be affected?

Do you dive into the bottle, the drugs, the prescriptions, anything that will bring relief and simultaneously self destruction?

Do you recede into yourself daring anyone to knock on the wall you’ve built to shield?

Do you quietly reflect, never sharing an inner thought, always brooding, always bracing for the next?

Do you remove yourself from your present day and time and settle into memories of the past, sealing the vault to enter into more?

Maybe you do none of these.

Maybe you do all but at different times.

Recently, it seems I have walked beside so many experiencing this event that one day will, someway, somehow, affect all of us, and it caused me to stop and ponder for a moment.

What do you do when facing grief?

Truthfully, those of us with understanding, knowledge, and even experience with the “Five Stages of Grief,” we can give cliche answers and sound like the most brilliant human beings in the room. We can pontificate on the granduers of psychological pain, suffering, and sorrow. We can present thesis upon thesis on how one should react compared to the case studies of those who were deemed “grieving all wrong.”

But there is no formula to grief.

Oh, how I wish there were!

How I long for a formulaic answer to the mother, who asks, “Why did my son die?” How my heart aches for a well spoken response to the wife who says, “How will I ever live without him?” How my mind races for a piece of comfort to give when the father says, “I would’ve rather have taken her place.”

A studied and proven method would be so much easier to present in these moments of horror and torment. An eloquent quote, a ritualistic prayer, a methodical chant that could wash away the brokenness that remains, these would be like a healing balm both to their soul and mine. How soothing it would be to offer a word that could create the chasm as if there were no remnant of the devastation.

Yet, that is not how grief shows up nor how it makes its exit … if it actually has an exit.

No.

Grief is unexpected, unpredictable, and unwanted…and even truly, unexplainable.

The only thing that has been found a constant in the pain is that He is there. The only name that has stayed stable throughout is Jesus. The only One who has sustained all the shattered dreams and wrecked lives is the One who created our very soul.

And I can’t even tell you how He does it. But He does.

He is faithful and true. And He promises to abide. He promises to stay beside you in the midnight hours. He cannot lie. He is bound by His words of truth. And He will come and dwell. If you’ll but open the door of your heart.

And let Him in.

He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53:3-4

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

Quiet Constancy

May 2, 2026 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

You are a quiet constance in my life.

Always there. Always filling space.

Quiet, calm, and steady.

Never imposing. Never crowding.

Simply there awaiting my awareness.

Awaiting my world to settle back to You again.

You are a peaceful Journey in my life.

Always present. An always consuming pace.

Tranquil, serene, and still.

Never invading. Never intruding.

Simply there awaiting my attention.

Awaiting my mind to turn back to You again.

You are a compelling Force in my life.

All encompassing. All enveloping.

Strong, encouraging, and favored.

Always faithful. Always true.

Simply there awaiting my realization.

Awaiting my heart to yield to You again.

You are a commanding Voice in my life.

All protecting. All consuming.

Fierce, advocating, and victorious.

Always trustworthy. Always just.

Simply there awaiting my revelation.

Awaiting my soul to surrender to You again.

5/2/26 – MG

Be still and know I am God.

Psalm 46:10

Silly Saturday

January 3, 2026July 4, 2025 / The WheatandTares

Funny Friday

August 15, 2025July 4, 2025 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Point of No Return

July 3, 2025July 1, 2025 / The WheatandTares

Whatever you left because it broke you, don’t return to it when your tears have dried.

It may have been a person. It may have been a pain. It may have been a sin. It may have been a shame.

No matter what or who, never go back simply because the storm is over.

Too many abused return to their abuser.

Too many released will return to their captor.

Too many wounded will return to their accuser.

Why?

Often the comfort of the cage is easier than learning to live in the awkwardness of the new.

Often the known is more welcoming than the challenge of the unknown.

But be convicted to adjust.

Be determined to redirect.

Do not settle for the norm because it’s comfortable.

Do not settle for the available simply because it knows you.

Allow yourself to resettle.

Allow yourself to dream again.

Allow yourself to grow.

You’ll be amazed at the new you.

As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly.

Proverbs 26:11

Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.

Proverbs 24:11

It’s Not Me. It’s You.

July 2, 2025July 3, 2025 / The WheatandTares

Oh, if we could grasp this reality, what strength we could gather.

When someone wounds you, it’s not because you have done something wrong. It is because they have something wrong inside.

This is not to say that you could have possibly prevented it. Maybe. sometimes, we don’t notice warning signs until it is too late. Sometimes, we turn a blind eye because of our own hangups and intimidations.

But when someone wrongs you, particularly when it is repetitive, we have to accept it for what it is: their fatal flaw.

We don’t always need to defend ourselves.

And we don’t really need to retaliate.

But we do always need to walk away.

Step back from their negative blows.

Move out of the course of their mayhem.

Set boundaries and close the doors to their reckless endangerment.

Realize it is not your responsibility nor your burden to bear.

Sometimes, broken people try to break others.

Sometimes, wounded people live to wound others.

Sometimes, twisted people endeavor to twist the lives of others.

But this never means you have to surrender to it.

Remove your heart from their hammer and reclaim your peace.

It’s worth the effort.

You are worth the time.

Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.

Proverbs 4:14-19