By Paul McCain of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Let contentions and quarreling among you cease. Sustain each other in peace, and ye shall be blessed by my Spirit, in comforting and strengthening you for my work.

The view from the front window of an airplane in flight is often awe-inspiring and at times enlightening. This was especially true when flying over the Pacific Ocean approaching Okinawa. The instruments, of course, locate the island long before it is seen, and when first spotted, it is just a speck far below.

The speck at first looks like an insect on the water, but later it becomes recognizable as an island. The airplane I flew is similar in size to some commercial jets today, so I often asked myself, “How are we going to land this big aircraft on that postage stamp?” Of course, intellectually, I knew the military runway was longer than at most commercial airports. But from that perspective, miles from the runway, it seemed an insurmountable feat.

Life is full of similar circumstances—from a distance, sometimes the task seems impossible. Not having had the advantage of seeing the problem up close, I sometimes have backed off, lacking the faith to take the next step. The challenge is to figure out which attempts are foolhardy and which just require moving forward in faith.

May we be blessed with discernment to know which endeavors to avoid and which we should face head-on with faith.

Prayer Phrase

“Bear one another’s burdens…” (Galatians 6:2).

Spiritual Hunger

Jesus discerned hungers of body and spirit, and he fed them through a physical, verbal, spiritual ministry of presence. In a time of listening prayer, ask God to help you discern physical or spiritual hungers of people in your congregation, community, and global family. Invite the Spirit to move you to one hospitable act that “feeds” someone’s hunger today.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.