Welcome to Hello Monday!

A song to share:

Don’t judge it too soon. Just sit with it.

Thoughts I’ve been thinking:

We get into these loops where we are self-protective of energy, time, and resources. It is true that we cannot do everything. But we can be helpful, hope in a hard space, supportive, pray, and much more. And we can do this when we are tired, when we have just a small window, and when we have just a little to give or add. But will we?

If it comes to you – it is yours to handle, help, hope, support, pray, and lean into.

The flesh fights this. It screams “what about me? I don’t want to! I don’t have time! Why me?” It will tell you there is a manipulation to the asking of you. It will give you reason why another is not deserving of this. It will encourage you to share your frustrations with other to find reason to be released. But it still remains. If it comes to you – it is yours to handle, help, hope, support, pray, and lean into.

But will we?

Go the Second Mile

This is part of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus gave in Matthew 5: 38-42

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. ⁴¹ And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Did you see it? Give to him who asks you. This is a kind of radical generosity. This kind of giving isn’t transactional; it’s transformational. The temptation to protect self above all else. Whatever that may be – because honestly the flesh will come up with any reason not to behave like Christ. This is a kind of opposite of the world or upside-down open-handed Kingdom living view. We often deceive ourselves into thinking it’s wisdom or self-care to deny it. There’s a time for boundaries, yes. But more often, the Spirit will nudge us to give even when it seems unreasonable at the moment, and to trust that grace will meet us in the giving.

What if we did see “if it comes to you, it’s yours” as a powerful reframe of responsibility. It is not punishment or coincidence, but rather a divine placement. Its willingness, not capacity that we have to gauge.

It forces us to confront the distance between what we believe and how we live.

This is the tension of living the Gospel:

We are never really ready. We are never fully equipped. But still—we are called.

How do we practice the gospel if we won’t even help, bring hope, share, support, or give when the opportunity to give is given to us?

Thanks for listening,

Starla