When Life Feels Dark, and You Don’t Fit In
When we seek spiritual encouragement in God's creation, we often turn to majestic animals like the gentle dove, the sure-footed deer, or the soaring eagle. We rarely consider the bat. Honestly, they give me the creeps. But sometimes, God hides His most profound comforts in the most unexpected, unglamorous places.
If you have ever felt exhausted from trying to force things to work, discouraged because you cannot see the results of your hard work, or out of place in a world that doesn't quite understand you, the bat has some beautiful lessons to teach us.
The Art of "Letting Go"
When a bird takes off, it stands on the ground, pushes off with its strong legs, and flaps furiously against gravity. A bat cannot do this. Its legs are too weak to launch it from the ground. If a bat tries to take off from the dirt, it will only exhaust itself and go nowhere.
To fly, a bat must climb to a high place, hang completely upside down, and simply let go. It uses the momentum of the drop to catch the air.
What Are You Carrying Today?
Have you ever wondered why God asks us to do things that don't make sense?
Gideon sure did. Here's a guy who was hiding in a winepress, threshing wheat in secret, terrified of the Midianites who had been oppressing Israel for seven years. When the angel of the Lord appeared and called him a "mighty warrior," Gideon probably looked around to see who the angel was really talking to. He came from the weakest clan in Israel and felt completely inadequate for the task ahead.
But God had a plan. After Gideon finally agreed to lead Israel against their enemies, he gathered 32,000 men. A decent army, right? Wrong. God said that was too many. He whittled the army down to just 300 soldiers. And then came the really strange part. Instead of arming these men with swords and shields, God told Gideon to give each man a trumpet, an empty pitcher, and a torch to hide inside the pitcher.
Should Christians Use AI?
I confess, I've been keeping a secret from you all. There's a helper in my office. It's not a person but more of a digital assistant that's been quietly supporting much of what I do in ministry and writing. Yes, I'm talking about AI, and I've been hesitant to mention it because of the vastly different reactions it provokes among Christians.
Some of you might be nodding along, thinking, "It's just technology." Others may be reaching for your Revelation study notes, convinced this is another harbinger of the Antichrist. I understand both perspectives.
When Jason and I first came to Wales, technology was a blessing that kept us connected to family, friends, and supporting churches. Now, AI has become another tool in our missionary toolkit. It helps me create chapel newsletters, organize community events, and even acts as a brainstorming partner in my writing efforts.