A Note of Thanksgiving


And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Matthew 13:3-8 (NRSV)

Last month marked the one-year anniversary of the Candid Corinthian blog. It’s been a wonderful blessing to share reflections about my faith walk, and an even greater blessing to get to know other bloggers, podcasters, and talented friends through networking and interviews. 

Looking back on my posts, I realize that many of my reflections sprang from seasons of personal and spiritual transition, seasons that challenged my faith or, at least, the narrow view and one-dimensional ideals that I once had about God and faith. 

I grew up in a Christian home. When I was around twelve years old, I began to have a personal relationship with Christ. I read my Bible, went to church, and prayed. The seeds were planted early in my life, but that was not guarantee of future fruitfulness.

In the parable of the sower, it’s not completely clear what kind of soil each set of seeds has fallen on until a new event happens: hungry birds appear, thorns spring up, a strong wind blows. In a similar fashion, it’s difficult to know the nature of our faith until the environment changes. As long as I was young and my circumstances didn’t change much, my faith was pretty static. But as I passed through early adulthood, things began to change. Career concerns, broken relationships, new relationships, prayers that didn’t get answered as hoped—all of these challenged the faith I thought I had. The lessons and notions I had about God turned out to be too superficial and trite in light of the shifting world. 

But rather than allow the seeds of His goodness to simply fall away or be taken away in these seasons of change, God instead called me to be deeper, richer soil. He called me to view the things that challenged my faith as opportunities to find a more complex and profound view of Him and how He works in my life and the lives of those around me. Sometimes I chose to answer that call, and sometimes I didn’t. 

Many of the thoughts I’ve shared here on the Candid Corinthian reflect on those moments and seasons when I was urged to abandon a simplistic notion of God for a more real, yet complicated one. 
This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for those moments when I’ve learned and grew, even if they usually made me feel the limits of my own wisdom more than ever. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to share this journey with readers and collaborators. I pray God blesses each of us this holiday and in the days to come, as He invites us to know Him and share His love with everyone.



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