“And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end,” Hebrews 6:11
some days, hope is just a
thin vapor, like smoke drifting
from a candle just put out.
some days, hope is loud enough
to shout down our worries
so we can refuse to blink
before icy stares and continue to
blow whistles as loud as we can.
some days, hope is tired fingers
wrapped around a fraying rope
of civility, and we worry that
if we let go, everything will
come tumbling down.
some days, hope seems as
old as our creaking bones
and as fragile as our frightened fears,
yet is as daring as any toddler
to lean forward even at the risk
of falling flat on their face.
and every day,
hope kneels gently beside us,
whispering, ‘stay,’
stay when justice is unfinished
stay when love costs more
than we think we have,
stay when it seems God
has wandered away, but
has just gone ahead, trusting
hope to be our companion.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
January 20th
“When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:16
how like God, once again
turning expectations on their head—
that bow is hung in the sky
not as a threat or weapon
but a multi-hued reminder
to us to keep remembering.
to take a breath in the rain
and pay attention to what still is,
colors drenching fear ‘til it is gone,
clouds taking a step back
as promise stretches grace
across the sky before our eyes.
this is not a contract carved
in stone or codified in books,
but light,
so fragile it might disappear,
so faithful it always returns
and so, whenever it seems
this weary world is about to drown
in its own anger, noise, power
God stands next to us, looking up
and, touching the sky with hope,
reminds us in the silence
that we are not forgotten.
for the miracle is not
that the flood waters receded,
but that grace always remembers
where we are.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
how like God, once again
turning expectations on their head—
that bow is hung in the sky
not as a threat or weapon
but a multi-hued reminder
to us to keep remembering.
to take a breath in the rain
and pay attention to what still is,
colors drenching fear ‘til it is gone,
clouds taking a step back
as promise stretches grace
across the sky before our eyes.
this is not a contract carved
in stone or codified in books,
but light,
so fragile it might disappear,
so faithful it always returns
and so, whenever it seems
this weary world is about to drown
in its own anger, noise, power
God stands next to us, looking up
and, touching the sky with hope,
reminds us in the silence
that we are not forgotten.
for the miracle is not
that the flood waters receded,
but that grace always remembers
where we are.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Monday, January 19, 2026
January 19th
“The Lord upholds all who are falling,
and raises up all who are bowed down.” Psalm 145:14
the Old Book reminds us
of the hand beneath the falling,
of a shoulder for those
weighed down by injustice—
a promise heard by Martin,
who believed God’s strength
can be seen in a wearied people
linking arms for justice,
could be heard in the feet
never too sore to march.
for God picks up the fallen,
not by gaslighting the weight
but by sharing it,
not with boasting or bravado
but with bread,
not with taunts of hate
but with songs carried
from the jails of the powerful,
not with false promises
but with shared hopes
and a dream whispered
until it learned how to walk.
bruised bodies and weary souls
are upheld when justice is practiced daily,
when love refuses
to give up a seat to hate,
when grace bends down
to proclaim, ‘you are not alone.’
rise,
we will stand together.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
and raises up all who are bowed down.” Psalm 145:14
the Old Book reminds us
of the hand beneath the falling,
of a shoulder for those
weighed down by injustice—
a promise heard by Martin,
who believed God’s strength
can be seen in a wearied people
linking arms for justice,
could be heard in the feet
never too sore to march.
for God picks up the fallen,
not by gaslighting the weight
but by sharing it,
not with boasting or bravado
but with bread,
not with taunts of hate
but with songs carried
from the jails of the powerful,
not with false promises
but with shared hopes
and a dream whispered
until it learned how to walk.
bruised bodies and weary souls
are upheld when justice is practiced daily,
when love refuses
to give up a seat to hate,
when grace bends down
to proclaim, ‘you are not alone.’
rise,
we will stand together.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Sunday, January 18, 2026
January 18th
“But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift.” Ephesians 4:7
it doesn’t come in, banging
the door open like a little kid.
no, grace is like that soft breeze
stirring the curtains in the morning.
we don’t all receive the same portion,
but each of us has that amount
we need, weighed out by Love.
a thimble here, a cup there,
a river for him, a waterfall for her,
whatever we need to fill
that emptiness inside of us.
it is a gift that is not scattered
carelessly like easy promises
but offered for those whose
hearts are shattered,
for all who know the ache of waiting,
everyone who knows what
each day costs them.
it’s not a competition but an invitation
to serve where you find yourself
to share what is given
to stop standing next to others
to see who is better, wiser, whatever
that’s grace
never more than we need,
nor less than what we can share,
just enough to become
the love which is needed
wherever we are.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
it doesn’t come in, banging
the door open like a little kid.
no, grace is like that soft breeze
stirring the curtains in the morning.
we don’t all receive the same portion,
but each of us has that amount
we need, weighed out by Love.
a thimble here, a cup there,
a river for him, a waterfall for her,
whatever we need to fill
that emptiness inside of us.
it is a gift that is not scattered
carelessly like easy promises
but offered for those whose
hearts are shattered,
for all who know the ache of waiting,
everyone who knows what
each day costs them.
it’s not a competition but an invitation
to serve where you find yourself
to share what is given
to stop standing next to others
to see who is better, wiser, whatever
that’s grace
never more than we need,
nor less than what we can share,
just enough to become
the love which is needed
wherever we are.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Saturday, January 17, 2026
January 17th
“Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.” Genesis 6:22
look,
we don’t need to be skilled
enough to build an ark,
but we can create hope
with the building blocks of kindness.
look,
we can’t be expected
to save all humanity,
but we can be a better friend
to those tossed aside
by the privileged of our world.
look,
alone, we don’t have
to try to save all of creation,
but if we recycle more and not
leave such big footprints,
who knows what might happen?
look,
we aren’t all called to be Noah,
but to be grace,
hope
justice
compassion
inclusion
wherever we are.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
look,
we don’t need to be skilled
enough to build an ark,
but we can create hope
with the building blocks of kindness.
look,
we can’t be expected
to save all humanity,
but we can be a better friend
to those tossed aside
by the privileged of our world.
look,
alone, we don’t have
to try to save all of creation,
but if we recycle more and not
leave such big footprints,
who knows what might happen?
look,
we aren’t all called to be Noah,
but to be grace,
hope
justice
compassion
inclusion
wherever we are.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Friday, January 16, 2026
January 16th
"I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.” Psalm 142:2
maybe,
when we step
to the other side of grace,
God will explain everything.
those nagging questions which
tickle us awake at night,
the irreparable divisions
we cannot seem to bridge,
the suffering we cannot dismiss
as easily as the privileged seem to do.
someday,
when we step
to the other side of grace,
God will explain everything.
so, until then,
let us love as expansively
as Jesus did,
let us harvest the hope
planted deep within us,
let us be that grace-companion
someone is desperately needing
for these are all we have
to offer until we step
to the other side of
grace.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo:@Thom-Shuman
I tell my trouble before him.” Psalm 142:2
maybe,
when we step
to the other side of grace,
God will explain everything.
those nagging questions which
tickle us awake at night,
the irreparable divisions
we cannot seem to bridge,
the suffering we cannot dismiss
as easily as the privileged seem to do.
someday,
when we step
to the other side of grace,
God will explain everything.
so, until then,
let us love as expansively
as Jesus did,
let us harvest the hope
planted deep within us,
let us be that grace-companion
someone is desperately needing
for these are all we have
to offer until we step
to the other side of
grace.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo:@Thom-Shuman
Thursday, January 15, 2026
January 15th
“Nathanael asked him, "Where did you come to know me?" John 1:48a
that’s the question, isn’t it?
the one folded up
in the back pocket of doubt.
‘have we met before?’
it is as if someone recognizes us
by accident, thinking
we’re someone else, as if
we need to be introduced to love.
but Jesus doesn’t pull up a selfie
or a bunch of text messages,
it’s simply the fact that
he saw us when we were lost,
with no memorized answers,
no hiding place no one else knows,
no practiced explanations.
you see, we are not discovered
because we know the right questions,
or come from the right family,
or went to the best schools,
but grace keeping an eye out for us,
recognizing us long before
we catch a glimpse of love—
a holy surprise.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
that’s the question, isn’t it?
the one folded up
in the back pocket of doubt.
‘have we met before?’
it is as if someone recognizes us
by accident, thinking
we’re someone else, as if
we need to be introduced to love.
but Jesus doesn’t pull up a selfie
or a bunch of text messages,
it’s simply the fact that
he saw us when we were lost,
with no memorized answers,
no hiding place no one else knows,
no practiced explanations.
you see, we are not discovered
because we know the right questions,
or come from the right family,
or went to the best schools,
but grace keeping an eye out for us,
recognizing us long before
we catch a glimpse of love—
a holy surprise.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
January 14th
“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:7
like kids coming to our doors
on Halloween
you show up—
the speaker garbed in
sparkling robes of charisma.
that new friend who, out of
the goodness of their hearts,
invites us to get in on a great deal.
a co-worker whose flirting
behavior slowly draws us
into a web of betrayal.
some clown wearing silly hair
and enough make-up
to cover the cruelty which
is at the heart of their act.
but when the robe is off,
and the dream of riches turns to dust,
when our hearts are shattered
and the make-up removed,
we recognize you—
that master of disguises
who has fooled more people
than will ever admit it.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
like kids coming to our doors
on Halloween
you show up—
the speaker garbed in
sparkling robes of charisma.
that new friend who, out of
the goodness of their hearts,
invites us to get in on a great deal.
a co-worker whose flirting
behavior slowly draws us
into a web of betrayal.
some clown wearing silly hair
and enough make-up
to cover the cruelty which
is at the heart of their act.
but when the robe is off,
and the dream of riches turns to dust,
when our hearts are shattered
and the make-up removed,
we recognize you—
that master of disguises
who has fooled more people
than will ever admit it.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
January 13th
“I lie awake;
I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.” Psalm 102:7
night stretches its cloak
over the neighborhood,
as, like a little bird
nestling alone on a rooftop,
i lie awake, tiny enough
so no one notices me,
light enough to be blown away
like the stardust drifting down.
watching the shadows behind
the glowing windows below,
i listen to the pauses
in the heartbeats of life,
and watch over worries
that tiptoe down the streets.
but even in these thin hours,
knowing the ache (as do
so many) of being unseen—
you find me, you find us!
sitting beside our sleeplessness,
offering grace to nourish us,
teaching us that loneliness
is where love waits patiently
to gather us like a parent.
and so, we will rest,
no longer afraid, for you
never forget even the
loneliest of us.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.” Psalm 102:7
night stretches its cloak
over the neighborhood,
as, like a little bird
nestling alone on a rooftop,
i lie awake, tiny enough
so no one notices me,
light enough to be blown away
like the stardust drifting down.
watching the shadows behind
the glowing windows below,
i listen to the pauses
in the heartbeats of life,
and watch over worries
that tiptoe down the streets.
but even in these thin hours,
knowing the ache (as do
so many) of being unseen—
you find me, you find us!
sitting beside our sleeplessness,
offering grace to nourish us,
teaching us that loneliness
is where love waits patiently
to gather us like a parent.
and so, we will rest,
no longer afraid, for you
never forget even the
loneliest of us.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Monday, January 12, 2026
January 12th
“For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.” Psalm 5:4
you have no truck
with those who rely
on their personal morality.
just as you have always done,
you roundly condemn (and
hold accountable) those who
claim some sort of divine anointing
yet like to roll around in muck.
you refuse to be a landlord
for all who traffic in shadows
and never put a place setting
at the table for cruelty.
you will not let evil and anger
become members of your entourage
nor do you pretend hate is holy
or offer lodging to lies.
simply put, you take no pleasure
in words spiked with razor-like barbs,
with our excuses for soft violence,
those sins disguised as good choices.
not because you are prim and proper
but because you love too deeply
to let us drink cups of poison
or eat bread kneaded
with the yeast of bitterness.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
with those who rely
on their personal morality.
just as you have always done,
you roundly condemn (and
hold accountable) those who
claim some sort of divine anointing
yet like to roll around in muck.
you refuse to be a landlord
for all who traffic in shadows
and never put a place setting
at the table for cruelty.
you will not let evil and anger
become members of your entourage
nor do you pretend hate is holy
or offer lodging to lies.
simply put, you take no pleasure
in words spiked with razor-like barbs,
with our excuses for soft violence,
those sins disguised as good choices.
not because you are prim and proper
but because you love too deeply
to let us drink cups of poison
or eat bread kneaded
with the yeast of bitterness.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Sunday, January 11, 2026
January 11th
"Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;'" Genesis 1:26a
vision to search out
the furthest galaxies
and to catch a glimpse
of a widow weeping
on her front porch,
hearing to listen to
the cries of the forgotten
and to hearken to that
still small voice in our soul,
hands to reach down
and lift the fallen, as well
as to be grabbed by a
teetering toddler,
feet to run towards those
who are losing their
tenuous grip on hope
and to walk quietly in
the corridors of hospice,
hearts to open wide
to welcome the strangers
and to break in grief
with our closest friends,
souls to know the gentle
touch of wisdom from a
person slipping into dementia
and to be healed by
the butterfly kisses of little kids,
these are the pieces of you
planted deep within each of us,
by your grace, Imaginative God.
vision to search out
the furthest galaxies
and to catch a glimpse
of a widow weeping
on her front porch,
hearing to listen to
the cries of the forgotten
and to hearken to that
still small voice in our soul,
hands to reach down
and lift the fallen, as well
as to be grabbed by a
teetering toddler,
feet to run towards those
who are losing their
tenuous grip on hope
and to walk quietly in
the corridors of hospice,
hearts to open wide
to welcome the strangers
and to break in grief
with our closest friends,
souls to know the gentle
touch of wisdom from a
person slipping into dementia
and to be healed by
the butterfly kisses of little kids,
these are the pieces of you
planted deep within each of us,
by your grace, Imaginative God.
(c) Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Saturday, January 10, 2026
January 10th
“I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here I am, here I am," to a nation that did not call on my name.” Isaiah 65:1
when we were waiting for certainty
you kept taking chances on us,
before we knew your name
you had memorized ours.
when we wandered aimlessly
you turned your heart toward the road,
before we knocked
you stood in the doorway.
when we didn’t know where to look
you were keeping an eye on us,
before we knew the words we needed,
you bent down to learn our language.
for that is the way you show up—
love unannounced
grace unearned
hope calling us home,
justice creating new communities.
it wasn’t thunder we heard,
but a soft breath
offering an unyielding promise--
here i am
here i am
and the silence which seemed
to push us apart echoed
with that voice which had walked
toward us the whole time.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
when we were waiting for certainty
you kept taking chances on us,
before we knew your name
you had memorized ours.
when we wandered aimlessly
you turned your heart toward the road,
before we knocked
you stood in the doorway.
when we didn’t know where to look
you were keeping an eye on us,
before we knew the words we needed,
you bent down to learn our language.
for that is the way you show up—
love unannounced
grace unearned
hope calling us home,
justice creating new communities.
it wasn’t thunder we heard,
but a soft breath
offering an unyielding promise--
here i am
here i am
and the silence which seemed
to push us apart echoed
with that voice which had walked
toward us the whole time.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Friday, January 09, 2026
January 9th
“I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
"Seek me in chaos."
I the LORD speak the truth,
I declare what is right.” Isaiah 45:19
justice does not come
masked, armed, camouflaged
to strike fear and terror,
but comes to lift the forgotten,
to offer welcome to the stranger.
love does not disparage others,
speak falsehoods as if true,
does not covet another’s belongings,
but is content with what it has—
so much that it is willing to share.
grace is not reserved for the privileged,
not sold to the highest bidder,
or seeks to disrupt people’s lives,
but is set out in yards and neighborhoods
with a sign that simply says
‘this is for anyone who needs it.’
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
"Seek me in chaos."
I the LORD speak the truth,
I declare what is right.” Isaiah 45:19
justice does not come
masked, armed, camouflaged
to strike fear and terror,
but comes to lift the forgotten,
to offer welcome to the stranger.
love does not disparage others,
speak falsehoods as if true,
does not covet another’s belongings,
but is content with what it has—
so much that it is willing to share.
grace is not reserved for the privileged,
not sold to the highest bidder,
or seeks to disrupt people’s lives,
but is set out in yards and neighborhoods
with a sign that simply says
‘this is for anyone who needs it.’
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Wednesday, January 07, 2026
January 8th
“He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, ‘Is the LORD among us or not?’” Exodus 17:7
those ancestors were good role models.
our throats are a wilderness
named ‘Is God here?’
where we continue to toss
questions – rhetorical as well as trick –
at you every chance we get.
our tongues are dust, but
we will rail against the sky
with every breath.
our lives are like cracked jars,
which cannot hold the clear
waters of faith poured into us—
yet, you do not walk away.
wounded by our thirst for answers,
listening as doubt hones questions
against the whetstone of tomorrow,
you step into our arguments,
striking mercy, not sparks, from rock
and transforming gripes into cups.
may we learn to trust
the spring beneath our questions,
to hear grace flowing, even
as we ask,
‘are you with us, or not?’
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
+Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
those ancestors were good role models.
our throats are a wilderness
named ‘Is God here?’
where we continue to toss
questions – rhetorical as well as trick –
at you every chance we get.
our tongues are dust, but
we will rail against the sky
with every breath.
our lives are like cracked jars,
which cannot hold the clear
waters of faith poured into us—
yet, you do not walk away.
wounded by our thirst for answers,
listening as doubt hones questions
against the whetstone of tomorrow,
you step into our arguments,
striking mercy, not sparks, from rock
and transforming gripes into cups.
may we learn to trust
the spring beneath our questions,
to hear grace flowing, even
as we ask,
‘are you with us, or not?’
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
+Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
January 7th
“The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
those wise ones—
did they only see their shadows
beginning that journey home
by a different road, or
was there no need for a star
since love had opened their eyes?
that family—
still hard scrabbling with life,
trying to find someone who could
create new identities and papers,
did they wonder if they should stay
in the shadows of poverty, or
follow the breadcrumbs of grace
back to Egypt?
and we—
with sovereignty being tossed aside
with ice-cold fear stalking neighborhoods
with temptations nudging us to shred
those resolutions to be kinder and gentler,
dare we live and act and trust
that there is absolutely nothing
fear can do to destroy your
hope, justice, grace, love, peace?
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
those wise ones—
did they only see their shadows
beginning that journey home
by a different road, or
was there no need for a star
since love had opened their eyes?
that family—
still hard scrabbling with life,
trying to find someone who could
create new identities and papers,
did they wonder if they should stay
in the shadows of poverty, or
follow the breadcrumbs of grace
back to Egypt?
and we—
with sovereignty being tossed aside
with ice-cold fear stalking neighborhoods
with temptations nudging us to shred
those resolutions to be kinder and gentler,
dare we live and act and trust
that there is absolutely nothing
fear can do to destroy your
hope, justice, grace, love, peace?
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Tuesday, January 06, 2026
January 6th
“Its gates will never be shut by day — and there will be no night there.” Revelation 21:25
as we follow the star
towards journey’s end,
we come, not to a castle keep
but to a welcome,
not to power only for the privileged
but to a child whose breath
swings open the hinge of heaven.
no password is needed, nor passports,
doors are not padlocked with fear,
hope has no curfew,
light streams from the doorways
to welcome strangers from everywhere—
politicians and the poor in spirit,
peacemakers and those who traffic in trouble,
knuckleheads and kids with skinned knees
all walk through wide open doors,
empty-handed, as surprised as anyone
to experience God’s imaginative grace.
for this is the final revelation
the last epiphany
the light at the end of the tunnel—
love’s light always on,
God refusing to lock any door,
throwing away the keys,
knowing what would happen
if we ever chanced upon them.
© 2025 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
as we follow the star
towards journey’s end,
we come, not to a castle keep
but to a welcome,
not to power only for the privileged
but to a child whose breath
swings open the hinge of heaven.
no password is needed, nor passports,
doors are not padlocked with fear,
hope has no curfew,
light streams from the doorways
to welcome strangers from everywhere—
politicians and the poor in spirit,
peacemakers and those who traffic in trouble,
knuckleheads and kids with skinned knees
all walk through wide open doors,
empty-handed, as surprised as anyone
to experience God’s imaginative grace.
for this is the final revelation
the last epiphany
the light at the end of the tunnel—
love’s light always on,
God refusing to lock any door,
throwing away the keys,
knowing what would happen
if we ever chanced upon them.
© 2025 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Monday, January 05, 2026
January 5th
“As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.” Ephesians 6:15
God kneels down,
lacing up our shoes,
not with knots of dogmatism
but with threads of mercy,
not so we can run away
but for that long journey to faithfulness.
no matter what we think
peace is not the stilling of anger
but daring to walk barefoot
on shards of angry discourse,
to stroll grief’s sidewalks,
to risk stumbling over that
potholed ground of grace.
may every step we take
become prayers—
into hospices where death
lurks in every shadow,
into living rooms where
the silence of grief lives,
down those neighborhoods
where people are forgotten
the vulnerable are evicted.
and when we come home,
God smiles,
slipping off our shoes
to soak our aching feet
in the warm waters of love.
© 2025 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
God kneels down,
lacing up our shoes,
not with knots of dogmatism
but with threads of mercy,
not so we can run away
but for that long journey to faithfulness.
no matter what we think
peace is not the stilling of anger
but daring to walk barefoot
on shards of angry discourse,
to stroll grief’s sidewalks,
to risk stumbling over that
potholed ground of grace.
may every step we take
become prayers—
into hospices where death
lurks in every shadow,
into living rooms where
the silence of grief lives,
down those neighborhoods
where people are forgotten
the vulnerable are evicted.
and when we come home,
God smiles,
slipping off our shoes
to soak our aching feet
in the warm waters of love.
© 2025 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Sunday, January 04, 2026
January 4th
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17
now,
before the world bangs the gavel
and wants your testimony,
take just a moment,
and place your ordinary hands,
callused or smoothed,
chapped by worry, nails chewed short,
into those hands of grace held out
in these moments.
your voice may be worn out,
you may feel the need to offer
stumbling apologies,
but borrow every word from God
so they can become blessings.
every little chore,
those unnoticed gifts of compassion,
bearing patience on your shoulders,
making the choice not to hurt—
is part of the economy of Jesus
where no act, so word, no life is wasted.
you don’t need to be holy,
just hopeful.
you don’t need to be privileged,
just be thankful, shown in
the way you walk,
the way you speak,
the way you serve,
the way love knows your name.
© 2025 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
now,
before the world bangs the gavel
and wants your testimony,
take just a moment,
and place your ordinary hands,
callused or smoothed,
chapped by worry, nails chewed short,
into those hands of grace held out
in these moments.
your voice may be worn out,
you may feel the need to offer
stumbling apologies,
but borrow every word from God
so they can become blessings.
every little chore,
those unnoticed gifts of compassion,
bearing patience on your shoulders,
making the choice not to hurt—
is part of the economy of Jesus
where no act, so word, no life is wasted.
you don’t need to be holy,
just hopeful.
you don’t need to be privileged,
just be thankful, shown in
the way you walk,
the way you speak,
the way you serve,
the way love knows your name.
© 2025 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Saturday, January 03, 2026
January 3rd
“He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.” 1 Kings 19:11-12
surrounded by thousands
we will crane our necks to the sky
to watch fabulous fireworks, but
cannot look up from our devices
to catch the delight on Nana’s face
as she blows out the candles
on her 90th birthday cake.
we don the helmets and vests
and climb into the raft to hang on
for dear life in the whitewater river,
but sit on the porch with a book
while the kids beg us to run
through the sprinklers with them.
we turn up the volume
so we can hear every angry word,
every bitter syllable uttered
by our favorite podcaster,
politician, influencer, whoever—
but our legs start to bounce
and we begin to drum our fingers
on the nearest surface whenever
you invite us to listen to the
sheer silence of grace.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Friday, January 02, 2026
January 2nd
“We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:14
once, we were so empty
we could be carried by anything—
every shouting voice of anger
every fear behind wisdom’s mask
every glittering promise,
but love is the solidity we need
and grace grounds our souls.
slowly
gently
cautiously
Jesus teaches us to stand,
our feet in mercy’s soil,
our hands open to justice,
ears attuned to the word of life,
and we no longer resemble
driftwood beached on the shore,
but are rooted like oaks
in the fields of hope,
anchored in that love
which does not turn
with every wind which comes along.
this is growth, full growth
into that adulthood of faith
as we realize where to shelter
even as the waters may rise.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
once, we were so empty
we could be carried by anything—
every shouting voice of anger
every fear behind wisdom’s mask
every glittering promise,
but love is the solidity we need
and grace grounds our souls.
slowly
gently
cautiously
Jesus teaches us to stand,
our feet in mercy’s soil,
our hands open to justice,
ears attuned to the word of life,
and we no longer resemble
driftwood beached on the shore,
but are rooted like oaks
in the fields of hope,
anchored in that love
which does not turn
with every wind which comes along.
this is growth, full growth
into that adulthood of faith
as we realize where to shelter
even as the waters may rise.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Thursday, January 01, 2026
New Years Day prayer
Whisperer of light on that first morning,
as the old year slips behind us
and the new one opens like a book
filled with empty pages,
we offer our hands and hearts to you.
Gather up the broken pieces of our dreams,
our lives, our longings which we still carry
and craft them into a mosaic of hope
we can hang on our walls to see each morning.
As this new day, as this new year begins,
continue to shape us from the dust
of your grace and love.
You stepped out of eternity
into particular moments in time,
Word made flesh for us,
walking our lonely streets,
tasting our bitter tears,
calling us to follow when
we would rather stay stuck.
As this new day, as this new year begins,
give us the grace to love more deeply,
the freedom to forgive more hopefully,
the courage to seek justice more fiercely,
and the tenacity to follow you
into the open-ended days awaiting us.
Breath filled with peace and
Fire blazing for those forgotten,
move over us as we prepare
for the challenges, the questions,
the disappointments, the wonders
which lie before us in God’s future.
As this new day, as this new year begins,
dispel our fears with winds of courage,
kindle hope in our apathetic lives,
challenge us to be more just,
and soften our cruel nature.
As you hold our past in your mercy.
as you are faithful at this moment,
as you fill our tomorrows with promise,
God in Community, Holy in One,
may our lives be a prayer
which is heard by all
in our words of kindness,
written on the world in justice,
and sung in love to you. Amen.
© 2025 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
as the old year slips behind us
and the new one opens like a book
filled with empty pages,
we offer our hands and hearts to you.
Gather up the broken pieces of our dreams,
our lives, our longings which we still carry
and craft them into a mosaic of hope
we can hang on our walls to see each morning.
As this new day, as this new year begins,
continue to shape us from the dust
of your grace and love.
You stepped out of eternity
into particular moments in time,
Word made flesh for us,
walking our lonely streets,
tasting our bitter tears,
calling us to follow when
we would rather stay stuck.
As this new day, as this new year begins,
give us the grace to love more deeply,
the freedom to forgive more hopefully,
the courage to seek justice more fiercely,
and the tenacity to follow you
into the open-ended days awaiting us.
Breath filled with peace and
Fire blazing for those forgotten,
move over us as we prepare
for the challenges, the questions,
the disappointments, the wonders
which lie before us in God’s future.
As this new day, as this new year begins,
dispel our fears with winds of courage,
kindle hope in our apathetic lives,
challenge us to be more just,
and soften our cruel nature.
As you hold our past in your mercy.
as you are faithful at this moment,
as you fill our tomorrows with promise,
God in Community, Holy in One,
may our lives be a prayer
which is heard by all
in our words of kindness,
written on the world in justice,
and sung in love to you. Amen.
© 2025 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
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