{"data":[{"type":"articles","id":"11","slug":"sometimes-it-is-simply-a-joy-to-be","links":{"self":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/api/v1/articles/11","page":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/articles/sometimes-it-is-simply-a-joy-to-be/"},"legacy_ids":["vm-article-0004"],"title":"Sometimes It Is Simply a Joy to Be","subtitle":"Receiving abundant life in the ordinary moments","excerpt":"A shopping trip, an unexpectedly closed store, and a few quiet minutes in the car become an invitation to receive the life Jesus has made available today. John reflects on finding contentment amid both busy schedules and uncomfortable stillness.","body":{"plain_text":"My daughter had looked up the store hours. The website said it was open until 9 p.m., and it was only 8 p.m. She was excited. I said, “Let’s go.”\n\nWhen we got there, she asked, “Aren’t you coming?” I replied, “No, you go ahead. This store doesn’t have mobility scooters.”\n\nShe quickly offered not to go, but I insisted. I was perfectly happy to stay in the car. Her willingness to give up something she wanted to do meant something to me. So did her excitement when she realized I was good with waiting. There was love in that exchange, and I had time to appreciate it.\n\nFor that moment, I had no expectation or agenda. I was content, at rest, and filled with joy.\n\nAnywho, she was back within five minutes. The store had actually closed at 6 p.m. So much for the website.\n\nShe picked another store, this time one with mobility scooters. Our plans changed, and there was room for us to enjoy the next stop together.\n\nThose few minutes in the car may sound simple. For someone who likes progress as much as I do, they are worth paying attention to.\n\nI like traction. I like momentum. As long as something is moving forward, I generally feel good about it. It means I am not stuck. There are things to build, people to help, and ideas I want to see become something. I enjoy that part of my life. But the pressure to keep making progress can take a toll, especially when I begin to feel out of sorts simply because nothing is happening.\n\nRecently, I was sick in bed for a few days. After about a day, I started calling the mothers of my grandchildren. Since I was lying there anyway, what better time to develop characters based on the grandkids for a fiction book?\n\nI asked questions about their personalities, the things they say, their strengths and weaknesses. Before long, I was building character profiles.\n\nYou know, the stuff you do in your downtime.\n\nI enjoy that kind of creativity, and I love my grandchildren. The project gave me something enjoyable to work on. It also makes me smile at how quickly I can find something to develop, even from bed. My mind is quite willing to keep moving when my body needs to stop.\n\nPerhaps you know that feeling. You might have more to do than you can reasonably fit into a day. Even when you sit down, your thoughts keep working through what remains unfinished. Or perhaps you have more open time than you want, and the lack of activity leaves you restless. You would welcome a little traction.\n\nBoth experiences can make it difficult to enjoy the moment you are actually in. We can spend a great deal of life waiting for the amount of activity to become just right before allowing ourselves to be content.\n\nI used to feel a need to make everything overtly spiritual, as though I needed to explain how an ordinary activity served some higher purpose. These days, I recognize that God is part of my whole life. Being with Him is a way of living. I can enjoy a creative idea, a conversation, or my daughter’s happiness without having to turn it into a ministry assignment.\n\nThat understanding gives me room to receive the ordinary parts of life with gratitude. I am still learning to enjoy that room when there is nothing in particular to accomplish.\n\nHebrews 10 helps me understand the freedom Jesus has made possible. In verses 15-18, the Holy Spirit testifies to God’s covenant promise, including His declaration that “their sins and their lawless acts I will remember no more.” Forgiveness means there is no further offering required for sin. Then comes the therefore. Because of Jesus’ blood, we have confidence to enter God’s presence and draw near with assurance, our hearts cleansed from a guilty conscience (Hebrews 10:15-22, AMP).\n\nThat invitation gives me a place to rest. Jesus has already made the way for me to approach God. I can receive His welcome today, right in the middle of the life I am living.\n\nIn John 10:10, the Amplified Bible says Jesus came so we could “have and enjoy life.” I believe that invitation includes today. There is a life with Him available to us in the present, including the ordinary hours we might otherwise dismiss as unimportant.\n\nSometimes we have not known that this kind of life was possible. Sometimes what we have been taught has made enjoyment feel suspect, or left us expecting abundance only somewhere beyond this life. It can take time to recognize the freedom we have been given and learn to live in it.\n\nOf course, this is real life. Sometimes the bottom falls out. At other times, we find ourselves favorably positioned without having striven to get there. Circumstances change, and we feel those changes. Grief is real. Exhaustion is real. There is room to acknowledge what hurts while remaining open to whatever comfort or joy we can receive.\n\nI would never want the invitation to enjoy life to become another pressure someone has to carry. Having a difficult day does not mean you have failed at faith. We can bring our whole selves to God, including the parts that are tired or unsure.\n\nAnd there are still responsibilities. The word that helps me here is stewardship. We have people to love, work to do, and things entrusted to our care. Our bodies and relationships are part of that care, too. Sometimes faithful stewardship means getting on with a task. Sometimes it means allowing ourselves to rest or giving our attention to the person beside us.\n\nLooking back at that evening, I was already experiencing joy before we discovered the store was closed or picked somewhere else to go. My daughter’s care for me and her excitement about shopping were enough for me to enjoy right then. A few quiet minutes in a parked car had something to offer, too.\n\nPerhaps there is a moment like that available to you today. You can allow yourself a little time without assigning it an outcome. Notice the love someone is offering. Let yourself enjoy something good without needing to make it useful. If the day is difficult, begin with whatever small measure of rest you can receive.\n\nJesus has paid for abundant life today. We can begin to receive it right where we are, with Him, simply being.\n\nSometimes it is simply a joy to be.","blocks":[{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"My daughter had looked up the store hours. The website said it was open until 9 p.m., and it was only 8 p.m. She was excited. I said, “Let’s go.”","html":"My daughter had looked up the store hours. The website said it was open until 9 p.m., and it was only 8 p.m. She was excited. I said, “Let’s go.”"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"When we got there, she asked, “Aren’t you coming?” I replied, “No, you go ahead. This store doesn’t have mobility scooters.”","html":"When we got there, she asked, “Aren’t you coming?” I replied, “No, you go ahead. This store doesn’t have mobility scooters.”"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"She quickly offered not to go, but I insisted. I was perfectly happy to stay in the car. Her willingness to give up something she wanted to do meant something to me. So did her excitement when she realized I was good with waiting. There was love in that exchange, and I had time to appreciate it.","html":"She quickly offered not to go, but I insisted. I was perfectly happy to stay in the car. Her willingness to give up something she wanted to do meant something to me. So did her excitement when she realized I was good with waiting. There was love in that exchange, and I had time to appreciate it."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"For that moment, I had no expectation or agenda. I was content, at rest, and filled with joy.","html":"For that moment, I had no expectation or agenda. I was content, at rest, and filled with joy."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Anywho, she was back within five minutes. The store had actually closed at 6 p.m. So much for the website.","html":"Anywho, she was back within five minutes. The store had actually closed at 6 p.m. So much for the website."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"She picked another store, this time one with mobility scooters. Our plans changed, and there was room for us to enjoy the next stop together.","html":"She picked another store, this time one with mobility scooters. Our plans changed, and there was room for us to enjoy the next stop together."},{"type":"image","image":{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/76","mime_type":"image/webp","size_bytes":107508,"width":1672,"height":941,"alt_text":"An illustrative scene of John Himmelberger resting in a parked car while his daughter approaches a store in the evening.","caption":null}},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Those few minutes in the car may sound simple. For someone who likes progress as much as I do, they are worth paying attention to.","html":"Those few minutes in the car may sound simple. For someone who likes progress as much as I do, they are worth paying attention to."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I like traction. I like momentum. As long as something is moving forward, I generally feel good about it. It means I am not stuck. There are things to build, people to help, and ideas I want to see become something. I enjoy that part of my life. But the pressure to keep making progress can take a toll, especially when I begin to feel out of sorts simply because nothing is happening.","html":"I like traction. I like momentum. As long as something is moving forward, I generally feel good about it. It means I am not stuck. There are things to build, people to help, and ideas I want to see become something. I enjoy that part of my life. But the pressure to keep making progress can take a toll, especially when I begin to feel out of sorts simply because nothing is happening."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Recently, I was sick in bed for a few days. After about a day, I started calling the mothers of my grandchildren. Since I was lying there anyway, what better time to develop characters based on the grandkids for a fiction book?","html":"Recently, I was sick in bed for a few days. After about a day, I started calling the mothers of my grandchildren. Since I was lying there anyway, what better time to develop characters based on the grandkids for a fiction book?"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I asked questions about their personalities, the things they say, their strengths and weaknesses. Before long, I was building character profiles.","html":"I asked questions about their personalities, the things they say, their strengths and weaknesses. Before long, I was building character profiles."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"You know, the stuff you do in your downtime.","html":"You know, the stuff you do in your downtime."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I enjoy that kind of creativity, and I love my grandchildren. The project gave me something enjoyable to work on. It also makes me smile at how quickly I can find something to develop, even from bed. My mind is quite willing to keep moving when my body needs to stop.","html":"I enjoy that kind of creativity, and I love my grandchildren. The project gave me something enjoyable to work on. It also makes me smile at how quickly I can find something to develop, even from bed. My mind is quite willing to keep moving when my body needs to stop."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Perhaps you know that feeling. You might have more to do than you can reasonably fit into a day. Even when you sit down, your thoughts keep working through what remains unfinished. Or perhaps you have more open time than you want, and the lack of activity leaves you restless. You would welcome a little traction.","html":"Perhaps you know that feeling. You might have more to do than you can reasonably fit into a day. Even when you sit down, your thoughts keep working through what remains unfinished. Or perhaps you have more open time than you want, and the lack of activity leaves you restless. You would welcome a little traction."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Both experiences can make it difficult to enjoy the moment you are actually in. We can spend a great deal of life waiting for the amount of activity to become just right before allowing ourselves to be content.","html":"Both experiences can make it difficult to enjoy the moment you are actually in. We can spend a great deal of life waiting for the amount of activity to become just right before allowing ourselves to be content."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I used to feel a need to make everything overtly spiritual, as though I needed to explain how an ordinary activity served some higher purpose. These days, I recognize that God is part of my whole life. Being with Him is a way of living. I can enjoy a creative idea, a conversation, or my daughter’s happiness without having to turn it into a ministry assignment.","html":"I used to feel a need to make everything overtly spiritual, as though I needed to explain how an ordinary activity served some higher purpose. These days, I recognize that God is part of my whole life. Being with Him is a way of living. I can enjoy a creative idea, a conversation, or my daughter’s happiness without having to turn it into a ministry assignment."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"That understanding gives me room to receive the ordinary parts of life with gratitude. I am still learning to enjoy that room when there is nothing in particular to accomplish.","html":"That understanding gives me room to receive the ordinary parts of life with gratitude. I am still learning to enjoy that room when there is nothing in particular to accomplish."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Hebrews 10 helps me understand the freedom Jesus has made possible. In verses 15-18, the Holy Spirit testifies to God’s covenant promise, including His declaration that “their sins and their lawless acts I will remember no more.” Forgiveness means there is no further offering required for sin. Then comes the therefore. Because of Jesus’ blood, we have confidence to enter God’s presence and draw near with assurance, our hearts cleansed from a guilty conscience (Hebrews 10:15-22, AMP).","html":"Hebrews 10 helps me understand the freedom Jesus has made possible. In verses 15-18, the Holy Spirit testifies to God’s covenant promise, including His declaration that “their sins and their lawless acts I will remember no more.” Forgiveness means there is no further offering required for sin. Then comes the <em>therefore</em>. Because of Jesus’ blood, we have confidence to enter God’s presence and draw near with assurance, our hearts cleansed from a guilty conscience (Hebrews 10:15-22, AMP)."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"That invitation gives me a place to rest. Jesus has already made the way for me to approach God. I can receive His welcome today, right in the middle of the life I am living.","html":"That invitation gives me a place to rest. Jesus has already made the way for me to approach God. I can receive His welcome today, right in the middle of the life I am living."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"In John 10:10, the Amplified Bible says Jesus came so we could “have and enjoy life.” I believe that invitation includes today. There is a life with Him available to us in the present, including the ordinary hours we might otherwise dismiss as unimportant.","html":"In John 10:10, the Amplified Bible says Jesus came so we could “have and enjoy life.” I believe that invitation includes today. There is a life with Him available to us in the present, including the ordinary hours we might otherwise dismiss as unimportant."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Sometimes we have not known that this kind of life was possible. Sometimes what we have been taught has made enjoyment feel suspect, or left us expecting abundance only somewhere beyond this life. It can take time to recognize the freedom we have been given and learn to live in it.","html":"Sometimes we have not known that this kind of life was possible. Sometimes what we have been taught has made enjoyment feel suspect, or left us expecting abundance only somewhere beyond this life. It can take time to recognize the freedom we have been given and learn to live in it."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Of course, this is real life. Sometimes the bottom falls out. At other times, we find ourselves favorably positioned without having striven to get there. Circumstances change, and we feel those changes. Grief is real. Exhaustion is real. There is room to acknowledge what hurts while remaining open to whatever comfort or joy we can receive.","html":"Of course, this is real life. Sometimes the bottom falls out. At other times, we find ourselves favorably positioned without having striven to get there. Circumstances change, and we feel those changes. Grief is real. Exhaustion is real. There is room to acknowledge what hurts while remaining open to whatever comfort or joy we can receive."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I would never want the invitation to enjoy life to become another pressure someone has to carry. Having a difficult day does not mean you have failed at faith. We can bring our whole selves to God, including the parts that are tired or unsure.","html":"I would never want the invitation to enjoy life to become another pressure someone has to carry. Having a difficult day does not mean you have failed at faith. We can bring our whole selves to God, including the parts that are tired or unsure."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"And there are still responsibilities. The word that helps me here is stewardship. We have people to love, work to do, and things entrusted to our care. Our bodies and relationships are part of that care, too. Sometimes faithful stewardship means getting on with a task. Sometimes it means allowing ourselves to rest or giving our attention to the person beside us.","html":"And there are still responsibilities. The word that helps me here is stewardship. We have people to love, work to do, and things entrusted to our care. Our bodies and relationships are part of that care, too. Sometimes faithful stewardship means getting on with a task. Sometimes it means allowing ourselves to rest or giving our attention to the person beside us."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Looking back at that evening, I was already experiencing joy before we discovered the store was closed or picked somewhere else to go. My daughter’s care for me and her excitement about shopping were enough for me to enjoy right then. A few quiet minutes in a parked car had something to offer, too.","html":"Looking back at that evening, I was already experiencing joy before we discovered the store was closed or picked somewhere else to go. My daughter’s care for me and her excitement about shopping were enough for me to enjoy right then. A few quiet minutes in a parked car had something to offer, too."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Perhaps there is a moment like that available to you today. You can allow yourself a little time without assigning it an outcome. Notice the love someone is offering. Let yourself enjoy something good without needing to make it useful. If the day is difficult, begin with whatever small measure of rest you can receive.","html":"Perhaps there is a moment like that available to you today. You can allow yourself a little time without assigning it an outcome. Notice the love someone is offering. Let yourself enjoy something good without needing to make it useful. If the day is difficult, begin with whatever small measure of rest you can receive."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Jesus has paid for abundant life today. We can begin to receive it right where we are, with Him, simply being.","html":"Jesus has paid for abundant life today. We can begin to receive it right where we are, with Him, simply being."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Sometimes it is simply a joy to be.","html":"Sometimes it is simply a joy to be."}]},"byline":"John Himmelberger","byline_authors":[{"type":"authors","id":"26","slug":"john-himmelberger","label":"John Himmelberger","links":{"self":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/api/v1/authors/26","page":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/authors/john-himmelberger/"}}],"publication_date":"2026-10-26","images":[{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/76","mime_type":"image/webp","size_bytes":107508,"width":1672,"height":941,"alt_text":"An illustrative scene of John Himmelberger resting in a parked car while his daughter approaches a store in the evening.","caption":null}],"pdf":{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/77","mime_type":"application/pdf","size_bytes":56658,"width":null,"height":null,"alt_text":null,"caption":null},"pdf_label":"Download Companion PDF","conversation":{"question":"What helps you enjoy the moment when you have too much to do, or not enough?","invitation":{"plain_text":"","html":""},"links":[{"label":"Join the Conversation on Facebook","url":"https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1F5nQbRfjb/"}]},"related_authors":[],"related_books":[{"type":"books","id":"11","slug":"inside-the-work","label":"Inside the Work","links":{"self":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/api/v1/books/11","page":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/books/inside-the-work/"}}]},{"type":"articles","id":"12","slug":"even-the-aardvarks","links":{"self":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/api/v1/articles/12","page":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/articles/even-the-aardvarks/"},"legacy_ids":["vm-article-0003"],"title":"Even the Aardvarks","subtitle":"Finding Joy in the Small Things","excerpt":"A book Nina Cesena discovered in college, and one unexpectedly highlighted word, became a lasting reminder to notice the small gifts around her. Her reflection explores gratitude, growing faith, and finding room for joy while life remains unfinished.","body":{"plain_text":"There are books we read and enjoy, books that change the way we think, and books that somehow find a permanent home on our bookshelves. They stay with us through different seasons of life, quietly reminding us of who we were when we first opened them and how much we’ve grown since then.\n\nFor me, one of those books is 14,000 Things to Be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer.\n\nI discovered it in college, and I’ve held on to it ever since. It isn’t a Christian book. It doesn’t contain Scripture or offer spiritual advice. Instead, it is a collection of ordinary, sometimes unexpected things that bring a little happiness to everyday life. And I loved it so much that I spent time highlighting many of my favorites.\n\nOne of those favorites? Aardvarks.\n\nYes, aardvarks.\n\nI know. It seems like a rather random thing to highlight in a book about happiness. But they look funny, they’re kind of cute, and something about them makes me smile. I couldn’t tell you exactly why I chose to mark that particular word all those years ago. I just know it made me happy.\n\nAnd perhaps that is part of what made the book so special to me. It gave me permission to notice the little things.\n\nA Little Book, a Season of Life\n\nWhen I think back to the season of life in which I discovered this book, I realize something important: my faith was not what it would eventually become.\n\nI considered myself a believer, but I wasn’t really walking closely with Christ. My faith had taken a back seat to other things, and I wasn't particularly grounded in Scripture or intentional about my relationship with God.\n\nLooking back, I can see that this book became a simple way for me to practice gratitude, even if I wouldn't have described it that way at the time.\n\nLife isn't always easy. Sometimes circumstances are genuinely hard, disappointing, or painful. And sometimes, even when life looks fine from the outside, we carry things on the inside that other people cannot see.\n\nIt is easy to let our attention settle on what is wrong. We replay the disappointment, rehearse the frustration, and wonder why things couldn't have turned out differently. Before long, the difficult thing becomes the only thing we can see.\n\nBut what if we made room for something else?\n\nWhat if, in the middle of a difficult day, we noticed the first sip of a really good cup of coffee? What if we paused to appreciate the smell of a campfire, the warmth of the sunshine on our face, or the gooey center of a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie?\n\nThese things don't erase our problems. A good cup of coffee doesn't resolve a difficult relationship, and a chocolate chip cookie isn't going to change a disappointing diagnosis. (Although I will admit that a really good cookie can improve a moment!)\n\nBut those small pleasures can remind us that even on a hard day, not everything is hard. Beauty still exists. There are still things to appreciate. There are still moments worth noticing.\n\nThat little book helped me learn to look for them.\n\nWhat If the Small Things Are More Than Small?\n\nYears later, my understanding of faith has deepened, and I see something in those highlighted words that I didn't necessarily recognize at the time.\n\nGod is the Creator of the universe. He created the vastness of the heavens, the complexity of the human body, the beauty of the natural world, and every living creature under heaven.\n\nEven aardvarks.\n\nHave you ever stopped to consider how wonderfully unnecessary an aardvark might seem if you were simply designing a world to meet human needs? And yet, there they are, with their long snouts and peculiar appearance, going about their aardvark business.\n\nI find that delightful.\n\nOf course, I can't claim to know everything God had in mind when He created an aardvark. But I can appreciate the wonder of a Creator whose world is so much bigger, stranger, and more beautiful than my limited perspective can comprehend.\n\nAnd that thought leads me somewhere personal.\n\nIf God has created a world filled with so much variety, beauty, and purpose, perhaps I don't need to understand everything about my own life to trust that I have a place in His story.\n\nPerhaps I can stop measuring my worth by how well my life is going, how neatly things are falling into place, or how closely my circumstances match what I hoped they would be.\n\nPerhaps I can simply begin by paying attention.\n\nI wish I could say that I learned all of this in college, but I didn't. My faith journey has had its own seasons of wandering, learning, suffering, and growing. I've walked through circumstances that tested what I believed and forced me to look more closely at where I had placed my hope.\n\nOver time, I came to understand that gratitude isn't about pretending everything is wonderful. It isn't about putting a cheerful spin on pain or convincing ourselves that we shouldn't feel disappointed, afraid, or sad.\n\nIt's about learning to recognize goodness even when life is not good in every respect.\n\nAnd for me, that goodness ultimately points back to God.\n\nWe Pray for Peace. What If We're Missing Some of the Ways It Comes?\n\nI think about how often we pray for peace. We ask God for comfort when we're hurting, for strength when we're weary, and for our circumstances to change when we don't know how much longer we can bear them.\n\nThose are honest prayers. I've prayed them myself, and I believe God welcomes us when we bring Him our pain and our longing for things to be different.\n\nBut I've also begun to wonder how often we overlook the small ways He may already be meeting us in the middle of it all.\n\nWhat if the peace we are praying for sometimes begins with a quiet moment in the morning before the demands of the day begin?\n\nWhat if comfort arrives through the familiar scent of pine trees, a conversation with a friend, or the warmth of a meal shared around the table?\n\nWhat if, in the middle of an overwhelming season, we find ourselves laughing at something completely ridiculous—and for a moment, the weight lifts?\n\nThese moments may not change our circumstances, but they can change the way we experience them.\n\nScripture reminds us in James 1:17 that every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father. I think that truth invites us to pay attention to the goodness around us rather than rushing past it in search of something bigger or more dramatic.\n\nGod is not limited to working through extraordinary moments. We can encounter reminders of His goodness in the ordinary rhythms of our days, too.\n\nSometimes we may be so focused on asking Him to change our circumstances that we miss the small gifts He has placed right in front of us.\n\nA beautiful sunrise. A child's laughter. The smell of bread baking. A moment of unexpected kindness.\n\nEven an aardvark.\n\nI don't mean that noticing these things is a substitute for prayer, Scripture, or a growing relationship with Christ. In fact, the older I get and the deeper my faith becomes, the more I recognize how much I need all of those things.\n\nBut I do believe that learning to notice God's goodness in the everyday can help turn our hearts toward Him. Gratitude can become a way of paying attention—not because every circumstance is good, but because God's goodness is not confined to the circumstances we wish we could change.\n\nChoosing Where I Place My Attention\n\nOne of the things I have learned over the years is that I cannot always choose what happens to me, but I can become more intentional about where I place my attention.\n\nThat doesn't mean I can simply decide not to be sad, stressed, or discouraged. It doesn't mean that difficult emotions disappear because I make a gratitude list. And it certainly doesn't mean that people walking through suffering need to try harder to be happy.\n\nIt means I can acknowledge what is hard without allowing it to occupy every corner of my perspective.\n\nI can be disappointed about one part of my day and still appreciate another. I can pray for a breakthrough while being grateful for the strength to get through today. I can wish for things to be different and still recognize that there is goodness to be found right where I am.\n\nFor me, this has become less about forcing myself to feel grateful and more about cultivating the habit of noticing.\n\nSometimes that means taking a few extra seconds to enjoy my morning coffee instead of gulping it down while thinking about everything I need to accomplish. Sometimes it means appreciating the smell of a campfire, getting outside and noticing the beauty of the natural world, or baking something delicious simply because I enjoy it.\n\nAnd sometimes it means opening an old book, turning to a page marked years ago, and smiling at the word aardvarks.\n\nMy faith has grown considerably since those college days. Today, I have a deeper understanding of who God is and what it means to trust Him, even when I don't understand what He is doing. I don't always get my perspective right, and I still have days when the difficult things demand more of my attention than I'd like.\n\nBut I keep learning.\n\nI keep returning to the truth that my circumstances do not tell the whole story. My struggles are real, but so is God's goodness. My unanswered questions matter, but they don't have to be the only things I carry.\n\nAnd I don't have to wait until everything is resolved to begin noticing the gifts that are already here.\n\nA Little More Room for Joy\n\nI still have that book. It has traveled with me through the years, and those highlighted words remain a reminder of a younger version of myself who was learning, perhaps without realizing it, how to look for joy.\n\nI didn't have all the words for it then. I wasn't as grounded in my faith as I am today. But I was learning to pay attention to the little things that made life feel a little lighter.\n\nNow, I see those small pleasures through a different lens. I see them as invitations to slow down, to appreciate the world God made, and to remember that even when life is difficult, there is still beauty to be found.\n\nMaybe you are walking through a season when the big things feel especially heavy. Maybe you are waiting for an answer to prayer, longing for a change in circumstances, or simply trying to get through a day that has asked more of you than you feel able to give.\n\nI won't tell you to look on the bright side or pretend that everything is okay. Some seasons really are hard, and you deserve room to acknowledge that.\n\nBut I might gently encourage you to look for one small thing today.\n\nAfter all these years, I still believe there is something worth learning from a little book filled with 14,000 things to be happy about. Not that happiness is always a choice, or that gratitude makes suffering disappear, but that there is often more goodness in our lives than our struggles allow us to see.\n\nAnd sometimes, the smallest things help us remember the biggest truths.\n\nWe are seen. We are loved. We are not alone.\n\nAnd even in the middle of an unfinished story, there is still room for joy.","blocks":[{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"There are books we read and enjoy, books that change the way we think, and books that somehow find a permanent home on our bookshelves. They stay with us through different seasons of life, quietly reminding us of who we were when we first opened them and how much we’ve grown since then.","html":"There are books we read and enjoy, books that change the way we think, and books that somehow find a permanent home on our bookshelves. They stay with us through different seasons of life, quietly reminding us of who we were when we first opened them and how much we’ve grown since then."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"For me, one of those books is 14,000 Things to Be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer.","html":"For me, one of those books is <em>14,000 Things to Be Happy About</em> by Barbara Ann Kipfer."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I discovered it in college, and I’ve held on to it ever since. It isn’t a Christian book. It doesn’t contain Scripture or offer spiritual advice. Instead, it is a collection of ordinary, sometimes unexpected things that bring a little happiness to everyday life. And I loved it so much that I spent time highlighting many of my favorites.","html":"I discovered it in college, and I’ve held on to it ever since. It isn’t a Christian book. It doesn’t contain Scripture or offer spiritual advice. Instead, it is a collection of ordinary, sometimes unexpected things that bring a little happiness to everyday life. And I loved it so much that I spent time highlighting many of my favorites."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"One of those favorites? Aardvarks.","html":"One of those favorites? Aardvarks."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Yes, aardvarks.","html":"Yes, aardvarks."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I know. It seems like a rather random thing to highlight in a book about happiness. But they look funny, they’re kind of cute, and something about them makes me smile. I couldn’t tell you exactly why I chose to mark that particular word all those years ago. I just know it made me happy.","html":"I know. It seems like a rather random thing to highlight in a book about happiness. But they look funny, they’re kind of cute, and something about them makes me smile. I couldn’t tell you exactly why I chose to mark that particular word all those years ago. I just know it made me happy."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"And perhaps that is part of what made the book so special to me. It gave me permission to notice the little things.","html":"And perhaps that is part of what made the book so special to me. It gave me permission to notice the little things."},{"type":"image","image":{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/78","mime_type":"image/webp","size_bytes":407750,"width":1672,"height":941,"alt_text":"Watercolor illustration of an aardvark watching a butterfly beside wildflowers in warm morning light.","caption":null}},{"type":"heading","plain_text":"A Little Book, a Season of Life","html":"A Little Book, a Season of Life"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"When I think back to the season of life in which I discovered this book, I realize something important: my faith was not what it would eventually become.","html":"When I think back to the season of life in which I discovered this book, I realize something important: my faith was not what it would eventually become."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I considered myself a believer, but I wasn’t really walking closely with Christ. My faith had taken a back seat to other things, and I wasn't particularly grounded in Scripture or intentional about my relationship with God.","html":"I considered myself a believer, but I wasn’t really walking closely with Christ. My faith had taken a back seat to other things, and I wasn&#039;t particularly grounded in Scripture or intentional about my relationship with God."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Looking back, I can see that this book became a simple way for me to practice gratitude, even if I wouldn't have described it that way at the time.","html":"Looking back, I can see that this book became a simple way for me to practice gratitude, even if I wouldn&#039;t have described it that way at the time."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Life isn't always easy. Sometimes circumstances are genuinely hard, disappointing, or painful. And sometimes, even when life looks fine from the outside, we carry things on the inside that other people cannot see.","html":"Life isn&#039;t always easy. Sometimes circumstances are genuinely hard, disappointing, or painful. And sometimes, even when life looks fine from the outside, we carry things on the inside that other people cannot see."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"It is easy to let our attention settle on what is wrong. We replay the disappointment, rehearse the frustration, and wonder why things couldn't have turned out differently. Before long, the difficult thing becomes the only thing we can see.","html":"It is easy to let our attention settle on what is wrong. We replay the disappointment, rehearse the frustration, and wonder why things couldn&#039;t have turned out differently. Before long, the difficult thing becomes the <em>only</em> thing we can see."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"But what if we made room for something else?","html":"But what if we made room for something else?"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"What if, in the middle of a difficult day, we noticed the first sip of a really good cup of coffee? What if we paused to appreciate the smell of a campfire, the warmth of the sunshine on our face, or the gooey center of a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie?","html":"What if, in the middle of a difficult day, we noticed the first sip of a really good cup of coffee? What if we paused to appreciate the smell of a campfire, the warmth of the sunshine on our face, or the gooey center of a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie?"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"These things don't erase our problems. A good cup of coffee doesn't resolve a difficult relationship, and a chocolate chip cookie isn't going to change a disappointing diagnosis. (Although I will admit that a really good cookie can improve a moment!)","html":"These things don&#039;t erase our problems. A good cup of coffee doesn&#039;t resolve a difficult relationship, and a chocolate chip cookie isn&#039;t going to change a disappointing diagnosis. (Although I will admit that a really good cookie can improve a moment!)"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"But those small pleasures can remind us that even on a hard day, not everything is hard. Beauty still exists. There are still things to appreciate. There are still moments worth noticing.","html":"But those small pleasures can remind us that even on a hard day, not everything is hard. Beauty still exists. There are still things to appreciate. There are still moments worth noticing."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"That little book helped me learn to look for them.","html":"That little book helped me learn to look for them."},{"type":"heading","plain_text":"What If the Small Things Are More Than Small?","html":"What If the Small Things Are More Than Small?"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Years later, my understanding of faith has deepened, and I see something in those highlighted words that I didn't necessarily recognize at the time.","html":"Years later, my understanding of faith has deepened, and I see something in those highlighted words that I didn&#039;t necessarily recognize at the time."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"God is the Creator of the universe. He created the vastness of the heavens, the complexity of the human body, the beauty of the natural world, and every living creature under heaven.","html":"God is the Creator of the universe. He created the vastness of the heavens, the complexity of the human body, the beauty of the natural world, and every living creature under heaven."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Even aardvarks.","html":"Even aardvarks."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Have you ever stopped to consider how wonderfully unnecessary an aardvark might seem if you were simply designing a world to meet human needs? And yet, there they are, with their long snouts and peculiar appearance, going about their aardvark business.","html":"Have you ever stopped to consider how wonderfully unnecessary an aardvark might seem if you were simply designing a world to meet human needs? And yet, there they are, with their long snouts and peculiar appearance, going about their aardvark business."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I find that delightful.","html":"I find that delightful."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Of course, I can't claim to know everything God had in mind when He created an aardvark. But I can appreciate the wonder of a Creator whose world is so much bigger, stranger, and more beautiful than my limited perspective can comprehend.","html":"Of course, I can&#039;t claim to know everything God had in mind when He created an aardvark. But I can appreciate the wonder of a Creator whose world is so much bigger, stranger, and more beautiful than my limited perspective can comprehend."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"And that thought leads me somewhere personal.","html":"And that thought leads me somewhere personal."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"If God has created a world filled with so much variety, beauty, and purpose, perhaps I don't need to understand everything about my own life to trust that I have a place in His story.","html":"If God has created a world filled with so much variety, beauty, and purpose, perhaps I don&#039;t need to understand everything about my own life to trust that I have a place in His story."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Perhaps I can stop measuring my worth by how well my life is going, how neatly things are falling into place, or how closely my circumstances match what I hoped they would be.","html":"Perhaps I can stop measuring my worth by how well my life is going, how neatly things are falling into place, or how closely my circumstances match what I hoped they would be."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Perhaps I can simply begin by paying attention.","html":"Perhaps I can simply begin by paying attention."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I wish I could say that I learned all of this in college, but I didn't. My faith journey has had its own seasons of wandering, learning, suffering, and growing. I've walked through circumstances that tested what I believed and forced me to look more closely at where I had placed my hope.","html":"I wish I could say that I learned all of this in college, but I didn&#039;t. My faith journey has had its own seasons of wandering, learning, suffering, and growing. I&#039;ve walked through circumstances that tested what I believed and forced me to look more closely at where I had placed my hope."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Over time, I came to understand that gratitude isn't about pretending everything is wonderful. It isn't about putting a cheerful spin on pain or convincing ourselves that we shouldn't feel disappointed, afraid, or sad.","html":"Over time, I came to understand that gratitude isn&#039;t about pretending everything is wonderful. It isn&#039;t about putting a cheerful spin on pain or convincing ourselves that we shouldn&#039;t feel disappointed, afraid, or sad."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"It's about learning to recognize goodness even when life is not good in every respect.","html":"It&#039;s about learning to recognize goodness even when life is not good in every respect."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"And for me, that goodness ultimately points back to God.","html":"And for me, that goodness ultimately points back to God."},{"type":"heading","plain_text":"We Pray for Peace. What If We're Missing Some of the Ways It Comes?","html":"We Pray for Peace. What If We&#039;re Missing Some of the Ways It Comes?"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I think about how often we pray for peace. We ask God for comfort when we're hurting, for strength when we're weary, and for our circumstances to change when we don't know how much longer we can bear them.","html":"I think about how often we pray for peace. We ask God for comfort when we&#039;re hurting, for strength when we&#039;re weary, and for our circumstances to change when we don&#039;t know how much longer we can bear them."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Those are honest prayers. I've prayed them myself, and I believe God welcomes us when we bring Him our pain and our longing for things to be different.","html":"Those are honest prayers. I&#039;ve prayed them myself, and I believe God welcomes us when we bring Him our pain and our longing for things to be different."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"But I've also begun to wonder how often we overlook the small ways He may already be meeting us in the middle of it all.","html":"But I&#039;ve also begun to wonder how often we overlook the small ways He may already be meeting us in the middle of it all."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"What if the peace we are praying for sometimes begins with a quiet moment in the morning before the demands of the day begin?","html":"What if the peace we are praying for sometimes begins with a quiet moment in the morning before the demands of the day begin?"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"What if comfort arrives through the familiar scent of pine trees, a conversation with a friend, or the warmth of a meal shared around the table?","html":"What if comfort arrives through the familiar scent of pine trees, a conversation with a friend, or the warmth of a meal shared around the table?"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"What if, in the middle of an overwhelming season, we find ourselves laughing at something completely ridiculous—and for a moment, the weight lifts?","html":"What if, in the middle of an overwhelming season, we find ourselves laughing at something completely ridiculous—and for a moment, the weight lifts?"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"These moments may not change our circumstances, but they can change the way we experience them.","html":"These moments may not change our circumstances, but they can change the way we experience them."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Scripture reminds us in James 1:17 that every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father. I think that truth invites us to pay attention to the goodness around us rather than rushing past it in search of something bigger or more dramatic.","html":"Scripture reminds us in James 1:17 that every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father. I think that truth invites us to pay attention to the goodness around us rather than rushing past it in search of something bigger or more dramatic."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"God is not limited to working through extraordinary moments. We can encounter reminders of His goodness in the ordinary rhythms of our days, too.","html":"God is not limited to working through extraordinary moments. We can encounter reminders of His goodness in the ordinary rhythms of our days, too."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Sometimes we may be so focused on asking Him to change our circumstances that we miss the small gifts He has placed right in front of us.","html":"Sometimes we may be so focused on asking Him to change our circumstances that we miss the small gifts He has placed right in front of us."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"A beautiful sunrise. A child's laughter. The smell of bread baking. A moment of unexpected kindness.","html":"A beautiful sunrise. A child&#039;s laughter. The smell of bread baking. A moment of unexpected kindness."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Even an aardvark.","html":"Even an aardvark."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I don't mean that noticing these things is a substitute for prayer, Scripture, or a growing relationship with Christ. In fact, the older I get and the deeper my faith becomes, the more I recognize how much I need all of those things.","html":"I don&#039;t mean that noticing these things is a substitute for prayer, Scripture, or a growing relationship with Christ. In fact, the older I get and the deeper my faith becomes, the more I recognize how much I need all of those things."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"But I do believe that learning to notice God's goodness in the everyday can help turn our hearts toward Him. Gratitude can become a way of paying attention—not because every circumstance is good, but because God's goodness is not confined to the circumstances we wish we could change.","html":"But I do believe that learning to notice God&#039;s goodness in the everyday can help turn our hearts toward Him. Gratitude can become a way of paying attention—not because every circumstance is good, but because God&#039;s goodness is not confined to the circumstances we wish we could change."},{"type":"heading","plain_text":"Choosing Where I Place My Attention","html":"Choosing Where I Place My Attention"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"One of the things I have learned over the years is that I cannot always choose what happens to me, but I can become more intentional about where I place my attention.","html":"One of the things I have learned over the years is that I cannot always choose what happens to me, but I can become more intentional about where I place my attention."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"That doesn't mean I can simply decide not to be sad, stressed, or discouraged. It doesn't mean that difficult emotions disappear because I make a gratitude list. And it certainly doesn't mean that people walking through suffering need to try harder to be happy.","html":"That doesn&#039;t mean I can simply decide not to be sad, stressed, or discouraged. It doesn&#039;t mean that difficult emotions disappear because I make a gratitude list. And it certainly doesn&#039;t mean that people walking through suffering need to try harder to be happy."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"It means I can acknowledge what is hard without allowing it to occupy every corner of my perspective.","html":"It means I can acknowledge what is hard without allowing it to occupy every corner of my perspective."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I can be disappointed about one part of my day and still appreciate another. I can pray for a breakthrough while being grateful for the strength to get through today. I can wish for things to be different and still recognize that there is goodness to be found right where I am.","html":"I can be disappointed about one part of my day and still appreciate another. I can pray for a breakthrough while being grateful for the strength to get through today. I can wish for things to be different and still recognize that there is goodness to be found right where I am."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"For me, this has become less about forcing myself to feel grateful and more about cultivating the habit of noticing.","html":"For me, this has become less about forcing myself to feel grateful and more about cultivating the habit of noticing."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Sometimes that means taking a few extra seconds to enjoy my morning coffee instead of gulping it down while thinking about everything I need to accomplish. Sometimes it means appreciating the smell of a campfire, getting outside and noticing the beauty of the natural world, or baking something delicious simply because I enjoy it.","html":"Sometimes that means taking a few extra seconds to enjoy my morning coffee instead of gulping it down while thinking about everything I need to accomplish. Sometimes it means appreciating the smell of a campfire, getting outside and noticing the beauty of the natural world, or baking something delicious simply because I enjoy it."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"And sometimes it means opening an old book, turning to a page marked years ago, and smiling at the word aardvarks.","html":"And sometimes it means opening an old book, turning to a page marked years ago, and smiling at the word <em>aardvarks</em>."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"My faith has grown considerably since those college days. Today, I have a deeper understanding of who God is and what it means to trust Him, even when I don't understand what He is doing. I don't always get my perspective right, and I still have days when the difficult things demand more of my attention than I'd like.","html":"My faith has grown considerably since those college days. Today, I have a deeper understanding of who God is and what it means to trust Him, even when I don&#039;t understand what He is doing. I don&#039;t always get my perspective right, and I still have days when the difficult things demand more of my attention than I&#039;d like."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"But I keep learning.","html":"But I keep learning."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I keep returning to the truth that my circumstances do not tell the whole story. My struggles are real, but so is God's goodness. My unanswered questions matter, but they don't have to be the only things I carry.","html":"I keep returning to the truth that my circumstances do not tell the whole story. My struggles are real, but so is God&#039;s goodness. My unanswered questions matter, but they don&#039;t have to be the only things I carry."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"And I don't have to wait until everything is resolved to begin noticing the gifts that are already here.","html":"And I don&#039;t have to wait until everything is resolved to begin noticing the gifts that are already here."},{"type":"heading","plain_text":"A Little More Room for Joy","html":"A Little More Room for Joy"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I still have that book. It has traveled with me through the years, and those highlighted words remain a reminder of a younger version of myself who was learning, perhaps without realizing it, how to look for joy.","html":"I still have that book. It has traveled with me through the years, and those highlighted words remain a reminder of a younger version of myself who was learning, perhaps without realizing it, how to look for joy."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I didn't have all the words for it then. I wasn't as grounded in my faith as I am today. But I was learning to pay attention to the little things that made life feel a little lighter.","html":"I didn&#039;t have all the words for it then. I wasn&#039;t as grounded in my faith as I am today. But I was learning to pay attention to the little things that made life feel a little lighter."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Now, I see those small pleasures through a different lens. I see them as invitations to slow down, to appreciate the world God made, and to remember that even when life is difficult, there is still beauty to be found.","html":"Now, I see those small pleasures through a different lens. I see them as invitations to slow down, to appreciate the world God made, and to remember that even when life is difficult, there is still beauty to be found."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Maybe you are walking through a season when the big things feel especially heavy. Maybe you are waiting for an answer to prayer, longing for a change in circumstances, or simply trying to get through a day that has asked more of you than you feel able to give.","html":"Maybe you are walking through a season when the big things feel especially heavy. Maybe you are waiting for an answer to prayer, longing for a change in circumstances, or simply trying to get through a day that has asked more of you than you feel able to give."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I won't tell you to look on the bright side or pretend that everything is okay. Some seasons really are hard, and you deserve room to acknowledge that.","html":"I won&#039;t tell you to look on the bright side or pretend that everything is okay. Some seasons really are hard, and you deserve room to acknowledge that."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"But I might gently encourage you to look for one small thing today.","html":"But I might gently encourage you to look for one small thing today."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"After all these years, I still believe there is something worth learning from a little book filled with 14,000 things to be happy about. Not that happiness is always a choice, or that gratitude makes suffering disappear, but that there is often more goodness in our lives than our struggles allow us to see.","html":"After all these years, I still believe there is something worth learning from a little book filled with 14,000 things to be happy about. Not that happiness is always a choice, or that gratitude makes suffering disappear, but that there is often more goodness in our lives than our struggles allow us to see."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"And sometimes, the smallest things help us remember the biggest truths.","html":"And sometimes, the smallest things help us remember the biggest truths."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"We are seen. We are loved. We are not alone.","html":"We are seen. We are loved. We are not alone."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"And even in the middle of an unfinished story, there is still room for joy.","html":"And even in the middle of an unfinished story, there is still room for joy."}]},"byline":"Nina Cesena","byline_authors":[{"type":"authors","id":"25","slug":"nina-cesena","label":"Nina Cesena","links":{"self":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/api/v1/authors/25","page":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/authors/nina-cesena/"}}],"publication_date":"2026-10-11","images":[{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/78","mime_type":"image/webp","size_bytes":407750,"width":1672,"height":941,"alt_text":"Watercolor illustration of an aardvark watching a butterfly beside wildflowers in warm morning light.","caption":null}],"pdf":{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/79","mime_type":"application/pdf","size_bytes":81362,"width":null,"height":null,"alt_text":null,"caption":null},"pdf_label":"Download Companion PDF","conversation":{"question":"What’s one small, perhaps unexpected thing that never fails to make you smile?","invitation":{"plain_text":"Now I'm curious: What's one small, perhaps unexpected thing that never fails to make you smile? I'd love to hear what it is. And if it's an aardvark, well, you'll have to tell me why!","html":"<strong>Now I&#039;m curious: What&#039;s one small, perhaps unexpected thing that never fails to make you smile?</strong> I&#039;d love to hear what it is. And if it&#039;s an aardvark, well, you&#039;ll have to tell me why!"},"links":[{"label":"Join the Conversation on Facebook","url":"https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ErPmUxoeS/"}]},"related_authors":[],"related_books":[]},{"type":"articles","id":"13","slug":"when-faith-becomes-your-own","links":{"self":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/api/v1/articles/13","page":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/articles/when-faith-becomes-your-own/"},"legacy_ids":["vm-article-0002"],"title":"When Faith Becomes Your Own","subtitle":"Moving from inherited answers to firsthand relationship","excerpt":"Early in my journey of faith, I asked approximately one hundred people, “Who do you say Jesus is?” Their answers sent me into the Gospels, where I began discovering a love I could live from.","body":{"plain_text":"Early in my journey of faith, I carried a tape recorder around the church I attended and asked people a question: “Who do you say Jesus is?” Over several months, I interviewed approximately one hundred people. I had come to faith later than many of them, or at least I assumed I had. They had a head start. I thought their experience could help me catch up.\n\nSome of their answers have stayed with me. “Jesus is a combat boot in the sky, ready to give you a kick in the butt if you make a mistake.” “Jesus? You need to worry about God. He is a spiritual two-by-four, ready to clobber you.” “Jesus is my best friend. We do everything together.” “Jesus died for your sins, so you need to respect Him, clean yourself up, and be presentable.”\n\nAt first, I thought, I am more behind than I thought. But the more people I interviewed, the more unsettling it became. Beyond agreeing that Jesus was the Son of God and really important, there didn’t seem to be much agreement about what He was actually like. What began as an effort to receive a hand up left me wondering whether we were all talking about the same Jesus.\n\nThat question moved me into a kind of spiritual boot camp. I read the Bible every day, often for hours. I wanted to discover who Jesus said He was and who He said I was. Reading through the Gospels, I struggled to connect the dots between the Jesus I encountered there and some of the descriptions on those tapes. I did notice that people misunderstood Him back then, too. That wasn’t a great comfort, but it was a little.\n\nThen something else began to emerge. This was much more of a love story than a military landscape. Jesus was willing to work with people just as they were. He saw them as worthy of His love from the beginning. They didn’t have to clean themselves up before He would come near, and He continued working with them through their weaknesses and failures. That challenged some of what I had already experienced.\n\nMy first church experience as an adult included someone approaching me before the service, introducing themselves, and inviting me to lunch afterward. Wow, I thought. This is awesome. After the service, they found me, took me to their car, and drove me to a place called The Toggery. The Toggery didn’t serve food. It sold suits. I was confused. I never did get lunch, but I got a suit jacket, three button-up shirts, two pairs of slacks, some socks, and shoes.\n\nAt the time, I assumed this was another thing I was in the dark about. They must know something I didn’t. I thought they were being helpful. As I kept reading the Bible, though, I didn’t see that kind of behavior in the life of Jesus. I couldn’t find where getting someone properly dressed was His first step toward relationship. Slowly, my attention began turning from what His followers told me toward what I could see of Jesus Himself in Scripture.\n\nI still had questions I was reluctant to admit. One kept returning: Am I believing a lie about Him? I skirted around it. I didn’t want people to discover the gaps in my understanding. I didn’t want to reveal my doubts. I certainly didn’t want to admit to Jesus that some of what I believed about Him might be wrong. But I couldn’t escape the question. Eventually, I brought it to Him. “Am I believing a lie about You?”\n\nWhen I finally asked with a willingness to listen for an answer, the impression I received was something like, Of course you are, silly. It was more a feeling than something I heard. What came with it was comfort. Peace remained. No combat boot. No spiritual two-by-four. There was an invitation to keep learning, to take the knowledge I had gathered and let it move into my heart.\n\nHe really loves us. I began to realize I had nothing to hide. And even if I tried, He is the all-knowing God. Who exactly did I think I was fooling? That love gave me security and freedom to learn without guilt and shame governing the process. They still show up as temptations, but I don’t have to handle them on my own. I pass them up the chain.\n\nFor me, this is part of what it means for faith to become my own. I possess all kinds of knowledge I don’t believe. I can repeat an idea, explain it, and recognize where it came from without trusting it enough to act on it. Our beliefs govern our actions. Knowing the words is only part of the journey. Scripture points me toward promises. But until I receive a promise as something I can trust and live from, it can remain information on a page.\n\n“Jesus loves me” was becoming something I could live from. His love gave me the freedom to bring Him a question I had been afraid to ask. I could admit what I didn’t understand and trust Him to continue with me.\n\nYears later, I remembered someone who had tried to introduce me to that love long before I carried a tape recorder around a church. Her name is Laurel Marie West, but when I knew her, she was Laurel Marie Lazov. I called her Marie. She was my friend in ninth grade and the first peer I remember sharing Jesus with me. Family members had spoken to me about Him when I was younger, but hearing it from a friend was different. At the time, I laughed at her and made fun of her for it. Years later, I remembered her attempts and realized I had discovered firsthand that she was right. “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”\n\nI’m grateful for the people who introduced me to Jesus. Our beginnings often come through someone else’s words, prayers, encouragement, or example. Those beginnings matter. But there is an invitation to come to know Him for ourselves. Perhaps you know the familiar answers but struggle to describe your own relationship with Jesus. Perhaps you are rebuilding your faith and wondering which parts of what you received you can still trust. You can bring those questions to Him.\n\nRead a Gospel slowly. Pay attention to how Jesus approaches people, especially those who are confused, struggling, or failing. Notice what challenges the picture of Him you have carried. Pray honestly about it. Talk with trusted people who make room for questions and help you return to Him.\n\nSometimes we have to cross the chicken-line. We may wish the fear would disappear first. But sometimes the next step is to step over that line and see what is on the other side. For me, that meant asking a question I had been hiding. What I found on the other side was unconditional love.","blocks":[{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Early in my journey of faith, I carried a tape recorder around the church I attended and asked people a question: “Who do you say Jesus is?” Over several months, I interviewed approximately one hundred people. I had come to faith later than many of them, or at least I assumed I had. They had a head start. I thought their experience could help me catch up.","html":"Early in my journey of faith, I carried a tape recorder around the church I attended and asked people a question: “Who do you say Jesus is?” Over several months, I interviewed approximately one hundred people. I had come to faith later than many of them, or at least I assumed I had. They had a head start. I thought their experience could help me catch up."},{"type":"image","image":{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/80","mime_type":"image/webp","size_bytes":285344,"width":1672,"height":941,"alt_text":"Fostex X-18 cassette recorder beside an open Bible and a notebook asking, “Who do you say Jesus is?”","caption":null}},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Some of their answers have stayed with me. “Jesus is a combat boot in the sky, ready to give you a kick in the butt if you make a mistake.” “Jesus? You need to worry about God. He is a spiritual two-by-four, ready to clobber you.” “Jesus is my best friend. We do everything together.” “Jesus died for your sins, so you need to respect Him, clean yourself up, and be presentable.”","html":"Some of their answers have stayed with me. “Jesus is a combat boot in the sky, ready to give you a kick in the butt if you make a mistake.” “Jesus? You need to worry about God. He is a spiritual two-by-four, ready to clobber you.” “Jesus is my best friend. We do everything together.” “Jesus died for your sins, so you need to respect Him, clean yourself up, and be presentable.”"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"At first, I thought, I am more behind than I thought. But the more people I interviewed, the more unsettling it became. Beyond agreeing that Jesus was the Son of God and really important, there didn’t seem to be much agreement about what He was actually like. What began as an effort to receive a hand up left me wondering whether we were all talking about the same Jesus.","html":"At first, I thought, <em>I am more behind than I thought.</em> But the more people I interviewed, the more unsettling it became. Beyond agreeing that Jesus was the Son of God and really important, there didn’t seem to be much agreement about what He was actually like. What began as an effort to receive a hand up left me wondering whether we were all talking about the same Jesus."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"That question moved me into a kind of spiritual boot camp. I read the Bible every day, often for hours. I wanted to discover who Jesus said He was and who He said I was. Reading through the Gospels, I struggled to connect the dots between the Jesus I encountered there and some of the descriptions on those tapes. I did notice that people misunderstood Him back then, too. That wasn’t a great comfort, but it was a little.","html":"That question moved me into a kind of spiritual boot camp. I read the Bible every day, often for hours. I wanted to discover who Jesus said He was and who He said I was. Reading through the Gospels, I struggled to connect the dots between the Jesus I encountered there and some of the descriptions on those tapes. I did notice that people misunderstood Him back then, too. That wasn’t a great comfort, but it was a little."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Then something else began to emerge. This was much more of a love story than a military landscape. Jesus was willing to work with people just as they were. He saw them as worthy of His love from the beginning. They didn’t have to clean themselves up before He would come near, and He continued working with them through their weaknesses and failures. That challenged some of what I had already experienced.","html":"Then something else began to emerge. This was much more of a love story than a military landscape. Jesus was willing to work with people just as they were. He saw them as worthy of His love from the beginning. They didn’t have to clean themselves up before He would come near, and He continued working with them through their weaknesses and failures. That challenged some of what I had already experienced."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"My first church experience as an adult included someone approaching me before the service, introducing themselves, and inviting me to lunch afterward. Wow, I thought. This is awesome. After the service, they found me, took me to their car, and drove me to a place called The Toggery. The Toggery didn’t serve food. It sold suits. I was confused. I never did get lunch, but I got a suit jacket, three button-up shirts, two pairs of slacks, some socks, and shoes.","html":"My first church experience as an adult included someone approaching me before the service, introducing themselves, and inviting me to lunch afterward. <em>Wow,</em> I thought. <em>This is awesome.</em> After the service, they found me, took me to their car, and drove me to a place called The Toggery. The Toggery didn’t serve food. It sold suits. I was confused. I never did get lunch, but I got a suit jacket, three button-up shirts, two pairs of slacks, some socks, and shoes."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"At the time, I assumed this was another thing I was in the dark about. They must know something I didn’t. I thought they were being helpful. As I kept reading the Bible, though, I didn’t see that kind of behavior in the life of Jesus. I couldn’t find where getting someone properly dressed was His first step toward relationship. Slowly, my attention began turning from what His followers told me toward what I could see of Jesus Himself in Scripture.","html":"At the time, I assumed this was another thing I was in the dark about. They must know something I didn’t. I thought they were being helpful. As I kept reading the Bible, though, I didn’t see that kind of behavior in the life of Jesus. I couldn’t find where getting someone properly dressed was His first step toward relationship. Slowly, my attention began turning from what His followers told me toward what I could see of Jesus Himself in Scripture."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I still had questions I was reluctant to admit. One kept returning: Am I believing a lie about Him? I skirted around it. I didn’t want people to discover the gaps in my understanding. I didn’t want to reveal my doubts. I certainly didn’t want to admit to Jesus that some of what I believed about Him might be wrong. But I couldn’t escape the question. Eventually, I brought it to Him. “Am I believing a lie about You?”","html":"I still had questions I was reluctant to admit. One kept returning: <em>Am I believing a lie about Him?</em> I skirted around it. I didn’t want people to discover the gaps in my understanding. I didn’t want to reveal my doubts. I certainly didn’t want to admit to Jesus that some of what I believed about Him might be wrong. But I couldn’t escape the question. Eventually, I brought it to Him. “Am I believing a lie about You?”"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"When I finally asked with a willingness to listen for an answer, the impression I received was something like, Of course you are, silly. It was more a feeling than something I heard. What came with it was comfort. Peace remained. No combat boot. No spiritual two-by-four. There was an invitation to keep learning, to take the knowledge I had gathered and let it move into my heart.","html":"When I finally asked with a willingness to listen for an answer, the impression I received was something like, <em>Of course you are, silly.</em> It was more a feeling than something I heard. What came with it was comfort. Peace remained. No combat boot. No spiritual two-by-four. There was an invitation to keep learning, to take the knowledge I had gathered and let it move into my heart."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"He really loves us. I began to realize I had nothing to hide. And even if I tried, He is the all-knowing God. Who exactly did I think I was fooling? That love gave me security and freedom to learn without guilt and shame governing the process. They still show up as temptations, but I don’t have to handle them on my own. I pass them up the chain.","html":"He really loves us. I began to realize I had nothing to hide. And even if I tried, He is the all-knowing God. Who exactly did I think I was fooling? That love gave me security and freedom to learn without guilt and shame governing the process. They still show up as temptations, but I don’t have to handle them on my own. I pass them up the chain."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"For me, this is part of what it means for faith to become my own. I possess all kinds of knowledge I don’t believe. I can repeat an idea, explain it, and recognize where it came from without trusting it enough to act on it. Our beliefs govern our actions. Knowing the words is only part of the journey. Scripture points me toward promises. But until I receive a promise as something I can trust and live from, it can remain information on a page.","html":"For me, this is part of what it means for faith to become my own. I possess all kinds of knowledge I don’t believe. I can repeat an idea, explain it, and recognize where it came from without trusting it enough to act on it. Our beliefs govern our actions. Knowing the words is only part of the journey. Scripture points me toward promises. But until I receive a promise as something I can trust and live from, it can remain information on a page."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"“Jesus loves me” was becoming something I could live from. His love gave me the freedom to bring Him a question I had been afraid to ask. I could admit what I didn’t understand and trust Him to continue with me.","html":"“Jesus loves me” was becoming something I could live from. His love gave me the freedom to bring Him a question I had been afraid to ask. I could admit what I didn’t understand and trust Him to continue with me."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Years later, I remembered someone who had tried to introduce me to that love long before I carried a tape recorder around a church. Her name is Laurel Marie West, but when I knew her, she was Laurel Marie Lazov. I called her Marie. She was my friend in ninth grade and the first peer I remember sharing Jesus with me. Family members had spoken to me about Him when I was younger, but hearing it from a friend was different. At the time, I laughed at her and made fun of her for it. Years later, I remembered her attempts and realized I had discovered firsthand that she was right. “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”","html":"Years later, I remembered someone who had tried to introduce me to that love long before I carried a tape recorder around a church. Her name is Laurel Marie West, but when I knew her, she was Laurel Marie Lazov. I called her Marie. She was my friend in ninth grade and the first peer I remember sharing Jesus with me. Family members had spoken to me about Him when I was younger, but hearing it from a friend was different. At the time, I laughed at her and made fun of her for it. Years later, I remembered her attempts and realized I had discovered firsthand that she was right. “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I’m grateful for the people who introduced me to Jesus. Our beginnings often come through someone else’s words, prayers, encouragement, or example. Those beginnings matter. But there is an invitation to come to know Him for ourselves. Perhaps you know the familiar answers but struggle to describe your own relationship with Jesus. Perhaps you are rebuilding your faith and wondering which parts of what you received you can still trust. You can bring those questions to Him.","html":"I’m grateful for the people who introduced me to Jesus. Our beginnings often come through someone else’s words, prayers, encouragement, or example. Those beginnings matter. But there is an invitation to come to know Him for ourselves. Perhaps you know the familiar answers but struggle to describe your own relationship with Jesus. Perhaps you are rebuilding your faith and wondering which parts of what you received you can still trust. You can bring those questions to Him."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Read a Gospel slowly. Pay attention to how Jesus approaches people, especially those who are confused, struggling, or failing. Notice what challenges the picture of Him you have carried. Pray honestly about it. Talk with trusted people who make room for questions and help you return to Him.","html":"Read a Gospel slowly. Pay attention to how Jesus approaches people, especially those who are confused, struggling, or failing. Notice what challenges the picture of Him you have carried. Pray honestly about it. Talk with trusted people who make room for questions and help you return to Him."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Sometimes we have to cross the chicken-line. We may wish the fear would disappear first. But sometimes the next step is to step over that line and see what is on the other side. For me, that meant asking a question I had been hiding. What I found on the other side was unconditional love.","html":"Sometimes we have to cross the chicken-line. We may wish the fear would disappear first. But sometimes the next step is to step over that line and see what is on the other side. For me, that meant asking a question I had been hiding. What I found on the other side was unconditional love."}]},"byline":"John Himmelberger","byline_authors":[{"type":"authors","id":"26","slug":"john-himmelberger","label":"John Himmelberger","links":{"self":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/api/v1/authors/26","page":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/authors/john-himmelberger/"}}],"publication_date":"2026-10-09","images":[{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/80","mime_type":"image/webp","size_bytes":285344,"width":1672,"height":941,"alt_text":"Fostex X-18 cassette recorder beside an open Bible and a notebook asking, “Who do you say Jesus is?”","caption":null}],"pdf":{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/81","mime_type":"application/pdf","size_bytes":75358,"width":null,"height":null,"alt_text":null,"caption":null},"pdf_label":"Download Companion PDF","conversation":{"question":"When did something you had heard about God become personal to you?","invitation":{"plain_text":"","html":""},"links":[{"label":"Join the Conversation on Facebook","url":"https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1bLMgeXAdB/"}]},"related_authors":[],"related_books":[{"type":"books","id":"11","slug":"inside-the-work","label":"Inside the Work","links":{"self":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/api/v1/books/11","page":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/books/inside-the-work/"}}]},{"type":"articles","id":"14","slug":"when-circumstances-become-the-main-character","links":{"self":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/api/v1/articles/14","page":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/articles/when-circumstances-become-the-main-character/"},"legacy_ids":["vm-article-0001"],"title":"When Circumstances Become the Main Character","subtitle":"A personal reflection on Gerald Warre Cornish’s St. Paul from the Trenches","excerpt":"Facing serious health issues, John Himmelberger found encouragement in Gerald Warre Cornish’s wartime reflections on Paul’s letters. His story explores identity, hope, and discovering that a changed creative process could still lead to meaningful work.","body":{"plain_text":"The first time I faced serious health issues, there was a constant temptation to unravel.\n\nThe new information seemed ready to interpret my entire life for me: You have wasted your life. You have made bad choices. Now it is going to cost you everything.\n\nA little dramatic? Yes. But those thoughts had a way of making themselves heard.\n\nThere were real concerns. I was facing the possible loss of body parts and what that could mean for my mobility. Some of what had brought me there involved my choices. Some involved genetics and things I had not chosen. A mix of my fault and not my fault. Either way, it was my responsibility to respond.\n\nI knew I needed to be proactive about what I was allowing to shape my outlook. I began looking for stories of people who had successfully navigated circumstances they would never have chosen. To me, testimony carries the hope that God will do it again. Hearing someone else’s experience can help me recognize a possibility I am having trouble seeing for myself.\n\nAt a conference, a speaker mentioned St. Paul from the Trenches by Gerald Warre Cornish. I had not told anyone yet what I was facing or what I was looking for. The mention was unrelated to my search, but I was instantly drawn to the book.\n\nGrowing up in a military family made its setting especially interesting to me. What held my attention, though, was Cornish’s decision to examine and write about Paul’s letters in the throes of World War I.\n\nI read it in one sitting.\n\nWhen I finished, I kept thinking about something that surprised me: the war and his circumstances did not come across as the main characters.\n\nBy most accounts, that war was horrific. Yet as I read, I did not sense those circumstances casting a dark shadow over every interpretation of Paul’s letters. What came through to me was a man engaging Scripture through his relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.\n\nI presumed I was seeing something cultivated as a way of life. And I wanted to discover more of it for myself.\n\nIf he could do that in a war setting, perhaps I could learn to do it where I was.\n\nMy health concerns had begun coloring my interpretation of everything. New information about my body was quickly becoming a verdict about my future. Everything is ruined. Everything meaningful is slipping away.\n\nCornish’s example brought me back to a distinction I needed:\n\nCircumstances can reveal facts, but they do not get to dictate the truth.\n\nThe day before I learned this information, I had experienced happiness, peace, and joy. The health issues already existed. I simply did not know about them yet. Learning about them required a response, but why should that information get to redefine who I was?\n\nOf course it affected me. I am human. There was fear, and there were practical decisions to make. But I did not want fear to become my default disposition.\n\nAs I leaned on my relationship with God, the reassurance I sensed was simple: Nothing has changed. You are My beloved.\n\nMy body was changing. My understanding of my health was changing. His love for me had not changed.\n\nThat mattered because what I feared losing was deeply relational and creative. I love making things: music, writing, woodworking, hot rods. I also love sharing the process with the people around me. I did not want to lose that part of my life or find myself sent out to pasture before I was finished participating.\n\nLeaning on God helped me see that this new information had not erased my creativity or changed who He says I am. I still had something to make and something to share.\n\nOne of the first things I did was reorganize my woodshop. I looked at the layout with limited mobility in mind and adjusted it to accommodate what my body could do.\n\nThen I built several pieces of furniture.\n\nMy body had changed. My mobility had changed. Even parts of my creative process had changed. And there I was, creating.\n\nFinishing that first piece felt amazing, with a little “duh” mixed in. Of course. What was I worried about?\n\nThat did not answer every question about my health. It gave me a lived experience of something I needed to rediscover: I could adapt and continue making things.\n\nA pastor at a church I once attended used to say, “Changing things grow, and growing things change.” That saying took on fresh meaning in the shop. There was room to discover a different way of doing something I loved.\n\nLooking back, I am grateful for Cornish’s example. His writing reminded me that I get to prioritize how much attention I give things, and that the priority I assign often affects how much influence they have in my life.\n\nMy health deserved attention and responsibility. It did not need to become the main character in every thought, every relationship, or every possibility I considered.\n\nFor me, hope, peace, and joy grow from agreeing with who God says I am and who He says He is. I could face the facts of my situation from the security of being His beloved. I could rearrange the shop, change the process, and build something.\n\nThat is what I want to carry forward, and what I hope someone else might discover through this story:\n\nRegardless of the circumstances, conditions are perfect for hope, peace, and joy.","blocks":[{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"The first time I faced serious health issues, there was a constant temptation to unravel.","html":"The first time I faced serious health issues, there was a constant temptation to unravel."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"The new information seemed ready to interpret my entire life for me: You have wasted your life. You have made bad choices. Now it is going to cost you everything.","html":"The new information seemed ready to interpret my entire life for me: You have wasted your life. You have made bad choices. Now it is going to cost you everything."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"A little dramatic? Yes. But those thoughts had a way of making themselves heard.","html":"A little dramatic? Yes. But those thoughts had a way of making themselves heard."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"There were real concerns. I was facing the possible loss of body parts and what that could mean for my mobility. Some of what had brought me there involved my choices. Some involved genetics and things I had not chosen. A mix of my fault and not my fault. Either way, it was my responsibility to respond.","html":"There were real concerns. I was facing the possible loss of body parts and what that could mean for my mobility. Some of what had brought me there involved my choices. Some involved genetics and things I had not chosen. A mix of my fault and not my fault. Either way, it was my responsibility to respond."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I knew I needed to be proactive about what I was allowing to shape my outlook. I began looking for stories of people who had successfully navigated circumstances they would never have chosen. To me, testimony carries the hope that God will do it again. Hearing someone else’s experience can help me recognize a possibility I am having trouble seeing for myself.","html":"I knew I needed to be proactive about what I was allowing to shape my outlook. I began looking for stories of people who had successfully navigated circumstances they would never have chosen. To me, testimony carries the hope that God will do it again. Hearing someone else’s experience can help me recognize a possibility I am having trouble seeing for myself."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"At a conference, a speaker mentioned St. Paul from the Trenches by Gerald Warre Cornish. I had not told anyone yet what I was facing or what I was looking for. The mention was unrelated to my search, but I was instantly drawn to the book.","html":"At a conference, a speaker mentioned <em>St. Paul from the Trenches</em> by Gerald Warre Cornish. I had not told anyone yet what I was facing or what I was looking for. The mention was unrelated to my search, but I was instantly drawn to the book."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Growing up in a military family made its setting especially interesting to me. What held my attention, though, was Cornish’s decision to examine and write about Paul’s letters in the throes of World War I.","html":"Growing up in a military family made its setting especially interesting to me. What held my attention, though, was Cornish’s decision to examine and write about Paul’s letters in the throes of World War I."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I read it in one sitting.","html":"I read it in one sitting."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"When I finished, I kept thinking about something that surprised me: the war and his circumstances did not come across as the main characters.","html":"When I finished, I kept thinking about something that surprised me: the war and his circumstances did not come across as the main characters."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"By most accounts, that war was horrific. Yet as I read, I did not sense those circumstances casting a dark shadow over every interpretation of Paul’s letters. What came through to me was a man engaging Scripture through his relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.","html":"By most accounts, that war was horrific. Yet as I read, I did not sense those circumstances casting a dark shadow over every interpretation of Paul’s letters. What came through to me was a man engaging Scripture through his relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"I presumed I was seeing something cultivated as a way of life. And I wanted to discover more of it for myself.","html":"I presumed I was seeing something cultivated as a way of life. And I wanted to discover more of it for myself."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"If he could do that in a war setting, perhaps I could learn to do it where I was.","html":"If he could do that in a war setting, perhaps I could learn to do it where I was."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"My health concerns had begun coloring my interpretation of everything. New information about my body was quickly becoming a verdict about my future. Everything is ruined. Everything meaningful is slipping away.","html":"My health concerns had begun coloring my interpretation of everything. New information about my body was quickly becoming a verdict about my future. Everything is ruined. Everything meaningful is slipping away."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Cornish’s example brought me back to a distinction I needed:","html":"Cornish’s example brought me back to a distinction I needed:"},{"type":"quote","plain_text":"Circumstances can reveal facts, but they do not get to dictate the truth.","html":"<em>Circumstances can reveal facts, but they do not get to dictate the</em> <em>truth.</em>"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"The day before I learned this information, I had experienced happiness, peace, and joy. The health issues already existed. I simply did not know about them yet. Learning about them required a response, but why should that information get to redefine who I was?","html":"The day before I learned this information, I had experienced happiness, peace, and joy. The health issues already existed. I simply did not know about them yet. Learning about them required a response, but why should that information get to redefine who I was?"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Of course it affected me. I am human. There was fear, and there were practical decisions to make. But I did not want fear to become my default disposition.","html":"Of course it affected me. I am human. There was fear, and there were practical decisions to make. But I did not want fear to become my default disposition."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"As I leaned on my relationship with God, the reassurance I sensed was simple: Nothing has changed. You are My beloved.","html":"As I leaned on my relationship with God, the reassurance I sensed was simple: <em>Nothing has changed. You are My beloved.</em>"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"My body was changing. My understanding of my health was changing. His love for me had not changed.","html":"My body was changing. My understanding of my health was changing. His love for me had not changed."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"That mattered because what I feared losing was deeply relational and creative. I love making things: music, writing, woodworking, hot rods. I also love sharing the process with the people around me. I did not want to lose that part of my life or find myself sent out to pasture before I was finished participating.","html":"That mattered because what I feared losing was deeply relational and creative. I love making things: music, writing, woodworking, hot rods. I also love sharing the process with the people around me. I did not want to lose that part of my life or find myself sent out to pasture before I was finished participating."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Leaning on God helped me see that this new information had not erased my creativity or changed who He says I am. I still had something to make and something to share.","html":"Leaning on God helped me see that this new information had not erased my creativity or changed who He says I am. I still had something to make and something to share."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"One of the first things I did was reorganize my woodshop. I looked at the layout with limited mobility in mind and adjusted it to accommodate what my body could do.","html":"One of the first things I did was reorganize my woodshop. I looked at the layout with limited mobility in mind and adjusted it to accommodate what my body could do."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Then I built several pieces of furniture.","html":"Then I built several pieces of furniture."},{"type":"image","image":{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/82","mime_type":"image/png","size_bytes":3340379,"width":1086,"height":1448,"alt_text":"A wooden floor-standing rack holding several electric guitars against a grey wall beside a shelf of records.","caption":"One of the pieces I built after adapting my woodshop for limited mobility. The process changed. I could still create."}},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"My body had changed. My mobility had changed. Even parts of my creative process had changed. And there I was, creating.","html":"My body had changed. My mobility had changed. Even parts of my creative process had changed. And there I was, creating."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Finishing that first piece felt amazing, with a little “duh” mixed in. Of course. What was I worried about?","html":"Finishing that first piece felt amazing, with a little “duh” mixed in. Of course. What was I worried about?"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"That did not answer every question about my health. It gave me a lived experience of something I needed to rediscover: I could adapt and continue making things.","html":"That did not answer every question about my health. It gave me a lived experience of something I needed to rediscover: I could adapt and continue making things."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"A pastor at a church I once attended used to say, “Changing things grow, and growing things change.” That saying took on fresh meaning in the shop. There was room to discover a different way of doing something I loved.","html":"A pastor at a church I once attended used to say, “Changing things grow, and growing things change.” That saying took on fresh meaning in the shop. There was room to discover a different way of doing something I loved."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Looking back, I am grateful for Cornish’s example. His writing reminded me that I get to prioritize how much attention I give things, and that the priority I assign often affects how much influence they have in my life.","html":"Looking back, I am grateful for Cornish’s example. His writing reminded me that I get to prioritize how much attention I give things, and that the priority I assign often affects how much influence they have in my life."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"My health deserved attention and responsibility. It did not need to become the main character in every thought, every relationship, or every possibility I considered.","html":"My health deserved attention and responsibility. It did not need to become the main character in every thought, every relationship, or every possibility I considered."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"For me, hope, peace, and joy grow from agreeing with who God says I am and who He says He is. I could face the facts of my situation from the security of being His beloved. I could rearrange the shop, change the process, and build something.","html":"For me, hope, peace, and joy grow from agreeing with who God says I am and who He says He is. I could face the facts of my situation from the security of being His beloved. I could rearrange the shop, change the process, and build something."},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"That is what I want to carry forward, and what I hope someone else might discover through this story:","html":"That is what I want to carry forward, and what I hope someone else might discover through this story:"},{"type":"paragraph","plain_text":"Regardless of the circumstances, conditions are perfect for hope, peace, and joy.","html":"Regardless of the circumstances, conditions are perfect for hope, peace, and joy."}]},"byline":"John Himmelberger","byline_authors":[{"type":"authors","id":"26","slug":"john-himmelberger","label":"John Himmelberger","links":{"self":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/api/v1/authors/26","page":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/authors/john-himmelberger/"}}],"publication_date":"2026-10-08","images":[{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/82","mime_type":"image/png","size_bytes":3340379,"width":1086,"height":1448,"alt_text":"A wooden floor-standing rack holding several electric guitars against a grey wall beside a shelf of records.","caption":"One of the pieces I built after adapting my woodshop for limited mobility. The process changed. I could still create."}],"pdf":{"url":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/media/83","mime_type":"application/pdf","size_bytes":54687,"width":null,"height":null,"alt_text":null,"caption":null},"pdf_label":"Download Companion PDF","conversation":{"question":"What has helped you keep difficult circumstances from becoming the main character in your life?","invitation":{"plain_text":"","html":""},"links":[{"label":"Join the Conversation on Facebook","url":"https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BCEM4zGNq/"}]},"related_authors":[],"related_books":[]}],"meta":{"page":1,"per_page":25,"total":4,"total_pages":1},"links":{"self":"https://vinemakerpublishing.com/api/v1/articles?page=1&per_page=25&sort=catalog","next":null,"previous":null}}