Illustrations and Stories<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beauty From the Broken<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Back in 1974, a major news service ran a headline that sounded almost impossible:\u00a0\u201cFrom landfill in Paraguay, sweet music emerges.\u201d<\/em> In the outskirts of Cateura, Paraguay, there is a community built right on top of a landfill where more than a thousand tons of garbage are dumped every single day. Many of the families who live there survive by picking through that trash with long hooks called\u00a0ganchos<\/em>. They call themselves\u00a0gancheros<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a young musician named Favio Ch\u00e1vez arrived to volunteer, he immediately saw the overwhelming poverty of the children in that community. He wanted to offer music lessons, but he had a problem. He only had five instruments, and fifty eager students. So he turned to one of the gancheros, a man named Nicol\u00e1s G\u00f3mez, and asked him to look for anything in the trash that could be fashioned into instruments. Nicol\u00e1s started collecting bits of metal, wood, and discarded items, and he began constructing what can only be described as musical miracles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A cello made from an oil can and old cooking tools. Piece by piece, from the very things the world had thrown away, they built an orchestra. And not just any orchestra. These young musicians learned to play beautifully \u2014 classical pieces, folk songs, even pop music \u2014 all on instruments crafted from trash. They jokingly call themselves the\u00a0Landfill Harmonic Symphony.<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0But their story is no joke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reflecting on what he witnessed, Ch\u00e1vez said\u00a0\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t throw away trash carelessly…We shouldn\u2019t throw away people either.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Foundations that Point to God<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the most iconic monuments in our nation stand along the National Mall in Washington, DC. Among them is the Lincoln Memorial. Its design is intentional. Thirty-six massive columns circle the structure, representing the thirty-six states that made up the Union at the time of Lincoln\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inside that memorial, Lincoln\u2019s words live on. On one wall, his Gettysburg Address. On the other, his Second Inaugural Address. Both are filled with references to God. They\u2019re not printed on paper or hanging in a frame. They\u2019re carved in stone \u2014 a reminder that Lincoln\u2019s faith convictions were not just footnotes, but foundational to his leadership and vision for a divided nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few minutes\u2019 walk away stands the Washington Monument, the tallest structure in the city, rising 555 feet into the sky. Its architect had a very specific intention. He wanted the very first rays of dawn, breaking over the eastern horizon, to strike the monument\u2019s capstone \u2014 an aluminum block that catches the morning light. Etched into that capstone are two small Latin words: \u201cLaus Deo.\u201d<\/em> Translated, it means, \u201cPraise be to God.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Think of that. Every morning, as the sun hits our nation\u2019s capital, the very first words it illuminates are \u201cPraise be to God.\u201d<\/em> From the foundations of our history to the first light of every day, our story (as a nation) has been marked by an acknowledgment of God. It serves as a quiet but powerful reminder \u2014 Leaders and nations rise and fall, but the praise due to God remains<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faith Sees the Potential<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the mid-1970s, a young engineer named Steve Sasson walked into a meeting with something the world had never seen: the first digital camera. It was heavy, awkward, and only captured a blurry image, but Sasson saw its potential. He filed a patent and presented the idea to his company, Kodak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They rejected it. They believed film would always be king. They protected what felt familiar and dismissed what was new. Decades later, digital photography became the standard, and Kodak \u2014 the giant of the industry \u2014 eventually filed for bankruptcy. They missed the opportunity sitting right in front of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And here\u2019s the spiritual truth:\u00a0God often begins new things in small, unfinished ways.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Isaiah 43:19<\/strong> says,\u00a0\u201cSee, I am doing a new thing\u2026 do you not perceive it?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kodak didn\u2019t perceive the future, and they paid for it. The same can happen spiritually. If we cling too tightly to the way things have always been, we may miss what God is trying to do next. Faith listens. Faith stays open. Faith perceives the new thing God is bringing to life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When<\/strong> Saying No Costs You<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sean Connery, one of the most iconic actors of his time, was once offered the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings<\/em>. He read Tolkien\u2019s book, he read the script, and then declined. His explanation was simple: \u201cI don\u2019t understand it.\u201d He wasn\u2019t impressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The studio didn\u2019t give up. They offered him $30 million. He said no. Then they made an extraordinary offer \u2014 15 percent of the box office revenue. That share today would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He missed this moment because he just couldn\u2019t see the value of what could be. There\u2019s a spiritual truth in that. God often places opportunities before us that don\u2019t make perfect sense in the moment. Stay open. Don\u2019t say no to something that God may be saying yes to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prayer Demands Our Focus<\/p>\n\n\n\n About 500 years ago, Martin Luther received an honest request from someone close to him. His barber, Peter, said, \u201cMaster Luther, I want to learn how to pray. Will you teach me?\u201d <\/em>Luther didn\u2019t dismiss him. He sat down and wrote a simple guide built around the Lord\u2019s Prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Near the end of that guide, Luther offered Peter a picture he would understand. He wrote: \u201cA good barber keeps his thoughts and eyes on the razor. If he lets his mind wander, he may cut his customer\u2019s nose or throat. So this prayer calls for some concentration.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luther was making a point. Prayer cannot be mindless. It cannot be empty repetition. He warned Peter not to simply recite the words of the Lord\u2019s Prayer as if they were a formula. \u201cRather,\u201d <\/em>he said, \u201cI want your heart to be stirred and guided by the thoughts contained in this prayer.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luther understood what Jesus taught (Matthew 6:7\u20138), real prayer engages the mind, awakens the heart, and draws us into genuine communion with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t Play Near the Edge<\/p>\n\n\n\n Millions of people visit the Grand Canyon every year. The view is stunning, the drop is staggering, and the temptation to get just a little closer is always there. Park rangers say that, on average, about a dozen people lose their lives each year by slipping from the rim. Most of those accidents share a common thread: someone ignored the warning signs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not long ago, a father climbed onto a low stone barrier so his daughter could take a photo. Behind the barrier was a narrow ledge. After the picture, he decided to play a quick joke. He leaned back as if he were falling. In that split second, he lost his footing. What he thought was harmless ended in tragedy. He fell hundreds of feet \u2014 all because he stepped off the safe path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spiritual lesson is sobering: Danger usually comes when we step away from the boundaries meant to protect us. God gives us a path to walk. The safest place is always within the wisdom of His Word and the guardrails of His truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Less Becomes More<\/p>\n\n\n\n On November 19, 1863, the nation gathered at Gettysburg to dedicate a cemetery for those lost in the Civil War. Two speakers were invited. The first was Edward Everett \u2014 a brilliant statesman and the most celebrated orator of his generation. Before a huge crowd and reporters from around the world, he delivered an eloquent, two-hour speech that drew repeated applause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then Abraham Lincoln stood \u2014 weary, thin, carrying the weight of a divided nation \u2014 and spoke for just two minutes. When he finished, a reporter whispered, \u201cIs that all?\u201d Lincoln replied, \u201cThat is all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The newspapers mocked him. They printed Everett\u2019s entire speech and dismissed Lincoln\u2019s. But today, no one can quote a single line from Everett\u2019s two hours. Meanwhile, Lincoln\u2019s two-minute address \u2014 \u201cconceived in Liberty\u2026 all men are created equal\u201d \u2014 became one of the most enduring statements in American history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not long after, Everett wrote Lincoln privately: \u201cI wish I could have come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the point: God often chooses what seems simple to accomplish what is lasting. Lincoln stood next to a man with more polish and more applause, yet God used his sincere, brief words to move a nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Scripture, God repeatedly chooses unlikely voices: 1 Corinthians 1:27 <\/strong>says, \u201cGod chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The world may overlook you. Critics may underestimate you. But God can use your humble, faithful obedience in ways far greater than you imagine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What Our King Brings<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Queen Elizabeth II visited the United States, reports said she brought nearly four thousand pounds of luggage. Two outfits for every occasion. Forty pints of plasma for emergencies. Her own hairdresser. Two valets. And a large team of staff to manage every tiny detail. Earthly royalty does not travel light. Everything has to be carried for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But now contrast that with the King of kings. When Jesus entered this world, He came with no entourage, no luxury, no mountain of luggage. Born in a borrowed stable. Slept in borrowed homes. Preached from borrowed boats. Rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey. And after His death, was placed in a borrowed tomb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the point:\u00a0earthly kings require everything \u2014 our King brings everything.<\/em> Where human royalty needs others to carry their burden, Jesus came to carry ours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Matthew 11:28<\/strong>, Jesus says, \u201cCome to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We don\u2019t have to bring everything to Him. He brings everything to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stepping Forward<\/p>\n\n\n\n Near the end of World War II, a U.S. military plane crashed in the dense New Guinea jungle. Twenty-four men were on board. Only three survived. Their injuries worsened daily. Infection. Gangrene. Starvation. And they were stranded in a valley known for cannibal tribes. They had no way out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A rescue mission was the only hope. The Army turned to a special parachute battalion of 66 men. Their commander was told to recruit 10 volunteers, including two medics, to parachute into uncharted territory, reach the survivors, and guide them out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the lieutenant colonel gathered his men, he didn\u2019t hide the danger. He said, \u201cThe map lists the drop zone as unknown. The jungle canopy is so thick you may not make it through the trees. And if you get past the trees, the tribes in the valley may be hostile.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then he asked for volunteers. All 66 men stepped forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the point:\u00a0They didn\u2019t step forward because it was safe. They stepped forward because people were dying in that valley.<\/em> And, that is the heart of the Gospel.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Luke 19:10<\/strong>, Jesus<\/strong> said, \u201cThe Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n He entered our valley because we were dying and needed rescue. And now He calls us to go, not because it\u2019s easy or safe, but because people still need rescuing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eternity In the Heart<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Across history and around the world, people have carried an instinctive belief that life does not end at the grave. Australian aborigines pictured Heaven as a distant island beyond the western horizon. Early Finnish settlers described eternal life as an island in the faraway east. Ancient Mexicans, Peruvians, and even Polynesians believed the soul would live forever on the sun or the moon. The Babylonians imagined eternity as the resting place of heroes and even included a \u201ctree of life\u201d in their story \u2014 an echo of the biblical account. In Egypt, maps were buried beside royalty in the pyramids to guide them into the world beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even Seneca, the Roman philosopher who did not follow Christ, wrote, \u201cThe day you fear as your last is the birthday of your eternal life.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Different cultures, different lands, different eras \u2014 and yet one common thread:\u00a0deep inside the human heart is the unshakable conviction that death is not the end. Why? Because God stamped eternity within us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Ecclesiastes 3:11<\/strong> states,\u00a0\u201cHe has set eternity in the human heart.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Illustrations and Stories Beauty From the Broken Back in 1974, a major news service ran a headline that sounded almost impossible:\u00a0\u201cFrom landfill in Paraguay, sweet …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2443","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2443"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2445,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2443\/revisions\/2445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
A flute shaped from tin cans.
A drum set with X-ray film stretched across the tops.
Bottle caps serving as the keys of a saxophone.
A double bass formed from chemical cans.
And a violin made from an aluminum salad bowl, strung and tuned with old dinner forks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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a shepherd boy,
a reluctant prophet,
a teenage girl,
a fisherman,
a tax collector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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