By Doug Creamer

I went to write down the date the other day and it hit me — it’s September! What happened to this year? It’s been a busy year. I have to admit that I have been noticing signs that the year is moving along. The days are getting shorter, which I don’t like. The other thing I noticed is that certain constellations that I look for in the night’s sky have gone out of view.

I do like the change in seasons. I never tire of fall and spring, but I do get tired of the relentless heat of summer and the chill of winter. Spring and fall bring lots of outside work, which I love. When the weather is cool, I can work outside all day long. So, as the temperature starts to come down, I look forward to spending more time outside.

One of my favorite parts of spring and fall is eating lunch on the front porch. I will grab a book, my lunch, and travel to someplace with the characters in the story. We live in a peaceful neighborhood and it is so nice to enjoy the quiet outside. In fact, I enjoy sitting out there quietly late at night. It gives me time to think and to pray. I miss those quiet moments in the middle of a hot and humid summer or the bone-chilling days of winter.

The students and teachers have returned to their classrooms. I remember starting back each fall and getting the routines of school life going again. I always loved my job and still love being a teacher. I would encourage you to pray for teachers. They need wisdom on how to instruct their students and help prepare them for life. They also need to know how to deal with all the problems students bring with them to school.

The students need your prayers, too. They need the right attitude about learning. They need help to stay focused on learning. We live in a very distracting world. Besides their classmates, their phones can cause their focus to be elsewhere. For many students, schools are the safest place they will be all day. So we need to pray that God will keep our schools safe. If the past is any indication, we need to pray hard for His protection.

I just looked at the calendar again. This weekend will mark the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Every one of us can remember exactly what we were doing when we first heard the news. I was teaching, and couldn’t believe the rumors as they started to circulate. I remember getting out of class and going to a history teacher’s room asking, “What is going on?” It took seeing it on the TV to convince me of what had happened.

One of the many things that I remember in the days that followed was how united we were as a country. We were Americans. We all flew our American flags. It didn’t matter if you looked different or were from a different political party, we stood shoulder to shoulder as Americans. We were united.

What happened to that unity? The answer is the politicians have taught us to hate people from “the other” political party. The media reinforces this division and distrust as it feeds us what we want to hear. Finally, social media allows us to express our feelings of distrust and anger for anyone who thinks differently.

Jesus died to break down the walls of division and hate. He sought unity for His followers. Jesus came to bring people together from different backgrounds and political philosophies. Jesus’ goal was not political, it was spiritual. Jesus wants every person to have a relationship with the Heavenly Father. Jesus wants every person in heaven, regardless of political beliefs. We have allowed the enemy to divide us from our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus came so we would love each other and build unity throughout the body of Christ. Whether we are from Russia, Ukraine, China, Mexico or America, we are the body of Christ and we should live in unity.

I want to encourage you to look for ways we can be united. Jesus loves all people from every background and nation of the world. He wants everyone to know Him and the Father. We need to turn our hearts away from division and back to a place where we can seek the unity that He desires. Let’s stop trying to tear each other apart and listen to the Spirit, who is trying to draw us together. United we stand together in faith.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or doug@dougcreamer.com.