January 21st 2025

Dear Friends, 

Davis is my youngest grandson and he is, to quote his father, a ‘tunker,’ who ‘bulldozes the  world to his will.’ At two years old, he is as solid as can be despite the fact that he is growing  taller. I kept that in mind as he saw me at church last Sunday and came down the aisle  towards me, a big smile on his face. As he neared me, the smile turned to a mischievous grin  and his pace quickened. In the last six feet, he started to run at me with clear intent. He was  going hard enough that, if he had run into the arm of the chair in which I sat, he would sustain  a serious bruise or a broken rib. He gave no thought to that. His only goal was the thrill of  impact. He was totally confident that I would catch him — which I did, while he laughed at the  good fun! 

Perhaps it was because he is two years old that he gave no thought to the consequences of  his actions but I don’t think so. I have seen and experienced his ability to say ‘no’ or to refuse  to do something (remember, ‘bulldozes the world to his will’). I think he ran at me because he  

had no doubt that he was ‘safe.’ He was completely assured that I would catch him and that he  would have fun. It was, literally, his operating conviction. 

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. … And  without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe  that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

Davis ran at me in complete faith. He committed. His actions were a direct response to what  he believes. 

What do you believe — about God; about the purpose of your life, about fulfillment and  meaning? Note that I asked what you ‘believe,’ not what you ‘think.’ What you believe actually  shows up in your actions and motivation. Like Davis, we also bulldoze our worlds but we do it  according to our core beliefs, not our knowledge. 

You’re smart enough to do a self-evaluation. You know the kinds of questions you need to ask  yourself and you should most certainly do so, regularly. Jesus taught this principle over and  over again. The apostles picked it up and taught it over and over again. Our actions don’t just  ‘speak louder than words.’ They literally reveal our belief system.  

Davis is two. He doesn’t yet have the capacity to analyze his belief system but he lives it every  day. We have that capacity and, even more wonderful, we can make changes to find greater  congruence between what we claim to believe and the way in which we live. I’m going to think  about this all week as I envision that smiling, trusting face trundling toward me! 

Blessings! 

Doug