Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

Have you ever had one of those nights when you try to go to sleep but your mind is going in a million directions? It happens to all of us. It happens to me. I’m tired and want to sleep, but all of a sudden my mind fills up with all the stuff of the day, the things that are coming up, my next sermon, thoughts about my family, the things that are happening in the world around me, etc. I try to sleep but my mind flies in every direction except towards sleep.   It seems that, especially in the environment in which we live, our minds are constantly racing, thinking, and making decisions. The political environment around us, our newsfeeds, social media, and the constant stimuli that bounces against our brains all feed into the hyperactivity of our minds. Then add to all of that the normal concerns of life: family matters, jobs, the tasks that need to get done around the house. With so much to think about—so much coming into our brains—it’s no wonder we have those nights when our minds won’t

Recently, Kim and I took a trip to Greece. One of our stops was the island of Lesvos, the island my grandparents had come from over 100 years ago. And, because of some family research I had done this past year, we were able to visit the exact town from which they came, Mantamados—a small town in the heart of the country.  Family in Lesvos - 1921 Before we left for Greece, I had posted on a Lesvos Facebook group I had joined that I was going to be visiting there, that my grandparents had come from Mantamados, and I gave the names of my grandparents. Someone responded, tipping me off that there was a dairy store and small yogurt factory that had my grandmother’s maiden name, Adali, on it. I looked it up on Google maps and sure enough it was there.   When we got to Mantamados, I was able to quickly find the store. The first time we passed by, it was closed. I was disappointed. About an hour later, however, we passed by again and a man was sitting inside. At first he told me in Greek he wa