Accompanied
Sunday, October 13
James 1:9-11; 5:1-6
James calls his readers to seek God. How do we find wealth by focusing on our relationship with God and not the things of the world?
Our family moved more than twenty-five times in thirty-five years. Each time there were decisions to be made about the stuff we would carry with us to another state. I remember sitting on a stack of boxes in the garage in Indiana looking at tubs of children’s clothes and toys, realizing I was letting memories go. There would no longer be a tangible prompt to remind me of games played or dress-up afternoons. What is temporary? What is lasting?
A month later I stood on the front porch of a new home in Oregon looking out into the darkness. The stuff that was in the house behind
me provided little comfort as I pondered the unknown of a new life. The comfort came from knowing that we were accompanied by a Creator who never leaves us nor forsakes us.
God, your presence brings peace amidst change. AMEN.
Attachment
Monday, October 14
Mark 10:17-22
A man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus told him to go, sell all that he owned, give it to the poor, and then follow Jesus. The man walked away shocked and grieving, for he had
a great attachment to his many possessions. And yet in the words of The Message states, “Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him!“ (v. 21).
Have you ever been in a situation where someone looked you right in the eye and listened deeply to what you had to say? Your question received, answered, your response honored. As you walked away, maybe it felt like this person had spent an hour with you even though
it may have been only a few minutes.
Jesus looked at him and loved him. Regardless of this man’s attachment to things, Jesus loved him. He looked at him like he was the only person on earth and loved him.
Jesus, may I be confident of your love for me even when you ask me to do difficult things that I may not yet be ready to do. Amen.
Grief Support
Tuesday, October 15
Mark 12:13-17
“For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible” (v. 27, NRSV).
Today’s verse is familiar to many of us. It can be difficult to believe
all things are possible when we suffer a loss. A journey of grief following the death of a loved one or the loss of a job or relationship can feel lonely and impossible. Take a moment and make a list of your people, and next to their names list their gifts. Who is your friend who listens well? Who loves to walk, cook, or laugh? Is God on your list? Yes, God, the One who most wants to be in relationship with you! God, who walks alongside you in whatever seems impossible. Wrap yourself in a blanket as way to feel your support system surrounding you.
Thank you, God, for being close, the one I lean upon as I journey. AMEN.
Our Lament
Wednesday, October 16
Job 23
Job speaks to God directly and honestly in his anger, pain, grief, and despair because he knows God has broad shoulders and would rather be in conversation with Job than not at all. Job feels completely in the dark, yet he expresses certainty that God will complete the intended purposes for Job’s life (vv. 10-14). Do we talk to God in our anger and despair when God seems absent? It was a frustrating October day with three small children and no running water in our house. I was doing dishes in a bin on the back deck—and I was complaining. Not only was the water turned off, but I was surrounded by brown-leafed trees. One thing I had looked forward to in moving back to the Midwest were the glorious red and golden leaves in autumn, and we had moved into a house surrounded by brown-leafed trees! I threw down the dish rag and stormed through the trees into the back yard. And there it was, a golden-leafed tree, hidden, present, listening to my lament.
Holy One, Job continued to bring his lament and complaint to you, seeking insight even though you seemed absent. May I continue to seek you. Amen.
Surprise
Thursday, October 17
Psalm 22:1-22
Today’s psalm begins, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And verse 22 says, “I will praise you.” Going through a difficult time, I found it hard to know what to do next. I found myself triggered and literally paralyzed. I would inch my right foot forward, pause, and wait. Without fail, a text would ping, or an unexpected phone call, or that feeling in your chest when you know someone is praying for you. Then
I would be able to take one more step.
One day as I waited, I saw a yellow and orange dahlia beckoning from the garden. I knew the next right thing was to take it to one of my hospice patients. Such moments happen regularly, yet I am always surprised. They are evidence of God’s presence in my past to rely on, and still I know I will continue to have times where I feel forsaken. And again God will surprise, and I will praise.
God, thank you for teaching me to pause and wait for your nudge toward the next right thing. AMEN.
Great Love
Friday, October 18
Psalm 90:12-17
“So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart” (v. 12, NRSV).
My morning prayer is, “Lord, I love you with my whole heart, body, and soul. Please help me to love you more.” I have prayed this prayer as I wake for as long as I can remember. I don’t know where the words originated.
I have always believed in Mother Teresa’s famous quote, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” It is easy to get caught up in feeling like we need to do something big to have purpose in life. Yet we know smiling at a stranger along the sidewalk or sitting next to someone to talk with them face to face can make a significant difference in the life of another. How do we know that? Because it has made a difference in our own lives. May our hearts grow wiser as we examine each day and ask, “How did I love today?”
God, help me to love you more by loving others in small ways. Amen.
How Shall We Live?
Saturday, October 19
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
Amos was a prophet sent to warn a people saying, “Seek good and not evil, that you may live, and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you….Establish justice at the gate” (vv. 14-15, NRSV). What does that mean to us today? How shall we live, seeking justice and loving good?
I love to walk a labyrinth. It is where God really speaks to me. I pause at the entrance and walk to the center, letting go of the world behind me and seeking a word from God. At the center, I wait, and then walk out, returning to the world refreshed by this prayer walk. How shall we live in the world in a practice of hearing God’s voice? Perhaps by taking the time to listen as Jesus looks us in the eye with love, encouraging us to take the next right step.
Where is it that God speaks to you? Is it a labyrinth, a hike, or in the quiet of a living room rocking chair? Spend time there, and practice hearing the voice of God.
God, I seek your clear guidance as I move into the world, caring for others as you lead. AMEN.
