George
SUNDAY, August 30
Exodus 1:8-2:10
George is a mannequin head. Our daughter left him behind after beauty school. The first night in our new home, we put George on the back windowsill to keep watch, facing the yard. He looked menacing in the dark, with his chopped hair and scraggly beard. He was our solution for unfamiliar surroundings.
Our move from Illinois to Florida was paved with prayer. The process took two years, from packing our belongings and selling our home of fifty years to choosing a new place.
The Israelites’ move from Canaan to Egypt was likely made quickly because of famine. The transition from Joseph’s favored family to brutal slavery took years, but their suffering was about to change.
We didn’t need George to protect us. God is our hope, the all-powerful mover of the universe. His faithfulness is sure—whether in moments or centuries.
Prayer
Lord of everything, help us in our waiting as we pray, and give us rest in you. Amen.
Time Tunnel
Monday, August 31
Isaiah 51:1-6
The time frame in yesterday’s reading seems minuscule compared to today’s. These verses begin with Abraham and span to the end of history. Jesus’s words “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58, KJV) also stretch across time.
When Mom experienced a heart attack, she and I looked deeply into each other’s eyes. Neither of us spoke. That intense gaze covered decades of living. As we waited together for the paramedics to arrive, that moment seemed to stretch to eternity’s door.
Condensing and distilling time seems plausible now that we live here on Florida’s Space Coast, where light years are commonly part of public consciousness. Space launches and exploration highlight the biblical idea that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8, KJV).
How wonderful to know the timeless God of all good things.
Prayer
Lord, help us to rest in our realization of your eternity. Thank you! Amen.
Bogeyman
Tuesday, September 1
Isaiah 51:12-16
According to Bob the Tomato in the VeggieTales song, “God is bigger than the bogeyman, Godzilla, or the monsters on TV” (Big Idea Entertainment, 1995). Composed by Kurt Heinecke, this catchy children’s song has dispelled many imaginary fears for little ones. My husband and I quote it, too, when discussing the “what ifs” of our lives, wondering, “What if the worst happens?”
A bogeyman can be whatever we fear—rejection, embarrassment, financial ruin. For me, multiple sclerosis–related fatigue is the enemy. Lack of endurance affects every plan or event. Anticipating problems means planning to rest before, after, or even during that time.
Rest provides good opportunities for reflection and prayer, and I have tried to accept these interruptions. Sometimes God gives extra energy. The Bible assures us these are temporary trials, and he will give us what we need.
Prayer
Jesus, if things worry me, grant me your peace. Thank you! Amen.
A Brave Face
Wednesday, September 1
Psalm 124
It is difficult to play the piano when you are crying. Reading music through tears is challenging when you are supposed to entertain. While I was working for the Activities Department in a retirement center, this predicament would occasionally happen to me. When a major hurricane was barreling toward my son’s family miles away, the enormity of the situation fell upon my shoulders like the hurricane itself. Another time, a grieving husband visiting his paralyzed wife asked me if he could put makeup on her while I played a love song. As I write this, I cry again.
The words of this psalm, “overwhelmed,” “escaped,” speak to such moments. They are meaningful and instructive. “Our help is the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (v. 8, KJV).
Prayer
Even if I forget to ask, Lord, always cover my soul in difficult times. I know you will. Thank you for your faithfulness to me! Amen.
A Career On Hold
Thursday, September 3
Matthew 8:23-27
One of my first assignments as a home health nurse was to care for a man who had painful spinal tumors. I was in over my head, and I knew it.
After my shift, I called my pastor, Rodney Holmberg. “I can’t go back!” I cried into my kitchen phone. “It’s too sad, and some Christians told him, if he had faith he could walk again!” My heart was broken, and Pastor Holmberg grieved with me too. Then he prayed. His “phone prayer” gave me the courage to continue with the case.
The next day I surprised myself as I changed the man’s bandages while conversing calmly with him and his watchful wife. Eventually we had good conversations and even shared a few laughs.
Years later, I had learned so much in my nursing career. From neonatal nursing to the terminally ill, and many diagnoses in between, God’s faithfulness carried me.
Prayer
O Lord, when I am drowning in my fears, give me your perspective and calming spirit. Thank you for sustaining me! Amen.
Denominational (In)Difference
Friday, September 4
Matthew 16:13-20
My husband was raised Catholic and I grew up in the Covenant Church. In our retirement we walk to and from a nondenominational church near our neighborhood. We enjoy our mornings exploring Scripture together and praying over common concerns. We are grateful for God’s word and for God’s people who are willing to bring that word to others.
Today’s reading sparks all kinds of discussions. No one person has all the insight or all the answers. But Jesus does. We rely on him to help us see what is the best for us and our circumstances.
One of our pastors said, “Guess what? There are no political parties in heaven.” Amid the cheers and clapping from the congregation, I thought about the fact that our denominational differences probably matter less than we think in light of Christ, as well.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for your love, which pursues us constantly and completely. Help me to soak my soul in it. When I start to feel superior in my beliefs, grant me grace for others. Amen.
In-Your-Face Challenge
Saturday, September 5
Psalm 138
“What if you woke up today with only what you thanked God for yesterday?” This inscription (author not given) is on a wall plaque someone gave to us. The plaque is next to the television in the room in the house with the most activity, and in view of the kitchen. A parade of people filing through that area are hopefully getting a dose of reality, including me.
If I am stumbling around in a daze of insomnia at midnight, there it is. If we are opening Christmas gifts, there it is. If I am laughing through a botched recipe, there it is. If I am distraught, the plaque reminds me of the Lord’s constant care. If I am in pain, I know there is an end to it, and maybe even a reason for it. I need this reminder to be faithful.
Prayer
Yes, Lord, we thank you and praise you for every little—and big—blessing! Amen.
