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To read:
Psalm 63:1-8
O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my
flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and
glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise
you.
So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and
call on your name.
My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you
with joyful lips
when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of
the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your
wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. |
To think about:
Imagine yourself waking up one day—a day like any other day in the
week. You start with a prayer of thanks to God that you have such a
beautiful day to do the “stuff of life” that crowds your schedule.
And then, the unthinkable happens. Suddenly, without warning, you
experience a life-changing trauma that impacts everything that you
do and are from this moment forward. How do you draw on the faith of
this loving, giving God at such a moment?
At times like this, you lift up your hands to God and surrender
yourself to your faith’s grounding in the belief that God will take
you by the hand and be with you. God incarnate comes at times like
this through the people in your life who work wonders as you feel
surrounded, embraced, and lifted up by the Spirit through them.
I thank God that he comes to me at the greatest hour of need. I
don’t pretend to understand why there is such pain and suffering in
this journey of life on earth. I just know that if we dare to love
and care about others, we will experience soaring joy and
excruciating pain in this life. God remains with us, takes us by the
hand, and helps us more fully appreciate the gift of human
relationships. All we need to do is lift up our hands to touch his. |
