#prayer – Life in the Deep End

Redirecting Possibility

September 18, 2024Vona Wilson

“FOR NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD” – the angel Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke 1:37

It’s not just a story for Christmas. It’s not just a story about unexpected pregnancies. It is a story that reminds us clearly that God can and does do anything with people, creatures, and all of creation. (Luke 1 is the reading)

Elizabeth and Zechariah, along with Mary and Joseph are two couples having an unbelievable experience with the holy. Mysterious. Outside of cultural norms. Breaking with traditional expectations, and even physical capabilities. It is miraculous and yes…unbelievable. It just does not make sense.

And yet, something inside Elizabeth trusts in this impossible message. Perhaps because the dream of having a child was so deeply embedded in her that the message aroused her hope. Or maybe all hope was gone, and she simply waited for the message to become realized in her body. Something inside Mary embraced what Gabriel had to say even though she could not comprehend it all; she accepted it as real and worthy of her full embrace. And so, these two women just kept going. They kept their eyes and ears on a faithful focus and let the “impossible” unfold.

Their husbands had a different experience and in their own time and own way, they also moved forward. Much is left unsaid about this. What is communicated is clear: nothing hindered the work of God in Mary and Elizabeth. It was never about Mary or Elizabeth. It was – and is – about what God was doing and whomever and however God chose to engage people in that holy adventure.

My grandfather was a farmer who often did things differently than his peers. He had a spiritual gift of faith and spent a lot of tractor time in the fields talking and listening for God. He took risks while others judged him crazy. He made decisions that others could not understand. He simply kept his eyes and heart focused on the next faithful step. The life of my grandparents, over time, yielded a miracle. A family spread all over the world with the deep unconditional love of God embedded in our DNA. Generations later, the miracle is still unfolding; it is not finished.

I really struggle when I lose my confidence. My work and life often require me to face difficult things. Depending on the Holy Spirit to help and trusting God to guide me is a critical part of the journey for me. Mary and Elizabeth faced a lot of obstacles and challenges. And yet, at each turn God provided a way for the miracle to persist…for birth to happen…for journeys to land in just the right place at just the right time. And here we are, thousands of years later, still marveling in awe and wonder and thanksgiving and praise for the ways God ushered forth the kingdom of heaven.

Doubt and fear are common enemies that creep up on us. Questions enter the mind: Is it too late? Am I too old or too young? Not enough education or experience? Look too different or think outside what is considered “normal”? Did I miss a critical piece that cannot be redeemed or restored? I could have, should have, would have, ….etc. Fill in your own blanks. Doubt and fear are not creative, and the patterns can be detected.

That is not how God works in our lives. Nothing is impossible with God. Trust the whispers of God in your life. Hold them in your heart and remain humble for how God walks with you. Say “yes” if you are given an invitation by God! Embrace the gift if God presents one into your life. However God comes to you…let it unfold one moment at a time as you simply do the next faithful step. Including sitting still when silence and stillness is the posture you’re invited to take.

With God all things are possible. THAT is the message that persists as we see God at work in the world fulfilling all that is promised. Trust it. Embrace it. Put your hope in it.

Prayer

Lord, we struggle with so many things. You see it. You know our deepest doubts and fears. You also know what we are capable of when you are the one acting in our lives. Please help us to hear you in whatever way you reveal yourself to us. Guide our steps and make straight on our paths. Remind us, Lord, that nothing will hinder your work from being fulfilled. Redirect our ponderings to that which you have planted deep within us. Thank you for restoring our confidence and hope in YOU. Thank you for all the generations that keep sharing the story of your faithfulness. We have so much joy in your presence! Amen.

Trust in God – Elevation Worship

Morning Prayer in August

August 20, 2024August 20, 2024Vona Wilson

So many beginnings!
Walking into new classrooms
Establishing “home” wherever we’re landing
Sometimes for a while
Sometimes for what may seem
as if it could be
forever
Like a plant that grows in the forest
revealing more beauty with each passing
season.
God is watching over us.

When the tears of grief arrive
inconveniently where no one
knows your loss
Or
The memory of love brings
an unexpected smile that
cannot be concealed
And
When dreams persist and insist
on not being forgotten
even when you tuck them
away or send them
down the river with peace…
God is watching over you.

While setting up a new office
Learning how to navigate a road
you didn’t know you would need to take
Accepting a diagnosis that asks
your routine to adjust;
doesn’t that seem rude?
Discovering what we didn’t know about
each other, and now we can’t forget.
Grace stands near, ready to assist.
More deep breaths
We will all be OK.
Creator, God, is here. Pause and receive.

Lord, thank you for creating us
with capacity to experience the
fullness of this life.
For endings and beginnings
For sorrow and deep joy
For love in its many forms
Bringing forth beauty and blessing
As if you knew all along, we’d be
turning around to ask for help.
Thank you.
Help us to be aware of your presence
among us today.
Amen.

8/20/2024

Looking for You

July 21, 2024July 23, 2024Vona Wilson

We don’t always get what we want, and sometimes we get what we didn’t know we need. We buried my faithful canine companion in the foggy morning sunrise today. My Pincho (sister) and I did it together. It was peaceful; a resting place for his furry body. He was 15 years old, and we had the gift of sharing the last 7 of those years. I didn’t find him online or in a newspaper ad, not even at a shelter. I was looking for something else when he chose me.

Epiphany 2017; a very cold January day, one of the coldest of the year. My sister and I drove to Kentucky in pursuit of a white dog that had been posted online as available in a shelter. We were there several hours before opening time but we were still second in line for this dog. By the time the shelter opened there were 15 cars in the parking lot, all in pursuit of this one white dog. I guess we all thought he was perfect.

“First person in line gets dibs on the dog”, they announced it well before 10am so no one would be disappointed. We took our chances. I’d waited 16 months since Tiki (another faithful companion) died. He was my partner in work, my companion at home. It took a long time to be ready to do it all again. Sometimes we really do have to pace our hearts.

While we waited I let my cousin know we were near, in case we needed a reference. We were crossing state lines to go to KY where this certain white dog was waiting in the shelter. The shelter finally opened. The man that was first in line definitely wanted the white dog, and we accepted our fate. I looked at all the dogs in the shelter that morning; none was the dog for me.

Just as we were leaving my cousin texted me to ask if we’d been able to get the dog we had hoped we could have. I shared the story and that we were soon to be on our way home to TN, without a dog and still glad we tried. And then my cousin said the thing we didn’t expect to hear.
“One of my friends just posted that they are looking for a home for their dog. Do you want to meet him?”

Thinking it couldn’t hurt anything, we headed that way. Within ten minutes we were standing in the kitchen of a family home. There was a mom and three young boys (the dad wasn’t home at that moment), and there was this little dog running around the house. While we were just standing there, hearing their story, this little black & white shitzu named “Oreo” came straight over to me, sat down at my feet, and looked up at me as if to clearly speak, “I am going home with you!”

In a true whirlwind, within five or ten minutes we are loading the truck with a dog bed, food, pee pads, toys, and Oreo. I’d never been “chosen” in that way before by a completely strange dog that had no reason to like me. It was very clear, Oreo was going home with me.

There is always a lot to every family’s story. And no one can ever fully know someone else’s story. In this case the little boys were growing up and playing soccer and all the things. It was a busy family life, and Oreo was showing signs of not being pleased with the competing schedules. They were his third owner…I would be the fourth. His original person was elderly and died, leaving him to a surviving relative. He stayed with them for a year, but schedules were a challenge and a new home was found …with this family of five. It was perfect for about three years. But there is more.

There had been a situation where Oreo was missing for three weeks in the winter. It was cold in Kentucky and somehow, he survived on his own, but went through a very difficult time. He lost all of his hair and a lot of weight. And just when they had given up all hope of ever finding him, someone called. He had shown up at their door and he needed help. He still had on his collar. Soon he was reunited with his family and they began helping him get restored to health. When we met him, he was looking good; his tail was thin and really the only sign that anything had ever happened.

I brought him home to TN. He was not the breed I was hoping for, nor the age or size, or anything else for that matter. But there was no mistake about him choosing me as we stood in that kitchen. He wanted to come home with me and I didn’t feel like I could do anything except bring him home. And for a whole year, I didn’t take him anywhere. I spent a lot of time with him and tried to give him a sense that he wasn’t going to be going anywhere else; he was “home”. We got to know one another. He slowly began to trust that I was going to be “his” and that he was safe. And I slowly began to accept that he was the dog I needed.

So we went to work. Almost every day. Whatever I was doing, I put him to doing it too. And he excelled.

He did all the work and was fabulous at it! He seemed to know his job: encouragement and love.

He also learned to love “us”. He was included in the family gatherings, as most dogs do. He was able to express love and appreciation, even entertain whoever showed up for the “there’s always room for one more” invitation. I was so grateful to see him embrace this life!

There is so much more! For today…I just want to honor what a gift Oreo was to my life and to the work we shared. I’m grateful he didn’t suffer in this life when he was old. I’m thankful we had so many moments to make clear that we knew the blessing we’d been given. I’m glad he chose me on that cold Epiphany in 2017. And by God’s grace I was able to receive what was being given.

Morning Prayer in June

June 4, 2024Vona Wilson

God of Peace and Mercy
God of Wisdom and Grace
We acknowledge you who hold all things and are in all things.
Thank you for the ways you reveal your glory to us and around us.
The stillness of the summer air in June
The watchful eye of a hawk in the morning
The love in households where people are preparing for
the day;
The silence in places where nature is the companion.

Rush in, Holy Spirit.
Rush in Great Redeemer.
Rush in to change the conversations among families and friends,
work teams and leaders,
strangers on the street and whomever is in our path.
We welcome you, Holy God, to turn our attentions where
they need to be
so that we can see your mighty hand at work.
We know and trust, Holy God, that you are indeed present and acting
right
now.
Mold us into what we do not know
Transform us bit by bit or all at once;
we need you.
We trust you completely so we yield
all of ourselves…
to you.
Thank you, Lord, for your steady faithfulness
and for not giving up on any of us.

We love you. Amen.

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter til the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
– Proverbs 4:18-19

Morning Prayer in Winter

January 22, 2024January 22, 2024Vona Wilson

Creator of All, you are the Light of morning
you are the comfort in the dark.
Thank you for the way you greet us today.
We are in awe of your mighty hand –
painting the sky and forests for us
sending the river across the rocks
hurling through the bends of current running…
refusing to be stopped, living fully.
We are in awe, Lord, of your strength and mercy
your covenant and forgiveness
your certainty and freedom.
Thank you for loving us
even as we try to make you into
the image that we can comprehend.

We misunderstand your greatness.
Please keep surprising us
with your mighty hand making
all things new.
New in our hearts and minds
New in our communities and in your world.
We love you. We trust you completely.
We yield the day, the week,
our lives…into your hands.
Amen.

A cold winter day in January with lingering snow on the ground is a good invitation for prayer. After a week of pause in yielding to nature’s course, the days may hold too much. It doesn’t all have to be crammed into Monday, or even Tuesday. Faithfulness to a day’s work is enough. The past week is not “lost”, it was provided. Playing in the snow or reading a good book, even dealing with busted pipes, it all “counts” as fullness in living.

Take the day and live it. Fully. With tears when grief is present. With laughter and all out joy if that gift is offered. With strength and mercy, compassion, and wisdom. Carefully. Fully. Humbly. As one deeply loved, even when you don’t know it.

The Sound of Trumpets

December 30, 2023December 30, 2023Vona Wilson

I was just looking for something, I’m still not sure what it was or is; her booth was there and inviting. I took a step in to see. Is what I’m looking for here? Is there some cultural expression that makes sense out of my season of wonder? Is there something I’ll touch and know I’ve found a piece of the puzzle, a piece of who I am?

The young woman greeted me with all the same sense with which I entered. I spoke my broken Spanish so she would know I came as one who searches. She understood. Our conversation soon surpassed the goods of her booth and granted us space for sharing. Newly married, she was still on the heights of love found, embraced, and living. Her face aglow with the joy of it. Life shared in love and wholeness. Full.

Eventually our words drifted toward my reality too. “What do you do?” she asked the familiar question. Occasionally I get glimpses of why the answer to God being asked, “what is your name?” in Scripture is often answered with, “I AM”. I don’t want to say, “I am a pastor”, but I do, because I can’t find better words in the moment; she recognizes what I say. Conversation opens up to a new place, far beyond the goods in her booth or even the news of her recent marriage.

“I played the trumpet in my church!” is how she responded to knowing I am a pastor. “I played the trumpet in my church.” The words were strong. And faithful. She was announcing to me who she is. I paused to listen.

“And now? Do you play the trumpet in your church now?” I wondered aloud.

“No mas. Mi esposo no gusta. No mas, no me jugo la trompeta en la iglesia.” She laughed, a little nervously, almost apologetic, but also just tentative.

“No more. My husband does not like me to play the trumpet in my church.”

The woman was strong of spirit. Her joy was on her face. Hospitality, devotion, and intention were in every move she made. And her husband did not want her to play the trumpet…it was too strong? It was too much? Her pain was present, but she never faltered in her joy, nor her deep love for him. She was just naming her new reality.

Her husband didn’t know what is behind the joy of her playing the trumpet. He doesn’t know that what fuels her passion of playing, also fuels her love for him. He doesn’t know that quietening one part of her gives sure death to another part, possibly the very depth that drew him to her in the beginning. He doesn’t know he married a whole woman, not fragments of a hollowed spirit.

It’s been a while since I was at her booth. Several years. But every time I hear a trumpet, it has caused me, for years, to offer a prayer, “Lord, please give her a way to play her trumpet. Lord, help her husband to embrace her love and passion.”

And I wonder. Is she in training for the heavenly chorus? Because it seems like trumpets might be played in heaven. Is she already chosen for a choir that is eternal? Is her playing in her church just practice for the worship she will assist with in eternity? She exudes a joy that points to something beyond this earth. Has her love been taken captive or will the one who loves her find a way to not be afraid of who God created her to be?

What can we say? Cultures tell us many things, and much is to be honored. Sometimes it will work out very well. Sometimes it won’t, and there may be a death of spirit. Sometimes people will long for something that was under their nose and never understand what they were given. In all of it, you hope, you pray, each person finds what brings them peace, and that they can follow that discovery with freedom and grace. Even when peace means closing doors because what’s offered them is simply more than can be received.

What else can we say? If you have the capacity to let someone play their trumpet….let them play! If you have the peace to embrace the whole of a person, whatever the whole might be, embrace them! And if you are in that place where the doors just cannot be opened, be graceful in the ways you say, “please don’t blow your trumpet” near me.

Prayer:
Lord, we are afraid of many things. Loving fully is certainly one of them. Whatever you might do to assist us along our way of accepting people as you have created them to be, we welcome that help. Forgive us, if ever we ask someone to diminish the light placed inside them by you. Thank you for not giving up on any of us. Thank you for loving us in whatever way we come to you today. We love you, and we trust you completely. In the name of Jesus; Amen.

Joy to the World (Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble and the Tabernacle Choir)

Silence Redeemed

September 26, 2023September 26, 2023Vona Wilson

Silence.
Illusive. Revealing. Vulnerable. Real.
I remember the silence in the house after my brothers death many years ago. It was deafening. We shuffled across the floor one moment at a time trying to figure out how to live. Just through the next hour. I was young. Life hurt. And it was so silent.

Recently at a Jesuit retreat house I enjoyed 48 hours of a silent retreat. The birds and scurrying of animals unseen offered sound. The wind blew through the trees and sang a melody every morning and again late at night. Occasionally I noticed the sound of my breath when I encountered something of beauty unexpected. It was restoring and offered much peace.

Surprisingly what lingers is the sound of dishes and silverware in the communal dining room. Sounds I have come to love. Signs of my neighbors (and mine) presence. Sounds of the basic need of food. The notes of music that say, “morning has come, let’s gather and eat, embrace the day.” Sacred.

Getting up from the table in my home I hear it again. Rinsing dishes. Dropping silverware in the sink. The clanging, tinkering, loud sound of life. I remember when that sound spoke of our grief and loneliness. There were many days we could not speak, the weight was too much. Today the clanging of dishes speaks of life. I couldn’t hear it until I stepped away and the silence revealed the blessing. A grace unexpected. A gift of silence redeemed.

May the peace of God bring blessing into the silent places of life. Providing, revealing, assisting, and offering to make something ordinary brand new.

This song was a favorite of my Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Tom. It was often a sound in our home – on the piano or the stereo. We never spoke about it except to know that after Uncle Tom’s death, it was a song we couldn’t play it in her presence.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4fWyzwo1xg0%3Fsi%3DU9x5V9CHihJQ6SO4

Clearing the Dishes

April 7, 2023April 7, 2023Vona Wilson

The disciples came to the table to celebrate the Passover with Jesus. Even with the tensions obvious in his ministry, people still waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna!” as he entered Jerusalem. There was every reason for the disciples to be hopeful and excited to share in this ancient ritual with Christ. They were celebrating the Passover with the Messiah!

But things didn’t turn out the way they expected. Within their small group there is betrayal. One who is perhaps tired of things not moving along as he expected they should. One who has been offered a worldly reward that might help him achieve his personal goals. One who makes a permanent decision to ease a temporary discomfort. And Jesus accepts him at that table, all the while knowing that his heart has turned fully inward.

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that were intended to be good, but there is a turning of events that changes that intent into a corrupted and destructive moment. The “crowd” begins to get louder and the pressures mount. We make decisions to appease others, even when our minds and spirits tell us, “This isn’t right”. It is a personal betrayal. It is a betrayal of our Creator who formed us in his image, gave us the ability to think, and intended for us to be in loving relationship with God and one another.

We don’t know who cleared the dishes after this Passover gathering. They would have found the basin of water with dirt and grime settled in the bottom. A wet towel on the floor or draped over a chair. Leftover bread and wine, perhaps. And an uneasy silence about what is unfolding. What was intended as a sacred ritual is the backdrop of the decision both to dip our fingers in the bowl with Christ and choose to betray.

The discomfort of the morning after is felt by all of us. The weight of our own sin. How eagerly we run to the moments of celebration and holy experiences; and how quickly we turn away when we realize humble surrender of our own power and plans is required. Jesus asked a pivotal question earlier when a few of the disciples were trying to ensure their positions as God’s kingdom is being fulfilled,

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him
“What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” (Matthew 20:20-23)

The two disciples are certain that they can “drink the cup” that Jesus is going to drink in that moment. But now, as the dishes are being cleared, it all looks different. The decisions of individuals have set things in motion. The push to condemn and remove this threatening Messiah increases. The devoted disciples begin to scatter and avoid the situation. What began with “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”, now reveals the depths of our ability to betray and destroy one another. The profound gift of grace that commands us to love is hidden from view.

Holy God, how do we stand in the memory of your story, and bear the reality of our own stories of betrayal right now? We get impatient with your timing. We easily turn to building our own empires and leave you on the sidelines. We are silent when we see things that are wrong. We are quick to condemn those who think differently than we do. We trade social media posts for authentic listening and relationship. We take matters into our own hands because we fail to trust that you are being faithful to fulfill your promises. Forgive us, Lord, for the many ways we betray you in our efforts to “do the right thing”. We are so unable to do the right thing within the messes we have created. And still, it is our desire to honor you. It is our intention to surrender our lives for your glory. We are completely powerless to do this, and we need your help. Come quickly Lord Jesus; make haste to help us. We do trust you, Lord; we trust you completely. Amen.

Church of St Peter in Gallicantu stands on the eastern slope of Mt Zion

Prayers & Practices of Surrender

Lord, I trust you with ________________________; I yield this situation or person(s) into your hands. (Read Psalm 118)

God of mercy, my eyes and mind are clouded by my own pain and certainty. I think I am right, but I know my understanding is limited. I welcome your Holy Spirit to open my eyes; I welcome you to renew my mind. I ask you, Lord, to make me whole again. Please set me on the rock that is higher than I. I need you and I yield to you. (Read Psalm 61)

Creator of All, we love you. Our world is reeling with grief and shame. The land cries out with the blood of so many. The sky witnesses our betrayals and destruction every moment of time, in every season. When we stop to look at one another, our own sin and pain is reflected in our neighbor’s eyes. It is so hard to accept that we stop looking. Help us, God, to see each other as you see. Help us to be in community as you want us to be. Let your perfect love, cast out our fear. Amen (Read I John 4)

Attend a Good Friday service today. Set aside your critique of those who tell the story. Just listen. Ponder. Receive. Sit with the reality of how we, as people who claim to love God, often respond when the kingdom of God comes near.

Evan Craft – Desesperado

Morning Prayer in March

March 13, 2023Vona Wilson

God of all creation –
Guide our steps into this day
Ground our feet in your peace
Set our eyes on eternity
Wash away our anxieties.

For you, Holy God, are the great redeemer
The healer, the justice maker
You – the restorer of all things
To the way you created life to be.

Guard us from our own distractions
Judgments against our neighbors
Public slander of strangers
Untended wounds within us
Flowing out into your streets.

Lift us to your higher rock
Fill us with mercy and justice
Spirit of compassion and love
Wisdom that resides in the deepest
Silence where our hearts
Come. Help us

Listen
Rest
Listen

And wait for you to show us
The way of faithfulness
now.

We love you, Lord, and we trust you completely. In your presence, we are full of your joy. You are the creator of this day; you have given this time in history the blessing of your presence. We yield ourselves into your hands, in the name of the resurrected Christ, Amen.

Standing in Faith

March 5, 2023Vona Wilson

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” – Mark 11:22-25

Jesus was responding to his disciples’ amazement when they realized his words had true power. He cursed the fig tree when it had no fruit to offer and the next day it was withered! (Mark 11:20) They cannot fathom this uncontainable spiritual power. Maybe we can’t comprehend it either.

We are a people that value preparation and proof. We forgive after we see repentance. We strike before someone strikes us. We are preemptive, proactive, decisive, and “powerful”. Or are we? Sometimes we even call this active way of being ahead of the game being “faithful”. Jesus describes faith differently.

Faith is not belief in ourselves. Faith is believing in God. Faith is not dependent on our taking matters into our own hands. Faith is yielding matters into God’s hands. Letting go of our limited way of getting things done, and acting with faith that God is the one who actually moves the mountains. Our spiritual power is found in prayer. It is a profound act of faith. It is a vulnerable place to be.

Jesus seems pretty powerful even when he is rejected. When faced with public scrutiny and accusation, he simply continues. His mission was not to please the crowds or the authorities. It was to do what God gave him to do. That meant showing up in places that “faithful people” didn’t typically go. It meant offering mercy to those with stones in their hands, and to those crouched in shame and fear as condemnation is hurled against them. It meant teaching what God wanted people to hear. Humbly. Boldly. With Love. And a lot of prayer.

My grandfather Lester was a farmer. A man of great faith. He believed God was faithful most of all. He planted and tended the land. There were good years and hard years. Sometimes a field failed to produce a crop for unknown reasons. Occasionally weather and disease ruined entire harvests. P.E. Lester farmed and tended the land in all of those seasons. When resources were lacking, he and Grandma made sacrifices so the family had what they needed for the basics in life. They shared with their neighbors.

Grandaddy was certain of a greater vision. He knew his faithful tending would change the land and thus the harvest over time. He knew that most of it would be seen in other generations. His days were filled standing in the context he was given, and serving faithfully from that place. All the while, trusting that God was doing what he could not. He believed every seed would produce when it was given the right soil and the right environment. Grandaddy’s part was farming. The harvest, however and whenever it came, was in God’s hands. That faith grounded all of his work.

It is no surprise that his favorite chapter of the Bible was Hebrews 11. It begins like this: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.This is what the ancients were commended for. – Hebrews 11:1-2

A wise person who I only knew as a partner in prayer once shared with us, “we are not held accountable for what good things we do in the world. We can do many ‘good things’ in the world. We are held accountable, however, only for what God gives us to do.” That is what Jesus did. (John 5:19-20; John 12:49)

I’m accountable to do what God has given me to do. Moses was to lead a people out of slavery. Joseph was to marry Mary and raise a family. Paul was to plant churches and write. Martha was to show hospitality. Mary Magdalene was to proclaim the resurrection. Lydia was to provide financial support. The stories go on and on. Yours too. How are you standing in faith while you do what God has given you to do today?

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. – Hebrews 11:39-40

Lord, thank you for the ways you bring forth your fulfillment in due time. Forgive us when we march ahead of you. We are so eager that sometimes we forget to trust that you are working all things for good. Stir us when we become complacent or fearful. We do trust you, Lord; and we love you. Help us today to simply move steady on with you. Thank you for not giving up on us! Amen.