Today is Wednesday, March 20, 2019. Fifteenth day of Lent.
Day 22,287
EIGHT DAYS until Opening Day!!!
Quote of the Day
“We are here on Earth to do good to others. What the others are here for, I don’t know.”
W.H. Auden, U.S. critic and poet, 1907-1973
The Quotations Page
Word of the Day
Wellspring ~ a source or supply of anything, especially when considered inexhaustible. (Dictionary.com)
Now that everyone knows who needs to know, I can tell the rest of the world. It’s been a harrowing week, as C had a car wreck on the way home from work Monday evening. I received her call shortly before six PM Monday. She had had a major wreck. She came over a small hill on Hwy 183 (a hill that creates a bit of a blind spot, exacerbated by the fact that, at that time of day, one is driving straight into the sun), and the traffic had stopped in front of her. She hit the car in front of her pretty hard. Her car is officially totaled. She seems to be mostly okay, although she has some horrendous bruises where the seat belt was strapped across various parts of her body, and some bruising in her right foot, most likely from the pressure of pressing on the brake. But, again, she seems to be mostly okay. Last night, when she got home, she said it hurt to breathe, but this morning, she said that’s better. We are keeping an eye on the bruising, as it looks really bad. I’m still not convinced that she doesn’t need a doctor to look at it.
I took her to get a rental yesterday morning, before we went to work. Since the car is now totaled, we will be getting a settlement from the insurance. They will send the payoff to the credit union and send us the difference, which, fortunately for us, will be close to $5000 that she can put toward a new car.
Most importantly, we are praising God that she was not seriously injured (and no one else was, either). Through all of this, we come out of it still proclaiming that “God is good.” After the initial shock from Monday evening, I spent most of yesterday with an amazing sense of calm and God’s presence in my life and hers.
That’s pretty much it for today.
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS
All Scriptures are from the ESV unless otherwise noted
I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8
Today I am grateful:
1. That C was not seriously injured (or worse) in the car accident.
2. That no one else appeared to be injured in the accident.
3. That our insurance company appears to be handling things quite smoothly.
4. That God knows what he is doing when he gives me a task.
5. That God will equip me for any job he gives me.
May the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Thanks be to God.
(The Book of Common Prayer, Hebrews 13:20-21)
(From Every Step An Arrival, Eugene H. Peterson)
Today’s reading is “God Sees Our Competencies Clearly.”
GOD told me, “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a boy.’ I’ll tell you where to go and you’ll go there. I’ll tell you what to say and you’ll say it.”
Jeremiah 1:7 (The Message)
“In the really important things of life, we are terrifyingly unqualified. And if we don’t know it, we are in for a lot of trouble.”
In my 61 years, I have found this statement to be disturbingly true. Even at this late stage in my life, I see how terribly unqualified I was/am as a parent. I can see how inadequate I have been as a husband. And I have seen how inadequate I have been as a Christian. (Don’t read these statements as me beating myself up . . . it’s just a simple acknowledgement of the way things are.)
“And then around the periphery of these core elements of incompetency as human beings, there are many other instances that remind us of our lack of know-how. But the piece of wrong thinking that fuels these inadequacies is that we think of ourselves in terms of roles of functions or positions or performance.” In the Scripture passage for today, Jeremiah tries to disqualify himself based on his age. He is young and inexperienced. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” he tells God.
God’s response is to dismiss Jeremiah’s disclaimer. “Never you mind,” God says, in essence.
“Jeremiah, forget about what you think about yourself or what the neighbors think of you, how old you are or whether you are a porter or stonemason or teacher. I am in charge here, I’m giving the orders, I am telling you where to go. I am going with you, and if you get into trouble, I will rescue you. I am the ground for your life, your work, who you are and what you do. I am the reality who determines your reality.”
We would all do well, young or old, 20 or 80, to insert our own name in the beginning of that paragraph.
Consider what happens when you meet someone new at an event. What is usually one of the first questions that arises? “What do you do?” Why do we define ourselves by the answer to that question?? What if, instead of “What do you do?” the next time you meet someone new, you ask them, “Who are you?” Of course, they will probably look at you quizzically and repeat their name to you. But then, you say, “I heard your name. But who are you?”
Me? I’m one who is following God, not defined by my occupation, talents, strengths, or weaknesses. I’m not an inadequate parent, spouse, or Christian. I simply am. I exist in the paradigm of the Kingdom of God, and I walk with him in that Kingdom, in the easy yoke of Jesus. I mistakenly step outside of that, sometimes, but the shock always reminds me to quickly step back in. God is in control. When he gives me a task, it means he believes I am qualified for the task, and whatever I am lacking, he will supply.
This, my friends, is faith.
Father, I thank you for the truths above. I thank you that I don’t need to worry about my inadequacies or strengths or weaknesses. I praise you that you are in control of all things, and that you know what you are doing. I praise you for your protection over C Monday evening. I know that you seem my occasional almost tears as gratitude that you put your hand around her right before that accident occurred. Thank you. I love you.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Soli Deo Gloria!!
Spaces of Beauty, Grace, Prayer, and Mercy 