Author: Betsy

God Rocks

Posted on by Betsy

The pandemic has brought forth a plethora of new ideas for spending time at home. In my case it has prompted me to find new ways to use the word “plethora.” For others with artistic abilities, small crafts like rock painting have emerged. Think about the beauty of that! You order some paint stuff from Amazon, you go out into your yard, find a rock, and VOILA! Instant stress-relieving fun.

Rock painting has been popular for some time now. At my church, a kind person painted a rock with my name on it as a “gratitude rock.” I think it says something like, “Betsy, you rock.” Every once in a while I spot it on the way into the Fellowship Hall and it makes my heart smile.

Ever contemplate where rocks come from? Smaller rocks have been quarried from larger rocks and have either been deliberately tumbled to create their smooth roundness, or have managed to lose their sharp edges through time and erosion.

Kind of like people.

Isaiah was keenly aware that we have all been quarried from the rock that is our family of God. All of us can trace our lineage back to father Abraham and mother Sarah. God took that rock and has shaped it down over time to resemble us, the children of God.

Isaiah 51 (The Message)

1-3 “Listen to me, all you who are serious about right living
    and committed to seeking God.
Ponder the rock from which you were cut,
    the quarry from which you were dug.
Yes, ponder Abraham, your father,
    and Sarah, who bore you.
Think of it! One solitary man when I called him,
    but once I blessed him, he multiplied.

Because of Abraham’s faith, we have inherited the right to God’s protection and comfort. This is an extremely important thing right now, as we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, national unrest, hurricane season, wildfires, and all other manner of evil.

Likewise I, God, will comfort Zion,
    comfort all her mounds of ruins.
I’ll transform her dead ground into Eden,
    her moonscape into the garden of God,
A place filled with exuberance and laughter,
    thankful voices and melodic songs.

All of those things will come to pass. All of our mounds of ruins will become a garden that rivals Eden. Every dead place will rise up again in the name of Jesus…even the dead places in our pandemic-weary hearts.

We will be filled with exuberance and laughter, and we will SING songs in the sanctuary that are expressions of our thankfulness. I can’t wait for that day! In the meantime, remember: we are one day closer to the end of this thing.

Jesus is our rock, and he will never leave our side.

Beauty Stones by Jan Wilson

EveryBODY

Posted on by Betsy

My dad once told me a story about something that happened to him when he was a kid. It involved his school lunch. Even in the long years of the depression, his family had enough to feed four kids. My grandfather was a Pennsylvania State prison guard, and my grandmother was an admissions clerk at the local hospital, so their work was steady.

My grandmother was an extraordinary baker. Homemade bread, rolls, cakes, pies….she could really stretch her grocery dollar with her skill and while they didn’t have much, they had enough.

One day my grandmother asked my father if he enjoyed the peach pie she had packed. She chastised him a little for never mentioning the wonderful homemade baked goods that she packed every day. He was confused, and told her that he didn’t have any pie in his lunch pail. The next day she asked about the cinnamon roll she had packed, and again, he replied that all he had was a sandwich.

They tracked this for a few more days and realized that one of the other children was taking one item from his pail every day….likely a child who had nothing to eat. From that day on, Grandma packed two sandwiches, two pieces of fruit, and two baked goods. Every day when my Dad got to the lunch room, only one of each item was left. They never did find out which child they were feeding, but together they made sure a child didn’t go hungry. 

In the body of Christ, my grandmother was the baker. She quietly made sure that there was enough to feed her four, and one other. That child might have felt very ashamed to have to steal food to survive. But my father never mentioned it at school. In the body of Christ, he was the silent partner.

Romans 12 (Common English Version)

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 

What is your place in the body of Christ? Are you the ear, able to listen to someone’s problems? Are you the wallet, able to give your financial resources to help those in need? Maybe you are the feet that are willing to go and do disaster recovery, or the hands that hold a sleeping baby so that a tired mother can sit under the cypress trees and hear the sermon…

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Everybody is somebody in the BODY. Next time you see a place to use your gift, say yes. You never know whose life may be forever changed by it.

Grace Accordingly by Joe McGraw

Flash Flood Warning

Posted on by Betsy

Driving home from the airport this weekend was a frustrating experience. First, it was a Saturday in the summer in the Outer Banks, so I got caught in the stream of people coming from the north to check in to their beach cottages for the week. I landed around 4:00 and thought that I would be behind the surge. I had forgotten that check-in time has moved from 3:00 to 5:00 to accommodate a longer cleaning time between guests.

Then apparently there was an accident ahead of me that took some time to clear, which was followed by a torrential rain. The rain came down so hard I could barely see for about twenty minutes.

During that time NPR broke in with an emergency alert. It was already stressful enough, but that sound of ERRRRT—-ERRRRT——ERRT blasting though my car speakers was unnerving. The alert was a flash flood warning for the county next to me. I was driving through a good deal of standing water and could see how easy it would be for creeks to suddenly overflow.

Do you know what to do if you get caught in a sudden flash flood? “Turn around, don’t drown.” Attempting to drive through a large area of moving water is dangerous and sometimes fatal. People have died trying to drive through water that suddenly swept their car away.

In our Psalm today, the writer describes a time when the raging waters were coming over the necks of the people, but God saved them from the torrent:

Psalm 124 (Common English Bible)

If the Lord hadn’t been for us—
    let Israel now repeat!—
2     if the Lord hadn’t been for us,
        when those people attacked us
3 then they would have swallowed us up whole
        with their rage burning against us!


4 Then the waters would have drowned us;
    the torrent would have come over our necks;
5     then the raging waters would have come over our necks!

Can you name a time in your life when God saved you from some form of rushing water that threatened to overtake you? I have a friend who has been battling the floods of alcohol abuse overtaking her life. Her drinking almost cost her marriage, her home, and her family. Just at the point where she was pinned underwater and unable to breathe, she called out for help. Months later, she is now restored in every aspect of her life. God did not hand her over to the enemy of addiction. She escaped because she turned around.

6 Bless the Lord
    because he didn’t hand us over
    like food for our enemies’ teeth!
7 We escaped like a bird from the hunters’ trap;
    the trap was broken so we escaped!

I don’t know what kind of flash flood you may be experiencing right now, but I know this for certain…God is with you. God is FOR you. Do you hear him sounding an emergency alert over some aspect of your life? God is waiting for you to turn around so that you won’t drown.

8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
    the maker of heaven and earth.

Our help comes from the maker of heaven and earth! Rise up and shine.

I’m in that line of cars somewhere! Photo by Brant Honeycutt

Doxology

Posted on by Betsy

A doxology is a “lyrical expression of praise to God” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. In a worship service it provides a liturgical response to the presentation of the offering. Various forms of “Praise God from whom all blessings flow” have been sung in churches since the late 1600’s.

I once had a profound moment singing the doxology at a women’s retreat. We had gathered in the dining room and our music leader suggested we sing it a cappella as our grace before the meal. The harmonies blended beautifully in the room and it was a stunning offering to the Lord.

Psalm 67 is introduced as a doxology in one bible translation. That is fitting, as this brief psalm is a beautiful and lyrical praise chorus. It was written to the director of music “to be performed with string instruments.” We’ll get right on that as soon as we’re back in church!

Psalm 67 (New Revised Standard Version)

May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah

This may sound familiar to you. It is part of the Aaronic blessing that appears in Numbers 6. The lovely phrase “make his face to shine upon us” is a word-picture that invokes an image of God’s joy in giving his blessing and his grace to a happy, responsive people.

2 that your way may be known upon earth,
    your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you.

The psalmist cleverly offers God a small incentive. If God will bestow his blessing on us, then the world will see and thus his way will be known on all the earth. That is kind of like promising to tithe if God would just make you win the lottery.

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth.Selah

God will judge the people with equity. That is an amazing thought. There is no hierarchy of sin according to this. There is no privilege, status, religious preference, or condition that will get you off easy. Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Catholics, atheists, etc. will be judged equally with all the people of the earth. Humbling, isn’t it?

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you.

Praise is the appropriate response to all of God’s blessings. As the harvest of provision comes in the form of daily bread to us, let us join in singing our praises with all the creatures here below! For God indeed is worthy of our praise.

6 The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, has blessed us.
7 May God continue to bless us;
    let all the ends of the earth revere him.

Amen.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow by Becca Ziegler

Reconciled

Posted on by Betsy

Can you name a time in your life where circumstance, decisions, jealousy, malice, or someone’s bad intention left you on the outside of something you cherished? It is hard when that happens. Job changes “for the good of the company” that result in your layoff can be devastating. Family conflicts that end up with your invitation to the table being rescinded can result in pain that lasts a long time. Anytime we are rejected, it just doesn’t feel good.

It is in those moments that we need to heavily rely on God’s word to help us through a myriad of emotions and try to see what God is doing in the midst of our suffering.

Today we are in the part of the Joseph story where he is living in Egypt long after his brothers threw him in a pit and sold him to traders. Many years have passed and God has provided Joseph with a rise to power that puts him in charge of Egypt’s grain stores, which he himself had created. Meanwhile back in Israel, a famine has decimated the land and Joseph’s brothers have fled to Egypt in hopes of finding food.

Genesis 45 (Contemporary English Version)

Yes, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. 5 Don’t worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives.

6 There has already been a famine for two years, and for five more years no one will plow fields or harvest grain. 7 But God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way. 8 After all, you weren’t really the ones who sent me here—it was God. He made me the highest official in the king’s court and placed me over all Egypt.

This is a profound moment. Even with everything that happened to Joseph…all the hurt, rejection, harm, and estrangement from his family…he is able to claim that God was the agent of everything that happened. It was not the result of his brothers’ actions, nor evil forces, nor jealousy, nor even a consequence of intentional harm. Only God could bring about the miracle that was to happen next and this had been God’s plan all along.

9 Now hurry back and tell my father that his son Joseph says, “God has made me ruler of Egypt. Come here as quickly as you can. 10 You will live near me in the region of Goshen with your children and grandchildren, as well as with your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own. 11 I will take care of you there during the next five years of famine. But if you don’t come, you and your family and your animals will starve to death.”

And so Joseph, who was thrown away by his insecure brothers, is now able to save not only his family but all of their livestock from starvation. He makes them the incredible offer to come and bring their entire households to Egypt where he will give them all homes and enough food to live.

12 All of you, including my brother Benjamin, can tell by what I have said that I really am Joseph. 13 Tell my father about my great power here in Egypt and about everything you have seen. Hurry and bring him here.

14 Joseph and Benjamin hugged each other and started crying. 15 Joseph was still crying as he kissed each of his other brothers. After this, they started talking with Joseph.

This last part is a touching reminder of the power of FORGIVENESS. When Joseph was able to recognize that God had placed him in Egypt in order to save generations of his family, he was able to let go of his anger and open his heart up to his brothers.

Where is God calling you to open your heart today? Where is he calling you to forgive a grievance that you have harbored for decades? Where can you see God working in your life despite the hardships?

Make today the day. Make that phone call, write that letter, or send that text. God just may be sending you ahead so that you, too, can save your family.

Peaceful Moonrise by Amanda Sprinkle

Dis Unity

Posted on by Betsy

Our families are suffering from a lack of unity. Discussions on politics and national events have made any kind of family gathering (even by ZOOM) filled with polarized positioning, often expressed very loudly.

Our churches are suffering from a lack of unity. My denomination is on the precipice of a historic split that will forever change who we are, and I am heartbroken over that.

Our nation is suffering from a lack of unity. We have become the Un-United States. The disunity on our streets, in our media, in the national government, and in our towns is destroying us.

Can there ever be unity in the world again? One would think that a global crisis such as a pandemic would have caused us to lay down our swords and turned them into ploughshares for the sake of humanity.

But no.

When evil raises its ugly head and godly people are silent, the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy us by targeting our unity first. Knowing that there is strength in numbers, disunity is the goal of every evil force around us. When the righteous scatter, the enemy prowls around looking for weaknesses.

As people of God, unity should be our goal. Jesus‘ most fervent prayer was that we would be ONE. We are called to be the body of Christ for the world, working together in harmony to bring the kingdom of peace to the earth.

Let’s look at our psalm today and see what it teaches us about unity.

Psalm 133 (New Revised Standard Version)

How very good and pleasant it is
    when kindred live together in unity!

Unity is good. Unity is pleasant. Unity is a blessing. Like a fine and precious oil, God’s gift of unity should flow down the chins of his people.

2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
    running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
    running down over the collar of his robes.

Just as the dew on the mountains comes after the refreshing rain, unity is a sign of what life-forevermore will be in the kingdom.

3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
    which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
    life forevermore.

Where in your circle of friends, family, community, or world can you be the voice of unity today? Where can you offer a sign of reconciliation to someone “across the aisle” that would bring a moment of peace? Where can you lay down your right to express your opinion so someone else might voice theirs, and then listen with the goal of mutual understanding?

We can’t fix the world overnight. But you can change your attitude. Make peace with someone today and pass on a blessing of kindred living that is calm, respectful, and peaceful. One day, when Christ returns, we will all take a knee….in unity.

Every Knee Shall Bow by Kathy Schumacher

Follow the Directions

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever been led astray by your GPS? When the GPS first became popular there were several reports of people following GPS instructions and driving into a lake or going the wrong way on a one-way street. Even with outstanding advancements in technology, it can sometimes be hard to get to a place if the technology is faulty or if you enter the wrong address.

When I first moved to the Outer Banks eleven years ago there were parts of Southern Shores that were not on the satellite maps. I spent one frustrating afternoon trying to visit a church member only to have to return to the church to get directions. I was using one of the older free-standing GPS units and I had left my cell phone at the church, so I couldn’t call anyone for directions. By the time I got back to my office it was too late for the visit and I was in tears. So much for advanced technology!

Isaiah was an 8th Century prophet who was the voice of God’s concerns during the Babylonian exile. His basic function was to be a GPS to the Israelites. He gave words of direction, instruction, and hope during the dark time of exile from Israel. The people of the diaspora desperately wanted to return home. They were looking for a way back. They needed a GPS to direct them to the holy mountain. Then came good news: insiders and outsiders alike were called to come to worship.

Isaiah 56 (The Message)

“And as for the outsiders who now follow me,
    working for me, loving my name,
    and wanting to be my servants— All who keep Sabbath and don’t defile it,
    holding fast to my covenant—
I’ll bring them to my holy mountain
    and give them joy in my house of prayer.

The outsiders are us, folks. The Gentiles and outcasts who chose to follow God received an amazing offer to enter into the house of worship.

Here is the map for both insiders and outsiders to follow, laid out in two steps.

  1. Keep the Sabbath and don’t defile it.

2. Hold fast to my covenant.

Sabbath-keeping is so important to God. It is a mandatory respite from our busy life that directs us to intentionally stop everything and focus solely on God. Many of you will remember “blue laws” that required that everything shut down on Sundays. By removing all temptation, families couldn’t defile the Sabbath with distraction, leisure, or (worst of all) work.

God’s covenant was spelled out to the people in the Ten Commandments. By following God’s law, people could find their way into God’s house and remain there all of their days.

They’ll be welcome to worship the same as the ‘insiders,’
    to bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to my altar. Oh yes, my house of worship
    will be known as a house of prayer for all people.”

Here’s the best part. The house of worship becomes a house of prayer for ALL people. Imagine it! If we were to follow the directions laid out for us in this passage, we could be gathered together into a house of prayer for all people.

The Decree of the Master, God himself,
    who gathers in the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather others also,
    gather them in with those already gathered.”

What do you need to do today to re-direct your life so that you are headed in the right direction? What does God’s covenant mean to you? Are you loving God and loving neighbor in everything you do? Are you defiling the Sabbath or keeping it holy?

All are welcome to worship in the house of prayer, where there is plenty of joy to go around. Come! Now is the time to worship and pray.

Let Us Go Up to the Holy Mountain by Becca Ziegler

Word-Sensitive

Posted on by Betsy

When you were growing up, were there words in your family that were forbidden? As a parent, are there words you won’t let your kids use?

The two unacceptable words in our house were hate and stupid. Naturally profanity was never allowed, but we also outlawed these two words because they were often used as weapons. Whoever wrote the ridiculous line, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” did not grow up as a child in America. Words hurt.

Jesus was word-sensitive. He chose his words carefully in every situation. Whether he was expressing anger, frustration, love, encouragement, or chastisement, his compassion always came through in his word choices. The rabbi in him brought out a precision of communication that was both loving and instructive.

In today’s passage, Jesus is teaching a crowd of learners a new understanding of “clean and unclean.” Many things were considered unclean in their Jewish tradition. But his arrival was the catalyst for turning those traditions on their heads. He teaches them to think about matters of the heart instead of meaningless practices.

Matthew 15 (Contemporary English Version)

10 Jesus called the crowd together and said, “Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. 11 The food that you put into your mouth doesn’t make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean.”

12 Then his disciples came over to him and asked, “Do you know that you insulted the Pharisees by what you said?”

13 Jesus answered, “Every plant that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch.”

The Pharisees had come along and taken the Ten Commandments and turned them into 613 laws of minutiae. It was exhausting to keep all 613 laws straight, so they missed the two big commandments of loving God and loving neighbor. Jesus took issue with this. Their elaborate rituals of eating certain foods, their time-consuming hand and face washing, the way they studied the law while ignoring the plight of the poor, and their practice of judging the sins of others were problematic for Jesus. He ate with the sinners and focused on their needs.

15 Peter replied, “What did you mean when you talked about the things that make people unclean?”

16 Jesus then said:

Don’t any of you know what I am talking about by now? 17 Don’t you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? 18 But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God. 19 Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others. 20 These are what make you unclean.

At the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. If your heart is unclean, your words will be unclean, and no amount of ritual hand washing will fix that. But please, for the sake of the world, do wash your hands.

Where is God calling you to account for the uncleanliness of your heart? Where are your words betraying you? Where have you hidden behind a facade of righteousness that is covering up your sin? Choose your words wisely today.

God’s word invites us to truly “come clean.” What can wash away your sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

No Other Fount I Know by Kathy Schumacher

A Thin Quiet

Posted on by Betsy

Whether it comes through a miracle, science, medicine, or nature’s natural progression, we all anticipate what it will feel like to hear the words “the pandemic is over.” We have complete faith that we WILL hear it. What we don’t know is if it will take six more weeks, six more months, or six more years. (God forbid!)

In the meantime, we hide in our caves and wait.

In our scripture today, we find Elijah hiding in a cave, fearing for his life. He has been chased there by the anti God-ers who have murdered the prophets and are now after him.

1 Kings 19 (Common English Version)

9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The Lord’s word came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?”

10 Elijah replied, “I’ve been very passionate for the Lord God of heavenly forces because the Israelites have abandoned your covenant. They have torn down your altars, and they have murdered your prophets with the sword. I’m the only one left, and now they want to take my life too!”

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand at the mountain before the Lord. The Lord is passing by.” A very strong wind tore through the mountains and broke apart the stones before the Lord. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake, there was a fire. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire.

We look to the strong winds of science to relieve us, but that hasn’t been accomplished just yet. We sit through an earthquake of medical advancements toward a vaccine, but so far, no joy. Even the fire of public policy that requires masks, hand-washing, lockdowns, and 6 feet of social distancing hasn’t eradicated this virus from the earth. Are all these things capable of slowing the rising curve? Yes. Is it happening fast enough? No.

After the fire, there was a sound. Thin. Quiet. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his coat. He went out and stood at the cave’s entrance. A voice came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?”

I think this is how the pandemic will end. Science and medicine are making great strides. Public policy is slowing things down and keeping us safe. But after throwing every human resource known to man toward solving it with a great show of wind, earth-moving, and fire, we still aren’t there yet. There will be a moment where God will speak it out of existence in a thin, quiet voice. But will we be able to hear him? In the end, as it is with everything that matters, we need God to save us.

14 He said, “I’ve been very passionate for the Lord God of heavenly forces because the Israelites have abandoned your covenant. They have torn down your altars, and they have murdered your prophets with the sword. I’m the only one left, and now they want to take my life too.”

God’s thin, quiet word saved Elijah. His thin, quiet word will save us, too. We just need to shut up all the SHOUTING at each other long enough to listen.

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back through the desert to Damascus and anoint Hazael as king of Aram. 16 Also anoint Jehu, Nimshi’s son, as king of Israel; and anoint Elisha from Abel-meholah, Shaphat’s son, to succeed you as prophet. 17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill. Whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 But I have preserved those who remain in Israel, totaling seven thousand—all those whose knees haven’t bowed down to Baal and whose mouths haven’t kissed him.”

God preserves those who remain faithful and wait. Will you be numbered among the faithful?

Quiet Daybreak by Wende Pritchard

When Songs are Silent

Posted on by Betsy

A few weeks ago I attended my conference’s Clergy Executive Session via ZOOM. This is an annual meeting where we affirm the commissioning and ordaining of new pastors, remember pastors who have died in the past year, receive reports of those who have chosen to go on leave or exit the denomination, etc. I logged in as I was finishing an outdoor class at my YMCA and the opening session began as I was driving home.

This was not a good plan. I was traveling on our busy bypass when all of a sudden a gorgeous baritone voice came through my phone. He began to sing “Be Thou My Vision.”

My favorite hymn.

When the bishop introduced him, she invited us to sing along from our multiple locations across Georgia and beyond.

I began to sing and immediately started to cry. It wasn’t just a finger-dabbing kind of crying; it was a full blown shoulder-shuddering, snot-flowing sob. This is not a good thing to do while driving on a busy summer day of beach traffic.

Singing is a beautiful, cathartic, uplifting, soul-stirring way to connect with the Holy Spirit. Somehow songs poke us in a place where we don’t usually get poked. Music resonates deep in our core, where we remember our mothers gently rocking and humming us to sleep and our daddies singing silly songs with us on long car rides.

Psalms are both painful and healing to me right now. They are painful in that they were written to be sung out loud on a journey with other pilgrims, which of course we can’t do right now. But they are also healing because I know that there WILL come a time when we can sing together again in large groups. Lord, hasten that day!

But for today, we sing silently with our eyes.

Psalm 105 (Common English Bible)

Give thanks to the Lord;
    call upon his name;
    make his deeds known to all people!
2 Sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord;
    dwell on all his wondrous works!

Everyone I know, myself included, is hitting a wall right now. The mask wars, the number of COVID cases continuing to rise, remote learning gearing up to start (causing great stress for teachers, parents, and kids), waiting for days on end for COVID test results to come back, cabin fever, fears for our livelihood, sorrow over the 700,000 deaths worldwide, the lack of healthy social interaction…it is all getting to us. Tempers are fragile, friendships are frayed, families are not speaking to each other, and we need help. We need hope. We especially need to remind each other of the wondrous works God has done, is doing, and will do again.

3 Give praise to God’s holy name!
    Let the hearts rejoice of all those seeking the Lord!
4 Pursue the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always!
5 Remember the wondrous works he has done,
    all his marvelous works, and the justice he declared—
6     you who are the offspring of Abraham, his servant,
        and the children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

When singing brings only tears, it is time to give silent praise. When a simple conversation provokes an angry response, it is time to seek the Lord. When everything you are doing feels overwhelming, remember God’s marvelous works, and let your heart rejoice.

Pursue the Lord and his strength when yours has run out. He will never run out on you.

Sing Songs of Silence by Michelle Robertson