Big Daddy

Posted on by Betsy

I have just returned from a wonderful family weekend where we celebrated my father-in-law’s 94th birthday. That is not a typo, folks! 94 years of life on this earth, working, loving, laughing, and providing for his family as a Naval officer for over 30 years. Our time together was kind of a replay of the life my husband’s family lived. There were jokes, stories told again, joy, mayhem, and a feeling of connectedness that was bred into them by their parents. Everyone came together with a helping hand and a happy heart. Even Muffin the cat had a great time getting extra ear rubs.

We often use familial language when referencing our relationships with our church and the larger body of Christ. We call one another brothers and sisters and refer to God as our Abba, a beautiful Aramaic word that best translates as “Daddy.” This word signifies the close and intimate relationship of love and trust between father and child. You may remember that Jesus called God his Abba Father. In Mark 14:36, Jesus called out to his Abba in a moment of agony and asked if perhaps the cup of suffering (the impending crucifixion) might be taken from him if it was Abba’s will. This alone should give us permission to cry out to our Abba Father in any moment of hurt, confusion, and deep distress. Both Paul and Jesus related to God as their big Daddy who will rush to their aid, fix any problem, and never leave their side.

Romans 8 (Common English Bible)

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it isn’t an obligation to ourselves to live our lives on the basis of selfishness. 13 If you live on the basis of selfishness, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the actions of the body, you will live. 14 All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters. 

15 You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.”16 The same Spirit agrees with our spirit, that we are God’s children. 17 But if we are children, we are also heirs. We are God’s heirs and fellow heirs with Christ, if we really suffer with him so that we can also be glorified with him.

Paul wrote Romans while in Corinth as he wintered there during his third missionary journey. He had been a preacher of the Good News of Jesus Christ for 20 years. Romans is a sophisticated and well-articulated theological statement of faith that is incredibly timeless. If you have time today, read the whole book. Unlike his other letters where he addressed issues that were being faced by each church, Romans focuses on God’s plan for salvation.

This beautiful father-child relationship that Paul described in this passage comes with an obligation to live by the Spirit. The Spirit of God leads us in all paths of righteousness and away from the selfishness of being led by the flesh/body. Fear has no place here: We are children of God and have nothing to fear, even suffering. The cup that our Lord took on our behalf ensures that we need not fear death, for his death brought us life. As Paul said, we can “also be glorified with him” (verse 17). So even in our suffering, we are assured that there are better days ahead.

Think about your relationship with God. Do you experience God as Abba, Father, or as a harsh judge? Do you know him as your trusted Daddy, or do you fear his wrath? God desires to sit at our family birthday parties and share the joy.

Won’t you let him in?

Heirs by Michelle Robertson

How To Be Happy

Posted on by Betsy

A few days ago I sat down to write and nothing happened. I stared down Psalm 112 and it just stared right back at me. I mean, it’s a lovely psalm, but for some reason, nothing was coming to my mind. I looked at the seagulls, went for a run, ran errands, and returned in the afternoon to resume our blinking contest.

It didn’t blink.

In the midst of my writer’s block, I got the most unexpected phone call from a friend who started the conversation with “That opening sentence that you wrote this morning was one of the funniest things that I have ever read.” I was completely startled and a little scared. He went on to say that he thought about it all day and was still laughing. Because I write and schedule my devotionals several days out, I actually had no idea which opening sentence he was referring to. That was embarrassing!

He encouraged me to keep writing and told me he enjoys reading my online devotionals every day. He could not have known how timely and much-needed that phone call was. I have taken on an additional assignment from my Cokesbury publisher that has a short due-date (the original writer suddenly dropped out) and I just needed that boost of support that his phone call gave me. This happy voice with a happy message from a pretty happy fellow was good medicine.

When I went back to Psalm 112, I suddenly realized that it was talking about this man, and the people in our lives who shine in the dark and are truly good people. He indeed is a man who honors the Lord, adores God’s commandments, and is one of the happiest people I know.

Do you have people in your life who stop what they are doing to speak a good word into your faltering afternoon? Are you the kind of person who reaches out to friends who are feeling low? What a gift you are!

Psalm 112 is an acrostic poem, which means that the first word of each line follows the Hebrew alphabet. Writers liked the order and convention that this form gave their poetry. There is also a sense of completeness, as the psalm goes A to Z … or Alef to Tav, actually.

Psalm 112 (Common English Bible)

Praise the Lord!
    Those who honor the Lord,
    who adore God’s commandments, are truly happy!
2 Their descendants will be strong throughout the land.
    The offspring of those who do right will be blessed;
3     wealth and riches will be in their houses.
    Their righteousness stands forever.
4 They shine in the dark for others who do right.
    They are merciful, compassionate, and righteous.

5 Those who lend generously are good people—
    as are those who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 Yes, these sorts of people will never be shaken;
    the righteous will be remembered forever!

Verses 7 and 8 speak of the hearts of these righteous people. Their hearts are steady, trusting, firm and unafraid. In contrast, the wicked will disappear to nothing.

Like Psalm 1, Psalm 112 offers us the choice of pursuing the path of righteousness which leads to happiness or wickedness that leads to nothing. Pretty simple, yes? Well, not always. Heartache, circumstances beyond our control, betrayals, and other life disappointments will come our way and interfere with our happiness, but it certainly gives us something to strive for.

7 They won’t be frightened at bad news.
    Their hearts are steady, trusting in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are firm; they aren’t afraid.
    In the end, they will witness their enemies’ defeat.
9 They give freely to those in need.
    Their righteousness stands forever.
    Their strength increases gloriously.
10 The wicked see all this and fume;
        they grind their teeth, but disappear to nothing.
    What the wicked want to see happen comes to nothing!

Are you looking to increase your happiness? Read Psalm 112 again. It’s all spelled out from A to Z.

Happiness by Michelle Robertson

Nowhere to Hide

Posted on by Betsy

Several years ago I ran a Half Marathon in the Outer Banks. It was a well-planned event, and it felt like the whole town came out to cheer runners on. People held up signs and rang cowbells as we trotted past them. But my favorite sign of the entire race was in front of the Kitty Hawk Police Station. It read: “You can run, but you can’t hide. Good luck from the KHPD!”

Our passage from Isaiah reads just like that sign. God warned the sinners and the scoffers who rejected his word that they could run, but they couldn’t hide from him forever. These leaders of Jerusalem and Judah thought they had made friends with death and could live their lives any way they wanted. Losing their dignity and indulging in too much wine gave them a false sense of security in their ability to avoid God’s judgment. They thought that because they did not believe in God’s covenant, God could not punish them. Using their falsehoods and lies like a refuge, they thought they were untouchable.

They thought wrong.

Isaiah 28 (Common English Bible)

14 Therefore, hear the Lord’s word,
    you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 You said, “We’ve cut a deal with death;
    with the underworld we made a pact.
When the overflowing flood passes through, it won’t reach us;
    for we have made lies our hiding place,
    and in falsehood we take shelter.”

God laid a building stone in Zion that would be sure, tested, tried, and solid. Upon this cornerstone God would build a people who would be straight and righteous. Those attributes would serve as the plumb line for the generations to come.

16 Therefore, the Lord God says:
Look! I’m laying in Zion a stone,
    a tested stone, a valuable cornerstone,
    a sure foundation:
    the one who trusts won’t tremble.
17 I will make justice the measuring line
    and righteousness the plumb line.

To the people of Isaiah’s time, this promised Messiah would come and annihilate the wicked who had temporary rule over Zion. Christians understand this to be fulfilled with the coming of Jesus, our sure and tested cornerstone: “You are being made into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Thus it is written in scripture, Look! I am laying a cornerstone in Zion, chosen, valuable. The person who believes in him will never be shamed” (1 Peter 2:5-6).

But hail will sweep away the hiding place of lies,
    and water will overflow the shelter.
18 Your deal with death will be dissolved,
    and your pact with the grave  won’t stand.
The rushing flood: when it passes through,
    you will be annihilated by it.

God surely detests liars. The scoffers who hide away in their sinful apostasy won’t get away with it for long. This comes as good news to those of us who have been the victim of someone’s lies. We live in a world and in a time when lying has become part of every institution and every system. Scientists speculate that people lie at least once every day.

Jesus came to be the way, the truth, and the life. We who follow him are expected to use that as our plumb line. The call to imitate his righteousness includes a call to truth telling.

Have you told a lie today? Have you heard a lie today? May we strive to build ourselves upon our Cornerstone and model his honesty and openness, with nothing to hide.

Nothing to Hide by Kathy Schumacher

Versus Verses

Posted on by Betsy

A thousand or so years ago, I was a young child whose mother took her to the dentist every six months. I disliked the dentist very much, and that hasn’t changed as I aged. But I loved the free “Highlights” magazines that the dentist kept stocked in his waiting room. One of my favorite features in this popular children’s magazine was a cartoon called “Goofus and Gallant.” Simply put, Gallant did good things and was always right, while Goofus was, well, a goofus who made very bad decisions. It was a classic good versus evil lesson every month.

Our reading today from the Apostle John harkens back to that familiar trope of good brother versus bad brother, which in all fairness began in the Old Testament with Cain versus Abel. Abel is very good and likable while Cain is selfish and evil. John’s treatment of Gaius, the good brother in Christ, is reminiscent of Abel. Diotrephes, however, is Cain all the way.

The Book of 3 John is one of five books written by the apostle: The Gospel of John, 1, 2, and 3 John, and Revelation. The Third Epistle of John is actually a very personal letter to Gaius, the leader of the churches in Asia Minor. Diotrephes had been resisting John’s leadership. His accusations and actions threatened to undo the good work that Gaius was doing. Diotrephes’ excommunication of some of the church members and refusal to welcome others created a hardship for the church, and John encouraged Gaius to continue to live in the truth and remain faithful to that truth. Their sound doctrine and orthodoxy in creed were the strength of their truth.

3 John (Common English Bible)

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I truly love.

2 Dear friend, I’m praying that all is well with you and that you enjoy good health in the same way that you prosper spiritually.

3 I was overjoyed when the brothers and sisters arrived and spoke highly of your faithfulness to the truth, shown by how you live according to the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth. 5 Dear friend, you act faithfully in whatever you do for our brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers. 6 They spoke highly of your love in front of the church. You all would do well to provide for their journey in a way that honors God, 7 because they left on their journey for the sake of Jesus Christ without accepting any support from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore, we ought to help people like this so that we can be coworkers with the truth.

What is this truth? Scholars agree that John was referring to the church’s genuine, authentic faith, lived out in such a way that there was no phoniness or deceit. In colloquial terms, they “talked the talk and walked the walk.”

9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, doesn’t welcome us. 10 Because of this, if I come, I will bring up what he has done—making unjustified and wicked accusations against us. And as if that were not enough, he not only refuses to welcome the brothers and sisters but stops those who want to do so and even throws them out of the church! 11 Dear friend, don’t imitate what is bad but what is good. Whoever practices what is good belongs to God. Whoever practices what is bad has not seen God.

How about you? Do you walk your talk, or are you living a life of deception? Would John commend you as a child of God who lives according to Christ’s truth, of are you just talking like a goofus?

Do you believe you are a child of God? Then walk like one.

Walk in the Truth by Kathy Schumacher

The Sincerest Form

Posted on by Betsy

What is the sincerest form of flattery? Imitation. When someone is trying to copy you, it is because they admire you and want to be like you. Unless it’s your sibling playing the copy-cat game where they repeat everything you say. That’s just annoying.

In our passage today, Paul advises that we should do what we can to imitate the life of Christ. Now that’s a copy game worth participating in! Living, loving, giving, and serving in the manner of Christ is the goal for every believer.

To that end, he wrote to the Corinthians that they should look out for each other and do things for the advantage of promoting the Good News of Christ to the unbeliever. If that meant eating meat that might have been sacrificed at the pagan temples and then sold in the market, something Jewish Christians did not do, then simply accept the dinner invitation and don’t worry about it.

1 Corinthians 10-11 (Common English Bible)

23 Everything is permitted, but everything isn’t beneficial. Everything is permitted, but everything doesn’t build others up.24 No one should look out for their own advantage, but they should look out for each other. 25 Eat everything that is sold in the marketplace, without asking questions about it because of your conscience. 26 The earth and all that is in it belong to the Lord. 27 If an unbeliever invites you to eat with them and you want to go, eat whatever is served, without asking questions because of your conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This meat was sacrificed in a temple,” then don’t eat it for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 

Verse 26 offers more support for his argument. This reference from Psalm 24:1 is a bold reminder that everything that is in the earth belong to the Lord. Thus the meat sacrificed to idols cannot have any power. It’s just meat. The “gods” to whom the meat was sacrificed cannot have any power. They are just false idols. So the food is not the issue here: It’s a matter of conscience.

29 Now when I say “conscience” I don’t mean yours but the other person’s. Why should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I participate with gratitude, why should I be blamed for food I thank God for? 31 So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you should do it all for God’s glory. 32 Don’t offend either Jews or Greeks, or God’s church. 33 This is the same thing that I do. I please everyone in everything I do. I don’t look out for my own advantage, but I look out for many people so that they can be saved. 

Paul’s primary goal in Corinth was to save people. He longed to save all people. So if someone was disturbed by the idea of meat that had been in the temple before it made it to the market, he advised his people not to eat it: Not because it is bad, but in regard and out of respect for the conscience of the one who is objecting to it.

11 1 Follow my example, just like I follow Christ’s.

We remember that Christ ate with the sinners. We remember that he gave his very life as a sacrifice for all sinners. So what would Jesus do in this case? He would give thanks to God for the meal and eat.



All That Is in it Belongs to the Lord by Kathy Schumacher

Taking Off and Putting On

Posted on by Betsy

My daughters and I exchange clothes like other people exchange recipes. We are able to wear each other’s things and have very similar tastes, so this makes it easy, not to mention affordable. One of my favorite dressy dresses is a hand-me-down Lily Pulitzer lace dress from my youngest and I just delivered a bag of work-appropriate skirts to my oldest. It is fun for us to see each other in our used clothes and it always reminds me of when they were little girls and would play dress up in my closet. I did the same in my mother’s closet when she was getting ready for a night out with my father. I loved to parade around her bedroom with my grandmother’s hand-me-down fox stole over my pajamas. It came complete with the head and beady eyes. I did not let that pass down to me.

In our reading today, Paul wrote a letter to the church at Colossae and advised them about taking off things in order to put on better things. We are invited to dress up in the image of Christ, who wears neither Greek not Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free. In clothing terms, Christ’s clothing is one-size-fits-all.

Colossians 3 (Common English Bible)

5 So put to death the parts of your life that belong to the earth, such as sexual immorality, moral corruption, lust, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 The wrath of God is coming upon disobedient people because of these things. 7 You used to live this way, when you were alive to these things. 8 But now set aside these things, such as anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene language. 9 Don’t lie to each other. Take off the old human nature with its practices 10 and put on the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge by conforming to the image of the one who created it.11 In this image there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all things and in all people.

Imagine what our world would be like if we took off anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene language. Gosh, imagine what political campaigning would be like if we took off those things! Then imagine what would our world be like if we put on compassion, kindness, gentleness, and patience. Can you feel the difference?

12 Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. 14 And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

It starts with you and me. It starts with how we treat people in the grocery store, how we speak to our neighbors, what we post on social media, and how we talk to our children. Take off the ugly and let your life be a reflective image of our Lord.

Let there be peace of earth. And let it begin with me.

Peace on Earth by Mary Anne Mong

Even a Cup

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever felt like you were empty of hope, resources, energy, strength, or provisions? Trusting God means you will be open to receiving grace by whatever means God chooses to use. Often this comes in the form of another person’s generosity.

In our passage from Matthew this morning, Jesus instructed his disciples to find places of hospitality and generosity as they traveled throughout the countryside. Being welcome in someone’s home was an important indication of how receptive they might be to hearing and living out the Good News.

Matthew 10 (Common English Bible)

11 Whatever city or village you go into, find somebody in it who is worthy and stay there until you go on your way. 12 When you go into a house, say, ‘Peace!’ 13 If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if the house isn’t worthy, take back your blessing. 14 If anyone refuses to welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that house or city.

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to share a story from my family about how God provides for us when we feel as though all of our provisions have run out. My grandfather was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad, so even during Great Depression he had an income because the trains always ran. As the country slid into a terrible economy, men looking for work would ride the trains by jumping in and out of boxcars as they slowed down as they went through stations. These fellows were known as hobos, and they went between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in search of farm or factory work. My grandparents lived in railroad station towns like Huntingdon and Altoona, right in the center of the state, and so often times a man would come to the door of the little house they rented near the station and ask for a piece of bread and a cup of water.

My Grandmother was a solid Christian woman who believed in God’s promises, and she also understood the biblical call to practice hospitality. So if a hobo appeared at the door asking for bread, they received a sandwich. If they came in the afternoon, Grandmother would insist they come in and sit at her kitchen table and eat their sandwich while she worked on supper. If they happened to come by at supper, they were seated at the dining room table with the rest of the family. Many refused to come in, preferring to eat on the back steps. But Grandma insisted and she was hard to resist!

Matthew 10 (Common English Bible) continued

40 “Those who receive you are also receiving me, and those who receive me are receiving the one who sent me. 41 Those who receive a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Those who receive a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 I assure you that everybody who gives even a cup of cold water to these little ones because they are my disciples will certainly be rewarded.”

One night a gentleman who had been there before came back through, and grandmother welcomed him in. As they were saying goodbye, she remarked  that there had been a steady stream of hobos at the table each night, and she wondered if other families in Altoona were receiving guests as well. “Probably not, Ma’am, we all know to come to you,” he replied. “How do you know that?” she asked. He pulled a piece of chalk out of his vest. “You see, whenever we get into a town and a nice Christian lady such as yourself offers us something to eat, we mark the curb by the house, so the other fellows know they are welcome there.” Grandmother was amused at this and then asked, “What kind of mark?” And he knelt down and drew the sign of the fish, an ichthus, on her back step. He said, “We make the sign of Jesus, Ma’am, so that the others know that this is a house where God lives.”

Is God calling you to practice radical hospitality with someone whose provisions have run out? May we live our lives in such a way that someone would chalk the fish, the sign of Jesus, on our front curb.

Jesus’ Sign by Lynne Mathis

Mulligan Grace

Posted on by Betsy

Well, it was bound to happen. My husband and I finally got pickle-balled. Our neighbors all play and two of them invited us to join them on the Colington courts for a lesson/game. I immediately responded with all the reasons why my game would be terrible, starting with my lack of depth perception, my out-of-shape arms, etc. As it turned out it was a lot of fun and I wasn’t as horrible as I thought I would be.

Part of the reason it was an enjoyable was that our opponents gave us unlimited mulligans. Now, if you play golf, you’ll recognize that word. For the uninformed like me, a mulligan is basically a free do-over. Because we had never played before, each serve that didn’t make it across the net or that made it too far over the net was a chance for a mulligan. And by the way, you don’t score extra points by hitting the ball over the tall fence enclosure and then having to chase it all the way down Colington Road. Seemed unfair, but there you have it.

In theological terms, we call this grace. Grace is the undeserved, unmerited favor of God that offers us unlimited mulligans. Fell off the wagon? Mulligan. Committed a sin yet again? Mulligan. Walked away from God’s will for your life? Mulligan. God loves us so much he offers a steady stream of grace whenever we confess and repent. You can always come home again.

Ephesians 2 (The Message)

7-10 Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

I had the chance last week to talk about grace to two extraordinary teenagers who are about to be baptized in my church. Their pursuit of this sacrament was fostered by an extended family who is strong in their faith and triggered by the death of their great grandmother a year ago. Granny also got baptized in my church as a much older adult. Seeing this commitment made this boys want to make the same commitment for themselves. As we talked about the gift of grace that God offers to everyone, they could visualize this in their great-grandmother’s life.

You, too, can be a means of grace for someone. Your offer of love, kindness, help, and free mulligans can go a long way in someone’s life. Is God calling you to extend his unconditional love to someone who needs it? Don’t delay. God’s waves of love are available to all.

Heart Waves by Beth Rary

The Best Smell

Posted on by Betsy

“Things that smell” and I are not good friends. I have an allergic reaction to many things that smell, so I tend to pull back if a heavily perfumed or overly after-shaved person tries to come in for a hug. Many a Sunday I have gone home with a headache because I am wearing someone’s perfume on my cheek and neck after a vigorous embrace. Mind you, I love a good hug, just not the after-effects.

I discovered many years ago that I can wear scented lotions (never perfume) if they smell like food products. True story! I have a healthy investment in vanilla, coconut, and lemony lotions from Bath and Body Works. They even have me on speed dial for when these products go on sale. Last week my youngest daughter told me that her son smelled a coconut scent in a store and asked if Nana was there. I love that he associated that smell with me.

You may remember several Old Testament allusions to making a “fragrant offering” to the Lord. I’m sure you also recall the story about Mary breaking the neck of the perfume jar to anoint Jesus’s feet. The smell of the fragrance filled the room (John 12:1-8). Notice what Paul does in today’s passage as he thanks the Philippians for their generous offerings:

Philippians 4 (Common English Bible)

10 I was very glad in the Lord because now at last you have shown concern for me again. (Of course you were always concerned but had no way to show it.) 11 I’m not saying this because I need anything, for I have learned how to be content in any circumstance.12 I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. 13 I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength. 14 Still, you have done well to share my distress.

Paul’s bold assertion in verse 4 that he can “do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” is one to print on your heart and sear into your mind. How often we forget that the source of our strength and the renewal of our courage are within him when we are without! Christ helped Paul to be content in every circumstance. Are you content in every circumstance? If not, what’s missing?

15 You Philippians know from the time of my first mission work in Macedonia how no church shared in supporting my ministry except you. 16 You sent contributions repeatedly to take care of my needs even while I was in Thessalonica. 17 I’m not hoping for a gift, but I am hoping for a profit that accumulates in your account. 18 I now have plenty and it is more than enough. I am full to overflowing because I received the gifts that you sent from Epaphroditus. Those gifts give off a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice that pleases God.

Isn’t’ that a lovely thank-you note? To tell the Philippians that their generosity gives off a fragrant aroma is a beautiful word-picture and a reminder of what happens when we offer a sacrificial gift at the altar. Truly it pleases the Lord.

Where is God inviting you to present a sacrifice of yourself that would be pleasing? Is there something you could do today to be the sweet smell of generosity for someone in need? When we give in this way, our gifts release fragrant aromas that fill the room with hope, love, and faith.

Sweet Smell by Michelle Robertson

When They Leave

Posted on by Betsy

Imagine the scene.

I was walking down the aisles in the local Kroger, minding my own business. It was early September many years ago and I had ten thousand things running through my brain as I shopped. “Get broccoli/what time is that meeting tomorrow/don’t forget cream cheese/need to work on my sermon tonight” … and I unknowingly turned the corner and headed down the bread aisle. I found myself in front of the Little Debbie snack display, and my unconscious brain kicked in a shopping list reminder: “Oatmeal Creams for Jamie. Swiss Rolls for Sarah.”

I stopped my cart to search for these items, was immediately overwhelmed with a tidal wave of grief. I felt the uprising of hot tears as I realized that there are no kids at my house that require stocking up on school lunch items anymore. My youngest had just joined her sister at college days earlier, and I was now an empty nester.

Lord, I detest that label.

These life transitions for parents can be extraordinarily painful. The journey from preschool to Kindergarten, where you can’t fathom your child on the bus with the big kids, is quickly replaced by them leaving the security of Elementary School for the wildness of Middle School. A day later they’re in High School and then a prom or two later, off to college. Before you know it, they’re gone.

Eventually they have the nerve to leave home forever to start a career, marry someone, or live in another state. Had I fully understood that having children would be a series of letting go that gets harder each time, I might have just skipped over having kids and gone right to being a Nana. Too bad that isn’t an option.

This back-to-school time of year brings back all those tender “see-ya’s” and “come home soons.” I’m watching parents every Sunday as they move slowly into the reality of their impending school separations. College kids are already moving into their dorms this week and their hollow-eyed parents are trying to live into their new normal. It’s like watching a car wreck in slow motion. I see the impact coming, I want to warn them away, but I can’t stop looking, and I can’t do anything to help them.

These parents are sitting on the same pew as a man who is desperately gripping the back of the pew in front of him, hoping to remain standing on the first Sunday in 61 years that his wife will not beside him. Across the aisle is a young mother soothing her two young children and wondering how in the world they will survive her husband’s sudden and abrupt departure from their marriage and their home. I see the woman behind her tearing up at the mention of losing a loved one. It is the seventh anniversary of her father’s death.

Everyone has lost someone. Life is a process of saying goodbye to places, things, and people we love. Where can we go when our hearts are broken?

Psalm 147

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.

Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
    make music to our God on the harp.

The psalmist makes a bold and life-sustaining claim that the God who ordered the number of the stars in the sky sees your hurt and knows your pain. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Even in these painful moments of letting go, God is with us and his love sustains us.

What does that mean to you today? We are invited to take every wound to Jesus, our Wounded Healer. He will bind up our hurts and gather us up, no matter what exile or desert we are walking through.

This may actually be the greatest power of the incarnation. By becoming human, God as Jesus walked the painful paths that we walk. He experienced hurt and his heart was also broken. He watched Judas betray him and then he himself left people he loved. Like you, he also had to let go of people he loved and places he cherished. He gets it. He gets us. Glory to God, we are known and understood by our great and powerful God.

And parents of departing students, you’ll get through it, I promise. I did, and lived to tell about it. And soon enough it will be December and they’ll be back with a ton of stories, experiences, and lots of dirty laundry. Thanks be to God!

Childhood’s Sunset by Michelle Robertson