Today’s Readings: Psalm 119:73-96; Ruth 2:14-23; Matthew 24:29-35; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12; Psalm 8
What an amazing and life-affirming week of ministry I had this week! Now when most folks hear me make such a statement, they would assume I dealt primarily with people in positive situations. That wasn’t the case; instead, I dealt with people dealing with a variety of challenges. I had the opportunity to spend time with people coping with unemployment/underemployment, individuals living with chronic illnesses, people wrestling with mental health issues, and those in transitional living situations. So how would anyone in their right mind consider a week full of such challenges amazing and life-affirming? It’s because each of the individuals I dealt with in these circumstances showed me what it’s like to live out one’s faith at times when doing so isn’t easy. In other words, these were people would could certainly relate to Naomi’s words to her daughter-in-law Ruth when she said, “God hasn’t quite walked out on us after all! God still loves us, in bad times as well as good!” (Ruth 2:20 from The Message). Each of the people I dealt with helped reinforce a faith-based approach toward life that helped me once again understand that the quality of our days isn’t defined by the events that occur within them; the quality of our days is determined by our relationship with God - no matter what the circumstances we face. Maybe you're in a place where you've let the circumstances you've faced defined the quality of life (in either a positive or negative way). If that’s the case, take some time today to look for God’s presence in the midst of your day. Once you re-connect with that powerful sense of God’s presence you - like Naomi - will be able to cry out, "God still loves us, in bad times as well as good" and really mean it! Til next time…
What an amazing and life-affirming week of ministry I had this week! Now when most folks hear me make such a statement, they would assume I dealt primarily with people in positive situations. That wasn’t the case; instead, I dealt with people dealing with a variety of challenges. I had the opportunity to spend time with people coping with unemployment/underemployment, individuals living with chronic illnesses, people wrestling with mental health issues, and those in transitional living situations. So how would anyone in their right mind consider a week full of such challenges amazing and life-affirming? It’s because each of the individuals I dealt with in these circumstances showed me what it’s like to live out one’s faith at times when doing so isn’t easy. In other words, these were people would could certainly relate to Naomi’s words to her daughter-in-law Ruth when she said, “God hasn’t quite walked out on us after all! God still loves us, in bad times as well as good!” (Ruth 2:20 from The Message). Each of the people I dealt with helped reinforce a faith-based approach toward life that helped me once again understand that the quality of our days isn’t defined by the events that occur within them; the quality of our days is determined by our relationship with God - no matter what the circumstances we face. Maybe you're in a place where you've let the circumstances you've faced defined the quality of life (in either a positive or negative way). If that’s the case, take some time today to look for God’s presence in the midst of your day. Once you re-connect with that powerful sense of God’s presence you - like Naomi - will be able to cry out, "God still loves us, in bad times as well as good" and really mean it! Til next time…
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