Hope for Rainy Down Days

Years ago, I backpacked 22km. up a mountain on cross-country skis with a heavy backpack weighing me down. When I think of what it felt like after hours of skiing up that winding path, and then to see the mountain shelter finally come into view, relief flooded over me. That moment is as clear to me today as it was all those years ago.

God’s mercy is a bit like that. In this passage the psalmist talks about God’s mercy after acknowledging that God heard his cry. It might be a bit like the feeling one has when they keep finding people who do not understand what they are going through but then finally meet someone who totally gets it. There is a relief that comes, a sigh to the soul. This in my mind, is a similar to the mercy that is described in this passage.

 As we call out to God in the middle of our messy lives, He hears, and helps us. He gives strength for today. If you think about it, as we find ourselves on the receiving end of His help, we also discover that result is a joy that quietly slips into our hearts. All of this can help us as we seek to give thanks to God for a new day filled with new possibilities. I have found that as I give thanks for the smallest of things, it tends to usher me into a better attitude as I face the day.

 Dear Father,

Thank you for your mercy and that You hear me when I call to You. Thank you for a brand-new day to say thank you for small and great mercies. Give me eyes to see each one if mine are struggling. I need you Father to be my shield and my strength today. I do not have in myself all that is needed. Help me I pray.

This entry is based on Psalm 28:6-7 

The Hard Stuff

Today I was thinking about the hard stuff of life. Those things we should do, but frankly they are too difficult. It is easier to talk about running than to actually go running. It is simpler to speak about forgiveness than to truly forgive someone.

There are many things in life that are hard to do and so we dismiss them. I have made promises I need to follow through on and have not as of yet. There are books I should read that remain unopened. I also have projects I would like to begin but have not found the time to do so. Our getting around to these difficult things can be a real challenge.

What is it that stands in our way? Today I was reading Romans 8:37-39. These verses remind us that “we are more than conquerors through Him (Jesus) who loved us.” There is nothing that is too hard on my to-do list that through Jesus I cannot complete. He is with me and nothing can ever separate me from His love, His promises, His strength, His wisdom, His peace, and His presence. He is always with me. On this truth I stand and from this perspective I face each challenge as it arises.

Yesterday was the 14th anniversary of my mother’s passing. The anniversary of her death is a very difficult time for me, a valley. Yet, as December 6th comes and goes, I am reminded that the Good Shepherd never leaves me. His peace that surpasses all understanding is right here with me amidst the sorrow and the crushing loss I feel because of the loss of my late mother.