by Lexiann Grant “I sink in deep mire, rescue me from sinking in the mire; Do not let…the deep swallow me up. Draw near to me … Where can I go from your spirit?…if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.” Ps 69:2a, 14a, 15b, 18a; Ps 139:7a, 8b NRSV We are in pain. Sorrowing, grieving. Furious, frustrated. …
An aura of goodness she seemed to be emitting caught my attention. When our glances met, I was drawn towards her. Inside the box were dozens of sets of tiny, cheap earrings that she said she’d made. She asked if I’d like a pair.
“The worried, struggling Jesus of Lent, is one to whom we can relate, especially now. Like Jesus in Gethsemane, we pray for an end to ever-mutating covid and avoidance of war on an unprecedented scale — requests which may be unfulfilled.”
“Hope is hard to come by these days. Never ending pandemic and mutations, inflation, escalating global tensions, crime and political divisions on the home front. A mental health practitioner told me that, regardless of her patients’ diagnoses, every single one is suffering anxiety and increased stress.”
“If your Christmas this year is lonely or impoverished in any manner – be present – remind others you are here and of value. Ask for prayers. Ask for help. Give others the gift of the opportunity to be kind and generous, as Jesus directed us to be. We truly need the restoration of compassion.”
“You came forth from the eternal God,
and you returned to that same source,…
With God the Father you are one,
and one with us in human flesh…”
“Each of us at times in our lives will be thwarted from doing a godly task. When the evil one interferes with Christ’s light working in your life, tell him Adios, Au revoir and maybe gesundheit too so you can continue to be God’s hands and feet on earth.”
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