Anchor

Anchor. The thing that holds a boat in place - keeps it from drifting too far.  

Where is my life drifting?

Foundation.  The thing you build something else on.

Where are my roots?

Support.  The thing that keeps something up.  

What keeps me from falling apart?

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.*

When you come away from Easter thinking that "I need a resurrection" maybe, just maybe, the anchor isn't in the right place.  Maybe the foundation is cracked.  Maybe the support is shaky.

But Christ is consistent. 

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay. *

Jesus, we cry out to you to be our foundation, our support, our anchor in the many parts of our lives.  We need you to remind us that you offer us a future with hope and your ancient paths are the true ways to walk.  Holy Spirit, breathe peace, wisdom, and the Abundant Life into our souls in need of resurrection.  Amen.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.*

* ("The Solid Rock"/Edward Mote)

"Every generation has its scars."

That's what I told someone this morning as we were remembering 9/11/2001.

Most adults living can remember where they were and what they did that fateful day.  Just as other generations remember the Challenger explosion, the fall of Saigon, the assassination of JFK or Martin Luther King, Jr., or the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  

How do we live with those scars?  

       This is my Father's world.  
 O let me ne'er forget 
 that though the wrong seems oft so strong, 
 God is the ruler yet.*

Often it is hard to see God in the mist of suffering, pain, injustice, worry, and other of life's scars.  Yet, the Psalmist calls us to remember that the LORD is our stronghold and our savior.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid? 
When the wicked advance against me
    to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
³ Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident. 
I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord   
 in the land of the living.**  

I can't explain why God allows scar-inducing events - both national and personal - to happen.  But I know that, even though the wrong seems so strong, our God - Father, Jesus,  Holy Spirit - is still with us.  And, hopefully, I - and you - will remain confident so that we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

On this 9/11/13 we remember the scars inflicted.

But we also remember the God who calls us to trust him and to receive his grace, love, mercy, forgiveness, and healing through Jesus Christ.  

For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.***

Amen.

* "This Is My Father's World" by Maltbie D. Babcock 

**Ps. 27:1-3, 13

*** Ps. 27:5

Let It Be
a prayer


Let You do what You would
Let me release fists clenched on my expectations

Let grace relieve my fears

Let the Great Physician do your work in my soul

Let my wounds be healed
Let my heart give forgiveness

Let my faith and trust in You be such that I don't try to control
Let me genuinely say, "Let Your will be done,"and then
Let me let You do your work

Trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
   O, God, help me to trust you completely
and do not lean on your own understanding
   I confess I have been; please forgive me
In all your ways acknowledge Him
   Help me, God, to always credit You
and He will make your paths straight.
   Show me your good and straight path for me

Do not be wise in your own way.
   Forgive me when I consider myself "wise," but am without you.
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil
   Help me to know an turn away from anything not of You
It will be healing to your body
   God, release me from frustration, exhaustion, moodiness, worries, aches...
and refreshment to your bones.
   Refresh me, Lord, body, mind, and spirit.  

   Amen

(From Proverbs 3 NIV)

Slowly

Slowly sliding

Slowly collapsing

Slowly tightening

Slowly darkening

Slowly succumbing

Slowly suffocating

Gray.  Cool. Despair

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Slowly warming

Slowly feeling

Slowly breathing

Slowly awakening

Slowly brightening

Slowly stopping

Lighter.  Warmer.  Hope.

Better is one day in your courts

than a thousand elsewhere.

He Called Me "Mom"

He called me "Mom." 

It startled me.
I am his mom, but I am not.

I didn't carry him in my womb or change his diapers.

I married his dad in time to wash the oily black t-shirts of a sixteen year old.

He called me "Mom." 

By his choice.

Does he think of me as "Mom?"

I think of him as a nice young adult - my husband's son.

But, mine, too?

Right now my four little boys are a lot of work.

Good, squirrley, loud, busy boys.  

Gifts from the Giver of All Good Gifts.

This one - the adult - doesn't seem like such work.

He is fun.  Conversational. Pleasant.  Grown up.

More fun than oil t-shirts.  More mature.

He called me "Mom."

I almost didn't hear him.

I have four other voices calling me "Mom" and he almost didn't register in my attention.

"Mom" feels like work, responsibility.

How can I be a mom to an adult son? 

But maybe "Mom" is an invitation.

An acceptance.

A gift.