WATCHWORD:
“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
“The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
Meditation:
Moments of Beauty, Blessed Memories
You are on a solitary hike in the mountains. It’s an early day in spring, it is warm, the sky is deep blue and wild flowers are everywhere. In short, it’s a perfect day and you alone are there to witness this bit of God’s handiwork. There should be a crowd, a huge crowd, the largest in the world to see this and take in the beauty of the day. But it’s just you, and you sit and soak up the perfect scene. Thank You, God.
You are on a casual walk in the woods, and the path has brought you out onto a park with playground. In the distance, a young father kneels before his small son, who is sprawled on the ground crying. The father gently lifts the son to his feet, and kisses the bruised knees. Even from this distance you can tell that the child has stopped crying and he is giggling. The father gathers the child in his arms. Moments later, the child is on his father’s shoulders as they leave the park. In your heart, you know you just witnessed God’s love in action. The beauty of the moment is real and you soak up the perfect scene. Thank you, God.
You stand on the south rim of the Grand Canyon and the incredible beauty of this scene is hard to take in. You have been here before, but this time your attention is on the young man, your grandson, who is seeing this creation of God for the first time. The look of wonder, awe and joy is outlined on his face. The scene brings tears of joy to your eyes. The beauty of the moment is real and you soak up the perfect scene. Thank you, God.
Loss of a loved one. Grief enfolds you like a rough blanket. You feel lost. Then you recall one of those special moments. Just you and your loved one, a perfect scene designed just for the two of you by God. The memory of that special moment is like a message from where your loved one is waiting, and the sharpness of the grief, eases for a while.
We need these moments. We need to recall these moments and appreciate them for what they were — graces. We need to hold on to those moments and tuck them away in our memory so they are available when we need a moment of remembered joy. Those times when we need to be reminded that God is indeed in charge and, that He loves us, deeply. Thank you, God, for those moments of beauty, those priceless memories. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
Dear God, we are in need of your peace and truth to soothe our hearts and spirits right now. We have found ourselves awake in the middle of the night, our pressing needs, worries and loss can feel overwhelming. We need to be reminded of your constant love, healing, and grace.
Thank you, that You have set us free and that You are bigger than anything we face in this life. We lay our burdens before You, every single one, for we know they’re much safer in Your hands than our own.
Lord, we come before you ready to pour out our worries, anxieties, and fears at Your feet. We claim and declare Your promises for blessings of peace and strength over our lives. Bring peace into our souls that pass all worldly understanding and make us a light for others to see Your strength.
Dear precious lord, as we begin this day that you have prepared for us, we pray that you will touch our children and our grandchildren, our circle of friends and acquaintances, those who have needs of health and loss, please touch them with your healing power. We know Lord, that we are all of your children, and the knowledge of that gives us peace. We know that this is the day that you have made and we will rejoice in it. Lead us by the hand, Lord, along the path of Your Will. All of these prayers we offer in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.
