The Storms of Life
November 13th, 2009Friday’s Reflection
GRACIOUS LORD,
you are my shelter against the burning heat of the day and the storms of life:
help me when I stumble, catch me when I fall,
and guide my steps firmly in faith toward the promise of eternal life,
through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
- Paul Wesley Chilcote
A Life-Shaping Prayer: 52 Meditations in the Wesleyan Spirit
From p. 86 of A Life-Shaping Prayer: 52 Meditations in the Wesleyan Spirit by Paul Wesley Chilcote. Copyright © 2008 by the author. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission of Upper Room Books. http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/. Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question
Describe your current “walk with God.” What’s going well? What could use some improvement? Share your thoughts.
Today’s Scripture Reading
Jesus said, “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.”
- Mark 13:7, NRSV
This Week …
- Special Need:
- This Week: Pray for public servants and veterans. Add your prayer to the Prayer Wall.
- Tips for Your Spirit:
- Praying with Eyes Open. Many of us were taught to close our eyes when we pray. Praying with icons is an ancient prayer practice that involves keeping our eyes wide open, taking into our heart what the image visually communicates. Try praying with icons.
- Saints, Inc.:
- This week we remember Lucretia Mott (November 11 ).
- Lectionary Readings:
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November 13th, 2009 at 4:34 am
Some excellent thoughts and insights into hope yesterday. Thanks to all who shared.
My current walk with God is going really well – a noticeable change over the past few weeks. Trying to recognize thoughts very early on, turn to Him – release/commit them to Him and seek His peace. My quiet time has been more focused, and things that I am reading are really speaking to me, very pertinent to where I am right now. He works through all things.
My struggle is coming to grips with my critical spirit and an ungrateful attitude. I have been made very aware of these – and I think they are linked together – and am trying to be open – let Him heal.
Father – help me to get to You – “on the other side” – where You make things “quiet, rhythmic and solid – the deep solid stream moving underneath the restless waves of my sea.”
November 13th, 2009 at 5:54 am
So last week I was taking a prayer walk around a camp near here. I hadn’t been there before, so it was all new. I found this path to follow, the Ridgeline Trail.
It’s fall here, deep, deep piles of crunchy leaves all around. And so at some points the trail became obscured. Its markings are subtle, anyway: saplings, somehow “attached” to the earth, mark the edges of the path. If I take my eyes away from this trail, if I raise my eyes to actually try to see my destination– poof! The trail seems to disappear. I need to stay right in that time and place– or lose my way.
At one point, I am running late. Certain I can figure it out, I decide to stray from the path and go charging through the woods. I can, after all, see where I want to be– right there! So off I go.
Before long, I have become entangled in a mess of thorny briers. Sharp, painful– and grabbing at me.
All because I took the eyes off the trail and headed out in “my” direction.
All true. Even the brier patch.
Anyone need this metaphor explained ; )
Such is my walk with God.
November 13th, 2009 at 6:24 am
I am being more responsive to the nudges of the Holy Spirit in some things. At the same time I resist other nudges. When I come around to them and follow, the end result is good.
Intellectually I know what I ought to do, yet I still resist (in some areas). And I give in to things that I shouldn’t.
Reading the Bible every day continues to be the single best thing that I can do. It makes a difference. Cultivating a prayer life is where I fall short. I wonder what would happen if I could be as fervent in my prayer life as Hannah, for example (see the reading in 1 Samuel).
In my relationships I need to resist the urge to be curt, impatient, and arrogant.
Thanks be to God for all his blessings. The blessings come in so many different ways.
November 13th, 2009 at 8:14 am
I’ve always believed in God, but I did not start my ‘walk’ with Him until September, 2008. I was in rehab for drug addiction. I had been out into the ‘world’ for so long, leaving Him out of my life. I realize now that I left Him, but he never left me.
Today, looking back, I’m thankful for the struggles, cause without them, I don’t know if I’d be on this current ‘walk’ with God. If a person can do a 180 and change their life, I guess that’s exactly what I’ve done. I’ve done this only because of the grace, mercy, and love that the Lord has for me.
My walk with Him has filled me with a peace that I’ve never known. Even when things are hard, such as my husband being laid off right now, I feel peace, because I know that the Lord is with me and He will provide…He always does.
Nowadays, I’m more aware of my own actions than ever before. I’m far from perfect, but when I anger easily, or say a harsh word, or have a bad thought, the Holy Spirit is there, whispering in my ear, gently telling me that I’m wrong and I try my best to listen.
Heidi’s metaphor was a perfect description of how my life once was…off the path, in the briers.
But now, I’m on the right path….and it’s a beautiful one…one that I’m grateful for every day.
November 13th, 2009 at 10:15 am
I believe that God is there to guide my path and heal and protect I just need to “stay out of the briers”as Heidi says.I like so much reading all of your reflections.I will miss you for awhile after Sunday.I am going to be hospitalized for back surgery on Tuesday 17th.I thank you for remembering me in your prayers.
November 13th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
My circumstances are a disaster, everything that can go wrong has. But, it is well with my soul and that is all that matters. Amen.
November 13th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
My walk thru God is the prayers and my health and surgeries. I want to grow stronger and stronger with God and ti have strength, enough to not get angry, with anyone and instead..show them more Love thru God. I pray in his name….Amen!