Fourth and Final Question

 

Breathe in God’s presence today.  Breathe in God’s promise to be there in the good and bad.  Yesterday, we focused on the sweet spots in your life.  Now we are going to turn to a painful moment.  But rather than re-live every inch of hurt and harm; once you recall the situation ask yourself what value was underneath that moment?  Often, we hurt most where we care. 

 

I hurt when my family is not treated with respect because I have a value of love that is important for all people to be treated as a child of God.

 

I hurt when people have been wounded by the church because I believe faith can fuel and feed our lives in amazing ways and get frustrated by those who use religion as a weapon.

 

I hurt when someone is pushed to the fringe and fray because I value all life being fruitful and flourishing.

 

I encourage you to hold the places of hurt, not only listening to the throb, but also for the way the ache can help you articulate and acknowledge something deeper happening within you for the sake of the world.

 

Please pray with me: God, Your healing presence is needed in our lives each day.  As the psalmist sang, like a deer thirsty for water, so our lives are parched until we are drenched by You.  Let Your love saturate and soak, meet us in the wants and wounds of life that can throb and rob us of sensing Your presence.  Help make our wounded spirits, lives, church, community, country, and world whole we pray this day and every day of 2023.  Amen.