It
feels like Friday.
The
end of a long work week.
Fatigue
from early alarms and
late nights.
And
the stuff of life, being out there in the dark of the day, out in the
world.
There’s
no long search to find people imprinted by sadness, anger, depression,
injustice, hatred, illness, abuse, apathy, a broken family, neglect, and death.
Simple
encounters, momentary conversations (for those with eyes to see and ears to
hear) reveal expressionless faces, longing eyes; hopelessness and despair
spoken through body language and strained voices.
I’m
not referring to long nights spent on TV or movies or internet. No, this is the stuff of real people. And in my sphere of influence, the
heart-wrenching truth - so many walking wounded are children.
People
all around me are hurting, lost, anxious, lonely and suffering from the fallen-ness
of mankind extending all the way back to Adam’s treasonous choice in the Garden.
Leaving
work, I pulled my car onto the road leading home, Jesus caught my
attention. He knows my thoughts and what
I tend to do with them. So, He reminds
me of truth. The words of Paul I need to
catch hold of…
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8 NLT
Suddenly reminded, Good Shepherd is near, I prayed.
Jesus, You know all the stuff, I've bumped into today. I can't fix it, and I can't carry it. It's all too much, and I am weak. All I know for sure; Jesus, You are the only hope for everyone I've met today. You're my only hope. So, please do what only YOU can do for each of us; fulfill Your good plan and glorify Your name.
And then the earlier words of Paul to the Philippians pushed forward in my thinking...
Always
be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are
considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all
he has done. Then you will experience God’s
peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your
hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 NLT
Refreshed, thankful, I received His peace and pulled my car into
home.
Weekend. Rest. Sabbath. Grateful.
Blessings of GREAT JOY following Jesus on this amazing adventure journey!
Lisa
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