Good morning…
Eight out of ten times our family worships God at church on Sunday mornings, but today we will savor this Sabbath differently. My husband will worship God this morning at a coffee shop, meeting up with a Lovett School grad who wisely unplugged from college for the weekend to come home to talk vulnerably about the ways he is struggling. Uncharacteristically, I will worship God this morning around the breakfast table with our 20-year-old daughter and our 18-year-old son. The former, spur-of-the-moment, decided to come home after our fun sorority Parents’ Weekend to unwind, to sleep in her own bed, and to stock up on several supplies to sustain her, body, mind, and soul. The latter got home around 1:00 am from yesterday’s Music Midtown concert, and as we talked through his experience, we decided that sleeping in before conversation over a home cooked breakfast would feed us all well this Sunday morn.
As each one of us finds our best way to savor this special Sabbath, we wisely unplug, we talk vulnerably with God, and we stock up on several soul-filling supplies. Whether we worship God at a church, in a coffee shop, or around our own breakfast table, let’s take calm time to notice the unique fabric God is weaving among us this week.
Monday: Worshipping at church yesterday, one sentence touched me deeply… “You’re with us in the fire and the flood.” I came home and googled the title of the song sharing this most powerful promise. Now it is your turn to be strengthened by the music video God drew me to discover.
Tuesday: May we learn radical trust. The word “trust” drew me back to a soulful stanza from the song companioning me: “Working in our waiting, You are sanctifying us. When beyond our understanding, You’re teaching us to trust.”
Wednesday: Pondering God’s all-encompassing power, spend some quiet time mulling over this list of seven habits adopted by ordinary people who trust God, radically. Which of these habits do you see the LORD growing most within you during this season of your life?
Thursday: “We all have something important in common,” she said softly, as we neared the end of our first fall gathering of our Sr. Moms Study. “We were all pregnant on September 11th, 2001.” “Pregnant or caring for a newborn,” I quietly added.
Friday: This seasoned woman of faith is quietly teaching all of us to trust God, radically, deep down in our roots. Every day in every way, we are each intimately invited to trust and obey. This, my friends, is God’s higher way.
Saturday: She continued: “I’ve always said to those with suicidal thoughts — ‘I cannot keep you from taking your life, but if you will stick around I can help you figure out a life worth living.’” What an honest, encouraging response.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13, NLT).
…Sue…
P.S. Thanks to Helen Tate Kemp for the painting in today’s photo.
