Good morning…
Three of us friends often send each other encouraging Scriptures or prayer requests, so it was not unusual for us to receive her text at 7:14 am on Easter Monday morning.
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“That’s why my heart celebrates and my mood is joyous; yes, my whole body will rest in safety because you won’t abandon my life to the grave; you won’t let your faithful follower see the pit.” – Psalms 16:9-10 CEB
“Love this! ❤️ ” she wrote.
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Our other friend quickly replied, sending this image.
“Love how God connects us all,” she texted. “This is from our bulletin yesterday. Our pastor’s sermon was on Psalm 16.”
“I love that God has schooled both of you wise women in words from the same Psalm in the same twenty-four hour period,” I replied. “Let’s deeply learn these lessons. This Word from our living Lord is the bite full of nourishment we need for this day.”
A few hours later, at 12:58 pm, we received another text from our first friend.
“We were on this flight,” she wrote, sharing the news article below about a Delta plane catching fire in Orlando, Florida. “We are all ok but it was pretty traumatic. Please pray for us – especially our middle schooler who is very scared to get on another plane & I’m a little scared too. Thank you!”
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/delta-flight-evacuated-mco-tarmac-after-engine-catches-fire
By her request, I reached out to the pastors at Northside Church to share their urgent need for prayer, and the three of us friends texted throughout the day, as their family navigated travel changes with many other rattled passengers.
“Just thinking,” I wrote later. “It’s pretty amazing that God covered your family with the blessing of Psalm 16 this morning, about your whole body resting in safety with God, not letting you be abandoned to the grave… and a few hours later your plane caught fire… and the protection of Psalm 16 came tangibly true.”
“Yes, it’s truly astonishing,” she replied. “I just kept hearing, ‘you will get off the plane’ and I recited it over and over out loud. And now reading back on Psalm 16, it’s crazy. I’ve reflected on two tragic events our little family has endured together in the last year and, while it’s been really difficult – there is such a blessing in walking these scary life hardships together. Thank you both.”
“Yes,” our other friend responded. “As I go back and reread the first two lines of Psalm 16, wow! God protected you and your precious family!”
“That’s why my heart celebrates and my mood is joyous; yes, my whole body will rest in safety because you won’t abandon my life to the grave; you won’t let your faithful follower see the pit.” – Psalms 16:9-10 CEB
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ now lives in us, us friends who listen to the Spirit’s lead and lift each other in prayer.
…Sue…
P.S. Thanks to Gina MacFarland for another gorgeous opening photo.
