Friday, March 13, 2020

Dear God,

This surely is a time for hope and trust.  Throughout all of scripture these two words appear so many times.  Why?  Because during difficult times we often lose hope and fail to trust.  We need hope and trust and who can better provide them than you, O God?

And what are these two things?  Hope is believing in something, someone larger than ourselves, one who knows our situation and our world's, who loves us and promises to be with us always.  Hope is knowing that while things may look bleak, the sun shines on the other side of gray clouds.  We don't have to know everything about everything right now but we can hope that this too shall pass but in the meantime we are held by One who cares and cares deeply.  Trust is placing my belief in God in a positive way to my fear, anxieties and worries.  It means surrendering my well being into the hands of one who made me.  It is believing and practicing that belief in what we know to be true.  The dark will give way to the light, the sun will rise, blue skies will replace gray ones, hope will help relieve our fears and no matter how bad things may get, tomorrow will come.

We have never had as much control over life as we have always thought.  This time of crisis is teaching us that.  But what an extraordinary time it is to lean back into the arms of God, offer love to those who are important to us, take up praying daily, counting our blessings and doing what we can to keep ourselves and others safe.

To you,
O God,
we lift
our hands
and hearts.
We need you.
Reveal yourself
to us
so we
may deepen
our faith.
Strengthen us
to hope
and trust.
Above all,
show us
how to put
our hand
in yours.

Love always, Andrea