October 13th - Reflection

Psalm 61 (NRSV)
Prayer for a long life

Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I call to you,
when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I;
for you are my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.

Let me abide in your tent forever,
find refuge under the shelter of your wings.
Selah
For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Prolong the life of the king;
may his years endure to all generations!
May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

So I will always sing praises to your name,
as I pay my vows day after day.

Reflection
"Hear my cry..." That's appropriate to how I feel this day. To cry out when weak...to cry out when in pain...to cry out when disease has overcome. Yes, hear my cry. More importantly, is to cry out to God. We don't have all the answers. We can't will ourselves beyond some things. We come to the realization that we need God. Life can't exist without God. Sure there is pain and suffering and death results, but that is not the way of God. Sin, death and suffering is the way of "man."

God is about life and life abundant. So Jesus came into our world and our life. Jesus as God and as "man" knows all about life, death, pain, suffering and illness. Jesus is one of us and at the same time God. God is so about life that he sent his Son to see and understand this "death" that man walked into. Because of our sinful, pride filled "man" that we are; we think that we can exist and know what God knows. That's the whole story in Genesis. And we as "man" are all part of that story. We live that story day after day.

But through the gift of the Son Jesus from the Father, God has once again given us life. Life that goes beyond the death we experience. Life that leads beyond the weakness, the pain, the disease and the crying. God did hear my cry after all! And I too can look beyond and live through the weakness, the pain, the disease and the crying because of the hope given in the Life of Jesus. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, as I cry out to you, I see Jesus and his pain, suffering and death. But I also see the resurrection and the ascension and the calling and the blessings from the Holy Spirit. I see hope in Life. Thanks! --- Amen