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Friends,
The other night a harrowing cry erupted from the girls’ room, filling the silence of our house. It was not a whimper that could be soothed with a paci but a real cry, a cry of fear. Motherly instincts kick in when one hears these, so I went, as countless mothers before me have, and scooped my daughter into my arms and brought her into the chair in the nursery (despite the near constant reminders from my pediatrician to calm her in her crib). As I held her close, her cries turned to whimpers which faded to quiet as I wiped the tears off her cheek. As I rocked gently back and forth in the chair I whispered words countless other caregivers have “its ok, its ok.” But the real reassurance that makes the “its ok” true is what I and so many others said next, “I am right here.”
This weekend we will address the reality that the same fears that awoke us in the middle of the night when we were just babies have crept and grown with us into adulthood. And we will claim the promise that was whispered in our ears years ago “I am right here” as a statement of faith and a promise from Christ. In the midst of our fears, Christ is right here.
We will read from these two passages which I encourage you to read over the weekend.
John Carmody wrote Psalms for Times of Trouble during his battle with multiple myeloma, sharing these beautiful words:
Certainly, God remains “the Lord,” sovereign in all ways.
Nonetheless, God is also “our Lord,” a divinity we can imagine
holding shares in our enterprises, caring what happens to us.
Is any thought more consoling? What are human beings that
God should care for us? . . . These are deep matters, ultimate
mysteries, driving to the roots of what it means to be human.
If we derive from the providential will of a God all-powerful
and all-good, then our lives may make great sense, despite
their apparent chaos. If God holds our hand, then even though
we walk through the valley of the shadow of darkness,
we may fear no evil.
I look forward to worshiping with you, claiming the promises of our faith, celebrating the sacrament of communion, and holding close to relationships that shape us. See you Sunday!
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