Ready?

The duties and cares of the day crowd about us when we awake each day – if they have not already dispelled our night’s rest. How can everything be accommodated in one day? When will I do this, when that? How will it all be accomplished? Thus agitated, we are tempted to run and rush. And so we must take the reins in hand and remind ourselves, “Let go of your plans. The first hour of your morning belongs to God. Tackle the day’s work that he charges you with, and he will give you the power to accomplish it.”

Edith Stein in Essays on Woman

Dear Father in heaven, 

we thank you that we are your children and that your eyes watch over us and see all that is in our hearts. You hear the request of each heart, and you will answer at the right time. Stretch out your strong hand to us, for we are weak and often heavy-hearted, not knowing what to do nor how to find you. But you are with us in every need in spite of all our faults and shortcomings. You are with us; you lead us through everything to our life’s true goal, until each of us can rejoice over all you have done, to the praise of your name, our Father. Amen.

This quote and prayer come from a daily email I receive from Plough Publishing House. In this time of Covid-19 when I am supposed to be on the cusp of something new I find my self in the middle of this “new” normal for the whole world.

In the prayer it alludes to my state of being at this time – not knowing what to do. My husband, last night asked – what is your day looking like tomorrow? And apart from a shopping date with Number 1 son I had nothing planned and I looked blankly at him. It is chaotic, ever evolving and shifting sand.

On the surface it looks the same: there is lots of silence, study, reading Scripture and prayer. My habits are wholesome. But there is so much space between them, chores and the endless nothing.

Am I still open?

“In a profound way, our intentionality is a key ingredient determining whether we notice God everywhere or only in church or only in suffering or nowhere. It all depends on how we choose to fashion our world.”

Elizabeth Dreyer, Earth Crammed with Heaven

Last Monday I was introduced to a painting and in looking deeply at this painting I realised something. I was all-in-all and I was all-in. I am open to wherever and whatever God has planned for me next. I am open to this being different to what I thought it would be and I am open to it remaining the same. I am open to leaning into what God has planned for me.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Luke 19:10 (NIV)