Relax When People Are Dying?

“The perseverance of the saints consists in ever new beginnings.”  ~ Alexander Whyte

Staring like a morning zombie at the last bucket-sized mound of Minnesota snow in our backyard, I collapse on our family swing and enjoy the budding trees and chorusing birds.  Ah, yes…  Finally the semblance of spring!

Why can’t every day be a bird-chirping, sit-in-the sun kind of day?  Who invented stress anyway?

How’d you do it, Lord?  How did you bear the weight of the world, the sentence of shame and death, a teacher’s worst time-line (three years to turn your disciples into world-changers), without taking a stress or time-management class?

Imagine His job description:

Must possess the ability to remain peaceful and trusting in the midst of mocking, false-accusations, loss of loved ones, betrayal by friends, and persecution.

As I absorb the sun, it strikes me that I have spiritual brothers and sisters in places like China, who, at this very moment, are being tortured for their faith.  How can I relax when I think of that?  I’m supposed to pray, aren’t I?

I’m with You and I’m with them.  Worship Me first.

The thought comes as loud as a train in the distance, as warm as a chorus of children at recess.

Friend of this blog… perhaps you’d like to respond to the Maker with me…

Lord, thank you we can worship You wherever we are, whatever is happening.  Thank you for choosing us, loving us, saving us.

We need You like the air we breathe.  As we celebrate You, help us persevere with joy.

To make us effective, download in us, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, Your stamina, wisdom, balance, purpose, passion, Holiness and zeal ~ but most of all, Your love, right here, right now, for today and the new beginnings ahead.

Speaking of love… Lord, be with our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted.  Thank you that we’re connected to them through Your blood and through the power of prayer.

Help them to stand strong as lighthouses on a rock.  Be their hope.  Be our hope…  that together, with them, we may be living, breathing, walking, talking examples of Your big-picture purpose to a lost and dying world that, without You, has every true reason for stress.

In the Name of Your Son, whose powerful Name we will sing and shout forever:  The Name of Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Mighty One.  Emmanuel!

Amen

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all time in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:17 -19