Dear One,
I’ve had a postcard on my refrigerator for possibly a dozen years now. Have I mentioned this before? In ever-enlarging white lettering that stands out against a dark blue background, it reads:
Jennifer Gehman
Are you
READY?
Last week I wrote to you about meeting the moment. This week is part two because clearly God’s not done with me yet concerning this theme. You neither? Are we ready to meet this moment (whatever it may be?), because ready or not, here it comes.
I’m coming to the realization that I have a tendency to try to spare myself and others from meeting a moment (definitely a fear move). I try to prevent moments by fixing or controlling a situation. Full out efforts to manipulate the moment instead of meeting it. God is not like this.
God doesn’t prevent the moments, He prepares us for them and presences us through them (yes, I did just make that noun into a verb?). God wraps our hand up in his and says things like:
“Don’t panic. I’m with you … I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady … I’m right here.’”
Isaiah 41:10 (Message)
God meets the moment, not for us, but with us.
The other morning in prayer, I saw myself as a child standing alone before a ‘moment,’ a bit weak-kneed & wobbly. Then Jesus entered from stage right, walked to my side and wrapped my hand up in his. “Let’s face this together,” he said, standing beside me, and it made all the difference.
“Do you feel like a lowly worm?” The Isaiah scripture continues, “Don’t be afraid. Feel like a fragile insect? I’ll help you. I, God, want to reassure you … I’m transforming you from worm to harrow, from insect to iron.”
In other words: I, God, am making you ready to meet the moment. And not only that, I’ll meet it with you. I’ll prepare you and presence you (I really do think presence is a verb?).
Presenced & Prepared: Our Little Life Words of the week.
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DEEPER DIVE
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Ponder:
- In what ways have you experienced God transforming you to prepare you to meet a moment?
- Recall a time when someone “presenced” you through a moment you needed to meet. What did they do? How did it help?
Practice:
- “Presence” someone through a moment this week.
- Read the book of Esther (or watch the movie) and pay close attention to the ways her Uncle Mordecai “presenced” her to meet her moment.
Play:
- Our song of the week is: Abide With Me by Audrey Assad
Pray:
- Presence me, please.