Dear One,
God’s lips to my heart:
You have my ear, dear daughter, what would you like to say?
*Deep sigh.
*Tears.
This is hard.
I’m so tired.
I don’t know what to do about …
“Out of the depths I cry to You, Lord; Lord, hear my voice.
Let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”
Psalm 130:1-2
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and His ears are attentive to their cry … attuned to their prayers.”
Psalm 34:15 (NIV/Voice)
Attentive and attuned. God turned toward us, not away. God listening to every word we say.
Our well-loved pastors resigned in July. Aware that we Mennonites aren’t always the most adept at naming or experiencing our feelings, our Bishop came and spoke to us on the subject of grief. After normalizing the experience, he led us into a time of prayer centered on three questions:
- If Jesus were sitting here in our midst this morning, what would you want to tell him about how your pastor’s leaving has impacted you?
- What questions would you like to ask him?
- How would you explain your grief to him this morning?
I simply want to pass these on to you today. God is attentive to your cry, friend. Attuned to your prayers. You have his ear. What would you like to say?
Speak, friend, your God is listening.
Attentive & Attuned: Our Little Life Words of the week.
Ponder:
- If Jesus were sitting across from you (maybe in a sweet little cafe with a cup of coffee in hand):
- What would you want to tell him about how a certain situation is impacting you?
- What questions would you like to ask him?
- How would you explain your feelings to him?
Practice:
- In your prayer time, picture Jesus sitting next to or across from you, giving you his full attention. Notice where you are. Name what you need.
- “Lend your ear” to someone else this week, being fully present in the listening.
Play:
- Our song of the week is: O Lord, Hear My Prayer, a Taizé song.
Pray:
- “Let Your ears be attentive to my cry.”