My mother was fond of buying devotional materials. Even after her death, I was still dealing with things she had ordered coming in the mail that had 30 days of enjoying before you either had to pay for it or return it. I am not the best at that kind of stuff in my regular life and you can imagine as I tried to deal with my mom’s absence while working to clear her apartment without her, I had enough to think of. Many of you have been there in this way or similar ways.
One piece of such mail lingered longer than others – it was in the familiar cardboard box book envelope and the outside told me it was some kind of Guidepost edition, something about a 2021 calendar super duper book option. It went into a pile and I moved on to what I deemed at that moment to be more important items.
Well, eventually, sometime in the beginning months of 2021 when I unearthed it again, I opened it and could see why my mom was attracted to it. It was a daily planner set up on a weekly basis and I think the cover caught me the most. It was a serene picture of an approaching sunset down a boardwalk onto a beach with a line of water in the distance and the sky radiating beautiful evening light. My father always loved to be near water, so like him, whenever I feel the need, I go to the water too. (Isn’t it great we live in Michigan?! I am thankful for sure.)
Whatever it was, the certain time lapse beyond the 30 days enjoyment period or that picture on the front or the idea that my mom might have used this daily had she been alive for the year to come; I bought it with every intention of using it as one way to help myself get through the first year hurt without her. I started with good will but soon I lapsed and the book acquired a position deeper and deeper in the stack and was eventually put somewhere out of mind.
Recently, I unearthed it again in search of another book. Seriously, folks, this is the way life works for many of us. I took it out again and was reminded of the reasons I bought this now outdated daily planner. It’s always a quandary, isn’t it, about what to do with things such as this – too nicely made to discard, especially since it was never really used. Yes, I came to the decision to use it in this second year without my mom which is in some ways even more difficult and more painful than the first. I really need it now!
But, yet again, it is still something of a quandary. Do you go by date which is annoyingly one day off or do you just start in January and blaze a new trail? I found it again at the beginning of May so decided to start there but to ignore calendaring as I’m rather confused anyway at times; don’t need to be pushed over the edge. I decided to just use its setup as a devotional as mom might have been doing last year. I do love the very idea in a way that pains a tiny bit in my heart if I’m truly honest.
So, last year on this day looking at the calendar, I’m telling you it was National Day of Prayer – if you just have to know the true date or if it still exists you may look it up. To me every day would be good to have as National Day of Prayer, so I’m goin’ with it; stay close.
I tell you all of this to tell you that I was struck by the scripture passages for May 4 and 5. Why did I have to tell you all of this?Because it is my story, it is unique to me, and it is part of what I carry with me as I do life. This notion of the things we carry and some of it being rich in story which shapes and forms us comes from my journalist brother who first brought this concept to recognition for me. He is right and I am more and more aware of the things we carry and how important they can be to us and how important our stories shared are to each other. We are all both tellers and listeners if we want to be whole at this and to garner richness in our souls.
The following verses have been the foundation for part of my story for this week which led to me calling forth and re-examining that which I carry as who I am and how I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God the Father!
Ecclesiastes 4:10
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all of the Lord’s people.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all of the Lord’s people.
We just finished an all church prayer vigil. I got to work with 3 special people to bring this into being and the things they carried became part of what we created together as we set up the vigil. It took all of us and that experience is now part of each of our stories. We helped each other up and onward. I have said many prayers of thanksgiving for each of these people in the days since the vigil, what if they hadn’t been there – it was so much better that they were!
I especially took to heart at the end of the Ephesians verse that said, “keep on praying for ALL of God’s people.” May we all be able to do that genuinely. Continue to carry, pray, share and listen as we go through this world for our space of time together. It is our God-given time, let’s not squander it.
I will continue on with this rather squirrelly calendar adventure I am on – maybe it was mom’s plan in the first place – I can see her laughing while saying, “Well, it seemed to me as if one might accomplish this if one had the right heart for it.” This does feel right as I have been carrying it for a bit so I am going to carry on with my God before me always bringing along the things which I carry. I’m goin’ with it; stay close; pray close.
~Shauna Weil
A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC
A devotion provided by the Devotion Ministry of Goodrich UMC
Listen to Jordan St. Cyr and Weary Traveler as he tells us to carry on what ever we are going through. It’s all part of the journey – we will go with it and our God will go with us. He sings of a weary traveler but we don’t have to always feel weary we can be joyful, steadfast, jubilant, story tellers and listeners of stories as we travel. It is all possible in the great mystery of God and his plans for each of us. Stay close and continue to hold close the things you carry. They are important!