Reflect
Sometimes life just feels like too much. Duties, obligations, responsibilities, problems, and worries are more than we can handle. The car has a flat tire, the bathroom sink is clogged, the AC is on the fritz, and you forgot your mother’s birthday. At times like this, many of us just want to crawl under a rock and disappear. Like the prophet Elijah, we may even pray for death. We want to cry out to God, “Enough!” Or like Jesus, we may even pray: Why have you abandoned me? How do we find God in those moments? How do we turn our prayer from “Take this cup away from me” to “Not my will, but Thine”?
Pray
Heavenly Father,
When Elijah was exhausted in the desert, fleeing for his life, he prayed for death.
But instead, you sent an angel with food and drink, to sustain him for the journey ahead.
Lord, I do not know what lies ahead, but I know that you will sustain me—even in my hour of despair.
Lord, when I am exhausted and afraid, give me the rest I need and the
sustenance—the strength and the hope and the courage—to get back up
and follow wherever your love leads.
Amen.
Act
Take a moment today to ask yourself where have you been fed, either spiritually or literally? Maybe it was a kind word from a stranger, or a gentle hug from a friend. Maybe it was a cup of coffee from a coworker and a cookie on a napkin. Or maybe it was just the still, quiet whisper of a cool breeze stirring the leaves? Look back over your day and ask yourself: Who or what were the angels you encountered today? Where did you find God’s love, and where did God’s love come searching for you?
