“True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.”
(Psalm 23:3, The Message)
Our Vestry meetings begin with a devotional time, so that we might center ourselves, quiet our hearts, and be present to God and each other as we begin our work. A different person leads each month, so we get a chance to hear what is speaking to that person. At our October meeting, our Junior Warden, Robert Daunt, led us with three different translations of Psalm 23. He said it had been on his mind a lot lately. A lot of heads nodded in their little Zoom boxes.
Comfort. Consolation. Encouragement. Hope. This psalm is a balm for the soul. Even in the valley of the shadow of death, God is with us. In full view of the enemy, God sets a banquet table and invites us to sit and eat. God anoints us, making us priests – God’s own messengers of God’s good news. God continually fills up our cup as we pour it out in the world. There is no time when God is not chasing after us, and when we rest, we rest in God.
That is such good news, now and always. We all need to be reminded that it is OK to stop for a moment and catch our breath. To make sure we’re still going in the right direction. To take time to sit down at God’s table so that God can equip us to keep going. Stop for a moment and look around. Really see where you are, physically and metaphorically. Whether it is a green meadow with a bubbling spring, or a desolate valley, or a battlefield, we can be still and know that God is there with us. We need nothing. We need not fear. God guides us. Thanks be to God.
Kristine+