Saturday / With Us
Read Psalm 46 (NLT)
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.
Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
“Be still and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.
Think
Occasionally I’ll meet someone new and we’ll get to sharing details of our lives as we get to know each other. In these conversations, certain questions always seem to come up: Are you married? Where do you live? What’s your career? Do you have children? And I answer easily: Yes, I’m married to my childhood sweetheart, I live on Schooley’s Mountain in New Jersey, and I’m a writer. But that last one always makes me pause. Do you have children? Well, yes…but then they always ask How many? And that’s where I get stuck. Because how much do I want to tell this stranger whom I’ve just met?
The safe answer is I have two children, daughters, both in their twenties. But that’s not the whole truth. I have a son, too, who would have been born twenty-one years ago. But he didn’t make it to his birthday. He died in my womb after only 6 1/2 months. I never got to hold him, but he has a name. I never bathed him or nursed him or changed a single diaper, but he’s still my child. He’s just in heaven already.
When I try to answer that simple question, How many children do you have? I get caught up in the years of pain and anguish, the waves of sorrow, the grief and the heavy weight of loss. How to explain all that in a simple answer? It touches on so much that’s deeper and wider. Sure I remember so clearly the days around his death. But there’s so much more to the story than just the gradual lessening of grief as I’ve carried the weight of it through all these years. There’s a theme that’s woven through my days, a constant undercurrent of grace, of God’s abiding Presence, that carried me. Even when I couldn’t find Him, God was always there, holding me together. And through it all, I’m growing to understand that God is my refuge, and I just need to be still.
Pray
Oh, God you don’t always remove troubles from my life, but God you are always with me. Hold me close, especially in my moments of greatest distress. Help me to see your hand at work in this world. Guide me to be part of that work. Teach me to know and understand that you alone are my refuge. Be with me in my chaos as I try desperately to Be Still and Know you. Amen.
Do
Do you have a woman’s shelter in your community? Perhaps your town has a Crisis Pregnancy center? Give them a call and ask what they most need. Do they need donations of clothing, books or crafts? What about giving some time—you can cook a meal, offer a listening ear and a smile. If there’s not such a place nearby, look online for charities or groups that support women in crisis. Donate what you can. Help God lift up someone in darkness.
The View from Mt. Hope 