Today’s Lesson from the Lake (I may have over estimated the temperature, it was largely frozen):
Much of the lake may be frozen, but you can still be a duck in the small part that’s not
Tag Archives: life
Perambulating
This place has become very precious to me this year. Though walking has become more and more of a struggle I have walked it (very slowly!) through its seasons – and through mine. I have walked it in anger, in frustration, in pain, in despair and in longing. I have walked it when walking was the only thing I could do – and when it was a struggle to do at all. It has been my safe place, my church when I couldn’t do church, my place of peace, of refuge, of hope, of healing. I have watched new life blossom here and life leave and die back.
Now though everything is stark and pared back it still stands in beauty. The life within lives on, whatever the outward appearance. There will be new life in its time.
And so, I have walked and prayed for those very much in my heart and myself for hope, for peace, for new life, for strength, and God’s healing – whatever that will look like in each place. In our vulnerability and pain may we each allow God to reach us, hold us close, carry us when we need it, give us a gentle shove at the right moment and bless us in his abundance.
With You
How could you let this happen?
How could you leave us alone?
we needed you
to rescue this situation
and you weren’t here.
We thought you loved us,
cared about us,
what happened to us,
but you left us alone,
you didn’t come
when we needed you most
at our lowest point.
When you weep
I weep,
when you hurt
I hurt,
when you are broken
and weighed down with life
I am broken too.
Come,
let me see,
let me be with you
in the place of despair.
I reach into
your pain,
despair,
the place of death
and I bring life,
hope,
love,
new life
in and through me.
It’s yours.
I am with you
John 11:32-44 (CEV)
32 Mary went to where Jesus was. Then as soon as she saw him, she knelt at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was terribly upset 34 and asked, “Where have you put his body?”
They replied, “Lord, come and you will see.”
35 Jesus started crying, 36 and the people said, “See how much he loved Lazarus.”
37 Some of them said, “He gives sight to the blind. Why couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
38 Jesus was still terribly upset. So he went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone rolled against the entrance. 39 Then he told the people to roll the stone away. But Martha said, “Lord, you know that Lazarus has been dead four days, and there will be a bad smell.”
40 Jesus replied, “Didn’t I tell you that if you had faith, you would see the glory of God?”
41 After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus looked up toward heaven and prayed, “Father, I thank you for answering my prayer. 42 I know that you always answer my prayers. But I said this, so that the people here would believe that you sent me.”
43 When Jesus had finished praying, he shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The man who had been dead came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of burial cloth, and a cloth covered his face.
Jesus then told the people, “Untie him and let him go.”
