SCRIPTURE: I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:9-10 NIV
THOUGHT: I took quite a journey during the last week, driving from our home in Michigan to the Pacific Ocean, stopping in to see a good friend and a niece along the way. I was driving a brand new, high profile van and of course there were high winds and high temperatures across Nebraska, Colorado, and parts of Nevada. There was also no cruise control and the thing topped out at 71 mph.
I thought and prayed often about strength…and then I got to LAX for the journey home. It was Sunday night and the crowds were worse than the beach. My red eye flight was delayed two hours and plans for driving out of Chicago at 5 a.m. suddenly became driving out in the morning rush. I couldn’t sleep no matter how hard I tried. I had driven more than 2,000 miles in harsh and even dangerous conditions, had several short nights, and now felt myself starting to unravel. Waiting at the end of my Monday, just 12 hours and 2,000 more miles away was the plan to celebrate my youngest’s 23rd birthday. She isn’t home that often and I just had to get there and somehow keep it together so we could have the fun we’d imagined.
I prayed again for strength about 10 a.m. and God answered in such a profound way. Sometimes it’s these almost silly, very human needs where he meets us, and it always surprises me. Hayley, Fred & I dined, laughed, shared and celebrated – then sat out on the front porch awhile, talking until it was dark. She left at 10 p.m. Not once had I yawned or wished I could just end the evening. So silly. So human. But God knew the importance of my need and strengthened me.
PRAYER: Oh God, thank you for choosing and not rejecting me. For saying ‘do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.’ For keeping your promise to strengthen and help; your commitment to uphold my very human life with your righteous right hand.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
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