“Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14
Dear People of St. David’s,
I pray that you and yours are well on these warm summer days. I know some of us have just finished a school year and are looking forward to a different pace of life, both children and parents. Others of us have taken a little vacation already, and the rest of us have plans or ideas about getting away. I hope it is a time of refreshment for all of us and a time away from our regularly scheduled lives.
As this program year has come to an end (with our focus on Growing in Grace), I want to offer a final insight into this life of grace, especially during times of struggle.
Many of our days are blessed with a deep sense of confidence and goodness about who we are and what we’re about. We experience a sense that we are loved by God and by others; there is deep peace. Some days life seems like a gentle adventure, other days, not so much. Those are the days when it’s hard to feel the love and grace of God and others while challenges and struggles arise that are not as welcome. We feel a little lost and confused about where God is and what’s coming next.
Thankfully, we follow a Lord who is willing and able to support us and take care of us through life’s difficulties. A Lord who loves us and wants the best for us. In Jesus’ words, “He will empower us and bring us life in abundance.” The Lord allows us to face struggles with God or without God – that’s the gift and challenge of free will.
Whether you are facing a time of blessing or struggle, I want to invite you into a practice that I’ve found incredibly helpful in my life, following of Jesus. It is part of my daily prayer and the prayer of many others. This practice involves consciously turning our lives over to God for the blessings and for the struggles. In my prayer, I open my hands and name the blessings and especially the struggles, challenges, sadness, or sins that I am dealing with. Then, I say in my head or out loud, “Lord, I turn this over to you.” Whether it’s a neat, psychological trick or God entering my heart and life circumstances, I feel relief. I sense God entering more intimately into my life. My heart grows strong, and I am freed up to live my life in a fuller manner.
As we step into the fullness of summer, let me encourage you to this very effective form of prayer and living. Turn your life, both blessings and struggles, over to God to empower your heart and life more. You will feel relief and you will feel the courage to face whatever is before you.
Grace and Peace,
The Rev. W. Frank Allen
Rector