Streams of Mercy
In conversations with folks from all the churches I’ve served, the phrase “journey of life and faith” always comes up….and the words “ love and grace.” Seems I’ll be remembered as helping them to see that we are on a journey of life and faith, and God’s love and grace accompany us day by day. I once read that when we journey through the years of our lives, we wonder at times, if we’re walking away from our past, or walking toward our future. Sometimes it’s one or the other; other times it’s both at the same time! Depends on our perspective at the moment! What’s important is not to miss “today.”
In recent months, I’ve been enjoying “The Walk” by Richard Paul Evans. “The Walk” is a series of five books about a man’s unrelenting search for hope, the journey he makes and those he meets along the way. These books are love-filled spirit-lifters, and one actually misses the characters when the journey is complete.
“In the end, it is not by knowledge that we make our journeys, but by hope and faith: hope that our walk will be worthy of our steps and faith that we are going somewhere.” (from Book 5, Walking on Water)
I was reminded of an experience in a former congregation, as I taught a class of faithful older adults - I always felt they taught me more than I taught them! That Sunday I was teaching a unit on God’s promises in the Old Testament and had written columns of events with a bracket above all the way across the board, and the words of Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
After I had detailed the keeping of that promise to Israel, we began to think about the promise in relation to our own lives. From the back row a gentleman spoke: “Even to Duke Hospital. Even to Duke Hospital?” You see, he had a brain tumor and was leaving soon for surgery in the coming week. Into moments of faith-filled silence I will never forget, the entire class, in one voice of love and hope replied, “Even to Duke Hospital!” We all left the class that day filled with love and hope, knowing we had been in the presence of the Holy. Our friend went to Duke, had the surgery, but was never able to come back home to us. He journeyed “Home” surrounded by his loving family. On his marker is inscribed Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Each time class members visit his grave, they are sure to add….. “even to Duke hospital….even Home.”
Wherever we are on our journeys of life and faith – walking away from our past or walking toward our future, let us journey with love and grace, and help each other along the way, and let’s not miss “today.”
Let us give thanks for all God’s children who are a part of our journeys of life and faith, for the assurance that the Lord our God is with us wherever we go, and for those streams of mercy, never ceasing.
Elizabeth