Tuesday, December 10
Written by Lisa Boyles
Community United Church of Christ
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind — just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you — so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on
the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
We are all struggling with something, all the time — anger, deadlines, anxiety, pain, illness, grief. These things roil our insides, wake us in the dead of night, disrupt our peace. It is hard to move past them. But maybe we don’t have to. It is all part of who we are; every part adds up to the sum of the whole that is our life.
Our faith can bring us peace, if we let it, if we are open to the calming force of our Lord’s presence in our life. It is all part of who we are — we can allow balance between the difficult shards and the soothing grace of God.
Both are real and valid.
Don’t try to bury the hurt. Sit with the pain. Breathe deeply. As you inhale, feel the peace from our Father, our Mother. Let gratitude fill you, for feeling this, for the gift of life, in all its grief and joy.
Every day can hold ugliness and hurt. But each day is also sacred. Don’t block out the pain, for in doing so, you will also obliterate what is good.
As you wait for peace, cultivate the soil of your spirit to allow it in. And when it fills you up, take it back into the world to help lift those around you out of their despair.
Grace to you.
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