Satisfaction - November 13
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 87, 90; PM Psalm 136; 1 Macc. 2:1-28; Rev. 20:1-6; Matt. 16:21-28
In the Terrace Room at Saint Stephen’s this past Tuesday afternoon, I welcomed the family who had gathered prior to the funeral. As we prepared to share Eucharist together, there were preschool children skipping and jumping about on the playground. While there were tear-filled eyes in the Terrace Room, my heart felt full with the cycle of beginning and end that continue swirling – and God – the Alpha and the Omega – is never far from us in those waves. Wherever we are, the words of Psalm 90 ring in my heart:
Lord, you have been our refuge
from one generation to another.
Interestingly, the psalm read in unison during that service Tuesday was a portion of Psalm 90, appointed for today. The timelessness and eternity of God washes over me:
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born,
from age to age you are God.
You turn us back to the dust and say,
"Go back, O child of earth."
For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past
and like a watch in the night.
Our human experience is fleeting in God’s time, and yet we are reminded that what we do and who we are to one another matters. While we are in the midst of time, the psalmist prays that God would, “teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.”
The prayer of humility and faithfulness continues:
Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning;
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
The psalm concludes:
May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us;
prosper the work of our hands;
prosper our handiwork.
It is simple, and yet not so simple, to pray these words honestly in our hearts. It is even more to embody these words. Be attentive today to the work your hands do. Be mindful of the ways God’s joy emanates from you. Feel how God satisfies you with enough as you witness the loving-kindness of our Lord.
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
What is satisfying to you? Where do you see the work of your hands showing up around you? Who influenced the work you do today and how you feel a sense of satisfaction in life?
Daily Challenge
Sit and reflect on this question: do you ever feel unsatisfied? Take a few minutes to journal about sources of dissatisfaction. Consider the roots of this feeling Then, write down three action words in response to your reflection. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill and embolden you to live into actions that will yield satisfaction of your whole self – body, mind, and spirit.