Weather aware – February 4
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 69:1-23(24-30)31-38; PM Psalm 73; Gen. 24:1-27; Heb. 12:3-11; John 7:1-13
“Hi, Mom! Do you know if it is supposed to rain today?”
This is the greeting my 10-year-old daughter has issued for the past couple of mornings. Inclement weather – the type that generates blaring weather warnings and trips to our safe space – brings consternation and worry to her mind. And so, when storms are brewing, she checks in about the forecast. If you were out and about on Thursday, perhaps you heard the tornado sirens blaring for a while. School buses were held and children were not immediately dismissed from class due to a cold front and unpredictable storms. Those bound to Camp McDowell from around the state for the 191st Diocesan Convention may have hit a snag or traffic snarl. I hope you and yours did not sustain damage or disruption.
This evening, as Saint Stephen’s diocesan convention delegates visited after Evening Prayer in St. Francis Chapel, our conversation drifted to tales of harrowing weather experiences, with the storms of today in our recent memory. Several people shared what happened to them during “Snowmageddon” of January 2014 – when a sizable winter storm popped up, leaving roads frozen, lots of snow and ice, and people of all ages stranded at school, work, in cars. Some drove for hours to travel only a few miles home, were nearly out of gas, or graced by the help of strangers on the roadways. Others had no option to leave, as patients and students needed care. One parishioner was a first responder; he drove his four-wheel-drive vehicle to deliver people of all ages to their homes, so that they would not be stuck or stranded. Stories of determination, courage, kindness, and fear.
As I ruminate upon the stories shared and the Holy Scriptures for today, a portion of Psalm 69 jumps out at me:
1 Save me, O God,
for the waters have risen up to my neck.
2 I am sinking in deep mire,
and there is no firm ground for my feet.
3 I have come into deep waters,
and the torrent washes over me.
When we find ourselves in positions of peril, we cry out. We call for our loved ones to give us advice and reassurance. We weep (inside or openly), knowing that we are scared and vulnerable.
We pray that God will be with us, bringing us stillness and calm in the storm. It is scary to feel the waters rising up to our necks. It is jarring to hear the blaring alarm of a weather radio. This psalm reminds me to call out to God in fear: “In your great mercy, O God, answer me with your unfailing help. Save me from the mire; do not let me sink; let me be rescued from those who hate me and out of the deep waters…Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind; in your great compassion, turn to me.” (v. 15, 16, 18)
Prayer is our lifeline to God in those moments, sustaining us. Calming us. This ancient psalm can be a reminder that others have been stuck in bad weather, or a bad relationship. They called out to God in a moment of need. They trusted that God would be faithful and present in their time of trial. As we read in the final verses of Psalm 69, “For the Lord listens to the needy, and his prisoners he does not despise.” God is faithful. God is good. God is. For this, let us rejoice!
- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
Who is the first person you think to reach out to when you have a problem? Do you ask for help or guidance? Why else do you reach out for someone when you are hurting?
Daily Challenge
Stay tuned to this weekend’s diocesan convention – worship and scripture, resolutions and elections. You can watch the 191st Diocesan Convention by clicking here.