"Only You can break down the walls that hide me away
Only You can turn the night into day
Only You can stop the darkness from overtaking me
Created the land the sky and sea
I know it in my heart to be true
The answer to me is only You!"
Only You by Jim Mayer & Peter Mayer
Perpetua and her companions, 202
Thomas Aquinas, 1274
RTG Baptismal Anniversary, March 7, 1954
This song is lovely. It just
says it all so very well. I've been thinking a lot about what's
important. I'm sure that happens quite often when one moves and starts a
new position. And so at times it's very important to just slow down and
pray, to reflect on what's important. When I take time to do that, it
leads me to meditate on who is important in my life. When one boils it
down to that question, it is pretty obvious that one's relationship with
God is primary and it gets expressed via relationships with family,
friends, colleagues and even strangers. Peter is correct when he sings, "I know it in my heart to be true, the answer to me is only You!"
I know enough about family
dynamics to realize that I don't know enough about family dynamics.
Specifically, I'm thinking about Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Hagar and
Ishmael. Their story is written in Genesis 21. Hagar and Ishmael are
expelled from the family unit with just a skin of water and some bread.
After the food and water are consumed, Hagar assumes that the end is
near. An angel appears to her and says,
" 'What troubles
you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy
where he is. 18Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand,
for I will make a great nation of him.' 19Then God opened her eyes, and
she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and
gave the boy a drink." Genesis 21:18-19
I am intrigued, could Hagar
not see the well of water until God opened her eyes? Did she have a
physical-vision problem? Or could she not see because of her grief,
anger and fear? How often do we stand next to an oasis and are unaware?
Do we, like Hagar, have a "vision" problem? I'm also haunted by the
drought in Kenya. Perhaps God is opening our eyes and hearts to see
those who hunger and thirst.
Maybe God is calling us to be a well. What do you think?
"I know it in my heart to be true, the answer to me is only You!"
Peace,
rtg
If you want to know more about Perpetua, check out
If you want to know more about Thomas Aquinas, check out
If you want to know more about how the ELCA is helping people in Kenya, check out
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