h2odevos encores 022512 Accompany

"How can I come before you?

What worthy give would I bring?

What glorious feast would I offer?

What songs of majesty sing?

Lift this heart of sadness into gladness by your peace

Before I can come before You, You come to me

Ever walk with me Lord

Each night and day a rejoicing

With kindness the harmony, justice the beat

You've turned my footsteps to dancing

Oh Ever walk with me Lord"

Ever Walk With Me Lord by Peter Mayer

Good morning. Thanks for walking this Lenten journey together with cyber sisters and cyber brothers. It is good to do this with each other because there are times when it is quite difficult to attempt to do it all by oneself.

Yesterday, after I wrote the morning's devotion about walking, I was shuffling (a mix between walking and running through the light snow) on my way to the bus stop. On my right shoulder was the strap for my bag (which my colleagues suggest I could live out of for about a week). So, if you get the picture, I was running a little late, I'm off balance due to this heavy bag I carry, and all of a sudden I slip and fall.

Fortunately, I didn't injure anything except bruising my pride a little bit. But, I received a quick reminder of how easy it is to trip, slip and even fall when one is weighted down or off balance.

The words of St. Paul came to mind, "for we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Cor. 5:7).

I like the fact that he uses the plural pronoun "we." And so if I have just one word for you and me today, it is simply "accompany." As you and I go about our day today, my hope and prayer is that you will accompany someone on their journey. In turn, you will have someone accompany you on your journey.

Research reveals that anyone looking to increase their physical activity has a better success rate if they have a partner, friend, colleague, family member or neighbor to walk, run, skip, hop or dance with. Someone might be at a particular place or point in their life and be wondering if they could or should take another step. By walking with another, you will help them make progress toward their destination.

And of course, the blessing, the gift in all of this is the amazing grace that as we walk together, we are joined by Jesus who comes to us in the breaking of bread.

To accompany is to "share bread with."

So, I'd like to propose a "toast" of sorts, "may you accompany and be accompanied today!"

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

rtg