April 2, 2023

 

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

I have had a month.  You know, nothing seriously wrong but lots of little curve balls being thrown at me and I just couldn’t seem to connect with a single one of them. My car broke down – three times.  My daughter flew home for reading week and her flight was delayed a day…which meant a long day at the airport and we lost a precious day of being together.  On the way home from Calgary, we got caught in the BIG snowstorm, had to call in to work for the next day and stay in a hotel overnight.  We had an impromptu trip to the vet – which is an experience with our anxiety ridden Lucy - as she had a strange looking something growing on her head, (thought it might have been a tick. It wasn’t – thank you Jesus).  I had a toothache, which meant an impromptu trip to the dentist – which is an experience with an anxiety ridden Wendy.  I could go on, but you get the idea.

 

I don’t want to seem pessimistic.  I can see all the amazing blessings in this past month too.  I have a car and can drive it!  We made it safely to the hotel.  I had a great visit with my daughter, who is happy and healthy.  Lucy is such a good dog and she didn’t have a tick.   I am privileged to be able to see a dentist when I get a toothache.  But in all honestly, I was feeling pessimistic.  Psalm 118 speaks to me in that place.  God’s love never quits.  Not in the little annoyances.  Not in our pessimism.  Not on our bad days.  And not in the serious challenges we face.  As we finish out our walk through Lent - even if those curve balls continue coming at us - we can be reassured that we are heading towards something better.  We are heading to Easter.  He can return those curve balls.  He turns it around.  He has the last word and it’s love.

 

- Wendy Doherty