Day 76 | Wednesday, 3 June 2020

Day 76  |  Wednesday, 3  June 2020        
See you at noon – stay in your garage if it is raining hard.

 Another day and night of peaceful protesting interrupted by those whose desire is violence and destruction across the cities of these United States.  “Anger can be a savage beast, welling up inside when we least expect it.  We thrash around, not realizing the damage we cause from our words.  Letting out the anger makes us feel better for a moment but can be utterly destructive.” (Twila Bennett) I pray for intervention from the Holy Spirit and then I wonder if what is happening is beyond any kind of divine intervention.  Yet I am hopeful that wisdom will prevail through those who have a still, calm voice.  For several days the hymn “Be Thou My Vision” has been on my heart and mind.  I am quoting from the book of James and have highlighted parts of verse 5 that have been speaking to me.  I follow that with the Hymn because we need God to be our vision, not only as we continue the journey through the Virus but also as we face the destruction and violence in our country.

James 1:1-8, 12 Greeting
1 “From James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.  To the twelve tribes who are scattered outside the land of Israel.  Greetings!”

Stand firm
“2 My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. 3 After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing. 5 But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. 6 Whoever asks shouldn’t hesitate. They should ask in faith, without doubting. Whoever doubts is like the surf of the sea, tossed and turned by the wind. 7 People like that should never imagine that they will receive anything from the Lord. 8 They are double-minded, unstable in all their ways.”
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“12 Those who stand firm during testing are blessed. They are tried and true. They will receive the life God has promised to those who love him as their reward.”

“Be Thou My Vision”
1.   “Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.”

2.   “Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word; I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
thou and thou only, first in my heart, great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.”

3.   “Great God of heaven, my victory won, may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever be fall, still be my vision, O Ruler of all.”
(Ancient Irish; trans. By Mary E. Byrne, 1905; versed by Eleanor H.  Hull, 1912)

O Lord our God, be our vision, be our wisdom in these days of distress.  Some of us find it difficult to focus, to sleep, to have inner peace with the events going on in our country.  We have barely found our way journeying through the Virus and find ourselves being pulled into other directions of focus.  Great God of heaven still be our vision.  Lord, Hear our prayers.  Amen

Today: Medical professionals still fighting to save lives.