Friday, November 24, 2023
Friday, November 24, 2023
Pause. Pray. Read. Be still. Write. Pray. Go about your day or turn in for the night.
Read: 1 Peter 5:7
Today is black Friday, the official kick off to the Christmas shopping and holiday celebration season. A time of year that brings with it a range of emotions from pure joy and excitement to worry and stress. We can certainly be challenged during this season with finding moments of peace and quiet because of the anticipation of expectations for the season. Henri Nouwen wrote that he really wished humanity knew the ever-deeper peace during this time of year. Suggesting peace and quiet often lives underneath the turmoil and anxieties of our heart and doesn’t always mean inner harmony or emotional tranquility. The peace that God gives us is quite often beyond our thoughts and feelings, and we have too really trust that peace is there for us to claim, even during our moments of anticipation and busyness.
Be Still: May you know the depth of God’s peace that goes beyond your thoughts and feelings this holiday season.
Pray: God of the peace that surpasses understanding, help us to pause for our time of prayer and recognize what you are already doing in our lives and in your world. Remind us that we can choose to live in your light each day. As we consider how much you love us and your world, we pray for all your people on this day. May your grace be experienced in every corner of the world. May those who do not know your grace, receive it, and take comfort in your light and love for them. In the name of the one who loves us all. Amen