Where could I go to get away from your spirit? Where could I go to escape your presence? If I went up to heaven, you would be there. If I went down to the grave,[a] you would be there too! If I could fly on the wings of dawn, stopping to rest only on the far side of the ocean—even there your hand would guide me; even there your strong hand would hold me tight.  Psalm 139:7-10 CEB

On Monday we got up early to see Hannah off as she left for Illinois to start her internship.  There has been a lot of concern and planning for this trip over the past 10 weeks.  How do you safely move across the country in the time of COVID when numbers in almost every state are spiking?

The surprise blessing for us came through my sister being sick with COVID in November. Stephanie lives about 7 hours from where Hannah will be and is still in the “window of immunity” where she is not likely to get re-infected. Because Stephanie is considered immune she offered to fly out and drive back with Hannah so she would have an extra person for the long ride and could do all the interacting at hotels offering an extra barrier against exposure. Having Stephanie make the trip relieved stress from Hannah who worried that she would be putting us at risk if we traveled with her.  Although she is capable of making the drive on her own, she felt more comfortable making the trip with another person while driving through weather she isn’t accustomed to.  It was also a gift because Stephanie and I haven’t seen each other in over a year.   We only had  8 hours…outside on our porch, with our masks on, and from a distance…but we got to sit in the same space, we got to laugh, reflect on the loss, fear and blessings of the past year and share what we hope we keep as we move forward. It felt as if God had been guiding this trip planning!

Throughout this journey I have found comfort in the lyrics of Stephen Fischbacher’s Song, God Beside. God has been behind Hannah her whole life.  God has been beside Scott and I through the disappointment of not being able to make this trip with her and help her set up her new apartment. God is a passenger beside Hannah and Stephanie in the car. They have already experienced a lot of excitement with the snow and ice they are driving through and I love hearing the laughter and the reports of how they are supporting each other.  I know that God will be there ahead of them when Hannah is dropped off on her own in a new place, learning new skills and handling very difficult situations beside families dealing with life changing experiences.  As Stephen says….“In the sunshine and in the rain, in the laughter and in the pain, God behind, God beside, God ahead.”  Stephen goes on to remind us of God’s presence in our lives singing…“God is with us in the morning, with us in the day, with us in the evening…always, always, always, always.”  

Moving into this new year, may we find comfort in knowing God is behind us, beside us and ahead of us. 

Loving God…thank you for surrounding us with your guidance, love and care as we head into a New Year.  We give thanks for Stephen and his song that reminds us that you are with us always, always, always! Amen.

Leyla 

²² The Holy Spirit produces a different kind of fruit: unconditional love, joy, peace, patience, kindheartedness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. You won’t find any law opposed to fruit like this. 
²⁵ Now since we have chosen to walk with the Spirit, let’s keep each step in perfect sync with God’s Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23, 25 The Voice

It has already been three days since we celebrated the birth of Jesus, and I hope and trust that your Christmas, though probably different from years past, was filled with joy, love and kindheartedness. I am very much looking forward to ending this unprecedented and difficult year and beginning with hopefully a renewed freshness of restoration in my heart, mind and spirit. And maybe you are too.

I’ve been thinking a lot of the act of kindness. It’s one of the fruits, or outward expressions of the Spirit living within you. It’s truly a simple act but this year I have felt that kindness or kindheartedness has been lacking in general. Maybe from the stress of everything this year has brought or fear of what tomorrow might bring, but kindheartedness or the act of kindness is simply love made visible.  God showed us true kindness when God kindly showered the world with love as the Christ Child was born to bring restorative healing light into the darkness. 

Kindheartedness or Kindness is simply caring for others, even when it isn’t reciprocated. Seeing and celebrating the beauty in others, even when they don’t find it in themselves. Giving hope to the vulnerable, neglected, and forgotten, even when they are not able to return it back to you. And just like the sun when it melts the ice, kindness can dissolves our differences, mistrusts, and hostility in the world.

Maybe kindness is perhaps our most valuable tool in spreading love, because it’s capable of changing us. It can change humanity, it can change the world, because the love imbedded in kindness shifts our mind from self to the other which offers a place of peace. This peace of mind is not a winning of one side, but a means of peace that comes from a place where there is no longer two sides competing but instead a reconciliation of the two into one.

As I reflect on kindness I am reminded of the words our Methodist founding Father John Wesley left for us and how it rings true to live into as a new year begins. “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, to all the people you can, in all the places you can, as long as ever you can.”

So as we lean into the beginning of our journey into a New Year, may we walk together in love, kindheartedness and peace so that we may be the change we wish to see in this world(M.Gandhi).

God of restoration and healing, renew our strength and compassion to be an offering of love and kindheartedness to others. Bring your peace and a renewed sense of joy to our lives, fill us and surround us with Your Spirit to bring restoring light to a hurting and broken world. Amen.

Brenda

Luke 2:9-10 The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people.

Last week I spent a lot of hours editing the virtual pageant, Do Not Be Afraid,from Illustrated Ministries. I came away from this experience with two thoughts. The first is I have a much greater appreciation for all those film editors out there.  The second thought was that most every character in the story of Jesus’ birth had some worries and fears. Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the magi and even king Herod all had concerns. There were fears about what people would think. There were fears about angels just popping out of nowhere in the sky. There were fears about what the king might do and there were fears about who this newborn baby was. The common theme throughout the story was to not be afraid! With the exception of King Herod, each of these people were assured that everything would work out.  All of them relied on their faith in God and said yes in spite of their worries, concerns and fears.

Living through a pandemic can bring about fears, but we don’t need a pandemic to have had fears and worries weave in and out of our lives. As a parent, I have worried about whether I have taught my boys, now young adults, values that are important to their dad and I; and I worried about the decisions they would make. While recently going and getting our Christmas tree with one of my kids, he shared with us a conversation he and his brothers recently had.  Through that conversation it was apparent that they too shared the same values as their parents. What a great feeling and relief. For me, I don’t think God talks to me through angeIs. I feel that God talks to me through my gut; so as a parent going through uncharted territory, I relied many times on my gut.

As we move through a pandemic, parenting, work and just everyday life and fear and worries begin to creep in. Remember the words of the angel Gabriel so long ago, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news”. Remind yourself that God is always with you and that is good news.

Gracious and loving God, fear can be so powerful and can take over our thoughts. Help us to remember that when we are fearful that you are with us and we don’t need to be afraid. Thank you for all the different ways that you come to us whether it be through angels, guts, words or…. May we always feel your comfort. 
Amen

Christmas Blessings to all of you,
Marty