2/28 Thursday in the Second Week of Lent

Psalm 27:1-9

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
 For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
 When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.

An offering from Mercedes Osella

One of the best things about being a parent is the feeling of arms around your neck and a little face pressed into your neck.  Usually this action is a result of fear, or pain, or the need for comfort.  Of course, as a parent you are never happy that your child is in discomfort, but when a child turns to you in trouble, you are able to offer a physical manifestation of your love. This psalm reminds me of that feeling, except that instead of my child, it is me who is looking for comfort. There are times when the world feels like cold and unwelcome place, when the worries cloud the joys, and I long for a solid hug from a comforting parent.  When I put my fears and worries in God's hands, I feel this incredible sense of relief.  Sometimes it is hard to release those worries to God.  We feel that we can solve anything if we try hard enough.  Releasing fears to God is not weakness.  God calls us to "seek his face", and let him handle the worrying.  When we do so (to paraphrase Mick Jagger), we may not get what we want, but we will get what we need.

Prayer

Thank you, God, for listening to my worries and fears and holding me in your arms as a mother or father would. In drawing closer to you, I release my troubles to you and glory in your love and support.  Amen.