Reflection:

For many of us, our deepest questions are about tragedy. Life can bring terrible, unexpected challenges and burdens that weigh us down. Our friend Nita said she was in her fifties, living with her husband in their quiet, ‘empty nest’, and then their 34-year-old daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. Their daughter couldn’t care for herself, so she came to live with Nita, along with her three young children. It was a very challenging time. All of a sudden, Nita had to bathe her daughter and help her use the pan. Later, after the daughter died, the three children stayed with them. The youngest was only a baby. Nita was 60 by then and remembers how busy it was. She would be in another room, and the children would be in the kitchen cupboards, pouring spaghetti on the floor. Then, five years later, Nita’s husband died. It was an incredibly hard time. Nita said she only coped by reading the Psalms. “He leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” Nita read Psalm 23 every day for a decade… until the children grew older, and things became easier. For all of us, there will be times when we need the truth of that Psalm. The Lord gently leads us. He cares for us, in tenderness. He refreshes our soul, even when we feel dry and empty.

Prayer:

Lord, I thank you that in my hardest moments, you are with me, you lead me beside quiet waters, you refresh my soul.