Devotion for March 4, 2021 from Pastor Barbara Caine of Holy Redeemer:
. …whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9
If ever I have glimpsed a light at the end of a very long tunnel it was this week. I received my second vaccine and felt free enough to bubble with my family for the first time in a year. No masks, no distance, only joy! Now, they’ve been very careful, and my housemates are now 2 weeks past their vaccines, and I wear a mask at all other times, and I wash my hands, and know that I could carry the disease if I am not careful, and etc. and etc. and that there are still variants…. But this week, I caught a glimpse of a new normal. I hugged my grandkids – will hug the other ones today, and I rejoiced.
Because of this glimpse I am even more aware of how grateful I am to have a God who has been with me – with all of us – this whole difficult time, and will be with us whatever comes next, even if the variants put us back in trouble or if lifting mask restrictions causes more disease to threaten us, or…..
In the meantime, we have a lot to be grateful for and I hope you can join me in (trying to) take Paul’s advice to the Philippians, to think upon the good things, and doing the good things, like so many of you are, giving, and sharing, and helping, and working to care for others, and praying, praying, praying. “Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”
I thank the God of peace who I know is with us, whether we can sense it or not, and rejoice in the future joy that we will encounter once the worst of the danger is past.
Take very good care!
In Christ,
Pastor Barbara