From the morning prayer <3
This is a portion of the morning prayer for the 9th of the month in my Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie.
I have little power to do or control anything; it is not by my will that I am here or will one day pass away. Of all that will come to me today, very little will have been what I have chosen for myself.
John Bailie, A Diary of Private Prayer
Having just finished the book of Job, I am reminded Job lamenting that he was even born. He questioned why his life had to have even been brought about since now it was filled with so much loss and sorrow.
I know Job is not alone, as others in Scripture lamented the day of their birth when faced with extreme grief and disappointment. We all have probably rolled our eyes at some parent in the past and informed them that we didn’t ask to be born…in other words, this one is on you mom or dad.
We can relate to Job’s cries of what was the point of me even being here if everything has been taken away.
But even as I ponder that, the thought that came to me this morning was how very true it is.
We certainly cannot take credit in anyway for the idea of our existence happening at a certain time and place in history. Most likely the end will also come without our planning and the means will also not be by our choice. (Please see the note at bottom after finishing this)
And yet, for the most part we … or maybe just me…go into every day like we are the boss of it all. I make plans and then get knocked off my feet when something comes along and changes them. I think I know exactly how everything should and will go and in fact, I don’t.
So once again I am reminded that I have to maintain a calendar, schedule time, make lists of tasks that need to be done; all the while holding it all in pencil. Because, as Mr. Baillie points out…very little of what actually happens will be what I have chosen for me.
And that’s okay. The balancing act between being purposeful and flexible is a dance that is sometimes a tango, sometimes a waltz but more often than not, free style hip-hop.
Have a blessed day, however it goes and remember you are deeply loved.
- As I wrote these thoughts this morning, I am aware that the natural end of our life will not be under our control, but there are ways we can take control of that and sadly bypass the natural. I am not blindly ignoring the pain of that, and want to share that our current sermon series on Mental Health has touched on this difficult topic. The church website also offers help and resources. So I want to share that here:
Sermon series here:
https://www.firstdecatur.org/messages/weeds-in-my-garden/
Resources here – listed at bottom of “talk to a pastor” form. While I would endorse any of our pastors as good ones to talk to, you can also just access the resources as needed <3