BRIGHT HOPE FOR TOMORROW – September 2021
May your unfailing Love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you——Psalm 33:22
When I say I HOPE MY CANCER DOES NOT COME BACK AGAIN, and it is both a wish and a prayer; but when I say GOD GIVES ME HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, that is confident assurance in the promises of the God who has never failed me.
Most people hope for a long life, lasting relationships, good health, and happiness, yet we know that in a matter of minutes life can be turned upside down and inside out, and it can feel like our hopes are dashed.
For the people of God, hope is drawn from a deeper well. As the Psalmist explains, we cannot rely on our own armies and horses—our own resources—to deliver us. The beautiful image is that of the God whose eyes are locked on us, whose love never fails, who is our help and shield. God paints a positive picture of our forever future.
When our hope and trust are firmly connected to our unchangeable God, we know deep in our souls that the love of God will sustain us through this life and into eternity. This means that even if our struggles return, our hope in God remains. This kind of hope is contagious. Maybe you know someone who needs to hear these words of hope today: the Lord sees you, loves you, and will sustain you.
PRAYER:
Lord, sometimes our hope falters as we face troubles and heartaches. Renew our hope, strengthen our trust, and help us to embrace your unfailing LOVE and share it with others. We love you. Amen.
Barbara Derby
Vista Circle
A PSALM OF THANKSGIVING – October 2022
Read Psalm 100 –
As we move through the month of October, we see changing evidence of the Creation in which we live. Colour abounds. Harvest is taken in, and in our city we see that in the markets and the produce they offer. It is easy to be aware of being grateful in this month. This is the month of thanksgiving, and we celebrate it with a holiday, both religious and secular. It is a time to be reminded of gratitude. It is a time to remember that everything is a gift. If we hold that gift with gratitude we will live out of a sense of abundance and not scarcity. Dietrich Bonhoeffer would remind us that “It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich”
A recent article in the Washington Post, referred to a medical report which suggested that gratitude is good for your heart. They suggested that those who are grateful most of the time meet health challenges more easily than those who are not grateful. Gratitude is a celebration of the present moment, while a focus on the past either brings longing for what is lost, or guilt for what happened, and a focus on the future brings uncertainty and fear of the unknown. And gratitude gives reason for joy.
A story is told of a professor who gave every student in the class an inflated balloon on which each was to write their own name. Then he tossed the balloons into the hallway and then gave the students five minutes to find their own balloon. No one found his or her balloon. Then he changed the challenge and asked every student to pick up a balloon and give it to the person whose name was on it. Everyone had their balloon. The professor then said “These balloons are like happiness. We will never find it if everyone is looking for their own. But if we care about other people’s happiness, we’ll find ours too.”
Gratitude is like that as well. If we are grateful for others and for the gifts we have we will find joy and happiness in our lives. Let us live our lives with gratitude and discover the joy it brings.
Rev. Fred Demaray
Chautauqua Circle