I’ve title today’s blog “Recovery in All its Forms : It No Joke! ” because whether we are recovering from overcoming an addiction, by finally feeling better after an illness, surgery, or Covid (yes, once again it has hit us for the fourth year in a row…useless vaccine) , or we have had relational issues to resolve or overcome…we all know it takes time to recover. Often, we are low levels of energy or focus when we recognize how much we need recover to occur. Often we have too little strength to donate to just one more effort to make things better. Sometimes, the best intentions of others to bring us out of our “funk” or to change our habits, or to listen to advice, we’ve learned coping strategies from past experiences and tell ourselves recovery will come in time, and wish it come quickly, thank you very much.
Then we look at the calendar–Whoa! a quarter of the year has passed already! April Fools jokes might catch us unawares today. Probably not for Ev and me. We’re confined to home for the allotted ten days. Silliness has its place.
Spiritually, though, we need to repent to recover, and that, essentially, is what Lent is all about. We are quickly headed to Palm Sunday, Passion Week, and Easter. It is time to take stock of where we are on our spiritual journey, use some courage and time and energy to deal with things we usually ignore, and, as they say, get prayed up. If we haven’t taken time in a while to ponder our places in this world as sinners in a fallen world and celebrate the goodness of God in providing our restoration and triumph over chronic sinful attitudes and practices, now, this very day, might be the day to do so and experience the overwhelming joy we can celebrate of being healthy in body and spirit when we simply ask God to continue guiding us in His way. God’s encouragement is salve for our wounds, calm for our souls, and perhaps, and I so hope for this, healing for whatever ails us. Recovery in All its Forms : It No Joke!
MY PSALM 321. RECOVERY
Almighty Father, Creator of All Things, Sustainer, Provider,
We praise Your Mighty, Eternal Name
When we see evidence of Your Power.
You ask Your people to pray, to pray ceaselessly,
And we are overjoyed to recognize
Your answers to prayer.
When we think of the desperate place we would be in
Without knowledge of Your grace and mercy,
We cry out in fear, unable to cope with life’s tragedies.
Yet, You seek, for Your Glory, to continue to bless us
With mercies we just simply can’t fathom.
It is with joy we see delicate infants in the womb,
Undergo surgeries and go on to live productive lives.
It is with amazement
We see bodies broken and torn in war
Brought back to us, adjusting as they must to new normal,
But able to praise Your Name with humility and honor.
And today, we rejoice that one dear to us
Is recovering from a horrendous accident
Because You will it so.
Thank You, Lord, that you calm the storms of life.
Thank You that you deter storms away from us.
Thank You for erecting strong walls of protection
Around us, winning battles we never knew existed.
Thank You for things we may never know about—
Godincidences which saved us from harm and danger
To Your honor and glory.
Forgive us when we take everyday occurrences as routine.
Forgive us when we fail to notice the nodding flower
A truly remarkable piece of creation we ignore.
We should know You provided it for us, a piece of beauty
In an otherwise chaotic rat-race day.
Forgive us for taking our health for granted
When it is You who provide each heartbeat and breath.
Forgive us for failing to hug the loved one
Who may not live to see another day.Teach us to so number our days that we may gain wisdom,
As Your Psalmist proclaims.
Teach us to pray ceaselessly,
For we know our fervent prayers are heard
And Your miracles surround us every day.
We bow in reverence and thanksgiving. Amen.
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