Thursday, April 2, 2009

Scripture

Psalm 27: 13
I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living

Reflection

I am not really a morning person, although in my adult life as an educator I have forced myself to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to face my 8 o’clock classes, when, in truth, I’d rather be still tuckedup in bed, or at least cocooned in a blanket on the sofa watching theToday Show, and nursing a cup of coffee. Now all of that is strange, because, as an infant and toddler, I rarely slept for more than a few hours at a time, if my mom’s accounts are to be believed. Apparently I did not fret, fuss or cry upon awakening, but I did expect to be entertained (or to entertain), to be played with, or to be listened to. I suspect that those of you who know me will attest that that part, at least, has not changed significantly over the years! By the time the teenage years rolled around, my “she’s-not–a-morning-person” persona was reasonably well-developed. Emerging silent and petulant of a morning, often having been wakened several times already, I was typically greeted by my father, feigning amazement and saying, “She’s in the land of the living!”At the time, I did not reflect, deeply or otherwise, upon the potential significance of this greeting. And even had I done so, it’s unlikely that I’d have made any connection with Psalm 27 or the lifeof faith. Indeed, truth be told, it was not until I was asked to reada selection of scriptures with a view to submitting a Lenten blog, that I thought about that old morning greeting at all, except with the mild annoyance I felt way back then upon hearing it, and with a smile about the dad who left the land of the living almost 30 years ago. As I’ve aged, I’ve learned to be more reflective about life and faith. Even so, an awareness of the goodness of the Lord has not always been a present reality, whereas the urge to “snooze” through life often has. Perhaps I need to be reminded on a daily basis that I am, by God's grace, “in the land of the living”, and very much blessedthrough the Lord’s goodness. Maybe I need to be more awake and aware,believing and seeing the goodness of the Lord, even in those times when it appears to be deeply hidden by darkness or absent altogether. I am reminded, as I reflect, of some words from Ephesians, "Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."(Eph.5:14) So perhaps this Lenten season I will give up……….. slumbering. I will take my place in the land of the living, and see God’s goodness in new, enlivening and enlightening ways.

Written by a PC Faculty
Today, please pray for Honor Council