Scripture: Psalm 88:1-6
O Lord, God of my salvation, when, at night, I cry out in your presence, let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I am like those who have no help, like those forsaken among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep.
Thought for the Day: I don’t think most folks need their name on a building or etched in marble for posterity, but there is a yearning to be remembered. Even more so, I believe there is a desire to have a legacy that matters in the bigger scheme of things. The author of the Psalm is probably moving toward the end of life or at least facing something that has brought the issue of mortality to the forefront. There is often a sense of hopelessness in such moments, an overwhelming anguish in regard to what remains unaccomplished. How many people have sat in the hospital bed or in hospice care and spoken about their regrets, a grudge never mended or forgiveness never offered. I believe God’s love is eternal, and it is into that eternity that our life and memories are welcomed, but the angst felt by some as they face their mortality has more to do with what they’ve left behind. Is the world better? Is my sphere of influence a bit more like the reign of God? Did my life reflect Jesus to both my neighbor and my enemy? Regret is a normal emotion, but when we’ve lived our lives with a bold and passionate love for others, regret seems to be pushed further to the edges. As someone told me years ago, “Live your life in such a way that regret is put out of business.”
Prayer: O Eternal God, I desire to make my life worth recording in the heavenly annals. Though it will be far from perfect, I pray that it serves you and those around me with grace and kindness. Amen.
THIS SUNDAY
(May 25)
CELEBRATING THE MINISTRY
of
Rev. Brian Edwards
