Daily Bread June 28

The Small Stuff
By Evie Kalvelage of Independence, MO, USA


Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:4-7 NRSV

Sometimes I bother God for stuff that is superficial even in my own life, even more so from a global point of view. I’ve been known to beg for a chance to play pickleball; at 67 it’s not easy to feel like a kid again. Fun seems to grow more elusive daily, but pickleball does the trick. I also love my fellow pickleball players.

I pray constantly for healing for my husband, Doug. He struggles with side effects from leukemia and a bone marrow transplant. Then I think of all the pain, suffering, and loss in the world, and I feel like a real jerk taking up God’s time for my petty request.

This morning, while I was thinking about all that, I realized how presumptuous I was to outline God’s limitations. Doubting God’s capacity to handle it all is an insult to God’s omnipotence, omniscience, and caring nature. Matthew 10:30 states that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. That’s a pretty big capacity for details. In Philippians 4, God invites us to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known.”

I’m going to leave the mystery of how God handles all that, and be thankful that the Lord is interested in my problems, both big and small.

Prayer Phrase

I dwell in your presence.

Spiritual Practice

Prayer of Examen

Spend a few moments recalling your day. Let details, events, and conversations drift through your memory. Offer gratitude for the day and pray to be aware of how God was present. What did you notice or feel that brought meaning? Pay attention to moments when you felt least in harmony with God’s vision for creation. Offer a prayer of confession. Pay attention to moments when you felt most in harmony with God’s vision for creation. Pray to be even more aware of and responsive to God’s presence in the days ahead. Amen.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

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