Daily Bread March 18

Meddling in Each Other’s Lives
Daniel Hedman of Placerville, CA, USA


I lift up my eyes to the hills-
  from where will my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
  who made heaven and earth.  -Psalm 121:1-2

“Are we moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One?”

I had a professor in college that would joke about how he and God had an agreement that they wouldn’t meddle in each other’s lives. This always cracked me up as it was so ironic and oh so slightly irreverent-my favorite kind of humor. But as I reflect on this notion, I realize that I might (on more occasions than I’d like to admit) hope that this is the case for me. I find myself thinking, “God, please don’t bug me and I won’t bug you! I’m too busy, too overwhelmed, too frustrated, too (you name it!).” I, of course, justify all of this by thinking, when things settle down, I’ll be more present. As if, right around the corner, calm and simplicity are going to smack me in the face.

As I reflect on the question “Are we moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One?”, the question for me is, “What constitutes moving towards Jesus?” Does it require a certain activity, or a certain amount of time? Are there prerequisites involved? Well, I have to believe that the answer is simply “No.” In his book Here and Now: Living in the Spirit, Henry Nouwen says, “If we could just be, for a few minutes each day, fully where we are, we would indeed discover that we are not alone and that the One who is with us wants only one thing: to give us love” (Nouwen, 20).

We are blessed with simple moments, possibly overlooked or disregarded, of Divine encounter occurring in the most mundane of circumstances. I know this because I have encountered God at Starbucks, the laundromat, the copy room, and many other places that you just simply don’t assume God is going to show up. But I am convinced, my friends, that God is there waiting to be acknowledged, aware of our tiredness, our fears, our trepidation, our (you name it!). We move towards the peaceful One when we simply say, “Here I am. Present for this fleeting moment. Let me be a vessel of your love and peace.”

Prayer Phrase

Are we moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One?

Spiritual Practice

Gospel Contemplation (John 3:1-8)

Each week during Lent, you are invited to pray with a different gospel story from the life of Christ. Use your senses and imagination to enter the text. Allow it to come to life in you, observing details, noticing interactions, even engaging in dialogue. Notice where you find yourself in the story and how you feel about what is happening. Notice what it evokes in you or invites of you. Take time to journal or enter silent prayer to reflect on your experience and to sense where the Spirit may be leading you through this scriptural encounter.

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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