Ordinary Time

Pause

“You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

Mary Stevenson, "Footprints in the Sand," 1936

In our hardest of times it is often difficult to recognize God’s presence. The Lord is carrying us on our journey of faith. We do not walk alone!

Listen

Look, I go east; he’s not there, west, and don’t discover him; north in his activity, and I don’t grasp him; he turns south, and I don’t see.

Job 23:8-9

Think

My favorite contest at baseball games is “dizzy bat.” Not because I like to be dizzy, confused, or directionally challenged, but because I find it funny watching people attempt to run in a straight line after spinning around facing the ground. It’s not an easy feat, and it usually ends with one or both contestants falling to the ground after tripping over their own two feet. I enjoy it because it’s silly. In reality, it’s all too similar to my own life.

Put your head down, spin around, then look up and try to walk in a straight line. While you’re focusing on one foot in front of another, try to focus on what’s in store for your day, too. Now, think about how Job is looking for God — around at his level — forward, backward, left, right. If we start our day looking around constantly or looking down at our own messes, we will miss out. But, looking up and “spotting” properly, we are less likely to lose control or lose sight of God around us.

Katie Barrett Todd

Pray

Holy God, I look around at my life and sometimes I don’t recognize you. As I plan my day today, I ask that you keep my eyes focused on your glory so that in all I do and say and am to the world, I’d both see you and point others in your direction. In your name, amen.

Go

The “Footprints” poem ends with: The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

Go, remembering that God is always with you. Be blessed this day, opening your eyes to gaze upon the glory of the Lord. And remind others who seem to be asking similar questions, that Christ lives in you!