Ordinary Time 
Pause
Our eyes can fool us. We are each captive to our own way of seeing things, struggling to see the world from any perspective but our own.
Sometimes we look away, afraid of what we might see or afraid of what it might mean to see things differently than we usually do.
Wisdom shines a light on what we look at, and God is the source of that illumination. Be prepared now to see things more clearly.
Listen
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28–30
Think
I get tired. I get so worn out I can’t remember why I’m doing what I’m doing. I can’t see the finish line. Instead of telling me to put it all down and walk away, Jesus walks up beside me and shares my load.
Following God is a lifetime commitment. It is a HUGE goal made up of every choice, word, and deed done throughout every day. It’s not a commitment we can put down and walk away from when we are tired or don’t know which way to go. Instead, we get Jesus walking next to us, yoking us together, offering support and encouragement, giving us a guide and a steady rhythm to follow. Taking from us the need to control it all. Allowing our souls to rest. Guiding us to find our way. Calling us to learn community. Showing us how to follow God—again.
Ruth Perkins Lee
Pray
God, help. Help me to see Jesus beside me, guiding me, walking with me. Help me to see you so that I know where to go and what to do. Amen.
Go
May you have new eyes to see this very day a world that is not exactly all that you thought.
May God give you new wisdom to understand the things that God would have you to know.
And may all this result in a new humility that makes you a more effective witness to God’s mysterious works.
