Ordinary Time

Pause

To be taught any subject requires openness.

Openness to new things. To not being an expert. To change.

Today God brings a word worth your openness.

Listen

I love your Instruction!Ā I think about it constantly.Ā Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemiesĀ because it is always with me.Ā I have greater insight than all my teachersĀ because I contemplate your laws.Ā I have more understanding than the eldersĀ because I guard your precepts.

Psalm 119:97-100

Think

Do you have a passion? Is there something that you think about constantly? Writing has always been one of my passions. In high school, my computer was filled with drafts of stories and ideas for different novels. I typed so much so quickly that my wrists began to hurt! I spent a lot of time thinking about a career as a writer and fantasized about being interviewed by Oprah for being a young, dazzling bestseller.

One of the great things about passion is that it can make us bold. As a teenager, I pursued my passion by sending work out for publication, and I continued to do so even as I was met with rejection.

The psalmist today has a passion for God’s instruction. Following God’s instructions often requires boldness. We need to be bold to love, seek justice, care for our neighbors, and disrupt the status quo. How might you continue to develop your passion for God in order to grow in boldness?

Megan McDermott

Pray

God, creator of time who is beyond time, I give you this time today. Help me always appreciate the time and opportunity to dwell in your word. Amen.

Go

Understanding God's instructions can be complicated. Do not be so overwhelmed that you cannot act.

Love of God and others ā€” these are the heart of God's instructions.

Follow love today.