Ordinary Time 
Pause
In athletics, “on your mark” is the signal that precedes everything. Stop. Breathe. Get into position. God has something to say to you today. The race that matters is about to begin.
Listen
Lord, listen closely to me and answer me, because I am poor and in need. Guard my life because I am faithful. Save your servant who trusts in you—you! My God! Have mercy on me, Lord, because I cry out to you all day long. Make your servant’s life happy again because, my Lord, I offer my life to you, because, my Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of faithful love for all those who cry out to you.
Psalm 86:1-5
Think
When I swam in the sea off Puerto Rico, there were times when the current would pull me away from the shore without me noticing. Suddenly, I would raise my head, and the beach would look small. The waves sounded louder. But if there was someone on the shore watching, I knew I wasn’t alone. Life sometimes feels like that. You get so involved in serving, in giving, in caring for others, that one day you raise your head and you don’t quite know where you left off. The shore is far away. It feels like your soul is, too.
David writes this psalm from that place. “I am poor and needy,” he says. He doesn’t pretend. He doesn’t act. He speaks the truth to God. That’s what someone who trusts their coach does. They say, “I’m exhausted. I need help.”
And God responds. Because God is good. Because God’s love is great.
It doesn’t matter how far the current has carried you today. God sees you and is ready to sustain you. The current can never carry you further than God’s love can reach you.
Jesús García
Question to Ponder:
What real need are you hiding from God today?
Pray
God, you know me better than I know myself. Today, I bring you my needs without pretending that all is well. What I need right now is…
I trust that you are good and that you hear me. I surrender myself into your hands. Amen.
Go
Go out today with purpose. Don’t run alone. Run with the team God gave you, with the gifts God gave you, into the world God loves so much. On your mark, get set…go!
