Listen

As a result, those who had gathered together asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?”

Jesus replied, “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1:6-8

Think

“If I could just know when I will feel better, it would make this grief so much more bearable,” she said to me, in tears, just days after her father had died.

“There is no timeline for grief,” I replied, realizing what an inadequate answer it was.

There is no timeline that we can discern — when the pain will fade away, when the heartache will find relief, when the dreams we chase will come true.

The unfolding of the future is not ours to see, but we are not alone in the waiting. In fact, Jesus says, you will receive power from the Holy Spirit, not to sit around and wait, but to move with purpose and power toward the future that God has in store for each of you.

“There is no timeline for your grief,” I said to the young woman, “but God was with you before this loss; God is with you now in the midst of your grief; and God will be with you until your heart is healed… and even beyond.”

Sarah McCaslin

Pray

God, help me to trust that I do not walk alone into an unknown future. Guide my feet where you would have them go, and grant me power by the Holy Spirit to be a guide to others. Amen.

Go

Rise up!
When you’re living on your knees, you rise up
Tell your brother that he’s gotta rise up
Tell your sister that she's gotta rise up

from Hamilton: An American Musical by Lin Manuel Miranda