Listen

Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear. Wolf and lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the snake—its food will be dust. They won’t hurt or destroy at any place on my holy mountain, says the Lord.

Isaiah 65:24-25

Think

When have you been hurt?

When have you hurt someone else?

They say, “Hurt people hurt people.” When we are hurt, we tend to hurt others. When others hurt us, it’s often because they are hurting. There is so much pain in our world. War, violence, injustice — we see these things happening far away and close to us. The pain of rumors, humiliation, fighting within our families, being betrayed by our friends, feeling like we’re not good enough — all of this pain can feel like too much. It’s hard to believe in God’s promise that one day no one will feel hurt or hurt others. It’s like a sheep hanging out with a wolf or a lion suddenly becoming vegetarian! We can’t imagine that!

We can trust in God’s future, and we can do our part in working toward God’s dreams. We can share our hurts with God now, trusting that God loves and cares for us. Through God’s love, we can care for others who are hurting too.

Laura Edgar

Pray

Loving God, sometimes I hurt. All the pain in the world and in my own life feels like too much.

Remind me how much you care.

Help me trust you with my pain, and show me how to care for others in their pain.

Amen.

Go

The world is not as it should be, not as it could be, not as it will be.

Trust God’s dreams for you and the world around you.

Dream with God of what could be…