delivered from distress

July 23, 2010, "My breath prayer for today is Psalm 107:6, Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress." It had been a month since I had made any hospital visits till yesterday afternoon. One of our precious little girls was in Dell Children's Hospital. Her surgery had gone fine, but she was assailed by itchy skin. She kept directing her mom to scratch higher or lower, front or back. She could not get comfortable. It was painful for me to experience, because my whole life long I have had similar skin problems. I went next to visit Igor, a young man who has suffered a spinal cord injury, and is now out of ICU and in rehab. He has made tremendous progress in the past month, but his parents were almost desperate for help with the next steps: housing, outpatient care, funds. They are from Macedonia and struggle with the language, the bureaucracy, everything. They had me call 211 to get directions about accessing health and human services. My God hear the prayers of these who cry in their troubles and deliver them from their distress.

Love,
Lynn

give thanks

July 28, 2010, My breath prayer for today is Psalm 107:1, "O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever." I give thanks for being home, for having meaningful work to do, for my marriage, for our children, for being able to travel, for being able to give blood yesterday, for enjoying exercising, for having friends, for being able to sleep deeply, for the hope we have in Jesus, and for God's steadfast love.

Love,
Lynn

return

July 27, 2010 My breath prayer for the day is very appropriate for one who has just returned from 4 weeks of renewal leave, from Hosea 11:11b, "I will return them to their homes, says the LORD." We got in about 2 p.m. yesterday after spending nearly a month on the road visiting friends and news places in Australia and New Zealand. I cannot begin to put into words how grateful I am to God for this sabbath time. I am also very thankful to be home....in my own bed (not a new one every day or few days), with a closet full of clothes (not a suitcase), with a known walking path (not one that I have to follow by looking at a map). But I found a home wherever I went: with my wife in the renewing of our marriage, with friends like the Shanks' family in Brisbane, with the church as we worshiped at the Uniting Church of Australia, at St. Mary's Catholic in Sydney, at Christchurch Anglican for evensong in Christchurch, and at Pitt Street Methodist in Aukland. I pray that we know that we have a home to return to when we die. Today, I am at home in my church job, going to staff meeting, going through mail, and starting again.

Love,
Lynn