welfare

10/04/10 My breath prayer for the day comes from Jeremiah 29:7, where the LORD tells the prophet to " seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." So by welfare, I am not talking about what the government does to meet the needs of the poorest in the population. And I certainly don't feel like I am living in exile as the Israelites did when they were carried into captivity in Babylon. My prayer has been to acknowledge that I am called to be the very best citizen in Austin, Texas, where I live, because my well-being is tied to its well-being. So this morning, like most mornings, I am picking up trash along the trails. This is trash I didn't create, and I am not responsible for, yet it is my park and my city, so I pick it up because I want my park and my city to be clean. I said a prayer for the beauty of creation I got to enjoy as the sun rose on this cool morning. I went through my list of praying for other people--biological family and church family. All of our welfares are tied together.

Love,
Lynn