Thursday of Week 5 in Ordinary Time (Year I)
Genesis 2:18-25 | Psalm 127(128):1-5 | Mark 7:24-30
Last evening, as I boarded a bus in the rain to head to church, a funny thing happened.
Right behind me came two young girls, leaping like gazelles as exuberant young children do.
After them chased their harried father, trying to get them seated before the bus moved off.
After him came an old man…who nearly stabbed himself in the groin with the tip of the father’s long umbrella, held out horizontally behind him.
I almost laughed out loud, before gesturing to the father to put away his weapon of manly destruction.
It was a refreshing moment, because I’d been worried about the torrents of water falling down all around us, and the reports of flooding elsewhere on the island. The road outside church had already been swamped badly at least twice before. I wasn’t wearing my usual waterproof shoes yesterday, and not even those could hold back a deluge of muddy water.
I was not looking forward to conducting choir practice with swimming feet.
✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞
We’ve all had times when it seemed that nothing was going right, when we just wanted to stay in bed and wish everything and everyone away.
It’s often hard during those times to remember that there’s always One with us, watching and waiting for us to turn around and run to Him for comfort.
Waiting for us to look to Him for strength.
Waiting to show us the Way.
And as I gingerly picked my way around the many deep puddles between me and church, I couldn’t help but hum a familiar psalm, the same one we sing today:
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways! (Psalm 128:1)
Thanks be to God, my feet stayed dry.
Later, in the shower, another song came to mind, for which a new set of words flowed to fit what I felt back then, walking alone-yet-not-alone in the darkness and the pouring rain:
You walked in the rain by my side, You offered the warmth of Your hand.
You’ve shown me the Way to travel high and dry, You’ve loved me more than anybody can.
And the wind will whisper Your name to me, little angels sing along in time.
Nations bow down when You walk by, and morning bells will chime.
You’ve always been there when I’m down, to wipe away the tears that I cry.
You’ve shared with me all the blessings to be found, a reflection of the love in Your eyes.
So I’ll sing You a song of high praises, proclaiming my great joy for all time.
Nations bow down when You walk by, and morning bells will chime.
Amen.