A New York Minute

I’ve been in town for a few days primarily to visit my dad, who isn’t doing so well. Watching your parents diminish in strength and vitality can be emotionally taxing. I observe his wife and listen to all she has to say. It has also taken a toll on her. My heart breaks as I sense her pain. Truthfully, I feel helpless. I can’t fix her heart, neither can I restore my father’s years.

My forehead starts to tighten and I begin to feel weary. It’s time to step back and recalibrate. In the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, I found a quiet place. For a New York minute, I stayed silent allowing the burden of the moment to roll away. I find peace when I give God my chaos. That’s what I did. In a New York minute, I felt a release.

Dear Lord:

Today I’m reminded of my limitations. There are many things I can’t fix. There are wrongs make right and broken things I can’t put back together. But you can. So I lay my chaos at your feet. It is in my weakness that I draw strength from ‘sitting’ at your feet. You’ve always invited me to ‘trust You with all my heart and not to rely on my own understanding; to seek Your will in all I do and You will give me guidance and direction’ (Proverbs 3:5-6). Another day I take You at Your word and I rest in Your strong arms.

I entrust those I care for and love to You. Though I try, there’s so much I can’t do for them. You’ve been faithful through the years. With the passage of time as things change, I find comfort in the fact that You remain the same – A God of mercy, grace, kindness and love. When I can’t , You can. And so I rest in You. You are my place of peace and strength.

‘Your Child’