A
long-term employee shared a story that she had started with the company
fourteen years ago after being laid off from another company where she worked
over twenty years. Starting over is never easy and learning the new procedures
and fast pace made her worry that she was not going to survive this new change.
However, this wonderful leader came up to her one day and asked how she was
doing. With tears in her eyes, she shared that she was afraid that she might be
fired. Instead he simply put his arm around her shoulders and said: “Don’t
worry honey, we’re going to make you look good.”
We have started another season. Not quite Spring
yet, but we have entered another season of Lent that in the past focused on our
sins. Yes, we know the drill that that we are imperfect beings, we have our
share of weaknesses and suffer for our past mistakes and continue to make
excuses for not doing better. Picture this scene. Jesus, your coach, comes up to you and says, "Don't
worry honey, we’re going to make you look good."
How does that make you feel? Relief, that I don’t
have to go it alone. God is watchiong over us. Not to scold us for all our mistakes,
but keeping an eye on his creation for after all we are created out of love.
Our vision is to take God’s love and make ourselves look good. One important
way we do this is in our humble prayers.
So here we go, As I write this Sonshine I am
praying for you at this moment that God will take all your struggles, all your
fears and make you look good. God only knows we have made enough mistakes at this
stage in our life whether we are eighteen or in our eighties. But instead of
carrying this heavy load of regret or fear that we are bound to keep
falling down and making the same mistakes again. Would it not be a better image
of God holding us up on his shoulders and giving us the extra boost we need
sometimes to get us through hard times.
I had a Sunshine friend send me images of
children. The one that best reflects this reflection is a child sitting on the
shoulders of their dad. The photo is taking from behind and what you see is
this child holding onto the hands of their dad from the back and the dad’s T-shirt is dripping wet because
their little darling has had a loose moment.
I am sure that we have had many moments in which
we have let go and found ourselves swimming in the “urine” of life. Isn’t it
nice to know that Abba, Our Father in heaven, will pick us up and let us stay
on his shoulders until we find the strength to hold our own and live in the
best version of ourselves.
God holds us up especially in moments of disaster
as we pray: “ Guard my life and rescue me: do not let me be put to shame, for I
take refuge in you.” (Psalm 25:20).
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who have
been overcome with sorrow or trouble that make us want to lose our cookies. May
your tender love hold us up and give us the hope that we are created in love to
be holy and blameless in your sight.
