Learning Lessons
Katherine Stanford of Kirtland, NM, USA
Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more. -Isaiah 2:3-4
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all been asked to stay at home, work from home, and stay safe. Because of this, fewer people are “out and about.” My wonderful husband pointed out something he saw on Facebook. A series of photographs depicted deserted city streets devoid of pedestrians and cars. The gutters were clean; the air was clean. There were also pictures of the horizon showing the lack of the haze that usually covers the cities. It was beautiful. God is resurrecting the Earth. He is cleaning the air and taking care of the mess that we have made in it.
Are we learning anything from this or are we just like the spoiled child that expects our parent to clean up after us and then messes things up again? I hope that we have learned a lesson from this that goes beyond the idea of social distancing or complaining about restrictions placed on us. You see, what we do does make a difference to the world. That extra trip to the grocery store to get the one item we forgot changes our world just a little bit, but these things add up.
God is the parent that expects us to take care of what we are given. Let us start living up to God’s expectations.
Prayer Phrase
Let your world of beauty capture me.
Spiritual Practice
Growing a Gracious, Generous Heart
Open your heart to God’s grace and generosity with a “breath prayer.” Let your breathing slow and deepen. Be aware of God’s breath moving in and out of your heart. Spend several minutes focusing on breathing in God’s generosity. With each breath, silently name one gift for which you are thankful. Let your heart expand to contain God’s gracious outpouring of love. With each breath out, name one gift you want to share from the overflow of your heart.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
