Mid-week Message

Greetings,

“They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” - Isaiah 35:10c

On Sunday we learned that Joseph had made up his mind about how he would respond to Mary’s pregnancy, but that God called Joseph to choose a better way. Joseph followed God’s call to a deeper righteousness and created joy for Mary. He joined her in the hard road God has set before her. Together they supported each other through the challenges and experienced the joy of raising the Son of God. Often, God’s call to choose a better way is a difficult choice for us to follow. This poem, Instructions for a Hard Choice, by Rev. Sarah Speed captures the challenge and determination to choose a better way.

First, you must take a deep breath.

Let oxygen dance through your lungs.

Exhale it slowly. Allow the hurt, the shame,

the anger to rise up in you. Let your mind run wild,

like a million loose horses. Let the narratives unfold, unroll,

a river of choppy water. Ask yourself how you got here. Look

down at your feet. Roll your shoulders back. Remember who you

are. Take another deep breath. Then, walk it back to the beginning.

Instead of looking at your feet, look at hers. Imagine where she stands. Imagine what he needs.

Dry the river of false stories in your mind. Turn rushing water into a dry creek bed,

certainly not clean enough to drink. Call the horses. Bring them home.

Watch as they shake off the dust of the day. Name what

you’re feeling. Inhale again. Now you are ready

to choose a better way.

(A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org)

Grace and peace, Rev. Sarina