Lent Reflection: Friday, March 3

In addition to my nightly prayer, or Compline, I have added a daily devotion of prayer and meditation for those who are in my life. Thursday, was focus on my dad. Friday was focus on my mom. Compline for Friday included Psalm 87: The prayer of one gravely ill. I hope that my focus on this prayer helped release some of the pain I felt at my mom's illness and passing nearly six years ago. Photos from that time are popping up in my Facebook memories, and it all comes flooding back to me.

Lord, you are in our midsts, we are called by your name. 

Do not desert us, O Lord our God! --Jeremiah 14:9

My work at the conference was good yesterday. My anxiety levels were low. I'm in a place where my parents were together in 1982: Knoxville, Tennessee, the site of the World's Fair. I turned 12 that same year. That was 35 years ago and so much is different. That seems strange to say, really, as change happens every moment in our lives.

I like to think that I'm good at handling change. I'm not any better at it than most people. I stress in the face of change and then put on the brave mask to work through or around it. I spend a lot of time fighting things I can give over and let go. The verse from Jeremiah above tells us how to conquer stress and to ask for help when needed.