“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[ his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
God has a way of taking my breath away like no one else. We are camping in Bedford, PA this weekend. A gem of a campground we found last year called Merritt Pond. It’s nestled in a valley, a man made duck pond. Run by a family.
The owner is very precious to me, although I don’t know her well. She drives around on her golf cart, taking care of her campers. When I met her last year she had just lost her father. He used to help her run it. They were out working on the property, fixing water lines. He was finishing up a job, told her to go on to the next one. She did. He never came. When she went back looking for him, she found he had gone to be with Jesus. He had had a heart attack and was gone, just like that.
I have never forgotten her story.
This morning, when I walked out of our camper, it took my breath away. The picture I’m posting with this doesn’t do it justice. The peace and tranquility as I gazed out over the foggy pond went directly to my heart. I was instantly reminded of the scripture above. I felt God’s presence surrounding me. I’m so grateful His mercies are new every day.
I was born and raised in PA. Even though I’ve lived longer in VA, PA is and always will be my home. When I come to this area, when I hear the PA accents I instantly feel safe.
It is in PA where I learned community. You always hear “it takes a village”. It does. I was born in the village of Tidal. I’m spending this weekend with lifelong friends from there. They are friends that live over seven hours from us, yet when my brother’s son died they were there. When my Mom died, they were there. They were also there for the weddings, the birthdays and the celebrations. It takes a village that shows up, no matter where you’re from or how big it is. The key is showing up.
God’s mercy is new every morning because He shows up every morning. More than anything in the world, that is what He wants us to do. Show up. Show up and meet with Him. Show up and meet with others. We don’t have to have the perfect words, perfect actions or perfect whatever. All we have to do is show up.
I have dear friends who tragically lost their son in February. In the seven months since, I have consistently heard my friend say, “Just show up.”. That is all he wants for his village to do. Show up for him. Be there for them to help get through the tough days. Be there for them as they adjust to this new normal in their lives. Just show up.
I’m studying Job. I’ve found that as I go deeper into ministry I encounter suffering here on this earth like I had never imagined. I’m searching for answers to the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I get asked it so often.
I don’t have the answer to that question. I have found what you do though, when it does. You show up.
That’s what Job’s friends did for him when he lost everything. They showed up. For a week, they all just sat in silence, not speaking. There weren’t words that describe the depth of grief that Job was experiencing. There weren’t actions that could take away the pain. There was just presence that in the midst of the loss of his children, his livelihood, his health he was not alone.
I’m just starting into the part of the study where they start talking. They probably should of stayed silent, but that’s for another blog.
For today, just know God showed up. He’s there for you. His mercies are new. He loves you. If there’s someone in your life hurting, just show up. You don’t have to say a word. Just be there for them and let them know they aren’t alone.
New Every Morning
