Sea-son Change

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; *

my eye is consumed with sorrow,

and also my throat and my belly. Psalm 31

"When your children ask their parents in time to come, 'What do these stones mean?' then you shall let your children know, 'Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground.' For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we crossed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and so that you may fear the Lord your God forever." Joshua 4

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Romans 12

...mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; Collect for this week

Up here in the mountains of North Carolina, the season changes are dramatic. God paints a patchwork quilt to announce the arrival of Fall and then erases all sign of vegetation for the arrival of Winter. The dramatic demise of the foliage in Winter is shocking when you see it for the first time. Plants that just six months before were exploding with radiant colors are reduced to painfully bare sticks, some still left with thorns, but most have no leaves or flowers. Only when they are reduced to that level of nothingness, can the plants begin to grow again.

So it is with our souls. The series of readings above appointed for today remind me of the total process of a season change which can often be like a sea change. (a profound, substantial transformation or a fundamental shift in perspective on a particular issue, typically affecting a society, organization, or industry)

Sea change for the soul first requires appealing to God. From the Psalms, we learn the very best way to appeal as evidenced in this verse from Psalm 31...God I'm in trouble and I need help! From the book of Joshua, we hear God provide a way through and then mark the site where God provided for all to remember. My experience has been that we need not look very far in our fragile lives to encounter God's saving presence. And often God sends a sign in Creation to mark the site (remember the rainbow!). The Romans reading for today reminds us to rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering and persevere in prayer. Losing hope is a sure sign of the need for a sea change of the soul, and without hope we cannot be patient, and we are sure to suffer. Persevering in prayer keeps our life line strong even when our little boats are tossing and turning in the storms of life.

And finally the ˈkä-likt (collect) appointed for last Sunday "collects" all the thoughts from the readings and basically says God please please help us know what we are supposed to do and Do It!!! I love the living document that is scripture and how profound the messages are each and every day. May the Living Word of God sustain us as we face seachanges of our Souls!