Mid-week Message

Greetings,

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:7

This second week of Advent, we long for peace. Fear and anxiety can make peace elusive. God meets us in our fear, and gives us peace, which surpasses all understanding. Rev. Sarah Speed wrote this poem, Love Comes Running, to remind us of God’s presence with us in the midst of fear. I invite you to reflect on this poem, and remember that when you feel afraid, Love Comes Running.

I remember

the first time I was afraid.

I was a child.

It was a nightmare.

(You remember those pesky

monsters under the bed.)

I remember

minutes felt like hours.

I begged

the sun to rise.

(Fear always begs the sun to rise.)

Eventually,

after minutes that felt like hours,

I cried out.

My dad came running.

He sat at the edge of my bed.

He said there is no reason to be afraid.

He checked the closet and the floorboards.

He rearranged my pillows.

He said, “I can stay.”

And that’s when I learned

that when you are afraid,

love always comes running.

Love says, “I can stay.”

That’s what God does for us.

God sits at the edge of the bed.

God checks the closet and the floorboards.

God says, “Be not afraid.”

God stays until sunrise.

Love always comes running.

(A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org)

Grace and peace, Rev. Sarina