My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121: 2
Lying in bed in my grandmother’s Florida home I was surrounded by a comforting sound. The familiar melodies from her harmonica followed by gentle singing of hymns like “Amazing Grace” and “Be Thou My Vision” floated to my ears from my grandmother’s bedroom just across the patio from the room where I spent several weeks each year in my early teens.
These special one-on-one times with my father’s mother, Mary Louise, gave me a glimpse of another kind of relationship with God. My grandmother wove the language of her faith into the fabric of each of her days. As we worked in the garden, gathering oranges or mangos, she would comment on how God provides for us; as we clipped hibiscus flowers and floated them on water in bowls to adorn her coffee tables, she would give thanks for the beauty God surrounds us with in creation; as she sang hymns at the close of the day while we drifted off to sleep, it was evident she spent each day in companionship with God.
During this time of Lent, this season that calls us to renew and refocus our attention on our relationship with God, I return to those sacred moments with my grandmother. She revealed to me a living faith in a God who is ever present both in times of need and in times of joy.
God —– may we truly know your constant presence in each moment of our day. May we open ourselves to be embraced by your loving and compassionate presence today and all of our days. Amen.
Rev. Catherine Stark-Corn
Minister to Children, Youth and Families
