Monday – October 19, 2020

Scripture

From Psalm 63

On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.

A Word of Hope

Today is Evaluate Your Life Day. I think that 2020 has been Evaluate Your Life Year! Over these past seven months, most of us have been forced to evaluate our lives. As we have lived through “Covid-tide” we have been given a new lens with which to see what is most important to us. Who do we miss seeing? Where do we miss going? What do we miss doing? And perhaps most importantly, how can we maintain and sustain the relationships and activities in our lives that feed our spirits such that we can make our way through these strange times as relatively happy and healthy individuals.

Not being able to gather weekly as a community of faith has been hard on many of us. We have been asked to meet God in different places and in different ways. We have been forced to evaluate how we connect with our God and with our siblings in Christ. What works for us? What doesn’t? These questions are not meant for us to make a judgement about what is or was; but rather, to give us an opportunity to stop and have a candid discussion about how we feel about our relationship with God today; and, what might we need to do to nurture and strengthen that relationship for going forward . Often we find comfort in doing the “same old things” because that is what we know. What we may need to do, however, is give ourselves the gift of re-evaluation and potentially the gift of change. Change is often associate with something negative though change is often good and often needed.

So, how are you and God getting along these days? Take some time to evaluate the current state of your spiritual life. Thinking about the right now, here are some questions to ask yourself: What do I need from my spiritual life? What do I need to strengthen my life in Christ? What is standing between me and my God? What has kept me from living the spiritual life that I desire? What steps, big or small, can I take today that will draw me closer to God and life for which I long?

Evaluating our life, whether it be our personal, professional, or spiritual, can be difficult as well as potentially painful. But, if we do so honestly, believing with our whole heart that God is our constant companion, we will find joy in the journey.

Prayer

Be present with me, O God. Guide and protect me through these days as I am wearied by the changes and chances of this life. Help me to rest confidently in your eternal changelessness. Amen.

Devotion Author

Kris Baker
Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare