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Day by day
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Saturday in the Octave of Easter
Psalm 118
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever.
I shall not die but live and declare the deeds of the Lord. The Lord chastised me harshly, but did not hand me over to death. The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.
On Netflix, I watched “The ’85 Bears.” 15-1, Super Bowl winners – the only Super Bowl champion in Chicago Bear history. Mike Ditka, still smoking cigars and surprisingly humble. Buddy Ryan, in a wheelchair and full of love for his players. Jim McMahon, diagnosed with early onset dementia, doing jigsaw puzzles in Arizona, four at a time, as unpredictable as ever.
At the end of the show everyone said, “Of course. We’d do it all again.” It was a wonderful time. But circumstances changed, and they could not repeat their success. Ditka said, “Before the Super Bowl it was WE and after we won, it all became ME.”
Still, thirty years later affection and joy mark both players’ and coaches’ comments. Richard Rohr talks of moving from the “first” half to the “second” half of life, saying the transition comes via either great love or great suffering, or both. These guys have learned a lot, and left at least some of both arrogance and bitterness behind. They have moved into the second half of life.
Psalm 118 sings out gratitude for the past, encouragement in the present, and hope for the future. These are available to us all, every moment, regardless of the “chastisement” of the day. By the Lord this is done. Let us rejoice and be glad.
In the moment of quiet, Lord, open me right up to your love. Let me rest my eyes and see through yours. Let me rest my hands and be guided by yours. For you are good and your mercy endures forever.
http://www.christiancounselingservice.com/archived_devotions.php?article_id=1507
