Day 33 – Start at the right yesterday if you want to live life to the full
Morning prayer
Start you day with this prayer
Lord, we have a full and colourful history
But it all began at the cross
Let us remember what happened at the cross
And let it show us the way each and every day
Let it permeate every moment of our day
And give us eternal peace
(Silence)
Amen
Prayer station
Use this symbol to lead you in prayer for the day.
Symbol: Paper crown
What does it mean to you to share in God’s glory?
Think and pray together about what it means to be an heir of God and a co-heir with Jesus.
Reflection
Read this reflection on the text for the day.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory – Romans 8:17.
Jesus is the highest point, the turning point, the focal point and at the centre of everything that God can do and has done to change the world forever. Everything has already been renewed at the cross and the empty grave.
If we want to look back at any yesterday to make decisions for today and tomorrow, then the very best yesterday to look at is the cross.
Many of us are survivors of bad yesterdays. Abuse, trauma, crime, death – there are so many reasons to weep when we look back over our shoulders. But the good news is that Jesus has rewritten our yesterdays and our future. Jesus has left his fingerprints on all of our yesterdays and changed them entirely. Our history no longer begins with hurt, but with the cross.
By focusing on what happened on the cross and what the cross means for our lives, we can live today in freedom and with joy. It doesn’t take away the trauma and the hurt, but places it in a new light. One that reminds us that Jesus loves us and that we are heirs of God with Him. This truth renews everything and gives our lives a new flavour.
Jesus Christ, thank you for influencing all of my yesterdays so that my present may have new meaning. Amen.
Liturgy for life
See the ordinary things you do in and around the house as signs of God’s care.
Wash yesterday off your hands to be healthy tomorrow
Our hands become dirty in our day-to-day life. Whether it is from working or the threat of germs that can make us and those around us ill, it’s necessary to wash our hands. There has been so much emphasis on this crucial habit in the last few weeks. To ensure our best chances against the spread of the virus, some suggested we sing “Happy birthday” while washing our hands to make sure we wash them for at least 20 seconds.
I would like to change this suggestion. Instead of singing “Happy birthday”, rather pray the Lord’s Prayer. Pray to God our Father. Who is, who was, and who will be.
In our daily lives we accumulate so much baggage, things that we drag along with us, things that burden us or scratches the scab off an old wound. God can wash away this hurt, because He is and will be and always has been loyal and committed to us.
When you wash your hands today, pray the Lord’s Prayer aloud, and wash your hands clean from all the things that hurt you in the past so that you can be healthy today and tomorrow.
Children’s activity
Play with your children.
Wow! 21 Days of isolation. 21 Days in which we’re only allowed to be in our homes (or gardens) and can only go out for the most essential things like food and medicine. It can be a little rough! All the things we usually do during the day, like school, sport, church … are not happening anymore. It can really confuse you and maybe even bore you a little. These daily readings will help you to spend some time with Jesus every day in a creative and fun way. You can do these readings and activities by yourself, with your siblings, or with your entire family. Ask one of the grownups to post your activity on Facebook so that others can enjoy it with you. Tag it with #solitudecalendar #churchtogether
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To inherit something from someone is very special. When you inherit something, it means that the person who has left you something, thought of you dearly. Usually there’s a list that indicates who inherits what and those people are called heirs. God loves us, his children, so much that He named each of us an heir. And what have we inherited? God has given us his kingdom.
– Have you ever inherited something?
– What does it mean to be an heir?
– Why do you think we are God’s heirs?
Activity
Ask someone in your home to show you something they inherited and ask them to share their story about this inheritance.
Make a crown from scrap paper. Decorate it and write the following words on it: “I am God’s heir.”
Picture this
– Think of the story of the cross. Which symbols besides the cross come to mind? Perhaps a dove, an olive branch, the ichtus symbol, the curtain tearing. Let your thoughts flow freely for a while.
– How does this symbol help to give meaning to your day, and even your life?
– Create your own interpretation of the illustration through any medium: dance, photography, videography, music, poetry, drawing, painting or short stories.
Record it and share it with us on social media with the hashtag #countdowndoodles
Thank you’s and testimonies
Share your testimony with us! Use the online form below.
Bedtime story
Bedtime story by storyteller Ewald van Rensburg