Day 51 – God forgets; why do you remember?
Prayer for the week
Start you day with this prayer
Symbol: Cloud
Prayer
Holy God, Three-in-One, in the next week we will celebrate the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ – that strange event that seemed like a final farewell. We are reminded that with the resurrection of Jesus Christ the beginning of a new reality was announced: You are truly the Prince of Peace that will reign for all eternity on earth and in heaven.
Show us, Lord, that we can still believe in these times and proclaim that You truly reign over everything and everyone. Turn our fears into trust, Lord, so that we can still be builders in your kingdom on earth, even in the midst of all this uncertainty.
Remind us that we, through the power of the Holy Spirit, are still part of the story that You are writing with your creation.
Console us with the knowledge that You did not leave us behind as orphans, but that your Advocate is with us for all eternity – and that You will indeed come back for us (John 14:16-18).
Amen.
Reflection
Read this reflection on the text for the day.
Anyone who is among the living has hope – even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! – Ecclesiastes 9:4.
Anyone who is among the living has hope – even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! – Ecclesiastes 9:4.
You owe yourself today. As Ecclesiastes 9 says, a living dog is better than a dead lion. Well, you too. You’re alive! You are here. Even if you may have lost your job or became seriously ill, God chose that you would live today.
Your worth did not decline because the money in your pocket disappeared or your health changed dramatically. Or because your company ended your services, or your marriage failed or a dear friendship was torn apart. You are not a failure today because these things happened. Not even the wrong things you have done or the wrong paths you chose yesterday can count against you today when you live in God’s hand and know God’s forgiveness.
You live by the grace of God. You are precious in God’s eyes. Yesterday’s mistakes and shortcomings are at least a night’s journey behind you. Together with yesterday that is all in the past, all of yesterday’s pain, hardships, wrong decisions, struggling and hurt are also in the past. God chose to start over with you. Why reject receiving God’s grace? Why reject God who wants to embrace you anew with God’s love and compassion? Why keep clutching to bitterness and self-pity?
Do not believe the lies that your worth is only measurable in monetary value, or maybe only by how useful you are to others. You are so precious to God that He did not skip you when He blessed all his loved ones on earth this morning with fresh bread. You were not neglected when a portion of the new life was poured out by the Spirit over God’s church. God decided to forget your weak yesterday; why are you keeping it alive? Do not let lies about yesterday and the day before keep you prisoner. Escape from your self-imposed sentence. Be free. Live today!
Thank you, Lord, that You gave me today as a gift. Help me to lay yesterday’s failures, pain and regret at your feet so I can live freely today. Amen.
Liturgy for life
A time to be thankful …
In a time where many people use social media to express their frustrations over what they can and cannot buy, it may be a good time to think about everything we can be thankful for. Everything that we have, yes everything, comes from God’s hand. It is God who blesses us with life and also with what we need to make life possible. God blesses us with all the elements that make life worthwhile, like relationships and the gift of nature. Use your five senses this week to be aware of all these gifts in your life and choose to be truly thankful for what God is blessing you with.
– Listen to the birds in the garden, to music, to the sound of tractors working on the farm. What do you hear that fills you with gratitude?
– Smell the fresh early morning air, the food that you prepare in your home. Be thankful that you still have food to eat.
– Taste the food that you have to eat. Realise that God is giving you the opportunity to work so that you can eat, so you can help build God’s kingdom.
– Touch the ground in the garden outside, in the fields or in the orchard. Touch your pet, your kids, your parents, your partner. How does this blessing feel? How does your dog, cat or horse react when you scratch their ears with love and gratitude?
– See everything around you. Everything that you own, your kids, the beauty of the region where you live and work. See how God is still blessing you in these most difficult circumstances and cares for you and the world. Thank God!
Write down everything that you experience this week. Write a letter of gratitude or a psalm of praise and put it in your Bible or even share it on social media to remind yourself and others that we have so much to be truly grateful for.
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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Hope is a strange word. We know what it means, but it is difficult to explain. Today’s Bible verse reminds us that hope means we still have time to do things. It does not matter what happened yesterday or what people say about you or how many times you fail to do something right. As long as you are still breathing, every day is a new opportunity to live passionately for God.
– Have you ever felt as though you have lost all hope? What happened
– How can you explain to someone what hope is?
Activity
Make a poster that says: “Live passionately for God!” Put it up somewhere where you will see it every day, first thing in the morning! Every time you see your poster you can remember: Because I still breath, I live with hope.
Picture this
Look at this week’s illustration.
Talk to the people in your home or with your friends on WhatsApp about the illustration.
– What stands out to you?
– Take note of the things you see, but also of the things that aren’t present in the illustration.
– What would you like to add?
– How does this illustration connect with today’s Scripture, and how not?
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
