Day 55 – Live carefree with adventure
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.
They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are”
– Numbers 13:27-31.
One of the characteristics of being human is our search for certainty. Look at the Israelites in Numbers 13. While they wandered through the desert, hungry and uncertain about the future, they were anxious about the spies’ report on the Promised Land. Ten of the twelve said it would be impossible to take the land. Only Joshua and Caleb could see past human restrictions and saw God’s hand in today and also tomorrow. They were scared, but still convinced that they should dare to take on this adventure with the Lord.
If Moses had to vote democratically that day to keep everyone happy, the Israelites would have turned around to the known – the slavery in Egypt. But Moses and his two spies, the two daring spies who gave the minority report, chose for God’s way. They did not want to satisfy the people, but only God.
To live this way you need guts. You need a lot of courage to create distance from human certainties. Most people are caught up in worries and anxieties about tomorrow. They do not live courageously, but hide in their safe shelters. Jesus, though, walks towards the storm, towards the open seas.
To live for today with Jesus asks of us a new way of living, a carefree way of living. Look up to God every day and trust God for today’s bread. Be excited about the small things in life. Live simply. Laugh exuberantly. Be content. Listen to the music of creation. Share what you have with others.
Try one of these carefree rhythms of life today. Is this not the life you want for yourself?
Father, help me to lay down my search for certainties so that I may experience a carefree life of adventure with You. 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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There’s a game called “Truth or dare”. To play this game, you have to choose between “truth” or “dare” when you answer a question. When you choose “truth”, you have to answer the question honestly; when you choose “dare”, you have to do something daring. To complete both of these challenges, you need guts. But it’s not only for games that we need guts in life. Luckily, we don’t have to depend on our own courage, because God is always with us to help us and give us that extra bit of guts.
– Read today’s Bible verse. How would you feel if you were in the Israelites’ shoes?
– What do you think gave them the guts to make the right decision?
Activity
Do you have guts? Think of a few challenges that would need a lot of guts to do. Here are a few examples: eat something spicy that will burn your mouth, hold an ice cube in your hand for 30 seconds. Just choose carefully so that you will not do something that will hurt you or someone else.
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
