Today’s scripture: Romans 8:26-27 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Cheryl Stonestreet):
Utterly alone, you can see others circling around you, but it’s as if they are on the other side of a thick glass. If you could breathe deeply, you would, but at best all you can do is cling to the ringing in your ears. You realize you are in shock. You can’t comprehend the world around you enough to know how to move away. You can only watch the swirling activity beyond the glass. And then the pain sets in.
This was my experience of being in shock after a bad car accident. I’ve had similar reactions a couple of other times in my life — when I got an unexpected pink slip, and when I was blindsided by a betrayal. I could not pray. My human brain — made up of a mush of cells, amino acids, and hormones — was incapable of it then.
Today’s scripture lets us know that we are heavily fortified in God’s care, even when we can not pray. God has given us the interceding Spirit who speaks for us “with sighs too deep for words” when our own words do not come. I find this encouraging news, knowing we are all being watched over and tended to so completely. It’s a crazy world out there. God’s love is with us at all times, even when are incapable of feeling it.
Thought for the day: Abba, thank you for sending your Spirit to watch over us. Thank you for caring for us enough to put your assistants in place. You are The Glorious Creator!
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.