Alone Together #7 Write a Psalm Yourpself

How do we process our faith, grief, concern, love, struggles, pain, trust, and prayer? I invite you to write a psalm yourpselph.

Writing your own psalm is a powerful way to journal, worship, pray, and connect with God. You can follow the pattern of one specific psalm if you’d like. But there is no wrong way to do it. Adore Your God. Remember His blessings. Cry out to God. Reflect on His kindness. Confess ways you have fallen short. Whine a little. Pour out your lament. Call upon His name. Ask Him for specific requests. Lift up friends, family, strangers, all those on your heart and mind. Praise Him for all the ways He has shown Himself to you in mercy and grace. Rest in the truth of who God is.

A Psample:

Psalm 151

A psalm of Goodtime Linda

O Lord, I am overwhelmed by the pain swirling around me.

My tears do not cease for all the loss and heartbreak.

Lord, my heart breaks for all those who have lost loved ones.

For all those who face fear on so many levels.

Speak, Lord, to the weak, the vulnerable, those who face a looming, unseen enemy.

Lord, my heart breaks for those who feel alone.

My heart breaks for those separated from loved ones,

The ones who cannot understand and feel abandoned.

Families who cannot celebrate weddings, graduations, and special times together.

Bereaved ones who must say goodbye without the loving touch of friends and family.

Selah.

Lord, be strength and comfort for all those on the front lines,

Those who care for the sick and dying,

Those who protect the weak and reassure the lonely,

Those who seek a cure,

Those who feed the hungry,

Those who do a million unseen, unsung, underappreciated jobs to keep us going.

Lord, my heart hurts, my mind is burdened, my eyes weep.

Teach me to cling to the Man of Sorrows, One who is acquainted with grief.

You are El Roi, the God Who Sees.

You see the suffering. You hear the cries. You care with a father’s heart.

You are near to the brokenhearted.

You are God Almighty on your throne.

You are not taken by surprise.

You are not wringing your hands in helplessness.

You are working in light of eternity.

Teach me to rest in You and You alone.

Selah.

(*Selah: stop, pause, and think. Let this settle in.)

Pour out your heart in a psalm. Or several. You may choose to write one each morning. If you would like, share your psalms with us. Send yours to me and I will compile them for our own Alone Together book of Psalms. Could be really therapeutic, cathartic, and encouraging for us. Or read yours at Bible study tomorrow…

Alone Together #6 Time in the Word

When I asked what people needed, most everyone responded, “time in the Word”. So that’s what we will do. Join us Tuesdays at 7:30pm Eastern Standard Time (Wednesday morning for you Aussies). Because our time is limited, I will jump right in the Word at 7:30, so have your Bible and journal ready. Click on the link from your latest email at 7:30 Tuesday evening to join us.

We currently have friends joining us from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Florida, Missouri, Hawaii, England, and Australia.

We often say I teach the Bible every Tuesday night until Jesus comes back, so unless He arrives by 7:29, I’ll see you on Zoom.

Alone Together #5 What is in Your Hand?

The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, " A staff." (Exodus 4:2)

As we hear the news and numbers, and maneuver through the current minefield, we can feel very helpless. But God is asking each of us to do what we can to serve, encourage, help, pray, support, give, assist in any way we can. We cannot fix this crisis alone, but we must not turn our back on the world and think only of ourselves. We aren’t Marvel superheroes, but God can do miracles if we will place what we have in our hands into His hands. He asks us each, “What is in your hand?”

What is that in your hand? I have friends who are serving in every aspect of the front lines of medical care, working in essential services, keeping our entire infrastructure going, delivering groceries and running errands for those who cannot leave their homes, creating encouraging videos to keep us smiling and connected, leading churches through uncharted territory with unfamiliar methods, teaching their beloved students remotely, homeschooling their own precious offspring with sometimes mixed results, and getting really creative on every front.

What is in your hand? My incredibly talented friends Paul and Helena answered that question by sharing her amazing piano worship songs and hymns online for others to pray, meditate, sing, and refocus on God during this time. So beautiful and peaceful. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzwEFyF8lDJq0W3dy5-ZL5g  

What is in my hand? What can I do? How can I help? In my hand, I have a phone, a laptop, email, the internet, and a camera. How can I use these things to love on people? I can:

• Call to check in on friends and family

• Pray with people

• Donate online to help provide for those in need

• Mail a written note to remind someone they are loved

• Focus in on the creator by taking photos

• Share photos that remind people of God, or the Word, or make them smile-- https://www.psalmone.org/lindaklinephotography

• Share beauty in all its forms

• Helping people hold onto Jesus

I can do all this without endangering myself or anyone else.

So as we enter a new week of new challenges, may we respond to God’s question: “What is that in your hand?”