Hello, my friends!
One of the things I love so much about Psalm 122 is the realization that the journey to Jerusalem is not a solitary pilgrimage, but instead a group effort. The Psalmist writes, I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”
One of the greatest gift we are given on this journey of life is our companions. Each of us have friends and family that have traveled with us for years. Friends who know us intimately…our gifts and our foibles. They know us on our best days and on our worst. And they’ve stuck with us. And they continue to believe in us.
On Monday I turned 49, and I felt compelled to call one of my best friends who I hadn’t talked to in a while. I shared briefly some of what was going on in my life and he so quickly knew and understood, with so few words being expressed. And that is why I called him in the first place. Because there are past chapters in my journey that only he has walked with me through. Only he really knows what it was like. And that makes this relationship irreplaceable.
As we continue through the Psalms of Ascent, it will overlap this Sunday with Mother’s Day. I am once again reminded just how treasured a companion my mother has been for my entire journey. She has shaped me, continues to daily pray for me, and even listens to every one of my talks multiple times. She believes in me, no matter what. And she has a voice into my life like no one else.
I often wonder if, in heaven, I will be able to get a glimpse of just how much work her prayers have done in my life. I can only imagine. But I feel that companionship from her all the time, even in the little texts of encouragement that come throughout my week. I sure love you mom!
This week, let us give thanks for the companions we’ve been given. Let us remember the incredible gift that each one is in our lives. And most of all, this week, let us remember and treasure our mothers. For giving us life. For pouring into us. Of course, not perfectly, but still so faithfully.
I have a special request for you this week. If you would like to send us a picture of you and your mom and a quick, one or two sentence note of thanks to her, we would love to put those together in a mother’s day montage. Or a picture of the mothers in our church with their kiddos. We need the pictures ASAP, so if you could have them by Thursday evening, that would be fabulous. Email them to Greg Sowle at greg@lagunaefc.org Let’s remember and celebrate these incredible women together this Sunday!
And also a reminder that tonight is our Deeper Walk study. How I long for the day when we can gather together. But tonight we’ll continue to connect virtually through zoom. I sure love seeing your faces each week!
Love you guys!
Jeff