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Strong


Day 16: Strong
Tell fearful souls,
    “Courage! [Be strong!] Take heart!
God is here, right here,
    on his way to put things right
And redress all wrongs.
    He’s on his way! He’ll save you!”
Blind eyes will be opened, deaf ears unstopped,
Lame men and women will leap like deer,
    the voiceless break into song.
Springs of water will burst out in the wilderness,
    streams flow in the desert.
Hot sands will become a cool oasis,
    thirsty ground a splashing fountain.
Even lowly jackals will have water to drink,
    and barren grasslands flourish richly. - Isaiah 35:4-7, The Message
Good preaching and interpretation is able to take old texts for new situations and helps us see things in scripture we may have missed before.

In this season of Advent, how are you seeing this poem of invitation?
How are these promises and call to action to "Be strong!" and "Take heart!" resonating with you this Advent? 
There are a number of longings we hear in this text: changes in ability, the flourishing of dry land, songs for the voiceless.
What are your prayers and longings this Advent?


I do believe that "God is here, right here..."  He is here in the faces that surround me.  Advent has been an invitation to embrace the darkness and look forward to the light.  If you've read the last couple of posts, you realize it was a bit of a rough weekend.  As usual, darkness brings light.

A colleague brought me a compression brace today for my ankle which was awesome.  My ankle felt so good with the brace (plus additional elevation and rest during the night) that I contemplated going to the gym.  It seems crazy since I couldn't put weight on it yesterday, but it's the holiday season.  I need to work out to enjoy the goodness.  Plus, it alleviates stress, and I've had a bit.  Anyway, while my first hour class was working, I tried to do a couple of walking squats across the side of the room.
J- What are you doing?
T- She's doing squats.
J- I know.  Why is she doing squats>
Me- I was trying to see how much weight I could put on my ankle.  Get back to work!

Strength.  Sometimes I have more physical strength than mental strength.  If only I was Mighty Mouse, I could save the day.

Comments

lee said…
That's a great ornament.

Be careful with the ankle.

I may try some walking squats today.
2:32 AM
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