Empty and full –Father, may I live this day to the full.
When we were both working full time with four young children and both sets of aging parents living nearby, my daily and weekly diary was very full. It had appointments for the children, school events and holidays, parents’ evenings and staff meetings, swimming lessons, evening Uniformed Organisations, medical and dental appointments, church events and all sorts of extraneous events to fix in the planner. Life was busy and full. As the children were growing up and moving on then holiday and university visits were added into the planners. One of my busiest periods of time was perhaps the pandemic period when visiting many of our elderly church folk became extremely important. Those busy periods of time seem a long time ago now.
These days, my weekly diary looks rather empty. There are some fixed appointments, but now I no longer need that daily check on the diary to see what my day or week will hold- visits, church sessions, shopping trips. The diary has gone from almost full to empty. In many ways our human preference is for these busy daily and weekly markers that perhaps make us feel useful, significant, and essential. These markers and events are important to us and many of us keep our old diaries going way back in time.
Yet, I am beginning to learn that every day, -whether empty or full- is a gift from God. Each new day is the day that the Lord has made, to rejoice and be glad in. Psalm 118 v 24. Jesus is present with us in each new day-empty or full. His presence, grace and favour meet us in that day. So, whether your diary is choc a block full, or your week is stretching out in front of you with a rather empty feel and lots of ‘blank’ days, may we be thankful for what God is continuing to do for us and with us in each new day. That new day is a gift from God, and whatever that day holds, is known to God and can be used by Him and us, with thankful hearts. God will meet with us in each new day, -every day.
The Lectio 365 daily prayer begins with these words: Father, may I live this day to the full, being true to you in every way. We can give thanks today to our faithful God and He can use us in this day as He can use us at no other time. He has kept us in the past and He waits for us in the days ahead and our unknown future. We receive from His fulness grace upon grace upon grace, a grace that is continuous, inexhaustible, and limitless. May our today be full of His grace and presence.
“And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace”.
Words of John the Baptist John 1 v 16 GNT
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3 v 19 NLT
Lectio 365 Prayer
Father, may I live this day to the full, being true to you in every way.
Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet.
Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I say and do. Amen.
Jane Coates
23 October 2024