Meditation

Read Isaiah 40:27-31

Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.—Isaiah 40:31 (NRSV)

Last week I watched what seemed to be a lizard party in my backyard. Lizards were everywhere—climbing on the fence, skittering from rock to rock, dodging behind flowers, perching on leaves, and gliding across chairs and concrete. They seemed so full of joy and life that I wondered if they knew that most of them were missing their tails. When I told my nine-year-old son the missing-tail saga, he told me not to worry. He said, “Lizards are amazing! They grow new tails!”

We may lose parts of ourselves—to chronic illness, grief, job loss, conflict, or some other event. Ironically, we may seem to lose all we want to keep and gain only new sorrow. We may even lose hope.

In all our loss, it is easy to think we will never be renewed or made whole. It’s easy to think we will never find joy again, that we will never laugh or see the beauty in the world. However, today’s verse tells us the Lord’s promise: Those who trust in God will renew their strength.

We may never regain exactly what we have lost, but we can find joy in the certainty that God is with us and will renew us day by day.

Prayer: Dear God, remind us of your promise of renewed life. Help us to live each day with joy and hope in you. Amen.

Thought for the day: With God’s help, I can live in joy every day.

—Kadine Christie, Florida