Tuesday, March 12
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. –from Psalm 23
When I was a little girl my grandmother taught me this psalm…in the King James Version of course! I loved this line because it seemed so hopeful to me.
Even when it was so scary that you thought you were going to die, you were not alone! God was with you. That was pretty amazing to me.
God was there when the monster hiding under the bed was growling…and when my Dad discovered it was the dog happily chewing on my teddy bear.
God was there when my tummy hurt and my Mom gave me Tums.
God was with me when my bathing suit came off in the pool and I wanted to die.
One day while I was walking the dog in Valley Forge Park, I found a long straight stick and thought of it as my God Rod. I used it for walking and hiking and as a tether for my kite. Whenever it was with me, I thought about God being with me.
I never told my grandmother about it, and now I wish I had. I trust, though, that God was with us when we were together, and I know we both celebrated those sacred moments. I have a hunch that she is reading over my shoulder now and laughing.
Today, I am still filled with hope when I remember this psalm and it share it with others. We don’t have to be alone in our most frightening times…God is with us, a rod and a staff, a Dad who finds the monster under our bed, a Mom who helps our hurting tummies, a grandmother who passes on the sacred stories of our faith. God is with us everywhere, and that is hopeful to me.
–Rev. Dr. Fran Bogle
Fill us with hope, Holy Rod and Staff, and help us walk each day with you beside us. Amen