Friday, November 30, 2007

Daily Devotions - Friday 11.30.07

Reflecting on Last Week

“You who live in the shelter of the Lord,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
say to the Lord,
‘My refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust.’”
-
A prayer of the faithful (Psalm 91:1, 2)

We are all aware of the social structures that are part of societies. On Thanksgiving Day 2007, I was able to be a part of a "little thing" in Central Indiana that brought people of different social structures together. It was neat. Those who gathered at the Keckler household for Thanksgiving spent the morning volunteering for an event known as the Drumstick Dash, a benefit run/walk through Broad Ripple for Wheeler Mission. We've been doing this for 5 years and really enjoy the experience.


Our assignment was registering the participants. As we registered several thousand who were going to dash, I observed that a few of the participants were "the poor" who wanted to express their thanks for caring people by joining in the 4.5 mile course. Observing this gathering made my heart feel good. Serving coffee and other breakfast foods was a highlight of Turkey Day 2007. I plan to participate every year that we are home for the holiday.


Realizing that the poor will always be a part of our lives and that most of us could be there quickly if our fortunes changed, I offer this prayer to conclude our November devotions:

All-knowing God, show us the poor—
Not just the ones who have been pushed aside in the wake of competition,
but the ones who are losing self-confidence,
the ones who are victims of the system they helped to build,
the ones whose jobs no longer exist.

Show us that there also is a poverty of the heart
when saving is more important than sharing.
Help us to find security in sharing all our resources so that through our total effort,
we will answer your call,
we will learn the value of kinship with all,
and we will discover that sharing by all can mean scarcity for none.


Have a wonderful weekend in whatever you do.


-Ben Keckler 11.30.07

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