Day 1:
God, the Almighty God of the universe, who sustains everything by His word, is the One who holds me up, and supports me.
Twice recently, I stumbled badly as I walked through my neighborhood. Both times I was deep in thought and hadn't noticed the uneven pavement until I tripped and almost fell. Thankfully, I was able to "keep my feet."
The old English expression off-kilter describes a loss of balance and is believed to have originated as a reference to health. Being out of kelter was a way of describing not feeling well. The phrase eventually took on various shades of meaning, including losing balance or being uneven.
These days, the whole world seems to be off kilter. Things that are outside our control seem to be spiraling downwards. And as we navigate our own terrain, life's roads are full of uneven surfaces that rise up to trip us even when we are being careful and attentive. Unexpected bills, job loss or job stress, health challenges, relationship or family issues, accident, death, or a million other cracks and crevices can interrupt our "progress" with sudden obstructive force. Some of these can be "bumps in the road", but others yawn like chasms, leaving us feeling physically, emotionally, or spiritually out of kelter.
Grateful as we are for the support of friends and family, we may experience a level of need that is so deep that not even those who love us most can break through the hurt, the pain, the confusion, the anxiety. When our soul is worried or anxious; when the world sleeps as we wrestle alone with worry or overwhelming sorrow (Matthew 26:38), we can turn to a compassionate Heavenly Father who can keep us from being swallowed up by sinkholes of despair.
When I said, “My foot is slipping,” Your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. ~Psalm 94:18-19
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