Conviction on a train

My devotions today hit home in more ways than one. Whew.

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD .
It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.

Let him sit alone in silence,
for the LORD has laid it on him.
Let him bury his face in the dust-
there may yet be hope.
Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.

For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to the children of men.

(from Lamentations 3, emphasis mine)

This passage has always been a favorite but particularly first really landed square for me in college, around my junior year. One of my best college friends wrote me a thoughtful and encouraging note, mentioning this passage. It was a couple pages long, written on small yellow note pad paper. I think I still have it somewhere, I'll have to see if I can dig it up. She's getting married soon, and I'm very thankful to have her as a friend and see the grace that God has given her.

Its funny how some verses can seem to have completely different applications for your life at one time or another, or even based on your current life foci. Yet the message remains the same.

Really not much weekend wrap-up to be done, which is why I never got around to it. Sigh: work late Fri, clean up the pad all day Sat, never made it to office, met Texican and took her family to Times Square. 5 little boys in Toys-R-Us = joy. They have a huge Jurassic Park T-rex in there so of course I couldn't help but go into full-velociraptor mode for most of the time we were there. There were also velociraptor sightings on Liberty Island, when we went to go see Ms. Liberty's statue on Sunday. Evening service, then I returned the family's car to their hotel (kept it in the boken to save them the hassle over the weekend), and had a ferry ride and a walk home, with my Sunday Times, which I'm trying to wean myself off of, but can't. And boom, it was Monday again, and I'm way behind on projects.

Which I need to run off to, right now. Deadlines loom. Sheesh. Its a lot worse than I'm even letting myself realize right now. Wow.

For this reason, and others, blogging may be light for a while. Or not, we'll see. Its off to Connecticut on Friday afternoon for our annual youth-leader planning meeting, and we won't be back in town again until Sunday evening. And then...boom, its Monday again...