Care For Those in Need

Today's task is one I really enjoy because I think it's really helpful to take things that are in the news and discuss them with my kids. They have amazing insights and I think it's important for them not to live in a bubble - to have knowledge of a world outside of Flixton.
We chatted about the schoolgirls who left the country, possibly heading for Syria but in the end they wanted to pray for Quinto the 5-legged sheep who's given birth to two healthy lambs.

Micah 6:8
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
   and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
   and to walk humbly with your God?

Be aware of others

I very often go around in a little bubble when I'm out and about. I'm pretty task focused so making the effort to take in the people around me today was really good for me.
I decided I wanted to (mostly) pray for people I didn't know- random strangers in the supermarket, those serving me in shops and also someone I know but wouldn't usually think about praying for.
Thinking about the people you encounter casually, who you know nothing about, helps you to see them as more than a passing stranger. You remember them,  you hope they had an ok day and you hope they're not going through difficult things in their lives.
Praying for them not knowing their circumstances can be tricky so I usually use a prayer which goes along the lines of:
"Father God, I thank you for this person and I pray that they may have wholeness of body, mind and spirit, and that they feel an awareness of your love at work in their lives. Amen."

Care For Those in Need

Today's action was to watch the news and pray for someone or a situation that you see on it. I put BBC Breakfast on for the children this morning to see if anything struck them. The first story on was a guy who makes Minecraft videos- which the kids obsessed with- so they certainly paid attention to that, but when I asked if there was someone or something they wanted to pray for they looked blank.

Very aptly today is also Woman's World Day of Prayer. Each year focuses on a different country and this year it's Egypt. After watching the news fell flat I decided talk to Faith about Egypt, about the events of the last few years and also to discuss how women don't have equality is some other countries. We also touched on how in some countries it's very difficult to be a Christian.

I hope some of this made her think- she is a really thoughtful girl and feels things very deeply. I couldn't keep my son still for long enough for him to join in, but I'm sure he really enjoyed the Minecraft story!

I'm on a residential weekend now for my ordination training, so tomorrow's action will be a challenge to say the least! For evening prayer we used BCP with it's traditional language. The psalm was 37, which contains my most loved verses:

23. The Lord ordereth a good man’s going and maketh his way acceptable to him.
24. Though he fall, he shall not be cast away for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

I think those verses are inspiring and uplifting at any time, but especially important to remember as we think about people in difficult circumstances.

Micah 6.8: He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?