“Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” (Psalm 107:8-9)

I sense you in the hectic dash when I am running wild with limbs outstretched, my brain in perpetual motion in an attempt to cross the finish line that seems just out of reach. In the crush of more-to-manage-than-is-possible, piles of projects screaming urgent, your strengthening presence overshadows me. I hear your call to persist and prevail, aware of your footsteps in pace with mine, even as oxygen levels dip low and miles of menacing track run ahead. 

I sense you in the evening dusk where cloudy curtains fall and dim the light on apricot-tinged shadows. You sit with me in stillness; your peace radiates in the gentle, tranquil air. I am inundated with your abundance as nighttime blankets the corners of my world.

I sense you in the stretch of lonely journeys devoid of beauty or the warmth of friendship’s arms. Where dismay and dread suffocate and plague and I am made to feel undone, I find you still in the middle of the gloom. I weep; you do not wipe the tears away with sudden force or sentiment or bid me buckle down to bear the weight courageously. Instead, your breath defends against all that is forlorn as you grant me space to mourn. When little else makes sense, you do.

I sense you in the burst of celebration where twinkling lights and banners fill the sky. Here floral bouquets take center stage, laughter rings out like a merry tune, cakes are cut, music rings, and joy is evident in every corner of the room. I find you here when beauty is in dazzling array, and I am made speechless by the sheer magnitude of your loving care.

I sense you in the hard good-bye where cancer smirks and evil pokes its unwelcome, beady eyes. When darkness longs to cloak us in its spell, you overcome with light enough to see the burst of hope just ahead. Coming near you dispel what was meant for evil and through it all bring about the good you knew was present all along. 

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Elizabeth A Mitchell

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