Romans
8:12-27. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
As I was praying this morning, I
recalled my first invitation to write a Lenten reflection for another parish
several years ago. I don’t remember the Scripture passage. What I do recall is
that my reflection began with “Life is suffering.” That is where I was at the
time, mired in the struggles of my ordinary life and not feeling much hope that
things would change.
In looking back over the years since,
I now see that I was experiencing the very condition that Paul is describing in
this passage, as we “groan inwardly while we wait for adoption.” What I found
almost impossible to do was to hope for what I could not see and wait for it
with patience (definitely not my long suit). Today, with the help of my beloved
family and my church community through those years, I know that my sufferings
and those of all creation are not worth “comparing with the Glory about to be
revealed to us.”
While in this life suffering will
always be with us, with prayer we surely can come to comprehend that the Spirit
will help us in our weakness and intercede on our behalf “with sighs too deep
for words.”
I don’t have to pray perfectly or
always do the “right thing” (whatever that is). I just need to let go and allow
myself to be led by the Spirit of God. Then, I will come to know that I am a
child of God and with Christ and all of creation, an heir to God’s glory. Amen.
—
Zonnie
Breckinridge
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