FAITH CONNECTION – FARMERSVILLE UMC
Ministry Updates for Thursday, November 19th, 2020
Mission and Community Outreach
The Mission Team is partnering with the Dayton Women’s New Life Center, if you knit or crochet and would like to make baby blankets or other baby items the Mission Team will be collecting them and giving them to the center’s boutique for distribution of mothers and mothers to be. Please bring items to church or call to arrange a pick up.
The following devotion and prayer is contributed by Jenny Michael
Scripture – Psalms 27:9-10
Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.
Reflection – Human Connection
Often in my role I participate in team building exercises, skill assessments and personality evaluations. Several years ago as one of these evaluations was being reviewed with me by a facilitator, the person remarked that I was an “off-the-chart extrovert.” You don’t have to know much about me to know this is painfully accurate. But what the facilitator went on to say made me laugh. She explained that the evaluation demonstrated that I get my energy from people or as she joked, I would die in under an hour in solitary confinement.
Yet as I type this, alone in my home office in the corner of our dining room, I’m reminded that I’ve been in a bit of solitary confinement since mid-March. While I’m blessed with co-workers and online meetings, family and friends, I miss people—real life in the flesh people! I miss getting to hug people and to just feel the energy of a packed room buzzing with chit chat. I miss seeing different types of people in crowded meetings, in the elevator, in restaurants or out shopping. Just being with people energizes me!
It gets a little lonely in the corner of the dining room. It’s quiet—sometimes too quiet. But in those moments of solitude the pace slows for me. I spend more time listening to the birds or the traffic buzz by on the road. I take walks up the road to see the trees, hear the leaves rustling and to just be in communion with God. In fact, I find myself having a lot more conversations with God than I typically would during a day filled with people.
God hasn’t abandoned me; he has actually drawn me closer during the past few months. When the days get quiet and lonelier than this extrovert would like, I simple just talk to God. He’s always listening.
Our Prayer
God many of us feel the sting of loneliness as a result of our social distancing. Lord pull us close to you. Renew our spirit, give us strength and grace us with your presence. Lord help us to persevere, knowing that you are in control of the universe. Put a hedge of protection around our family and friends so that we may find the energy for the months ahead. We are grateful that you walk along with us through every season of our life. Amen