DEVOTION
Ecclesiastes 3:1
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
THOUGHT:
As Nancy and I celebrate 46 years of marriage, I’ve been thinking a lot about the kind of gifts that actually last. Losing our boy, Sport, reminded me that the purest things in life are often the simplest ones. Just... being there. Love. Presence. For 46 years, I’ve had that gift from Nancy, and for 16 years, we had it from our boy.
There is something quietly sacred in this picture of three dogs, They’re just standing there together, completely unaware of how much this moment would come to mean. No hurry. No worry. Just them existing in the same space as ours.
Sport, our boy, did not need words. He gave love freely. He showed up. Every single day, even when he was not feeling well he stayed close. There was no pretending, no striving, just a steady, faithful presence that became a part of our daily rhythm of life. And now, we feel the absence of that presence.
It is a reminder that some of the deepest love we experience does not come through grand moments, but through the simple, daily gift of being there. A familiar step. A quiet companionship. A life that intertwines with ours in ways we don’t fully notice until it is gone.
Scripture says there is a time for everything. A time to receive. A time to enjoy. And yes, a time to let go. But even when you let go, the love stays. It doesn't just disappear; it settles into you and shapes who you are.
And in that, we are reminded of the greater truth—that every good and faithful presence in our lives echoes the heart of God Himself. A God who does not come and go, but remains. A God whose love does not fade, but holds.
Nancy and I are giving thanks today. For Sport, for the joy he brought, and for that free, faithful love. Even with the ache, we can see the gift for what it was. Hold on to the faithful people (and pups) in your life. Give thanks for the love that remains.
No greater gift is there than love. Happy Sunday to all, and Happy anniversary to my beautiful wife.
PRAYER:
Almighty and holy God, in the stillness of this early morning, before the day begins and before words are many, we come quietly into Your presence. You are here with me, steady, faithful, and near, and for that I give You thanks.
Father, we, Your people, thank You for the simple gifts of life that so often shape us more than we realize. For moments of companionship, for the quiet rhythm of being together, for the love that asks for nothing and gives so freely. Thank You for the memories that now live within us, and for the ways love continues even after loss. As we feel the ache of what is no longer the same, hold our hearts gently. Remind us that grief is not separate from love, it is the echo of it. In the quiet spaces where something feels missing, meet us with Your presence that never leaves.
We lift before You our church family this morning. Walk with each one as they rise, as they prepare, as they carry both joys and burdens into this day. For those who feel loss, bring comfort. For those who feel weary, bring strength. For those who feel uncertain, bring peace. Help us move through this day with a little more gentleness, a little more patience, and a deeper awareness of the people and moments before us. Teach us to notice the gifts while we have them, and to hold them with gratitude.
And above all, remind us that You are the One who stays. When things change, You remain.
When hearts ache, You are near. When we do not have words, You understand. We place this morning, this day, and all that we carry into Your loving hands. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
DEVOTION
Ecclesiastes 3:1
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
THOUGHT:
As Nancy and I celebrate 46 years of marriage, I’ve been thinking a lot about the kind of gifts that actually last. Losing our boy, Sport, reminded me that the purest things in life are often the simplest ones. Just... being there. Love. Presence. For 46 years, I’ve had that gift from Nancy, and for 16 years, we had it from our boy.
There is something quietly sacred in this picture of three dogs, They’re just standing there together, completely unaware of how much this moment would come to mean. No hurry. No worry. Just them existing in the same space as ours.
Sport, our boy, did not need words. He gave love freely. He showed up. Every single day, even when he was not feeling well he stayed close. There was no pretending, no striving, just a steady, faithful presence that became a part of our daily rhythm of life. And now, we feel the absence of that presence.
It is a reminder that some of the deepest love we experience does not come through grand moments, but through the simple, daily gift of being there. A familiar step. A quiet companionship. A life that intertwines with ours in ways we don’t fully notice until it is gone.
Scripture says there is a time for everything. A time to receive. A time to enjoy. And yes, a time to let go. But even when you let go, the love stays. It doesn't just disappear; it settles into you and shapes who you are.
And in that, we are reminded of the greater truth—that every good and faithful presence in our lives echoes the heart of God Himself. A God who does not come and go, but remains. A God whose love does not fade, but holds.
Nancy and I are giving thanks today. For Sport, for the joy he brought, and for that free, faithful love. Even with the ache, we can see the gift for what it was. Hold on to the faithful people (and pups) in your life. Give thanks for the love that remains.
No greater gift is there than love. Happy Sunday to all, and Happy anniversary to my beautiful wife.
PRAYER:
Almighty and holy God, in the stillness of this early morning, before the day begins and before words are many, we come quietly into Your presence. You are here with me, steady, faithful, and near, and for that I give You thanks.
Father, we, Your people, thank You for the simple gifts of life that so often shape us more than we realize. For moments of companionship, for the quiet rhythm of being together, for the love that asks for nothing and gives so freely. Thank You for the memories that now live within us, and for the ways love continues even after loss. As we feel the ache of what is no longer the same, hold our hearts gently. Remind us that grief is not separate from love, it is the echo of it. In the quiet spaces where something feels missing, meet us with Your presence that never leaves.
We lift before You our church family this morning. Walk with each one as they rise, as they prepare, as they carry both joys and burdens into this day. For those who feel loss, bring comfort. For those who feel weary, bring strength. For those who feel uncertain, bring peace. Help us move through this day with a little more gentleness, a little more patience, and a deeper awareness of the people and moments before us. Teach us to notice the gifts while we have them, and to hold them with gratitude.
And above all, remind us that You are the One who stays. When things change, You remain.
When hearts ache, You are near. When we do not have words, You understand. We place this morning, this day, and all that we carry into Your loving hands. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.