Today is a day.  It is the first of many or a continuation for some of social distancing for the betterment of our entire community at large.  Schools are closed.  Corporate worship isn’t a thing.  Mid-week dinner church and small groups … not a thing.  Restaurant are closing.  Extra-curricular everything is cancelled.  I just learned that yoga studios are asked to close, too.  😦

Yep.  Today is a day!  Many of us now have our kiddos at home and we are finding ourselves (quite suddenly) in the role of homeschool lead teacher of a multi-grade classroom.

I am here to say:  YOU GOT THIS because WE GOT THIS.  🙂

Breathe and Scream as you need ! (not kidding) … and remember … you are not alone.  God is with us all – as parents and as children of God, ourselves.

Jesus is walking right next to me and you and our loved ones … and all in our communities. He never ever leaves our side.

Today IS a day!  So, here’s a super simple prayer to guide you through it.  Teach kiddos the response.  Use it today (OR any day that you might all be struggling a little … just.getting.along)

One:  Send your light and your truth.

All: Lead us, Jesus.

One: Help us to pray instead of fight.

All: Lead us, Jesus.

One: Make our home your home.

All: Lead us, Jesus.  Amen.

On our end?  We started our morning with a short devotion that closed in that prayer above.  Now before you think (well, yeah, you’re a PASTOR and your kids HAVE to do this  ….) Let me detail that a little for you.  We lit a candle, read the devotion and then?  had a fantastic bowl of 100% sugar cereal (because that was all that was left at Wal-Mart last night) and milk.  So, I will take the points for protein and not setting the little book aflame.  Those counts as wins, yes?

Peace be upon you and the sugar cereal, too,

Pastor M.

Loving and caring God,

we pray in hope—

hope that will sustain us in our trying times,

our lonely times, our doubting times.

Refresh us this morning and everyday with the living water

of your presence and love.

We lift our prayers of thanksgiving to you.

• We are grateful for the communication systems that connect our world with analyzed data to understand the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is on our minds night and day.
• We are grateful for the common sense public health measures and proactive calls to action.

We lift our prayers of deep longing and heartache to you.

• We grieve for the families whose elders have been swept away by the virus. 
• Replace fear during increasing lockdowns with focus and quiet action.
• Help us in unforeseen ways to grow in our understanding of our connectedness. 
• Safeguard the emergency and health care teams and families exposed across the continents.
• We lift to you the many families and peoples affected by the world economy’s slow down, the closures, the freneticism, the anxiety that we feel everywhere we go.

We ask for your mercy and compassion in these times.

Sustain us, O God.

Sustain us this morning and everyday with the living water of your presence and love.

In Christ’s name, we pray,

Amen.