Abide in the Shade

During this past week, I thought about the third anniversary of my mother's passing. Because the Oregon shootings also happened that week, my Facebook feed was occupied with many articles about the tragedy as well as proposals for gun control, anger at the NRA and politicians, and other topics. Normally interested and involved in such discussions, I distanced myself from the topic and, except for a tweet or two, I let other folks share and talk.

A few years ago I purchased a humorous, Avanti-brand greeting card. The front of the card depicts a very grouchy cat on a yoga mat, doing stretches. The inside of the card reads, “I meditate, I do yoga, I chant … and I still want to smack someone!” I don't feel like smacking anyone, but I like the sentiment. Faith can be struggle; you do all the correct religious things, but personal losses and public tragedies are distressing. Sometimes God seems far away. Read Psalm 42, 143, and others, however, and you know that such feelings aren’t alien to Holy Scripture. Psalm after psalm bids us to acknowledge "what's going on" with us, to seek and trust the Lord, and to rejoice in God's care. Psalm 91 is a favorite:

"You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
   who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress;
   my God, in whom I trust.’"