Focus

As you quiet yourself for this brief time, be willing to be open to God in whatever way that may take place.

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Read

Psalm 113 (NRSV)

Praise the LORD!
Praise, O servants of the LORD;
praise the name of the LORD.

Blessed be the name of the LORD
from this time on and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the LORD is to be praised.
The LORD is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens.

Who is like the LORD our God,
who is seated on high,
who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the LORD!

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Reflect

The Washington, D.C. Housing Authority is a daunting place. According to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, 11,623 people indicated they were homeless in Washington, D.C. as of January 2015. It is the job of the DC Housing Authority to find homes for the homeless population, and DC is not a big city in regard to land mass. Actually getting housing through the Housing Authority can take months, and applications can be denied on a technicality. It is no surprise, then, that many people have a negative experience.

Not everyone has a negative experience, though. I met one homeless family who had been waiting for several months to get an apartment. When hearing the mom’s story, I initially thought, “This sucks. I cannot imagine living with a young child in the hallway of your stepfather’s apartment complex for months, while waiting for a place to live, because the shelters are full.” This was not the mom’s attitude. She was thankful because her oldest child had a full ride to a prestigious boarding school and didn’t have to experience being homeless. She was thankful because, even though they had been homeless for months, they would have an apartment. She was thankful because she had just found a job, and because she had found a support system to help her every step of the way. “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”

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Pray

Dear Lord, in a world that can be daunting, help us to “be the change that we wish to see in the world” (Ghandi). Help us to be a support system to others, and to praise your name for the blessings you give us, especially in a world that is far from perfect. Amen.

Go with God.