Held and Rocked
Today's Reflection
MY NEW TRINITY of jobs, family, and studies left no time or energy for the contemplative practices to which I had become accustomed. But one late night as I was rocking newborn Monica and longing for the monastery’s quiet, warm solitude, an awareness began to grow. I began to pay attention to my surroundings.
What I noticed was this: I was sitting in a darkened, warm place, surrounded by silence; I was sharing a time of communal solitude with the tiny person in my arms; I was feeling a deep, rejuvenating rest, a kind of waking sleep. Here was a new version of silence, solitude, and sleep—one fitting my changed situation. And I noticed something more: I had a sense of being held and rocked in loving compassion. Not only that, but I also felt that same sense of compassionate love for Monica. I was holding her in my arms of loving compassion.
—Andrew Dreitcer, Living Compassion: Loving Like Jesus (Upper Room Books, 2017)
Today's Question
As an adult, do you ever feel "held and rocked"?
Today's Scripture
"As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem."
—Isaiah 66:13 (NRSV)
Prayer for the Week
Lord, make me an instrument of your compassion.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room or share it in the comment section.
Something More
Reverend Junius B. Dotson was preaching at a funeral when suddenly he realized he wasn’t going to make it through the service. The next thing he knew, he was in an ambulance on the way to the ER, where he was diagnosed with extreme exhaustion. Read more about his Soul Reset.
Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.
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