Holding Onto God

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 20 BCP 234)

Everyday things change. This is true all the time, but seems especially true this year. Every day things have changed. New rules, new garments, new ways of meeting, new ways of shopping. Every day we open the news, the newspaper, our social media sites and learn of more changes in our society and lives. We definitely live in a world in which things are passing by, sometimes faster than we can keep up with!

Thankfully, as fast as this world passes by, we know in God there are many things which endure forever. God's love for us and God's mercy are never ending. We can hold on to these no matter what else passes by too quickly. When we make God's heavenly things our priorities in life, we start to live into God's eternal life promised to us by Jesus. Grounding ourselves in the promise of eternal life, we are able to suffer "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" with God's grace.

Changing our priorities to align with God's is another change in our lives. However, once we have made that change, the changes, chances, and cheats of earthly things do not impact us as much. We are grounded in God's heart and life. God's love and grounding gives us the assurance to pass through all earthly changes with God's grace. With God as our rock and salvation, we can endure.