Devotion: True North
Please read the scriptures from the weekend: Psalm 119:100-105 Acts 2:1-8 & 12-21
I look forward to Pentecost every year, hoping to reconnect with the disciples’ experience of the Holy Spirit’s transformative guidance as God directed their journey. This message was brought home as Pastor Greg spoke of the two times he experienced his trips to Tanzania and the climb of Mount Kilimanjaro and it’s connection of this year’s Vacation Bible School’s theme of True North. True North VBS is about seeking God’s direction whether asking for God’s help or Him leading our path to service and so finding new purpose to our lives.
Eight years into caring for my dad, as he was facing diabetes, dialysis, and dementia, I was exhausted, yet profoundly felt God’s unwavering love for me. One night, after putting him to bed, I collapsed myself, only to wake up falling out of bed, experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest. Waking a week later with a pacemaker and white hair, I recognized God’s grace in my survival, a tangible reminder that my life was still a gift with purpose. One doctor looking at my chart even said, “Gee, you shouldn’t be here! My thought and answer were, “I guess God has something for me to do yet!”. Yes, in a manner of speaking just as Pastor Greg had done lots to prepare himself for his “Mountain Top Experience”, God was preparing me for mine. This miraculous event, woven with personal and spiritual significance, affirms that even in our deepest needs, God hears our hearts and provides guidance through life’s unexpected journeys.
God is truly our living hope throughout our lives, if we allow Him to take the lead. I pray we can all watch for His leading and accept that He knows us better than we know ourselves and that our children will experience that this week in Vacation Bible School.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for your boundless love and guidance always. Let Jesus Christ be seen in us today! Amen
Written by Fran Baatz
Fran has been a lifelong member of Sheridan as the first baby girl to be baptized back in 1953 as her parents were charter members.
She loves to serve as a part of the Hospitality team as well as one of the Sheridan quilting teams. She is also a member of Lydia Circle.
Fran has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren she adores as well as her two daughters.