on the day you crash

today is a hard day in our family. 'review' day at church for liam. this will be his 5th yearly review and they are always critical and draining. liam worked in corrections for 10 years before he went into ministry and was reviewed each year there, never were they so draining and difficult.

for me they are especially so because things are so out of my control, but affect me (us) so greatly. they other staff feel the same way - it's like getting the wind knocked out of you. which is truly shocking to me as you can lead a donkey with a carrot or a stick - why would anyone in the church choose the stick?

please pray for liam (and me) as i know this will have a lot of effect on the decisions we will be making for the upcoming year. it is my hope that they would say something like 'hey, the church has grown by 100% this year - the fact that you're still standing is amazing!' or something like that... not bloody likely...

then i read this:

Beloved Beginner: On the day you crash:

A prayer for friends in distress...

God answer you on the day you crash,
The name God-of-Jacob put you out of harm's reach,
Send reinforcements from Holy Hill,
Dispatch from Zion fresh supplies,
Exclaim over your offerings,
Celebrate your sacrifices,
Give you what your heart desires,
Accomplish your plans.

Psalm 20:1-4, The Message

knowing that god is celebrating our sacrifices and dispatching fresh supplies gives me such peace. i commented on elizabeth's blog that i felt like god tapped me on the shoulder today and gave this to me through her. i pray if you are crashing today it ministers to you too.