From the Prayer Journal of Fr. Jack Tolley

Friends. God wants a relationship with us even when our lives are falling apart. I have found that to be so true in my own life. God loves and wants to help us at all times - even when we don't feel very good about ourselves.

Blessings, love, and hugs, 
Fr. Jack.
 
Psalm 6: 6-7. I grow weary because of my groaning; every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears. My eyes are wasted with grief and worn away because of my enemies.
 
I love this passage from Psalms because it reminds us it's okay to have seasons when we're weary and wasted with grief. God loves us and wants us just as much when everything is a hot mess as when we have it all together. I had to learn this hard truth when I went through divorce. Years of codependency and dysfunction blew up, and my tidy life became untidy. It took years for me to surrender to God and accept God's love in the midst of my pain. God wants a deep, abiding relationship with us-especially when our lives seem to be falling apart. These times when we are at our weakest as humans teach us to lean more heavily on Christ and to grow stronger in our bonds to the Creator.
 
- This wonderful reflection was written by retired Navy Officer, James Neal, in the January 14, 2020 issue of Forward Day by Day. He is a member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Enid, Oklahoma.
They have two daughters and three dogs. James is a newspaper journalist.