[Membersandfriends] Sunday, November 28, 2004

Sat Nov 27 22:01:38 PST 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Sunday, November 28, 2004

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FIRST THINGS FIRST
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Luke 5:12-16 (NRSV)

Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do choose. Be made clean." Immediately the leprosy left him. And he ordered him to tell no one. "Go," he said, "and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them." But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.

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Many crowds would gather to hear [Jesus] and to be cured of their diseases.  But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
- Luke 5:15-16 (NRSV)
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WHENEVER I fly on an airplane, the instructions are the same:  "If the cabin loses pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the area above your seats.  Anyone traveling with someone who needs help -- a child, a senior citizen, or a person with disabilities -- should put on his or her own mask before helping the other person."  

For most of us, those instructions go against the grain.  Shouldn't we help others before we help ourselves?  But if I pass out before I put a mask on a needy companion, we could both die.  As a pastor, I tell this story to people who care for the disabled, the seriously ill, or those suffering from dementia.  In order to be able to care for others, we must take care of ourselves and sometimes put ourselves first.  I tell folks that if they don't take care of themselves, I'll be visiting two sick people instead of one.

Jesus set the example.  No matter how much work there was to do and even though many people needed his care, Jesus always set aside time to withdraw from the crowds to pray.  In a similar way, as we carve out time to approach God in prayer, we find strength and renewal.

Prayer:   God, we know you love us.  Help us to love ourselves and to care for ourselves.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Time with God renews us so we can care for others.

-- Frank Ramirez (Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: Caregivers

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RELATED READING ...

ABIDING HOPE:  	Encouragement in the Shadow of Death offers spiritually uplifting devotionals to those who find themselves in the valley of the shadow of death -- whether through illness or as a caregiver. Using images from the Twenty-third Psalm, Hagmann focuses on the positive ways faith sustains life in the valley of the shadow.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=74578

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.