I was afraid of the dark. I remember feeling so small, so vulnerable, so alone, laying in my bed alone at night. I surrounded myself with stuffed animals, so many that you could hardly find me in the bed. It never really made a difference. I felt alone, small, vulnerable and afraid. Funny, my daughter does the same thing.
There are other times in life when I feel small, alone and vulnerable, too. It’s at these times that I remember that when I was baptized, I was marked with the cross of Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit forever! No matter how many showers I have or how hard I scrub, the invisible cross that was made on my forehead when I was an infant is still there.
God meets us in our sadness, our fear and our vulnerability. God meets us at the foot of the cross. God understands our grief, our vulnerability, because God the Son suffered death on the cross. God understands. God is with us; we don’t need to be afraid. We don’t need to feel alone, small or vulnerable. God is with us. Forever.
Loving God, remind us when we feel small and afraid that you are with us. Give us courage and strength, and help us to feel your loving arms around us. Amen. — GB