Lenten Devotions in Hard Economic Times

THIRTEENTH DAY OF LENT 
               MARCH 3 
  
 I Corinthians 10: 13
 
 
No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. 
God is faithful and will not let you be tested beyond your strength…
 
Sure.
Here’s the thing:
I am not comforted by those words.
 
What do you know,
Mr. Letter-Writer to the Corinthians,
What do you know of the day to day anguish
Of life, so-called, after your baby has died?
What do you know,
Of the laborious leaden footfalls
That are required to simply move forward in time
When you have
No job, no income?
What do you know of the sweaty survival
That is the isolated combat within
    The chaos of psychosis,
    The corrosion of abuse,
    The clangor of 25-to-life [so-called] with the
        Department of Corrections?
 
How do YOU know
That my present lot in life, so-called,
Is NOT more than I can bear?
 
Don’t belittle me,
Don’t presume to glide over
My daily and dismal anguish
To get to the happy ending part.
 
Although I see where this is going.
 
At rock bottom,
With solidity,
Unriddled by seismic faults,
Is the foundational affirmation,
God is faithful…
 
With the testing God will also provide the way out
So that you may be able to endure it.
 
Maybe so,

 
 
 
 
Scripture cited from New Revised Standard Version
commentary in italic