Simeon … was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him – Luke 2:25

Hope Stew –

• Take 4 parts of deep devotion
• Pour it into a base of quiet, faithful prayer
• Stir in a heart that eagerly listens for the smallest urging
• And, when the moment is right, add the confirmation of the spirit.

Yield –

• A patient impatience that will sustain
• A clear confirmation of God’s presence, revealed in the sleeping form of
  an infant resting in the arms of his mother;
  an infant whose father hovers close by
  an infant whose very presence brings the promise and gift of peace.

Me … I read the newspapers and let their false prophecies invade my soul with despair. Too easily I abandon the hope that it would take to recognize the spirit’s work and hear the whisper of promise. Without hope, my hands lie fallow, my heart sinks low.

It is my own recipe for inaction.

Forgive me, Holy One.
Wake my soul.
Bring your peace – to me and to the world.
May we trust your prophecies, rather than all the voices of manipulative fear.
Let us not lose hope.

[photo edited from ‘Grandma’s Touch‘ by Kolby per cc 2.0]
[This meditation was sparked in response to ‘Day 2’ in Forty Days with the Holy Spirit: Fresh Air for Every Day by Jack Levison.]

See also: Anna’s Blessing