Today I lead the group in a reflective devotional prior to leaving for Seward. I implemented Lectio Divina, a benedictine form of meditation and reflection that the sisters at Scholastica use, the phrase meaning divine reading in Latin. Below I will include the scripture reading along with the prayer. The night before the group had agreed to not go to church but rather to do a reading at the house before we left for the day. Since I work for Campus Ministry, I ended up getting asked to do a reading, I agreed, figuring I would reuse the devotional I wrote for an event in Campus Ministry. Instead of reusing my Campus Ministry devotional, however, I ended up waking up at 5:30 am, I showered and made coffee and with so much time to spare I decided to look into something more relevant for our trip. I ended up finding the Psalm I have included below and was super impressed with the connections I felt we could make with it. I believe God woke me up early today just to find this passage so I could connect the group more to the reading and make the reading that much more meaningful both to them and to me. I really wanted to experience an Alaskan church service but in the end being able to lead the group in a devotional was so amazing and meaningful to me.
Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains-- where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you-- the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the group of nursing students and instructors here today. Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to be in Alaska and experience every aspect of this trip. God thank you for the beauty of the nature we have been immersed into in the last couple days. God bless our hands, hearts, and minds as we go out into the communities surrounding us. Give us strength and courage to jump in and bless those around us in the next few days. Help us to respect and cherish this experience, the people we are with, the lives we will touch, and the impact we will make.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Today we also went to Seward where we stopped at the aquarium and then experienced a local bar and grill. I yet again experienced another set of firsts! I got to see the ocean for the first time and walk on the shore of the bay. I also saw my first whale!
I am still in awe that I get to experience this amazing state. I am also, however, becoming more aware of how important it is to appreciate every part of God's creation, whether it is the mountains here or Lake Superior back home, not to mention every creature of God's creation, sea, land, and air.
I am still in awe that I get to experience this amazing state. I am also, however, becoming more aware of how important it is to appreciate every part of God's creation, whether it is the mountains here or Lake Superior back home, not to mention every creature of God's creation, sea, land, and air.