Journey Through a Penitential Psalm 6
Good morning, dear readers,
As the gentle light of dawn steals over our home, I am here, savoring this quiet sanctuary before the world around me stirs. This is the precious time I’ve set aside for prayer, for introspection, and for delving into the depths of Scripture.
Being a stay-at-home dad is an adventure with its own set of triumphs and challenges. Some mornings, I sit with my Bible and coffee, feeling like a conqueror, ready to take on mountains of laundry and dominate the labyrinth of toy-strewn hallways. Yet, there are days, like today, when I feel more akin to a weary traveler. This morning carried the weight of such a day, a time when the burdens seem heavier and the path forward less certain.
As I wrestled with a sense of “I don’t want to do this again,” my Bible fell open to Psalm 6, the first of the seven so-called ‘penitential psalms’. In it, I found King David, a mighty warrior and revered king, pleading with God in the depths of his despair, crying out for mercy, and seeking deliverance from his troubles.
David’s plea, “Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled,” echoed the vulnerability I feel at times. It’s a refreshing reminder that it’s not just acceptable, but necessary, to bare our souls and lay our burdens before God.
When David speaks of death, stating “in death there is no remembrance of you,” it resonated deeply. It wasn’t a self pity kind of contemplation, but a slap in the face reminder of the summer breeze like nature of our existence and the preciousness of each moment we are granted.
I’m so thankful that the Psalm doesn’t end in despair. Instead, it concludes with an refreshing display of faith. As he picks his head up off the table, David arrives at a place of trust in God’s enduring love and deliverance. It’s a shift from a plea for mercy to a remembrance of faith – a transition I can relate to.
David was a king, a man after God’s own heart who had no problem expressing his vulnerability, trusting in God’s deliverance, and emerging with his faith renewed. I will choose to follow his example! With God as my strength, this dad can certainly face another day of stay-at-home parenting adventures!
As the house begins to come alive with the sounds of a new day, let’s get ready to step back into the role of stay-at-home parenting, strengthened by the hope found within this penitential psalm.
Remember, fellow stay-at-home parents, we are the anchors in the turbulent sea of parenting. We’re role models, counselors, teachers, providers, protectors, and yes, sometimes the resident bug catchers. We have the power to sow seeds of faith, joy and love amid the chaos and challenges.
For all the sunrise-greeting stay-at-home parents, when you find yourself feeling more like a weary traveler than a mighty warrior, remember: Every new dawn is an invitation to a fresh start. The morning light always overcomes the darkness.
In this sometimes labor intensive journey of parenthood, let’s extend grace to ourselves, uplift each other, and lean into the One who provides the strength we need, exactly when we need it. To all the parents watching the first light, especially you the stay-at-home parents, let’s stay strong, keep the faith, let the coffee flow, and always remember to embrace the joy amid the journey!
In Him, with love
mike
