Calm before the storm happens to us in life, too. I have a friend who went on vacation from Missouri to Wisconsin with her husband. While there he fell, hit his head, and broke his neck. He survived, but the last month has been filled with trying to help him heal. They had no idea when they left Missouri that this huge change would happen in their lives. Change often comes quickly in our lives, but the one constant is that no matter what happens to us God is there with us to help us cope, to strengthen and empower us.
God of our days and nights, of our yesterdays and tomorrows, we pray with celebration and rejoicing for your constant presence in our lives. We know that no matter what tomorrow may bring you are always with us, walking us even through the valley of the shadow of death. We pray this day for all who are facing life changing events in their lives, that your presence may be very real to them. We pray for those who are or will be in Annual Conference, that you may guide their coming together, their deliberating, and their going out. And always we pray for our Church, for it is only your leading a guiding Spirit that can get us through the mess we've gotten ourselves into.