In the Press of Business
On this day, December 7th, we remember the attack on Pearl Harbor that led to the entry of the United States into World War II. We remember women and men in that war and all wars and conflicts who have given their lives in service to their country. My father, Forrest E. Wells, served in that war. In June of 1943 from Safax, North Africa my dad wrote this poem, “In the Press of Business,” which I offer for our devotional reflection today.
I met my Lord one evening
When a weary day was done,
And the heat and hurt of conflict
Faded like the evening sun.
Yes I met Him there at evening
As He Promised that I would,
And my weariness and worry
Vanished sweetly where I stood.
But I wondered as I met Him
At the closing of the day,
Felt the healing of His presence
In His wonder-working way;
Oh I wondered, and, heart-aching,
As I heard His evening song
How it was I’d missed the Presence
Of my Lord the whole day long.
Then I heard His kindly answer,
And it pierced the soul of me:
“When my son, in all this daytime
Have I heard one word from thee?”
Since that, I see the Presence,
Waiting ever at my side-
Waiting for some recognition
For the word so oft denied.
So, I think I know why sometimes
His dear presence seems so dim-
Just because, in the Press of Business
I so rarely talk with Him.
Gracious and most loving God, in the press of the business, busyness and worry of our lives, we pause to bask in your Presence that will never leave us or forsake us even in the midst of the most challenging life circumstance. Thank you for holding us and never letting go. Amen.
May this devotion provide you with a moment of faithful reflection and care. You are involved in ministries of justice and witness, in ministries of standing up and standing with people working to create better systems and communities, in ministries of learning and searching and researching to become more aware and awakened, more technologically savvy and proficient, more virtually and personally present in your churches and communities and world. Each of us who serve as members of your Wisconsin Cabinet write these devotions in grateful prayer for you – for sustenance and buoyancy, for strength and courage, for safety and just actions, and for faith and love to be full and fulfilled in your daily lives. God’s grace and blessings, God’s challenge and healthy discomfort, God’s Spirit and energy be with you, in the hope Christ offers us all.