Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“They only heard it said, ‘The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they glorified God because of me.”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, May 11, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
People really can change. I have plenty of people in my life who believe otherwise, but I’ve seen it happen. In fact, I’ve lived it. For me, the journey involved a recovery program or two, but that’s not the only way transformation happens in a person’s life. God is a God of transforming love, grace, mercy, and healing. And when others see real, lasting change in me, I am quick to give credit where it’s due.
I once received a phone call from the police because my autistic son had gotten into a fight on the bus and the driver had called the cops. I prayed all the way to pick up my son from the site, called my recovery fellows to help me respond appropriately, walked through the aftermath with my son, and maintained what I look back on as remarkable serenity during the whole affair. A couple days later, I was with a group of acquaintances and shared the story. One young man stared at me in wonder. “I can’t even imagine the kinds of things you’re going through. And you don’t even seem ruffled. I don’t think I would be able to do that.” I immediately turned it around to give the glory to God. Believe me, had I not been in recovery and connected to God—had I been the old, pre-recovery me—things would have been entirely different.
Where do I see evidence of God’s transformative love in my life?
![1 Kings 17:1-16 [17-24], God’s Care for the Widow](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56b39b61ab48de92d991a40a/bf37035e-33d5-439f-a0d6-a68b02d0f1bc/24-11-03.jpg)
