Getting Over the Hump
Today’s message was written by guest pastor, Rev. Eric Wogen.
No matter how hard she tried, the elderly, wheel-chair-bound nursing home resident could just not get over the slight threshold at the entrance to the room she wished to enter. Seeing her dilemma, I quickly went to be of assistance. A gentle nudge was all it took for her to get over the hump.
Obstacles, large or small, physical or otherwise, will come to us all. No one, not one of us is immune to life’s challenging humps. What may seem inconsequential to one will be all but impossible to another. Be assured, there will be times when all of us will need a gentle nudge to help us overcome whatever is blocking our way forward.
That needed nudge may come to us as a helping hand, a word of encouragement, a thoughtful remembrance, an uplifting smile, an appreciated note or call, a necessary challenge, an expression of sympathy.
God calls us all to be present to each other, to be there when needed. The joy of helping another get over the hump confronting them can be as nourishing as the most delicious meal. So, open your eyes, your ears, your hands, your heart to someone who needs you to help them get over the hump this very day. You’ll be glad you did, and, so will they.
Let us pray: The needy are all around us, Lord. They are in nursing homes, in hospital rooms, and in church pews. They are on street corners, in shopping malls, and in workplaces. They may live next door to us or in our own homes. Use us as channels of your caring love to make a difference, to be there when needed, to help another over the hump. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Daily Message Author: Eric Wogen
Pastor Eric Wogen was born in Chicago, Illinois, and claims mid-western roots, even though he lived in many different places while growing up due to his father’s employment with the Pennsylvania Railroad. A graduate of Radnor High School in suburban Philadelphia, he received an AB in History from Gettysburg College and a MDiv degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. His first call was to a wonderfully affirming congregation in Sellersville, PA, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Ridge Valley, where he joyfully served until being called as Assistant to the Bishop of the Southeastern Synod (LCA). He returned to parish ministry in 1979 when he was called to serve St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Hanover, PA. After more than twenty years at St. Matthew, he was called by St. Armand’s Key Lutheran Church in Sarasota, Florida to be its pastor and served there until his retirement in 2008. Full Bio
