Blessed be God,
praise be to Jesus Christ,
now and forever. Amen.
Come, Holy Spirit—fill us with joy,
set our hearts ablaze with Your presence.
Friends… this past week has been a doozy.
Ice storms.
Trees down.
No electricity.
Cold houses.
Dark nights.
And now—if you haven’t started—this week is for cleaning up.
Branches everywhere.
Limbs snapped.
Yards a mess.
And you stand there thinking,
“Where do I even begin?”
But that’s the story of our lives, isn’t it?
Storms hit.
Things break.
The lights go out.
And suddenly we’re standing in the middle of a mess
we never planned for.
And right there—
in the cold, quiet, powerless place—
the Word of God speaks:
“Seek the Lord… seek justice… seek humility.”
Not “seek control.”
Not “seek perfection.”
Just seek Him.
Because God has always worked with a remnant—
a humble people
who know they need Him.
A people who don’t pretend.
A people who take refuge
not in their strength
but in His name.
And St. Paul looks at us—
us with our broken branches and tired hearts—
and says:
“Consider your own calling.”
Not many were wise.
Not many were powerful.
Not many were impressive.
And that’s exactly who God chooses.
The foolish to shame the wise.
The weak to shame the strong.
The overlooked to reveal His glory.
So no one can boast.
So every blessing points back to Him.
And then Jesus climbs the mountain
and gives us the greatest cleanup plan of all—
not for your yard,
but for your soul.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
Blessed are the ones who know they need God.
“Blessed are those who mourn.”
Blessed are the ones who bring their grief to Him.
“Blessed are the meek.”
Blessed are the ones who don’t have to win every battle.
“Blessed are the merciful.”
Blessed are the ones who forgive
when the world says, “Don’t.”
“Blessed are the clean of heart.”
Blessed are the ones who let God sweep out the corners.
“Blessed are the peacemakers.”
Blessed are the ones who refuse to add more noise
to an already noisy world.
And then He says,
“Blessed are you…”
Yes—you.
When life gets hard.
When people misunderstand you.
When you’re pushed aside for following Him.
He doesn’t say, “Hang your head.”
He says, “Rejoice and be glad.”
Because the cleanup is not the end.
The storm is not the end.
The broken branches are not the end.
The blessing is coming.
The kingdom is coming.
The comfort is coming.
The mercy is coming.
So this week, as you pick up limbs,
as you drag branches to the road,
as you restore what the storm scattered—
let God do the same in you.
Let Him gather the pieces.
Let Him clear the clutter.
Let Him make space for grace.
Because the Lord loves to work
with the humble,
the lowly,
the ones who know
they can’t do it alone.
And blessed—truly blessed—
are those who let Him.
Be blessed with goodness and holiness,
and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ
from the mountain of your life and love.
Praise be to Jesus Christ,
now and forever. Amen.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You see the storms that shake our lives
and the broken branches we carry in our hearts.
Gather us into Your mercy.
Sweep away what does not belong.
Make us humble, clean of heart,
and ready to receive Your blessing.
Teach us to seek You above all things—
to walk gently, love deeply,
and rejoice even when the road is hard.
Amen.
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