Good Shepherd Lutheran Church / Tuesday, November 10, 2020 / Categories: Publications, Daily Devotions Daily Devotion Olivia Barnaclo O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. Psalm 8:3-4 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Being in your 20s as a senior in college navigating a world that does not look like the one you planned for is overwhelming, to say the least. However, I think like most of you, the pandemic has become an opportunity to slow down and reflect on the small, seemingly mundane things we are grateful for. One of my greatest sources of relief and gratitude during my time in Cincinnati was when I was able to give back to the church and sing for the 11:00 am services. When I describe church to people at my school, I often tell them of the feelings of joy and connection when using my gift of singing for the church and for Christ. I feel most connected to my faith when harmonizing with my Aunt Ginny or singing accompanied by Debbie and Bryce Kessler. These are the moments when I feel closest to God. Since I can no longer worship in this way, I have found a new church routine. Every Sunday I take a walk around campus (with my mask on!!) and then go to church from the comfort of my bed, 218 miles away from GSLC. Being able to go to church as a college student is something that has not been a reality for me. My university does not have a strong religious affiliation and I have never found a church that feels like home. However, during the pandemic the church is in my home. I am so incredibly grateful to be able to experience church and to have been an active part of church over the summer. Today I share with you a song that I am deeply connected to. I have sung it many times at Good Shepherd as a hymn, as a soloist, but most importantly I have sung it as a student music therapist for clients in a dementia unit. I encourage you today to think of one thing you are truly grateful for right now. My gratitude is for the gorgeous fall colors that arrived in southern Michigan this past weekend. Attached is a video link of me singing “How Great Thou Art” under one of my favorite trees at EMU. Enjoy! “How Great Thou Art” video Previous Article Daily Devotion Next Article Daily Devotion Print 8277 Rate this article: 4.3 2 comments on article "Daily Devotion" Mary Naylor Thank you for the words you wrote Olivia. They are very meaningful. Thank you also for sharing your beautiful voice with us. We appreciate the ways you use your gift to the glory of God. 11/10/2020 3:06 PM Reply to Danelle Buelsing That is beautiful, Olivia! I love how you find so many ways to share your gift with others, and how it feeds your faith as well. It was wonderful hearing your voice over the summer! 11/16/2020 8:58 PM Reply to Leave a comment Name: Please enter a name. Email: Please enter an email address. Please enter a valid email address. Comment: Please enter comment. I agree This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data. You must read and accept this rules. Add comment
Mary Naylor Thank you for the words you wrote Olivia. They are very meaningful. Thank you also for sharing your beautiful voice with us. We appreciate the ways you use your gift to the glory of God. 11/10/2020 3:06 PM
Danelle Buelsing That is beautiful, Olivia! I love how you find so many ways to share your gift with others, and how it feeds your faith as well. It was wonderful hearing your voice over the summer! 11/16/2020 8:58 PM