all shall be well

All shall be well. All shall be well. Every manner of thing shall be well. 

So wrote the mystic Julian of Norwich; she was the head of an order of nuns in England some eight centuries ago. “All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of things will be well.” Her words beautifully capture the spirit of Psalm 23. They, too, are words of assurance and comfort. 

​I wonder how many times you’ve said or heard the words of Psalm 23. Of all the psalms it’s probably the best known and many people’s favorite. Its words are familiar and beloved. I suspect you might know the words or even memorized them.  
 
The words of Psalm 23 comfort us in times of uncertainty and sustain us through sorrows and losses. They give us courage when we are afraid. They assure us there is nothing to fear in the dark valley of death. They offer hope and strength to take our next step. They remind us there is a way forward when we feel powerless and fearful.  

They promise us that we never walk alone.  

Psalm 23 assures us of that. I want to hear words of hope. I want to be reminded that “the Lord is my shepherd” and  I want to be reassured that all shall be well. I want to soak myself in the words of Psalm 23 and let them soak into me. I might be mistaken, but you might also want to do the same.  

This week, I am praying Psalm 23. I invite you to do the same. Pray it when you get up in the morning. Pray it again at noon (or lunchtime). And pray it again before your fall asleep. Pray it for yourselves, for each other, for Iowa, for America, and for the world.  

Pray it slowly and deeply. Allow some silence – a soaking space – between each verse. Whether you pray the verses from memory or from your Bible, I invite you to pray them like this –  

The LORD is my shepherd;  
I shall not be in want.  

All shall be well.  

The LORD makes me lie down in green pastures  
and leads me beside still waters.  

All shall be well.  

The LORD revives my soul  
and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.  

All shall be well.  
Every manner of thing shall be well. 

Peace, 
Travis Segar, Pastor for Care and Community