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16. We All Need Harbors - Wednesday Evening · Family Prayer Podcast

• 0:00
  Good evening, Grace Harbor, it’s Dan.
• 0:03
  How are you doing this evening?
• 0:05
  Did you have a good Wednesday?
• 0:07
  I sure hope so.
• 0:09
  Today was a cold day here in town.
• 0:12
  The sun was out and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but it was still very cold.
• 0:17
  The temperature stayed in the low 30s most of the day.
• 0:20
  Well, I should say that it was cold for me.
• 0:23
  For those folks who’ve lived in Grace Harbor their whole lives,
• 0:27
  it was a *beautiful* day.
• 0:28
  I even saw a guy in shorts!
• 0:31
  But I actually wasn’t born here.
• 0:33
  I’m originally from Florida - the Sunshine State.
• 0:37
  And let me tell you, it only gets this cold a couple days per year, if at all.
• 0:43
  And while I’ve certainly gotten better handling the cold since we moved here, and
• 0:47
  I would agree that it was a beautiful day, I still needed an extra layer or two.
• 0:53
  Our topic of storms and
• 0:55
  harbors this morning got me thinking about my old home state.
• 0:59
  While Florida is known as the Sunshine State,
• 1:02
  it could also be called the Stormy State.
• 1:05
  For much of the year, there is always the chance of afternoon thunderstorms.
• 1:09
  And from May into November, it’s hurricane season.
• 1:14
  You kind of learn to live with it -
• 1:16
  just like folks around here have learned to live with the cold.
• 1:19
  But part of what you learn is to always take storms seriously.
• 1:24
  Lightning is no joke.
• 1:26
  Sometimes lightning on the edge of a storm can seem to come out of the blue sky.
• 1:31
  And when you think of hurricanes, you probably think of wind first.
• 1:35
  But for my friends and family that lived close to the coast,
• 1:39
  their first concern was water, as hurricanes can sometimes cause flooding.
• 1:44
  I can remember lots of times when they would come and stay with us
• 1:48
  in the middle of the state during a hurricane.
• 1:50
  And so, in a way, we were like a harbor for them - a safe place to go in the storm.
• 1:57
  This morning, we named some of our own harbors
• 2:00
  - the places and people that make us feel safe.
• 2:04
  That is so important because sometimes life can get stormy.
• 2:10
  Of course, we all want to have a great day every day,
• 2:13
  and we should start each day looking for ways to make it a great day.
• 2:18
  But sometimes tough things happen.
• 2:21
  Sometimes things can make us sad or mad.
• 2:25
  Sometimes school or work can feel overwhelming.
• 2:29
  Sometimes a friend might say something that hurts our feelings.
• 2:32
  And everyone gets sick or trips and skins their knees from time to time.
• 2:38
  It’s important to acknowledge that life has storms and to take them seriously.
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  Even the strongest boats need a harbor sometimes.
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  It’s not a sign that the boat is weak.
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  It’s a sign that the captain is wise.
• 2:53
  The same is true for you and for me when we need to find a harbor.
• 2:59
  Let’s take a moment
• 3:00
  and name some of the times when *we* might need our safe places.
• 3:05
  You could share something that has actually happened,
• 3:08
  or you could use your imagination.
• 3:10
  Go ahead and share with each other, and if you need more time,
• 3:14
  you can pause the podcast.
• 3:15
  I’ll be right here when you get back.
• 3:48
  Do you remember earlier this week
• 3:49
  when we talked about Jesus being the Prince of Peace?
• 3:52
  That’s one of the titles the Bible uses to describe who Jesus is and what he does.
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  Another way the Bible talks about Jesus is as a refuge.
• 4:03
  A refuge is a place of safety and protection - a lot like a harbor.
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  And so, in addition to the safe people and places
• 4:12
  we’ve thought about today, we can also look to God as a harbor.
• 4:17
  And one of our core daily disciplines is prayer,
• 4:21
  which is a way of talking to and connecting with God.
• 4:24
  So, whenever you find yourself in
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  need of a harbor, you can always find refuge in God.
• 4:31
  Let’s close out
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  today by practicing that discipline and praying together.
• 4:35
  If you want to, you can close your eyes and fold your hands.
• 4:39
  “Dear God, we thank you for this wonderful day and for all of your blessings.
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  We thank you that no matter what’s going on in our life,
• 4:47
  you love us and are always watching over us.
• 4:51
  We pray for all of the people who feel like they’re in a storm today.
• 4:56
  May they find a safe harbor in you.
• 4:59
  Amen.” Alright- good night, Grace Harbor.
• 5:02
  Get a good night’s sleep, and I’ll talk to you in the morning.