Currently I’m watching the newest season of Vera, about a detective in the very north of England, a cranky and fiercely demanding—and often surprisingly kind—older woman who heads a department that investigates local murders. Vera was talking to a younger police officer, not in her department, who feeling inadequate and was thinking of leaving her job, and she says to her, “No one is cut out for this job. You grow into it. You get better at it. And you cope. No such thing as a natural copper.”
No such thing as a natural. And yet high standards, things worth standing for. That describes a lot of life, don’t you think? In a society that values training and competence (which are, after all, very worthwhile), it’s good to take a minute to remember that we can’t and don’t meet every challenge already prepared. That there’s such a thing as growth. And taking responsibility.
It’s true for faith, too. God designed us to be in relationship with God, and yet our world doesn’t necessarily invite us to keep that in the front of our minds. It’s not always easy. And yet we can grow into it—get better at it. Even if, because of the sin in the world, there are no longer any “naturals,” God invites us to respond anyway. To take responsibility for turning back to God when we notice we’ve been walking away. To take a minute to pray when we start or end our days, or when we struggle. And in the repeating and returning, there is coping, and there is growth. Thanks be to God.
I’ll see you in church—
Becky
Prayer
Gracious God,
You continually make a way for us to return to you.
You continually accept us—and fiercely love us—
when we come to you in prayer.
Thank you for seeking us so persistently.
Thank you for honoring our efforts,
however fumbling and clumsy they may be.
Help us to grow in our faith,
To put in the time to practice
So that we can cope with our lives,
and come to know you better over time,
And bless our returning with growth,
So that turning to you becomes ever more habitual.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.