diaspora

Thursday, March 17, 2016 (6:21 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Good morning. It's another holiday I don't understand.

(7:00 a.m.)

And just like that I'm learning all kinds of things I never knew!

Blessed God, thank You! Thank You for curiosity. A strong desire to know or learn something. And the more I look, the more I find. Thank You Father. Thank You Son. Thank You Holy Spirit.

There is so very much information at my fingertips. Push just one button and here comes more details and facts and opinions and ideas than I could ever hope to absorb. Thank You that I have the option and the technology to keep looking.

Thank You also for the pull that brings me straight back to Your Word. Thank You Father for the opportunity to look into the life of Saint Patrick.

This morning I'm learning that he wasn't even Irish. Born in the fourth century to a wealthy Romano-British family, he was kidnapped at age 16 and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland.

Talk about not knowing what I've thought I've known all these years! Thank You Father. Thank You for the desire to learn Truth. Which always takes me back to Your Word.

This morning it's to Deuteronomy 28. Here Moses spoke of the Blessings for Obedience (vs. 1-14) and the Curses for Disobedience (15-68). Verse 25 is credited in the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible (Septuagint) as originating the term diaspora. The dispersion of the Jews beyond Israel.

And how did I get here? The dispersion of any people [in this particular case the Irish, of which I am directly descended] from their original homeland.

Holy Father God, how I ask that You would use this day to Your good and to Your glory. There are so very many ways for it to be taken completely away from the religious feast day for the patron saint it was originally designed to represent.

I love You Father. Thank You for the opportunity to learn a bit about yet another of Your faithful followers. May his name be used for good and not for evil this day. His memory used to again point others to You and Your perfect plan for right living.

Bless us. Keep us. Use us to Your glory. Thank You. I love You. And right here let me just shout out another HUGE “Thank You!”

Another search. And a giant find. “St. Patrick's Breastplate: A Shield for Divine Protection”.

Blessed God, thank You for always giving us more than we could ever hope to receive. Oh how I thank and praise You this day for the honor and privilege of learning more about such a deserving man. Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(454 words ~ 8:01 a.m.)