Day’s Journey—Today
Love Still Has a Place Here
By Lisa Rene Delgado
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.” —Psalm 34:18, KJV
Opening Prayer
Father, draw near to those of us missing someone we Love. Meet us in the memories, the quiet rooms, and the ordinary tasks of Today. Help us receive the comfort of being known and loved by You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
It has been five years since my son died.
Today, I decided to stay home and make cookies.
Earlier this morning, I spent time tending Day’s Journey—putting things in order and revisiting things I had written and shared. It felt like spring cleaning: opening a forgotten drawer and discovering a treasure tucked inside.
Precious stones lay among those memories.
Friendships. Words of encouragement—reminders of prayers carried through difficult seasons.
And there was my first Love—Jesus—whose faithfulness I could recognize along the way.
Perhaps you know what it is to find a treasure while doing something ordinary.
A photograph slips from a book. A familiar recipe brings someone close to mind. You discover a note in handwriting you would recognize anywhere.
For a moment, you stop.
Sometimes you smile. Sometimes you cry. Sometimes you do both.
No matter how long it has been, Love still has a place in your heart.
People may speak about “moving on” when they mean they hope you will feel better. Yet those words can sound as though healing requires leaving someone behind.
I am learning that I can carry Love into the life still before me.
I can bake cookies, laugh with a friend, make plans, and enjoy a peaceful afternoon. I can also miss my son. Gratitude and grief can share the same day.
Today, as I put things in order, I thought about Jesus’ teaching to be ready for His return (Luke 12:35–40). Caring for my home became a quiet expression of expectancy.
Lord, help me tend the life You have entrusted to me. Keep my heart open to Your presence.
That readiness has room for rest. It has room for tears, unfinished tasks, and a batch of cookies cooling on the counter.
Jesus knows the tenderness of grief. At Lazarus’s tomb, He wept (John 11:35). I can bring Him my sorrow without explaining why it still hurts.
And if you are missing someone Today, you can come that way, too.
You do not have to make this a productive day. You may want company, or you may need a little quiet. You may wish to speak your loved one’s name and tell a familiar story again.
There is room for you here.
As I look back through the treasures of these years, I find evidence of care: people who stayed, kindness that arrived, strength for another morning.
My heart is comforted by this simple assurance:
I am thought about. I am known. I am loved.
So are you.
May you discover a small treasure Today—a memory that warms you, a friend who listens, or a quiet moment in which you can receive the Lord’s care.
Sacred Pause
Let yourself remember someone you Love.
What small thing brings them to mind—a song, a recipe, a phrase, a place?
You may smile. You may cry.
Offer that memory to God with a simple prayer:
“Thank You for this love. Please hold me as I miss them.”
Prayer of Repentance and Comfort
Father, forgive me for the ways I have sinned in my sorrow, and help me receive Your mercy. Teach me to be gentle with other grieving hearts and patient with my own.
Thank You for the people whose lives have become precious treasures in mine. Hold me close when their absence aches. Help me welcome moments of joy without feeling that I am betraying their memory.
Guide me in caring for the life before me. Keep me attentive to Your Love and ready to follow You, one day at a time.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Scripture references: Psalm 34:18; Psalm 139:1–18; Luke 12:35–40; John 11:32–36.
Adapted from Lisa Rene Delgado’s personal reflection with assistance from ChatGPT by OpenAI.