Already There
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Imagine that God is already present in all of the unknowns of the future. How might that reassurance ease your mind and your heart?
Never ignore your roots, your home, or your hair.
— Dolly Parton
There's a greater plan for me,
Bigger dreams than I could ever dream.
He says, ‘Be still and know I'm everywhere,
And as for tomorrow, I'm already there.’
— “He’s Already There” by Dahron and Brooke Aldridge
Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Food For Thought
As a native East Tennessean, I was saddened to learn of the death of Dolly Parton a few weeks ago. I grew up with Dolly on the television, watching her on a local show, and of course, her music was played frequently in our home. More than her music, however, Dolly was a ray of light—an example of kindness and humility and, for me at least, a reminder of the importance of remembering where you come from.
There is something about Dolly that has always felt familiar. Perhaps it is her Appalachian roots, her unmistakable voice, or the way she never seemed to forget the people and places that shaped her. She has a way of reminding us that no matter how much life changes, there are things we carry with us. The places we come from. The people who love us. The stories that have made us who we are.
I work in hospice and am frequently told by families that they are “not prepared” for their loved one’s death. They don’t know what they will do without this person in their lives. I, too, have experienced family deaths, and it is indeed life-changing. Sometimes we don’t know what the next step is or how we will manage without this particular person in our lives.
The coffee cup on the table is empty, and that morning phone call can never be replaced. There are birthdays and holidays and ordinary Tuesday mornings when we are reminded that someone is missing. We learn, slowly, how to live in a new reality—one we did not choose and could not have fully prepared for. And yet, somehow, we find our way. We wake up the next morning. We make the coffee. We remember. We carry the love with us.
The daily routines change, but the continued connection remains.
Perhaps that is part of what it means to be human. We are continually learning how to live with change, even when we would much rather hold on to what we know.
We are approaching fall here in Middle Tennessee. As the seasons change, it reminds me that in life, change must come. Whether it be death, divorce, a job change, a health challenge, or any shift into a new reality, change is difficult. We can spend so much energy wishing things could stay the same, preparing for what might happen, or worrying about what tomorrow will bring.
There is beauty in the changing seasons, but that doesn’t mean change is always easy. The trees don’t cling to every leaf. The days grow shorter. The air becomes cooler. The landscape slowly becomes something different. And somehow, we trust that spring will come again.
I frequently listen to Bluegrass Gospel on Sunday mornings. There is a song by Dahron and Brooke Aldridge called “He’s Already There”. The song is a reminder that God has prepared our lives and that whether we worry about today or tomorrow, God is already present in all of it.
Jesus spoke about worrying about the future and how unnecessary it was. And yet, worry is often our first response to change. We wonder, ‘What will I do? How will I manage? Am I ready for what comes next?’
Perhaps the answer is not that we will always feel prepared.
We may not FEEL prepared for change. But we ARE prepared because we have the gifts and graces God has provided for us—for the present and the future.
We may not know what tomorrow will look like. We may not know how we will navigate the loss, the transition, or the new reality waiting for us. But we can trust that we will not enter it alone. The God who has been present in our past will be present in whatever comes next.
The season will change. So will we.
And through it all, God is already there.
Take a few minutes today to listen to “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” by Dolly Parton, and allow the music to help you let go of a few worries you might be carrying.
If you are in the middle of a difficult change, write “God is already there” on a post-it and place it somewhere you’ll see it often. Let it remind you that God is with you now, will be with you through your transition, and will still be with you on the other side of whatever you’re facing.
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
Blessing
God Who is Already There,
When we cannot see what lies ahead, help us trust that you are already there, holding us with grace and love. Give us courage for each change, comfort in each loss, and gratitude for the people and moments that have shaped our lives. Remind us that whatever comes, we never walk into it alone, for you are with us in every season.
Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
When have you experienced a significant change or loss that you didn’t feel prepared for? What helped you find your way through it?
What does it mean to you to trust that “God is already there,” especially when you don’t know what comes next?
As you think about the changing seasons of your own life, what might you need to release, carry with you, or trust God with in this season?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Can you think of a time when something changed and you didn’t know what was going to happen? How did you feel?
What do you think it means when we say, “God is already there,” even when we don’t know what will happen next?
What is one thing you are thankful for from a season of your life that has already passed?
Meet This WEek’s Writer...
Khette Cox is an ordained minister who works as a chaplain in healthcare, and in her spare time is learning the piano, enjoys watching live music, and loves life with humor and a sense of the sacred. She lives in Old Hickory, TN where you will probably find her on her front porch with Felix, her Newfie mix, waving at her neighbors.
To hear more from Khette throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!