How the Psalms Retrain Our Imagination—and Our Trust

Learning to see reality.

Read time: 6 minutes

The Amazing Fraser Canyon

Can you feel it?

As the road narrows and the canyon walls rise, something subtle happens inside us.
The noise quiets.
The burdens loosen.
Perspective shifts.

It feels like threading a needle—leaving one reality behind and entering another.

Jesus once said,

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23–24)

Not because wealth is evil—but because letting go of our assumed reality is hard. It feels risky.

Entering 2026

We celebrated the end of 2025 in the Interior of British Columbia—
nine adults, three babies, three big house dogs, and two small cabins.

Now, suddenly, I’m preparing to return to Brazil this month! I’m trying to share one last (and sometimes first) coffee or meal with as many people as possible. I’ll be with Deanna daily during her radiation treatment, but that still leaves time to meet with people.

Strangely, we now feel more equipped for missionary life than ever—not because our bodies are stronger, but because our discernment is clearer. We’ve learned how to get past some tough places on the trail toward planting churches and community transformation.

I’m especially eager this month, January 2026, to connect with people who feel drawn to partner with us in prayer, giving, and encouragement as we continue working toward church-planting movements. We each have a reason for being alive now. Let’s lean into it—and see how far faith, obedience, and community can take us.

Best ways to reach me:

Email: rick.bergen@xtrememercy.com
WhatsApp: +55 94 99271-2929
Facebook Messenger
Phone: (778) 902-0898

Plans

Last year, we had plans.

After the privilege of 66 days in intensive and hospital care with our premature grandbabies, we thought we were finally returning to rhythm—Brazil, Portugal, ministry travel, momentum. Flights booked. Calendars filling.

Then April came.
And with it, Deanna’s cancer diagnosis.

We dropped everything. Flew back to Canada. Entered a different kind of fog—one that smelled like hospital antiseptic instead of Amazon humidity.

The Art of Not Knowing

So what’s our plan for 2026?

Here it is, in full:

Get up every morning.
Follow the Lord all day.
Be servant leaders.

That’s it. That’s the plan.

Each morning, I thank God in advance—for every conversation, every interruption, every unseen mercy.

Yes, there are shapes on the horizon. Deanna is through the worst of treatment (thank You, Lord), and the prognosis is good. I have a one-way ticket to return to Brazil ahead of her, as a temporary measure. Deanna needs to remain in British Columbia for ongoing targeted therapy—extraordinarily effective, extraordinarily expensive, and graciously covered by the BC medical system. If all goes well, that chapter will close in late May.

There are invitations:
– A global missions conference in Texas in February
– A church-planting exploration trip in Portugal in March
– A Vineyard South America gathering in São Paulo in June

But the lesson remains:

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

Just Getting Started

People sometimes ask when I plan to retire.

I smile.

Honestly? I feel like I’m just getting started.

I’m sixty-four.
I’m healthy.
And I’m more zealous than I was at thirty.
I’m doing what I love.

What thirty years have given me is perspective. I can now see clearer pathways forward for pastors, church planters, and movement leaders than I ever could while learning the ropes.

I once told people, half-joking, “My real life’s work might begin at sixty.”
I fully believe it now.

And here’s the surprise: I love writing.

What once paralyzed me now feels like worship. Writing travels with me—to Marabá, to Portugal, to wherever God sends us. No stage required. Just a laptop, coffee, and the stories God keeps telling.

Still Learning in the Fog

The fog hasn’t lifted.
And maybe it’s not supposed to.

Deanna must remain physically present in BC for at least 185 days each year. That still leaves six months a year for her to travel, and possibly a few extra weeks before and after each trip for me. The road ahead is still partially hidden. One thing feels right: the future is bright. God has been preparing us for a purpose.

And I’m learning this: the fog is not the enemy.
The fog is where faith lives.

When we can see the whole road, trust is optional.
When only the next step is visible, every morning becomes an act of worship.

Get up.
Follow the Lord all day.
Be a servant.

The oldest plan in the Book.

Questions for Reflection

• What plans have you held tightly—only to watch God gently redirect them?
• Have you ever felt “too old” or “past your prime” for what God might still be inviting you into?
• What would change if tomorrow you woke with just one plan: follow the Lord all day?

Psalms 1 & 2: A Dual Gateway

In studying the Psalms, I’ve come to see something beautiful.

Psalm 1 is about personal formation—a person rooted like a tree by streams of water.
Psalm 2 is about cosmic formation—God’s anointed King healing nations.

God starts with one person—but He never stops there.
He’s renovating the universe and invites us to join the construction crew.

The editors of the Psalms placed these two at the doorway on purpose. You can’t understand the Psalter without both personal righteousness and Messianic hope. Remove either, and the whole structure collapses.

A Suggested Meditation

Read Psalms 1 and 2 together.
Work from the outside in—and then from the inside out.

Ask yourself:
What if this reality felt more real than social media headlines?
What if Psalm 2 shaped your imagination as much as the news cycle?
Would Psalm 1 begin to matter more deeply?

Personal formation → cosmic transformation.
A blessed person → a blessed community.

Deanna’s Journey to Healing

• Deanna began radiation treatments on Friday, January 2.
• This targeted therapy is designed to prevent recurrence, followed by continued treatments every three weeks until completing the full 17-session protocol.
• We’re deeply grateful—for skilled doctors, outstanding hospital attendants, modern medicine, and your prayers.

Prayer Requests

• For Deanna’s complete recovery
• For the sale of the mission property in Marabá (we have interest, but nothing signed yet)
• For clarity, as we step into 2026, beginning with the Global Missions Conference in Texas later this month

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