Gently Touch Me O Lord

 

  We all have a desire to be loved. Letting someone know you love them doesn’t have to be a series of grand gestures. As a parent some of my favorite moments of loving my children were quiet and gentle.  When they were babies, I held them close to my heart and softly kissed the top of their heads.  Often they would be sleeping and completely unaware of how much I loved them. As they got older I would hold their hands to keep them safe, I carried them when they were too tired, and I sat and listened to them when they were hurting.  I just wanted to let them know that I would always be here for them. I would always love them. 

 Our God is certainly capable of performing mighty miracles.   Miracles occur every day. I sometimes think, though, that God enjoys being our Father.  He enjoys loving us in very personal and gentle ways.   I honestly believe that God is sitting next to me and listening when I pray.  I believe He holds my hand and leads me to safety.  I believe He carries me and my burdens when I am overwhelmed. He is always a part of my life, and I am willing to bet that He has gently touched me at times when I was completely unaware. 
 This week I would like to invite you to meditate on the gentleness of God. Close your eyes and try to imagine all the times God held you gently in His arms.  Try to imagine feeling His kiss on your forehead.  Gently remind yourself that being a child of God is absolutely incredible!

-Susan

Get Real

 The car is one of my favorite places to pray especially when I am all alone.   It is quiet and peaceful, and a great place to talk things over with God. This was the case yesterday. 

 I had a particular problem on my mind as I prayed. I really needed God's help. As I slowed my car down to the upcoming stop light, I did a double take. The license plate on the car in front of me was “GET REAL”.  Now I realize that car drives everywhere with that license plate, but I felt like pulling up to that particular car, at that exact moment, was more than a coincidence. It felt like a message. I needed to take my prayer life to the next level. I needed to get more real when I prayed. 

 What exactly does that mean?  I’m not really sure, and I am not sure how to venture down this path.  I will definitely need a guide, so my first step is to call on the Holy Spirit.  I’m going to ask the Holy Spirit to help me be more real when praying (I know there's plenty of room for improvement) or maybe I need to have a better understanding of how very real God is in my life (am I always aware of His Presence?).

 
 When the light turned green, the car in front of me turned down a different road.  It was only by chance that I had noticed this car's license plate, but sometimes that’s all God needs.  Sometimes He just needs us to stop for a minute, so that He can get our attention, and help us realize what is right in front of us--Him.  He is always calling us to come closer. As I continued to drive, it may have looked like I was on the same road, but I noticed the scenery changing. I’m excited to discover what “get real” means to God. 

-Susan

A Change In Seasons

 I love God’s creativity in the Fall.  It’s not enough that He made thousands of different types of trees, but then He changes the leaves of each tree into a spectacular array of colors.  It’s funny that I can marvel at the beauty of change in nature, but when God throws change in my life, I’m not so thrilled nor do I think it’s beautiful.  

 Change, however, is a part of God’s plan and often necessary for spiritual growth. If we want our souls to become richer in color, we have to trust God’s plan over our own.  Entering a new season of life can be painful and difficult and unwanted.  Asking the question, “Why?”  may never be answered or understood.  We must simply allow the Spirit of God to move us forward.  I have also found that it is better not to enter a new season standing tall and proud, but to be on my knees repeating, “Thy will be done, Thy will be done.” And holding a Kleenex in my hand (just in case) is never a bad idea.

-Susan

Unveiling The Hidden

 

 Today we begin celebrating Mary and the Holy Rosary.  Of course as everyones knows, I love praying the Rosary!  It's never the same prayer for me and I love when Mary surprises me with a new insight. When meditating on the Rosary, I often like to imagine how Mary saw these events unfold.  She knew Jesus better than anyone.  Intuitively, she must have known what all Jesus' gestures, smiles, and glances meant as He encountered both individuals and crowds, supporters and challengers, love and hostility.  Mary was blessed to have spent thirty years with Jesus before He began His mission.

  I would like to suggest that we spend the next thirty days discovering Jesus through Mary's eyes. A mother knows her child not through a couple of keys moments, but through thousands of little moments from day to day and year to year.  Let's spend time with Mary and ask her to share some of those moments from the "Hidden years".  Let's begin when Jesus was just a baby and each day add one year to His age. Perhaps these little discoveries will enhance our Rosary meditations. Let's fall in love with the child Jesus just as Mary did!

-Susan