Daily Thoughts: Calming the
storm. We have all been there; things are going along just fine. Sure there are
a few bumps in the road but that is to be expected in the living of life but we
have got things under control. Then it happens, all hell breaks loose and we
are hanging on for dear life. All our planning, all our preparations, all our
good intentions seem to go right out the window. We are now hanging on by our
finger tips any moment life will come crashing down on us. We followed our
plan. We did the right things. Why is this happening to us? Our life is simply
out of control and we are doomed!
“Why are you terrified, O you of little
faith?” Why are we terrified? Have we lost faith? Have we lost faith in God,
faith in others, faith in ourselves? Have we forgotten all the hard work we
have put into life? Are we unwilling to trust ourselves any more just because a
storm has entered our life? Are we really that fragile? Have we forgotten to
trust who has brought us to this moment?
Storms in life are fearful moments. They
seem to take control, if we really ever had it, away from us. They bring to the
surface all kinds of doubt from the dark reaches of our hearts. They scare us
and sometimes make us think the worst. They take us out of our comfort zone.
Yet, we are reminded today that no matter what, we never face the storms of
life alone. Paraphrasing the words of Thomas Merton’s famous prayer, “We should
not fear because God is always with us and will never leave us to face our
storms alone.”
On this lazy summer day whether we find
ourselves in the midst of a calm day, looking at a horizon full of storm clouds
or right in the middle of an all-out storm, let us have faith in God, faith in
those important in our life and faith in ourselves so that no matter what this
day brings our faith will see us through.
Have a great Tuesday everyone!
Daily Prayer: My Lord God, I
have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know
for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I
think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope
I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything
apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the
right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you
always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not
fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils
alone. (Thomas Merton, Thoughts in
Solitude)
A Runner’s Thoughts: I have two
thoughts for you today… Remember that if we are meditative runners, if we are
runners at prayer then with each run we are fortunate to have found a way to
refreshes not only our bodies but also our spirits. You might say with each run
we give ourselves the change to be born again in friendship with God! (Adapted from Roger Joslin – Running the
Spiritual Path) “You only ever grow as a human being if
you're outside your comfort zone.” (Percy
Cerutty)
Daily Blessing: Tuesday greetings
and blessings to all! We find ourselves journeying through the last day of
June. It seems like only yesterday that we were battling ice, snow and the cold
of winter, but life keeps moving and today we find ourselves in the midst of
summer.
Things are well here in Manitowoc today.
It was a bit misty this morning around 6:15 am during my run but the sun is now
trying to peek through the clouds and I am hoping for another beautiful day
here in northern Wisconsin! In the midst of your own prayer time today I would
ask you to please continue to keep the sisters on retreat in your prayers and
if you get a chance to offer an extra prayer for their preacher it will be
greatly appreciated.
My prayers are with all of you today
hoping that you will have a good day rich in the many gifts of summer and the
presence of God. Have a great day everyone wherever you are. Blessings upon
your work, your ministry, your experiences, those whom you encounter, those
whom you love and especially upon you! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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