To Love and Trust the Lord

 

   Loving the Lord isn’t always easy.  Sometimes terrible things happen, things that I can’t explain or understand.  There is not always a why and when I ask God why He doesn’t always answer.

   When my wife passed away I told a priest I respect and love that I didn’t know what to do with my life.  I had never been totally alone and had no idea how to survive such a loss.  I told Him that I didn’t know what God wanted of me and I felt lost.

   He suggested that perhaps what God wanted of me was to endure.  To accept even though I didn’t understand.  To trust in Him and in His love even in the most difficult of times.

   I took him at his word and my prayers changed from asking why to asking for help.  The help to do what my priest had said, to endure, to trust, and to love God even in the worst of times.

   I found the answers in those prayers.  Though I know that the pain will never go away I find peace and comfort in my Lord.  I am confident that my wife is in His care, perfectly happy, joyful, and full of love.  He reminds me that this life is no more than a blink of an eye, eternity is forever.  He helps me understand that I need to look toward eternity rather than the past.

   Each day is still a struggle, each day there is an emptiness inside.  But God is with me, He helps me and leads me always closer to Him.  My life is focused not on what has been but what is to come.  I find strength and encouragement in the words of St. Paul, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2: 9)

 

When life is hard and I feel lost

 You come to me.

You give me peace and comfort.

For this I thank you always.

Amen