Author: Maria Barroso

“The Lord upholds all who are falling,

and raises up all who are bowed down.”

Psalm 145:14 (RSV)

To be bowed down means to be deeply disheartened by something that happened. Some situations can definitely leave us feeling bowed down, saddened and perplexed, but I just experienced how God still upholds and lifts us up, even during the most distressing experiences in our lives. 

Yesterday, I visited the Nursing home, and enjoyed the company of the five special residents who I have befriended over the past two years. The parents of Andy were also there and we decided to pray together for the residents at the table with us. Ray, Andy’s dad, and I have prayed individually for certain residents at various times, but that was the first time we all joined hands and prayed as a group. We prayed for healing and blessing of each resident at our table. 

It was a beautiful experience and a huge blessing to those residents who joined hands with us and prayed. I felt overwhelmed with thankfulness, in realizing that Jesus is taking over these visits. I was so blessed just thinking of what God has done over the past two years in the lives of residents through Ray, Martha and my regular visits.

It’s a blessing to have the fellowship and unity of another couple who visit regularly, and also form friendships with the residents. After Martha and Ray left to go home that day, I was still sitting at the table and talking, when Jon’s doctor called me. He said that Jon seemed better lately and he wanted to decrease his medication. I readily agreed and then told him about how he recently answered Ray in a full sentence, in Spanish. The doctor was pleased to hear it and asked me to keep him informed of any further progress in Jon’s communication. 

The blessing of having Jon’s doctor call me right after our prayer at the table that day, was an example of God’s perfect timing. It was a like a healing balm after something that happened three days earlier. 

Three days prior to that, I had a difficult experience with a neighbor, who lives above me and seems to have some type of mental instability, causing periodic verbal assaults. 

Her last explosive episode of verbally attacking me and another neighbor, happened a few years ago. Last weekend, it happened again as she followed me to my door, telling me that she hears me stomping when I walk and how disturbing it is to her. She proceeded to spout many words of vitriol as she walked behind me all the way to my door.

The strange thing is that she lives in the unit above me and I wondered how she could hear my footsteps, while I am walking barefoot in my unit below. As I was trying to explain this to her, I realized that there was nothing I could say or do that would logically resonate, as she started accusing me of lying. Finally, I told her to try and find some peace, went into my house and resolved to pray for her but never again attempt to reason with her.

The whole experience, came out of nowhere and was very upsetting. It certainly left me feeling bowed down as today’s verse says. Three days later was the day I had the blessed day at the Nursing Facility, praying with the group at the table, and then receiving the positive phone call from the doctor, all of which, raised my spirit, and restored my joy.

The Lord really does uphold us when we are feeling downhearted. He raises us up when we are bowed down or feel emotionally drained. 

On my drive home from the Nursing home, I recalled how a wonderful lady named Monica, once inspired me. She was the first person I met when I began visiting there. Her mother was an elderly patient at the home, and Monica used to greet all the residents, showing them exceptional kindness and attention. Her mother died soon after I started visiting there, and Monica never returned again, but she left an impression on me that I will never forget. She motivated me to do as she did. 

God not only has a mission for each of us, but He also has a back up plan for every mission. Ray, Martha and I were apparently God’s back up plan to replace Monica at that Nursing facility. It’s become a blessing to see how God is working among many residents there. When distressful experiences or hostile people rob us of our joy, God raises us up again, and once more, reminds us that He is the true source of all joy. 

Lord, thank you for raising us up when we feel downhearted. Lift up each reader’s heart today, and strengthen us, by restoring the true joy that comes from you. Amen

“After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

1 Kings 19:11-12 (NIV)

Elijah, the prophet, was in a cave hiding out, depressed and waiting to die. Overwhelmed with fear and grief after Queen Jezebel killed all the prophets, he was now the only one left, and her assassins were out searching for him. While in that cave, he was emotionally exhausted and prayed,

“I have had enough, Lord, take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he laid down and fell asleep, but God sent an angel to wake him up twice, to force him to eat and drink. 

God shows us through this story, how much He cares for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. He sent an angel just to ensure that Elijah ate and drank, in order to keep him nourished. 

Looking outside his cave, Elijah observed a powerful wind, followed by an earthquake and then a fire, but God did not speak through any of those forces of nature. Instead, He came to Elijah and spoke in a gentle whisper that overshadowed him, and swept over him like a comforting  breeze. The whispering voice asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He told God that all the prophets had been killed and he was the last one left. Then God told him to “Go back…” 

God sent Elijah back to the chaotic world he was running away from, and informed him that he was not the only one left, but that there were 7,000 other people, who were also believers at the time. Elijah left the cave, found those other prophets and believers, and the cruel rulers were soon replaced by a just king, named Jehoshaphat. 

The Soul whisperer let Elijah know that things were not as bleak as he once feared. He learned that he was never alone, and the situation was not as desperate as he perceived it from his cave of despair.

God sees our anguish and comes to us with a gentle whisper, inviting us to go back and resume our place in this world, as He walks with us, to restore us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. That same gentle voice of God, later embodied Jesus, as He spoke in the same tender way, 

“Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with negativity when we face so much discouragement. When it seems that we have nothing left within us, the Spirit comes to us where we are.

When I once felt totally depleted, the Holy Spirit whispered to me through music I was listening to. I felt God’s loving presence, and a voice was whispering deep within my soul. It wasn’t an audible voice, but I knew that the Holy Spirit was saying to me,  “I want you back.” In that moment, my soul responded and something transformed within me.

I believe the love of God comes to every person as a Soul whisperer, continually inviting them to return to Him. Instead of escaping the chaos and hiding in a cave, God wants to walk beside us throughout this life. Once we respond to His gentle whisper, it’s like a healing balm to our soul. 

Caves and mountain tops may be good places for prayer or meditation, but they were not meant to be permanent dwelling places. The Soul whisperer calls us out of our caves and away from our mountain tops. He whispers to us in our isolation, and brings us back to the noisy, chaotic, real world, so that He can walk with us on our journey of faith. 

Sorrows can make us feel that we cannot walk with the same vigor as we once did, but the Soul whisperer tells us, “Walk with whatever you have left, and I will be with you all the way to the end.” He equips us to walk a new path and showers us with new mercies each day. It all starts with His gentle whisper, saying, “Come back, I will be with you.”

Lord, help us to hear what you are whispering within our soul, and to receive your healing as you draw us out of our cave, and show us new mercies, so that we may share your love and gifts with all those around us. 

“When we come into the land, you tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you are letting us down. Gather your father and mother, your brothers, and all your family into your house.”

Joshua 2:18 (NASB)

Rahab, a resident of the city of Jericho, was a harlot who helped hide two Israelite spies that Joshua sent there. Rahab developed faith and reverence for the God of the Israelites after hearing of the mighty acts He did for His people. After she helped hide the spies, she asked Joshua to spare her and her family when his army conquered Jericho. They swore an oath to each other, that Joshua would spare her and her family, if she hung a scarlet cord in her window, as a sign to identify her home. As long as Rahab and her family stayed inside the home, with the scarlet cord hanging in the window, they would be spared.

Placing a scarlet cord in the window, reminds me of another bible story. Before the exodus from Egypt, God told Moses to instruct all Hebrew families to put the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their home and then stay indoors. The blood was a sign that kept them safe from the angel of death who swept over Egypt that night. 

In the Rahab story, the scarlet cord, the color of blood, was the sign for Joshua’s army to spare that home. Whoever believes and follows Jesus as Lord, has a scarlet cord in the window of their soul, which God can see. That new covenant scarlet cord in the window of our soul, says, “I believe and receive the promise of eternal life through Jesus.” 

Rahab and her family were saved by the scarlet cord of redemption. She came to believe in the same God who delivered the Hebrew families who had the blood on the doorposts. Rahab was a gentile who left her old way of life and became grafted into the chosen people by faith. She was the heroine of this story, since the Israelites couldn’t have succeeded in the conquest of Jericho without her help by hiding those spies. 

She eventually married a man from the tribe of Judah and lived the rest of her life with faith in the one true God. She turned out to be the great, great grandmother of King David, and an ancestor in the ancestry and lineage of Jesus. 

We’ve also been grafted into the family of God by faith, not based on our tribal ancestry, social status or our past history. The story of Rahab teaches us that God will give anyone a fresh start, with the chance to be a hero or heroine and walk according to His will, by His grace. 

Because of His boundless mercy, He searches the earth, looking for the scarlet cord of faith in the window of our souls, which speaks louder than outward appearances. 

Lord, thank you for your marvelous ways and boundless mercy, in searching all hearts for a scarlet cord of faith, seeing beyond outward appearances, offering redemption to all people. Amen

“He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

John 20:15-16 (NIV)

Jesus only said one word, “Mary” and a sacred moment occurred on that morning of His resurrection, when He appeared to her outside the tomb. She was overwhelmed in grief over His death that morning, which led to her mistaking Jesus for a gardener. She didn’t recognize Him until He called her name, and then she knew without a doubt, that it was Jesus. He is the Good Shepherd who calls all His sheep by name, and Mary was one of His sheep.

If someone very close to us called us on our phone, as soon as they spoke our name, even without a name ID showing on the phone, we would know who it is, by their voice and how they say our name. Whether it was a spouse, a parent or a sibling, we would recognize them by their voice. If it was our son or daughter, we would know who it is the moment they said, “Mom” or “Dad.” 

When Jesus called Mary’s name at the empty tomb, it confirmed their close relationship, which every  disciple had with Him over the three years of His ministry. Another pivotal moment of speaking a name, was when Jesus said to Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail.”That life altering moment began with Jesus calling him, “Simon, son of Jonah” and then changing his name to Peter. (Matthew 16:17-18)

Names hold deep significance and reveal our roots. When Jesus called someone’s name, it confirmed that He knew them from day one, more than any other human being ever did, and it’s why He invites all of us to a more intimate relationship with Him. Mary was known as Mary of Magdala, a seaside city in Galilee, where she grew up. When Jesus called Mary’s name, it signified His love for her, while knowing every aspect of her life and who she was as a person from day one. That’s how much He loves each person in this world and why He continues to call everyone by name. 

If we could just pause during our time in prayer, listen with our spirit instead of our ears, and imagine Jesus calling our name, in the midst of any present pain, discouragement or confusion we feel, we might find a similar sacred moment as Mary and Peter did. 

He knows us more than we know ourselves, and He calls our name not to reprimand us but to serenade us with His love, offering His ever cleansing mercy and grace.

There is a deep sense of well being that comes from knowing we have a clean conscience. Scripture assures us that the blood of Christ not only forgives sin but cleanses our conscience as well. (Hebrews 9:14)

When our conscience is cleaned, no one and nothing can take away our peace.

When Jesus called Mary Magdalene and Simon Peter by name, it was a life changing moment. Jesus is not a mere acquaintance, like a hired gardener, that Mary Magdalene momentarily mistook Him for. He doesn’t just groom us like a gardener grooms his garden to improve its appearance. He calls us each by name, inviting us to keep going deeper, because He knows us best, and wants to forgive, cleanse, renew and transform us from the inside out. 

Lord, help us to recognize that you are calling our name in love, because you have known us from day one and desire a closer relationship with us as we walk with you through this life. Amen

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 (RSV)

The story of David and Goliath started when the Philistine army challenged the Israelite army, saying “Send your champion to fight our champion”. The Philistine champion was a nine foot nine inch tall giant, named Goliath, and no one stepped forward to take the challenge.  

David was a youth, sent to the battle line by his father, to bring food to his older brothers and other soldiers in the camp. He was sent on a routine errand, but in learning of the threats of Goliath, he asked King Saul for permission to fight the giant. In this scene from the House of David, movie series, King Saul warned David that Goliath is a monster made for war, reminding David that he had no military training. David’s reply was, “but, I was made for this.”

His persistence to take on the giant was an indication of the confidence he had in the Lord. Instead of being motivated by ego or self confidence, David had God confidence. 

Having God confidence meant that he knew himself, and his abilities, but his confidence was in knowing who God is and what He can do. The Israelite soldiers were stronger, better trained and more experienced in the skills of war, than David, yet he had something that the rest of the army didn’t have-God confidence. 

We all face giants of some kind during our lifetime. I think of my maternal grandmother, who grew up on a vegetable farm in what is now the Chicago suburb of Niles, Illinois. She was riding on a vegetable cart one day after helping to gather the  family’s produce on the farm. The hired man driving the cart might have been drunk because he drove across the train tracks just when a train was coming and their cart was struck by that train.

The driver died instantly and my teenage grandmother was thrown hundreds of feet, yet found alive and unconscious. She had a severe head injury and was in a coma for a period of time. She eventually awoke without any mental or physical deficits, and was blessed with a full recovery. She later married, had three healthy children, and lived to the age of 79. 

I heard her story since I was a child, but have a greater appreciation for it today, since she overcame a traumatic brain injury, which is now a reality in my own son’s life. Getting hit by a train and overcoming her head injury, was only the first giant that my grandmother faced and overcame.

She gave birth to her first child, but at nine months old, she noticed a sore on the baby’s leg, that never healed. Her baby girl was diagnosed with Osteomyelitis, a bone infection that can quickly spread through the bloodstream, and become fatal. The standard medical treatment at the time was amputation, but my grandmother refused to have her baby’s leg amputated. She found a way to face another giant, approach God’s throne of grace and overcome once again.

A physician told her about clinical research trials being done for osteomyelitis at Evanston hospital, so she took her baby there, and they performed an experimental procedure of scraping the infection from the bone while administering certain medications. In time, the treatment was successful and the baby was healed. That baby girl grew up to become my mother. 

Today, I have a greater empathy for my grandmother and how she faced the giants in her life. It took courage but more than that, it required God confidence, to approach the throne of grace, through faith and prayer in  seeking God’s help.

It’s another reminder that we will all face a giant at some time in our lives, and we too, can follow David’s example of having “God confidence.”Whatever type of giant we face, the Lord invites us to place all of our confidence in the throne of grace. Through Jesus, we receive grace, mercy and victory over any giant in our time of need. 

Lord, remind us to look to your throne of grace instead of at the giants we currently face. Help us to have faith like David had, which leads to God confidence as we trust you to bring the victory. Amen

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Jesus had specific plans for the apostle Paul, to send him to the gentile world. Before his conversion, he was living his life, so proud to be Jewish, to the point of directing the arrests and persecution of believers in Christ. Then Jesus called Paul to be an apostle to the gentiles, the very people he was hostile toward. Paul learned that he was made for much more than he ever imagined.

God has a purpose for every believer. Very few are sent to far away lands as missionaries, but our mission field could be right where we spend most of our hours each week. The older I get, and the longer I follow Jesus, the less I believe in coincidences. The Lord places us in specific places at specific times, to shine our light on specific people, for His purpose.

Even if we share a word of faith that touches one soul for eternity, the world will be a brighter place, spreading hope in Him. Despite the many problems we face in our personal lives, we can find an inner peace in knowing we are exactly where we were meant to be, whether it’s our job, our school, our church or our neighborhood. 

When the apostles received their call  to spread the gospel to the world, they each had a uniquely different ministry from each other. Peter went to Antioch, which is present day Turkey. Thomas was called to India. James stayed in Jerusalem, and Andrew was known as the apostle to the Greeks.

Each apostle stood firm wherever they were placed, and lived out their calling and purpose, even though they lived in perilous times for all Christian believers. They all lived their lives with a sense of destiny and devotion to Christ. In the end, they gave their lives in martyrdom except for John, who had a unique calling to write his visions in the book of Revelation while living in exile on the island of Patmos.

We are all chosen by God, for a unique purpose, and made for more than a shallow, vain existence. As we continue to follow Jesus, He will lead us to special places, according to His perfect timing, for some eternal purpose. We may not even realize in this present life how we’ve left an impact for Christ on someone else.

I remember a Japanese friend I had in college, during a time when I was excited to share my faith with anyone I met. Yoshi was raised Buddhist, and never understood the Christian gospel message, so I was excited to share my faith with him and also invited him to my church a few times. 

Life went on after college and we lost touch. I never heard from or saw Yoshi again. “Fifty years” later, a relative of mine met Yoshi at a church in the Chicago area, and Yoshi told my relative that I was the person who introduced him to the Christian faith. He converted and was living as a Christian ever since his college days and I had no clue that I ever made an impact on him. We never know how our words or deeds can influence someone later. 

Anywhere God leads us has a divine purpose. When I started my career in health care, I was fixated on working at a specific hospital in downtown Chicago, but it never came to pass. Instead, I was hired and worked for 25 years at a suburban hospital, where I made lifelong friends, who I still stay in touch with to this day. Those friends will be in my heart forever. It was through the hospital I was employed at, that I learned about the volunteer chaplain department, and I have continued doing that ministry in retirement. I once thought I knew where I should be, but God always has the best plan.

God made us for more than asking Him to fulfill all of our plans. He made us to be a partner with Him in His plan, which results in eternally impacting the lives of those around us. We were meant to live with anticipation and a sense of destiny looking ahead, for the next blessing.

Lord, thank you for loving, trusting and calling us according to your purpose, and help us to serve you by shining your light on others, where you have placed us. Amen

“Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.”

Ephesians 4:23-24 (NAB)

I have become friends with the parents of a resident at the Nursing facility who is close to my son’s age. 

I know their son, Andy, and he knows me. Martha and Ray, who are of Mexican descent, are fluent in both Spanish and English. They are wonderful people, good parents, and Ray often tries talking to my son, Jon, when he enters the Day room. 

One day, after I had arrived at the Nursing facility, Ray and Martha were already there. Ray hurried over to tell me that Jon came in the Day room for a short time earlier that day. Ray asked him in Spanish if he is okay, and Jon answered him in Spanish, saying “Si, estoy bien.”

 (yes, I’m fine.)

That totally blew my mind, because Jon hasn’t answered any questions for many months, only a head nod, with no evidence that he understood what was actually being said to him. Everyone usually speaks English to him, so the only thing that changed was Ray, speaking to him in Spanish. 

I was struck with a sudden thought…

Could Jon possibly be able to understand only Spanish, since his brain injury? 

Both my sons grew up in a northern suburb of Chicago, and we had a Mexican neighbor, Roberto, who was their same age. From the age of eight years old through high school, they were best friends and my two boys spent a lot of time in Roberto’s home. They ate meals with Roberto’s family and learned to speak Spanish pretty fluently since his parents spoke no English. Roberto is now married with a family, and visited Jon when he was in the hospital right after his accident. He has since moved out of state, and we lost contact with him, but the Spanish that my sons learned from hanging out with his family remains with them today.

The day that Ray told me how Jon answered him in a full sentence in Spanish, was a day I began my usual routine of going to church and afterward, meeting up with a church group for coffee. Our coffee group routinely prays for each other’s needs, and that day, one lady in the group suggested praying for my son, Jon. They asked me how he was doing and I told them in all honesty, that his progress seems to have come to a halt. After we prayed for Jon and the other needs that morning, we all departed. 

That was the day that Ray came to tell me his good news about Jon answering him in a full Spanish sentence. I told him that my friends at church just prayed for Jon, which was no coincidence. Thank God for the support of church community, fellowship and prayers. 

I wondered if it’s possible that a brain injured person who once spoke two languages, could end up speaking only one of those languages, based on which part of the brain was more injured. Could it be that the Spanish part of Jon’s brain took over after the English part was damaged by the trauma? I plan to ask Jon’s Neuropsychiatrist that question. 

Meanwhile, I put up a sign in Jon’s room asking the staff who can, to speak to Jon in Spanish. I had three years of Spanish in high school but am no where near fluent. I now greet him with “Ola, Como estas?” and Jon raises his eyebrows with more expression and nods yes, while muttering words I can’t understand. 

I am grateful for the “Ray” of light who witnessed Jon answering in a complete Spanish sentence that day. I’m also thankful for the friend in the coffee group who suggested praying for Jon that morning. Above all, I am thankful to God for working through many different believers to reaffirm His love and kindness to us each and every day. 

It seems as if Jon has had the Spanish language part of his brain reawakened. As believers, we are reminded to let the Holy Spirit reawaken our minds. The Christian faith teaches us that a renewed mind is capable of listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit with an understanding that comes from someplace beyond our human mind. (Romans 8:16)

We are all developing a lifelong language skill of listening to the Spirit of God. His voice has always been within us, but is continually being re-awakened.

Lord, renew our minds and help us to 

grow in discernment of what your Spirit is saying to us. Develop a new self within each of us according to your will and righteousness. Amen

“God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change,

though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;”

Psalm 46:1-2 (RSV)

Have you ever started a day feeling like there are so many problems to solve, that you feel weighed down?

Sometimes it feels like the whole earth is changing as this scripture says. We are living in times of ever changing laws and rules, which often makes it difficult for us to keep up. 

I had a few problem issues that needed to be solved regarding Medicaid and my son’s Nursing Home. At times, these issues woke me in the middle of the night, and I found myself overthinking things, but I have learned that though the laws keeps changing, God never changes, and He is still an ever present help in our times of trouble. 

I planned to tackle these problems yesterday, so in practicing what I always write, I asked the Holy Spirit to go with me and send all the right people to help solve these problems. The first problem issue to solve was with Medicaid. Jon has been on Medicaid and living in a Nursing facility for two years. I have always been his legal guardian, but when I recently called Medicaid to ask a question, they said that I wasn’t listed as a guardian on his account and they could not speak to me. 

Since they wouldn’t speak to me, I searched for the nearest Medicaid office and went there at 8:30 am when the doors opened, in order to hand them all my legal documents of guardianship. The clerk at the front desk told me to just place the documents in a special mailbox in center of the room, and it would be taken care of. I was in and out of the office in ten minutes, so my day was already starting to brighten up. 

The next problem to tackle was the Nursing Facility business office, due to months of poor communication with them. Jon started receiving SS disability payments in July, and I emailed the NH business director in August to let her know that he is now receiving payments, asking what portion of those monthly payments were owed to the Nursing facility. 

I also emailed a copy of his bank statement to her, so that she had all the account numbers to arrange for whatever payment was required. In September she said she would send me an invoice but nothing was ever sent.

Medicaid recipients living in a NH are required to give the bulk of their disability payments to the Nursing home, in order for Medicaid to continue providing benefits. There is a legal limit for a Medicaid recipient’s personal bank account, so if Jon’s bank balance exceeded a certain amount, he could lose his Medicaid coverage, which pays for his Nursing home.

Several weeks went by, and I left voicemails and emails but never received an invoice from the business manager or an answer from the head administrator. Meanwhile, Jon’s bank account was accruing payments each month, increasing his balance, plus the lump sum of back pay that was deposited from SS. As his bank account grew, I didn’t know what the legal limit was, but I worried that he was going to lose eligibility for Medicaid coverage. So now a new concern was starting to interrupt my sleep. 

Since no one ever heard of a NH that doesn’t want to take our money, or answer emails or voice mails, the second task of my day was to go to the business office in person and get these finances settled. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to be with me in meeting with the business manager. 

I needed God’s grace and patience so that my frustration wouldn’t take over my words. (I’m glad Jon is on a wait list for a new home.)

When I arrived at the facility, the business manager was in a meeting that would last another half hour, but her associate, who I never met before, came out instead. She took me into her office and was ten times more helpful than anyone I had previously dealt with, and seemed much smarter too. 

God blessed me with the right person at the right time to solve the problem. She looked at all the bank statements and contacted their bookkeeper who figures out what portion is owed for the three months of disability payments and now it’s all set up to be paid monthly. I also learned that the government just raised the allowed limit of bank account funds for Medicaid recipients, so Jon is not in jeopardy of losing his Medicaid benefits. I must have breathed the deepest breath in months, after hearing that. 

Sometimes we are so overwhelmed with problems to solve, rules that keep changing and frustrating  people to deal with, but if we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to come and help us with the problem, He prepares the right person to help, opens the right doors, and brings His wisdom into every situation, along with God’s perfect timing, to solve our problems. 

We do live in an ever changing world,  but with the Holy Spirit navigating through it for us, we will discover the biggest blessings, like that associate business manager, who was smarter than anyone and there to help me at the perfect time. If we keep inviting the Holy Spirit into every problem, He smoothes out all the rough places and we will receive the answers, because our God is an ever present help in times of trouble. 

Lord, thank you for always being our steadfast refuge and help in an ever changing and confusing world. We ask you, Holy Spirit, to come and navigate our daily paths, and fill us with peace and joy through every obstacle. Amen 

“First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.”

1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NAB)

The apostle Paul pleads for all believers to commit themselves to pray for everyone, so that through prayers and thanksgiving, we may all lead a life of tranquility. It sounds like common sense, except that we are often surrounded by so much discord, that it becomes increasingly challenging to live in tranquility.

The discord in the world sometimes carries over into the Nursing Home, making my visits more arduous at times. Though I’ve become friends with some residents for the past two years through my visits, some people have personalities that are easily triggered, which leads to an occasional exchange of unkind words. Before long, one person gets angry at another person and lashes out verbally, in front of all the others sitting at the table in the Day room. It becomes especially uncomfortable for those newer residents who are witnessing the tension and strife. 

I’ve recently become friends with one of the newest residents, who is a gentle spirited, kind man with a history of depression and heart failure. He told me that he suffers from chronic angina. I wished I could have shielded him from the dissension taking place at the table one day. A resident took offense over something that was said, reacting with words of hostility. In wondering what I could do to bring tranquility to the situation, I felt an urge to pray for my new friend.

I stepped a few feet away from the table with him and said a brief prayer for healing of his heart and angina. It meant a lot to him to be prayed for and it also removed us momentarily from an atmosphere of strife. A short and simple prayer helped to reset our atmosphere with a fresh and peaceful start. Afterwards, the tempers at the table seemed calmer.

I found my new strategy, instead of feeling stressed over rude behaviors when tensions run high, I can always step away and pray in my spirit, or find someone specifically to pray for. It felt like the right thing to do in the moment, and it was. When we step away to pray, the Holy Spirit steps in.

Everyone appreciates being prayed for and there’s no better way to counteract a spirit of division and anger, than to start praying. Jesus brings His peaceful presence into the midst, when two or more people gather in His name through prayer. (Matthew 18:20)

Sometimes the simplest yet least thought of solution to a strife filled atmosphere, is to step away and pray. Tranquility through prayer, overcomes the discord and wins every time. I often forget that the Holy Spirit wants to be invited into each of our problems every day. Before my own buttons get pushed, I need to remind myself to call upon Him in the moment. The Holy Spirit never forces His way in, because He is too much of a gentleman, but things change when we invite Him into the challenges we face each day.

Lord, give us the grace to pray when we encounter dissension that leads to discord, so that you can step in, and bring peace, tranquility and the restoration of all unity. Amen

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.”

1 Corinthians 13:12 (RSV)

As people of faith, each of us can recall a time that God manifested His presence in our life, through a prayer that was answered or an urgent need that was met just in time. 

While we always rejoice in answered prayers, “some time later,” a life altering event can happen, which seems to cause everything to come to a halt.

There was a widow living in poverty in an Old Testament story, who, out of her scarcity, gave food and lodging to the great prophet, Elijah. He blessed her with the gift of  continually filled jars of flour and oil. That miraculous provision sustained her and her only son during the years of a famine, but some time later, an unthinkable event happened. Her young son became seriously ill, then he stopped breathing and died suddenly. All the blessings in her life were suddenly overshadowed by the tragedy of losing her only son. 

At first the widow thought she was being punished for some guilt or sin of her own. Despite her self inflicted guilt, Elijah never attributed any guilt as the cause. Instead, he knelt down, prayed for the boy and raised him back to life, and the story ended with the joy of her son being resurrected.

It all happened “Some time later.” That phrase is one that any one of us can relate to, because there is a “some time later” in all of our lives. It could be any kind of sudden, difficult life changing event, like the loss of our loved one, a divorce, a friend’s betrayal, loss of a job, loss of a home, or a serious medical diagnosis for ourselves or our loved one. 

The first time my family and I experienced a “some time later” event, was when my oldest brother, an Air Force instructor pilot, died suddenly in his F-16 jet that crashed on a routine training mission, when he was 35 years old. There are no words to describe receiving such devastating news in a phone call and we will never know on this side of living, why some lives are cut so short.

One thing we can be assured of, is that Jesus is with us through both the joyful and the sorrowful times in our lives. He promised that He will be with us to the end, and never leave or forsake us, even when the unexpected happens. 

(Matthew 28:20)

We try to draw conclusions of why God allowed some crushing event to happen in our lives, but since we cannot see the full picture, there is no conclusion to draw from. There’s so much that hasn’t been revealed to us here and now, so we cannot fully interpret why tragic losses occur, without seeing the whole picture. 

Today’s scripture describes how we are currently seeing through a glass, only part of the picture. One day we will learn how God was working through every circumstance in our lives, to bring us closer to Him, and turn our pain into purpose.

I also had a less serious but real life example about coming to wrong conclusions without seeing the whole picture. I once ordered custom postcards using an original piece of artwork that I did, and the postcards arrived in a clear shrink wrap. I could see the artwork under the plastic shrink wrap, but it was only a fifth of the size that I ordered. I was sure that they printed the artwork in the wrong size and I immediately planned to return the order, without opening the package to examine it. 

For some reason, I decided to open the shrink wrap to look more closely at the wrongly printed order. When I removed the plastic wrapping, I realized that the puny image I was looking at, was only a cover sheet and beneath it were 50 post cards, printed in the correct size and clarity which I ordered. I realized that I misjudged the whole product based on a cover sheet. 

We are all currently looking through a plastic wrapped cover sheet of God’s design for our lives, which has not been fully revealed to us. We are not going to see everything clearly until the day we see Jesus face to face. On that day, some time later, we will understand and see the whole picture, having the answers to our questions.

Just seeing Jesus face to face will be so amazing that His face alone will most likely overwhelm our need for answers, but for now, He promises to be with us to the end, while giving us comfort, healing and strength. He can resurrect us out of a grave of sorrow, and fill us with joy in the morning, as He wipes away all our tears with His love. 

Lord, comfort us with your peace, knowing that we currently don’t see the whole picture as you do, and help us to keep trusting in you, until that day when we will see all things clearly. Amen