Good Morning!
New day, new opportunities. Also, I got my husband's cold that he was dragging around for more than a week now. Sore throat, stuffiness and somewhat painful cough due to the nasal drainage.
This is most unfortunate (who ever desires to be sick?), but I will joyfully accept this little bit suffering for some matters which are close to my heart, and hand them over to Jesus.
It is the season of Lent after all. Though suffering can hit a person anytime of the year, so really what you plan to do with any pains or sufferings you may have really has nothing to do solely with Lent.
Another blow to the heart: my spiritual director will have a new position within the Church soon, and that will mean a little more effort to see him - if he'll still find the ability to.
It's a blow, but it's something I expected (I sensed that God was going to do this), therefore I am actually immensely happy for him. I know God has great things planned for him.
It will be God's Will to determine what will become of me.
Did you ever experience the sensation of somehow "knowing" what may happen with someone else, but in regards to yourself you are absolutely clueless? Well, that's what I experience.
I suppose I'm in good company there, because I know St. Padre Pio had the same issue. Not that I'm a saint yet, but St. Pio is a wonderful example to explain how I'm currently feeling. I'm one of his spiritual children. I look up to him, I love him.
And he also at times was quite frustrated about not knowing what plans God had with him, and whether what he was doing was even pleasing to our Lord. There's a reason he became a saint though. He learned how to abandon himself to God's Will. He didn't always necessarily like it, and according to his letters to his own spiritual directors and even to some of his spiritual children, he expressed that sentiment. But God can handle the frustration and perhaps even the anger. The key to this is to keep approaching our Lord and freely expressing to him how we feel, without holding back those demons tied to our frail humanity.
Jesus will kick those demons into oblivion if we present them to Him.
I was looking forward to spring, but yet there's another cold wave and snow is once again falling. I'm sick, although I was soo looking forward to going outside, perhaps go to Mass and then get some basic shopping done before I hit the books and assignments and exams again.
I could sooo do with a break from constantly studying. I'd love to see something else for a change.
Even if it were just some spring flowers in my garden, I would jump for joy and feel my heart leap in thanksgiving to God.
Obviously, this was not God's Will. That doesn't mean I'm not thankful, though. It just means I'm thankful for Him forcing me to rest, even though I still have tons of work to do.
He apparently wants me all by Himself in the solitary confinement of my home for the time being.
He knows best, though at times it can be easy to forget that.
I previously posted a plea for a friend, and I got some replies to it which somewhat stunned me. I won't go into detail here, but I felt that something was wrong with the world. I realize though that I should be thankful even for those replies. It made a few people (including me) aware of their own actions, and this may in turn cause better communication for the future.
That friend/parishioner still needs your help, by the way. Some people bring on trouble themselves, and sometimes it's a combination of things for which we have no control over. This friend and her family belong to the latter category. I will keep her plea up until the end of April & will then remove it. The rest is up to God.
Have a wonderful day. XP
P.S.:Here something I think you may enjoy regarding abandonment:
"Abandonment to Divine Providence" by Father de Caussade:
"The Holy Spirit continues to carry on the work of our Saviour.
While helping the Church to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, He writes His own Gospel in the hearts of the just.
All their actions, every moment of their lives, are the Gospel of the Holy Spirit. The souls of the saints are are the paper, the sufferings and actions the ink.
The Holy Spirit with the pen of His power writes a living Gospel, but a Gospel that cannot be read until it has left the press of this life, and has been published on the day of eternity.
Oh! great history! grand book written by the Holy Spirit in this present time!
It is still the in the press.
There is never a day when the type is not arranged, when the ink is not applied, or the pages are not primed.
We are still in the dark night of faith.
The paper is blacker than the ink, and there is great confusion in the type.
It is written in characters of another world and there is no understanding it except in Heaven.
If we could see the life of God, and behold all creatures,
not as they are in themselves, but as they exist in their first cause....."
