Where You Lead

Just Listen

I’ve been praying. Fervently. I’m in dire need of God’s blessings right now, for me and for my entire family. In fact, I’ve been praying so much that I almost forgot to stop and listen.

I was so desperate yesterday that I begged God that if this wasn’t the time to answer my prayer, to at least give me a sign that things would be okay. And then I prayed some more.

When I finally shut up and listened, I got that one sign. It wasn’t the solution to my problem, but it was the sign I’d requested. That one glimmer of hope was right there, waiting for me to listen to it.

Praying is good. God wants to be at the top of our priority list. He wants to be our first thought in the morning and our last thought at night; and He wants to be a part of every minute between the two. But God wants to speak to us, too. He wants us to listen.

Today, I’m going to listen to God. I don’t want to miss His message to me.

Fathers And Daughters

I’ve had a lot of time to think about fathers and daughters lately. I’ve contemplated my own relationship with my father as I’ve tried to guide my son in his relationship with his daughter. I’ve realized how very fortunate I am to have a father who loves me so selflessly.

I could write page after page about my dad and all the things that make him special. One thing, though, sets him apart. He has shared with me, very quietly and without fanfare, his faith. He is not a loud or gregarious man; he doesn’t preach or recite Bible passages. He lives his faith every day, every moment.

In my attempt to be more diligent in saying my Rosary every day, I’ve pulled out a few pamphlets as well as two books explaining the Rosary. The first, Scriptural Rosary, is a small hardback book that my dad gave me. Inside, he wrote simply,

To Marisa
With
Love
Daddy

The second book, The Secret of the Rosary, is a paperback and honestly, I didn’t remember where I’d gotten it. Until I opened it, that is. Inside the front cover my dad had written,

To My
Daughter Marisa
May you find patience,
wisdom and purity of heart and body
As I did.
Love ya
your Dad
in Christ

My Father in heaven must have loved me a great deal to have blessed me with such a wonderful earthly father. Today, as I beg and plead with my heavenly Father to answer my prayer and bring peace and healing to my family, I will keep in mind that I have no been forsaken. I will remember the blessings I’ve been given and have faith that more will come.

The Unknown

Not to forget the lessons of the past week, I’ve kept up with my prayers. Of course, I’ve been in dire need of God’s blessings. I suppose the question is, Will I continue praying faithfully if He answers my prayer? Oh, I do hope I will.

For now, I’m trying to find the strength and the faith to say, “Not my will but Thy will be done.” I talked with my son today about the faith to do that, the acceptance of what is and the belief that God will tend to us in His own time.

And yet, I fear. It’s the unknown that totally wipes me out. If God would send me a sign indicating exactly when my prayer will be answered, highlighting a path that I must take to get to His answer, I could handle the waiting. Yes, I realize that I’m talking in circles. It’s the unknown – and acceptance of it – that brings grace to my life. It’s remaining at peace and trusting His love in spite of not knowing that is the true testament of my faith.

I’ve been praying the Rosary every day. When you pray, please remember me and my family in your prayers.