Day 33: God is near (and bringing hope)

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“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that God is near, at the very gates… Therefore, be alert.
keep awake.”
~Mark 13:29-29, 33 


“New Beginning” by Jeanne Henningsen
After realizing that I was getting a divorce, I began to cry and soon fell to my knees, asking God why this had happened to me. I was a good girl. I hadn't done anything wrong. Why were my dreams being shattered?
The crying turned into sobbing and I ended up face down on the floor. It wasn't pretty! I wanted to become one with the carpet and just disappear…
 When I finally got up, I had carpet marks on my face and was feeling totally empty. I pulled myself up to a seated position which took all the energy I had. I looked out the window, took some deep breaths, and asked, What now God?
I felt the love of God wash over me. I realized in that moment that I was not alone. God was there holding me and reassuring me that I would be okay. And indeed I was!
My relationship with God changed in that moment. Before then, God was at church on Sundays. He lived in the statues, the altar, and the prayers that I recited automatically and without much effort or thought. After that moment, I experienced God much differently. Suddenly I realized God was in me, around me, in everyone and everything…
What happened to me that day on the floor of my apartment was my resurrection. My fresh start. It was a new beginning and a shift in my relationship with God. From that moment forward I have felt God's presence through all the ups and downs and twists and turns in my life. It hasn't always been easy but I always know I am never alone.



Prayer:
Holy Spirit,  Lord and Giver of Life ,
As we sit in Lent and look towards Easter ,
Continue to reveal in us the places where we need new life.
Continue to refresh and revive us.
...And help us to notice and celebrate the small signs of new growth. new hope.
Amen.




("Dawn to Dusk" by All Sons and Daughters)

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