Today I received some mail from a far away friend. She and her granddaughter made some super cute hearts from fancy paper. They sent one for me, my mom, and my sister. It was so thoughtful and encouraging. We all felt pretty special and loved.
I Found God today in thoughtful mail.
I was so blessed to go out and enjoy nature for a second day in a row. Yesterday mom was having a good day, so I took her to her favorite park. We were lucky to see the elusive big horn sheep on our way in. Today I was able to go for a hike in the canyon. I took the trail that climbs to the top of a waterfall and overlooks the city. I’m somewhat out of shape, so I just took my time and stopped every now and again to take in the sights and sounds of the water. I decided to take some videos so that when I’m feeling stressed, I can watch them and experience serenity.
I Found God today in the serenity of nature and waterfalls.
I listened to a powerful reflection of today’s Gospel by Bible scholar Jeff Cavins on the Hallow app. In this scripture, the people who worked for a land owner all got paid the same daily wage, regardless of how long they worked. Those who worked all day long were upset about that, even though the amount they received was fair and was agreed upon. They felt like they should have received more as they compared themselves to those who worked less. In the reflection, Jeff Cavins talked about where we find our worth in today’s society. In our adolescence, we compared ourselves to others all the time as we tried to figure out who we were and where we fit in. However, as we grow older, we need to let go of those childish ways and stand on who we are as adults. Social media makes it all too easy to compare ourselves to everyone, which can leave us depressed and not seeing the truth for what it is. When we get caught up in the comparison trap, we never get on with our own lives. We loose out on the amazing gifts we have, our contribution to society, creative genius, and distinct way of contributing to the Kingdom of God. He gave steps to help get out of this vicious cycle: 1. Take time to list 10 things in your life that you wouldn’t give up for the world. 2. Thank God for the gifts you have. 3. In the areas that you feel inadequate, give them to God and proclaim that He is your adequacy. Ask Him for help instead of feeling depressed. 4. Cut your social media time in half and use that time to read scripture, pray, or serve others. 5. When you feel down by seeing what others are doing or receiving, pull out your list of 10 things you wouldn’t trade for the world and thank God. It was a thoughtful, true, hopeful reflection that stuck with me.
I Found God today reminded that my worth comes from Him.
Today I had an appointment at the eye doctor. I hadn’t been there for a couple years, so it was time for a checkup. The tech who did all the prep and paperwork said I was doing a good job taking care of myself. I told him I cared for my parents and was doing the best I could. He said he found that “the universe”, aka God, takes care of those who are caring for others. After the doctor completed the examination, he said my eyes are very healthy and to keep on taking good care of them. It was a wonderful affirmation that I’m doing well.
I Found God today in affirmation of well being.
I came across a story that further explains the “Refiner’s Fire” that I have been thinking about:
There was once a group of women studying the book of Malachi in the Old Testament. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot – then she thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered “Yes”, and explained that he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be damaged.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”
He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy. When I see my image in it.”
If today you are feeling the heat of this world’s fire, just remember that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ are refining you. “You are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ.”Amen.
I Found God today in a reminder that He wants us to be a reflection of Him.
I was pleasantly surprised that my mom wanted to go to church this morning. We were both happy that she finally got to see the new priest. He’s young and chanted several parts of the Mass. My mom said his voice was very soothing. I was glad she was able to enjoy and hear much of what was said. He referred to the Gospel and talked about how important and powerful it is for parents/relatives to continually intercede on behalf of their children or loved ones. In another reflection I listened to, the person said act like you’re in a battle – because you are are. We are in a battle for the everlasting souls of our loved ones. And the good news it that Jesus hears us and will answer us.
I Found God today in the new priest.
Today was my granddaughter’s birthday party. She had a friend over and her little sister. As girls do, they started giggling and being silly. I loved watching them playing and laughing. They didn’t have any inhibitions or bad behavior – just sheer enthusiasm and joy. It was so uplifting.
I Found God today in children’s joy.
Tomorrow is my granddaughter’s birthday. She and her mom stopped by after school today so my mom could give her gifts. Before they arrived, my mom practiced playing the Happy Birthday song on the piano. When they walked in the door, I told my granddaughter that her first gift was at the piano where my mom was seated. She stood beside her as my mom played happy birthday to her. They were both thrilled. My granddaughter made sure we knew that she won’t actually be a year older until 14 minutes after midnight. Then she opened the photo album that we made for her. She went through and commented on each picture with her mom and my mom looking on. We were so happy she came over so my mom could spend the one on one time with her.
I Found God today as my mom and granddaughter spent time together looking at the photo album we made.
A few months ago, my sister decided to purchase the car she was leasing. She got everything worked out for the financing, but somehow there was a miscalculation and the amount she had to pay it off was incorrect. So it didn’t happen at that time. A few days later the car was in a hail storm and received thousands of dollars of damage. My sister was then trying to decide if she should fix it and keep it or return it. A few days after that, she got in an accident. It was the other driver’s fault and thankfully no one was hurt. Now there was so much damage that the car was totalled. My sister waited and worked with the insurance company for a couple weeks until they finally paid her. She had contacted her finance guy who put her in touch with a car broker. She told him what she wanted and how much she could spend. He found her a car that met her needs and my brother took her to test drive it today. She came home with the shiny new red car. It was strange how things worked out, but evidently there was a reason that she didn’t purchase the other car and found this new one instead. I was happy the whole thing ended with a good resolution.
I Found God today in a new car provided for my sister.
I woke up this morning, got part way up, and started spinning. I had vertigo. I breathed slowly and waited for it to pass. It kind of came out of nowhere, on the other hand not surprising as I can feel the stress in my body. I was so grateful that my brother was here and my sister was available in the morning. I was able to take something to try to calm everything down. After more sleep, I started to feel better. The feeling gradually subsided during the day. I was thankful for that and for help of my siblings.
I Found God today in my siblings’ help and feeling better.
Still Finding God 