Saturday, February 15, 2025

Dear God,

The sun shines brightly across the pristine snow leaving long noon-time shadows.  We can't see the shadows without the sun nor the sun without the shadows.  There is a message there.

In times like these, we need to believe there are messages that come to us daily.  Otherwise, why believe in a god who desires our relationship?  Each day in some way or another, in some person or another and in some condition or another, you come to us whispering words of faith.  Today it is the sun and the shadow together talking.

No, I am not crazy.  I believe you are present, here every day caring for us.  In order to find you, we need to anticipate your appearance and join in the joy of the connection.  When I look out the kitchen window and see the bright sun and the dark shadows, I realize how much the light and darkness live together.  The darkness might be perceived as hard, difficult things around us.  The light can be conceived as warmth, beauty and hope.  

When we observe these together, we realize that the light of hope lives with us during painful things that are happening to us and to others.  If we believe in that hope and recognize it comes from the light, then the light can direct us to you from which both come.  That message can provide comfort, peace and even joy for today.  It does not mean that the darkness will necessarily go away, it just means we have a loving God with us for the duration of grief and pain.  As we experience that comfort, peace and joy, we can uncover courage, strength and good power that will enable us to do what we need to do to live another day, fight the good fight, and work to achieve justice, goodness and truth.  I can only imagine what might occur if we lived everyday looking for the light and used that light to bring more light to those painfully living in darkness, oppression and despair.

Oh, dear God,

may it

be so.

We are

not without

resources to

live life fully.

But to

live fully,

we must

work to

provide life

to others.

We must

both see

the light

and be

the light.

We must also

do an inventory

of ourselves

every day

asking the question,

"Am I

bringing light

to the world

and to others

or am

I spreading darkness?

Let our answer

be the light,

Merciful God.

Love, Andrea