Great Reflection from Thomas Merton

 

It is God’s love that warms me in the sun and

God’s love

That sends the cold rain. It is God’s love that

feeds me in the bread I eat,

and God that feeds me also by hunger and

fasting.

It is the love of God that sends the winter days

when I am cold and sick

and the hot summer when I labor and my

clothes are full of sweat:

but it is God Who breathes on me with light

winds off the river

and in the breezes out of the wood.

His love spreads the shade of the sycamore

over my head . . .

It is God’s love that speaks to me in the birds

and streams;

But also behind the clamor of the city God

speaks to me in His judgments,

and all these things are seeds sent to me from His will.

If these seeds would take root in my liberty,

and His will would grow from my freedom,

I would become the love that He is, and my

Harvest would be

His glory and my own joy. ~ Thomas Merton, (New Seeds of Contemplation, pp. 16-17)

 

God Is Not A Genie!

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus gives us the example of how we are to ask for our Heavenly Father’s help. As Jesus awaits his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prays the following prayer, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39 NAB)

Again in Matthew’s gospel we are given another example of how to ask God for help. This time the example is given to us by a leper who approaches Jesus asking to be healed. And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew8:2-3NASB)

The point is that God knows what is best for us and wants what is best for us, which means that He will sometimes choose not to respond to our requests for reasons that are beyond our understanding.

He may also choose to delay answering our prayers because immediately doing so would not conform to His divine plan of salvation.

When it seems that God has not heard our prayer, or that He is an uncaring God who ignores our pleas, we must remember to trust that He knows what is best for us!

It is truly unfortunate when people become angry with God when their prayers seem to go unheard, as if God were some genie who is under an obligation to grant our every wish and desire.

Trust in God! His love is eternal and perfect! He desires the best for us! Never allow yourself to stray from His loving care!