To Have Trust & To Take Refuge

Welcome to Word for the Week, the series in which I:

share my experience of hearing God’s Word in Mass last weekend,
explore what I believe the Lord is calling me to do about that Word, and
ask how this Word might impact your life, as well.

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Welcome to Word for the Week. Since I haven’t found a way to publish this segment for a couple of weeks, I wanted to write a longer entry than usual. Today, I’ll share how God has been speaking to me both through the liturgy and through my family, and I’ll invite you to join me in prayer!

Last Sunday, David and I decided to divide and conquer. David took Chiara, age 8, to a morning Mass. While they were out, I allowed the other three kids to watch cartoons and I took a video call in Chiara’s room. (There's a great desk and a bright window in there!) 

Over FaceTime, my friend/co-author Fr. Matt and I talked about how things are going differently than we could have planned in our shared ministry. During our conversation, a colorful journal on Chiara’s desk caught my attention. I held the journal up in front of my iPad so that Fr. Matt could see. 

“Chiara won this prize at religious education yesterday. Can you tell what it says?” I asked.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,” he read the words aloud. I smiled as I put the book back down.

“Finish the verse?” I paused before I answered my own question, “‘Lean not on your own understanding.’” Fr. Matt nodded and grinned. “I think that’s what God is teaching us now.” I continued, “Although we made a lot of strides in ministry, we have to keep leaning on the Lord—not leaning on whatever we already learned.”

When David and Chiara returned from Mass, I asked Chiara, “What’s your Word for the Week?”

She responded confidently, “It’s ‘trust in the Lord with all your heart.’”

With a surprised expression, I responded, “I saw those words in your room, did you know that?”

Chiara smiled a bit sheepishly. “Well, we talked about it at religious education and then they hinted at it in the readings today.” Her smile broadened as I nodded in encouragement.

“I was just talking with Fr. Matt about that verse because I saw it on your desk! We agreed that’s what we need to focus on right now.” Chiara’s eyes widened. I said, “This is how God speaks to us!” We both grinned as I held onto the word that she shared.

Mass was truly beautiful in the evening with Jamal. 

The liturgy was bilingual, the music was touching, plus the homily was exceptionally robust! (It’s a formidable task to deliver a message that can stand on its own in both English and Spanish, without being repetitive for bilingual listeners like me!)

On our way out of Mass, the ushers dismissed us by rows, to help with social distancing. Since Jamal and I sat toward the front, we waited for those at the back to exit first. Meanwhile, I asked Jamal, “How many times have you received Communion? Remember when you used to say, ‘It’s my fourth Communion,’ or ‘It’s my sixth Communion?’”

Jamal shook his head and said, “I don’t remember,” through his little face mask. Then he looked back up at me and remarked, “It’s my thirteenth.” My jaw dropped that he had kept track. But then he started giggling.

“Just kidding, I don’t really know,” he said as we both stifled our laughter.

The word that stood out to me from Mass was, “Tu, Señor, eres mi refugio.” When I searched for the English version, it came up as, “I love you Lord, my strength.” However, the interpretation that comes to mind for me immediately is, “You, Lord, are my refuge.” 

I see how Chiara’s Word for the Week and mine go together. This week, I have seen the Lord show up to shelter our family in myriad ways. From our kids’ school situation, to provision with a flat tire on the highway, to a sense of direction in the next steps of our ministry, I have been so grateful of how the Lord is protecting us.

Not to mention, the new house that we live in now (our physical “refuge”) is such a tangible sign of God’s provision. We are almost finished decorating the place! As I look around each night after the kids go to sleep, I’m still in awe that we were able to move into this home in this unforgettable year of 2020! Truly, it is beyond my comprehension how the Lord has taken care of us so generously.

What’s one situation that is beyond your understanding this week? Whatever answer comes to mind first, whether positive or negative, I’ll invite you to bring it to prayer with me! Lord, please shelter us in Your strength. Be our refuge in our time of need. Protect our hearts and minds so that we can trust in You with all that we are.

Amen!

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