Don't Give Up!
Nov. 30th is the last day of Black Catholic History Month! I took this photo in a nearby cotton field recently and recalled how my ancestors held onto faith in Christ in the face of so much adversity. Praying to live up to their legacy!
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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On the Feast of Christ the King, 10-yr-old Jamal and I headed to Mass in the evening. I thought we were running a few minutes late. Evidently, tons of other people were running late, too. It turns out we were right on time, since the priest began Mass a few minutes after the top of the hour.
The word that stood out to me was "scattered sheep,” from the Prophet Ezekiel. It was a pretty mellow Mass for me until the very end when Fr. Paul invited any liturgical musicians or singers to stand. He prayed over us through the intercession of St. Cecilia, since it was also her feast day! Lots of tears on my part! I really miss leading music at Mass, a lot.
As the week progressed, I asked the Lord what He wanted me to do about “scattered sheep.”
By the start of Advent, the answer was two-fold.
First, I felt called to rejoice in the ways the Lord rescued me when I felt like a lost lamb. One encapsulation of that rescuing happened when I graduated from counseling this week! In other words, I reached the goal of my recent counseling sessions. I’ve been in some type of therapy on and off for the past 4 years. While I’ve been so close to feeling fully well, it took a while to integrate that healing on a day-to-day basis.
What a joy to report that the deep process of healing has come full circle. What a rescue! And while I imagine that counseling or therapy will be an excellent option again in the future, it’s an immense blessing to cross the finish line of this particular marathon. In the realm of work, however, I wasn’t feeling as confident.
Last week, I spent a fair amount of time questioning whether we should keep going with ministry. Right now, the future of our ministry looks quite precarious. It feels impossible, really. Yet, with “scattered sheep” on my heart and mind, I felt compelled to proceed in gratitude for all the Lord has done for us and to share that same joy with those who need it.
As David and I navigated working from home with our children, we filmed a new video with an update on our ministry. Temptation pulled at my heart to stop trying. Yet the Holy Spirit provided a deeper confidence. Namely, “don't give up.” So we continue!
How about you? Are you excited, energized, and committed to the mission God has placed before you? Are you feeling gratitude for how the Lord has rescued you? Maybe you need to be rescued right now. Or maybe your first love is growing a little cold. Wherever you are in your walk with the Lord, I’ll invite you to join me in praying for those who feel lost today.
Lord, we pray for our brothers and sisters who feel far from you and far from your Church. Reassure them of your love. Through us, reach them with joy and light. Thank you for answering our prayers before we even ask. And thank you for saving us.
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