God Believes in Us
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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Sept. 13 was our second time at Mass as a family since the pandemic hit. It felt a little like watching a sporting event! We sat in the bleachers. Our new parish can fit 200 people, socially-distanced, in our gymnasium, which includes the upper-level seating. My kids were ecstatic; Mercedes said it was her first time being in a balcony at all.
My attention was mostly spent on making sure our kids:
-refrained from stomping on the bleachers
-minimized the movement of switching seats with each other
-kept their masks on
-didn’t yell
Even in Mom-mode, various parts of the liturgy still hit my emotions. My overall take-away from Mass was “believe.” I didn’t hear the word, per se (although we definitely recited it in the creed). As I explored what the Lord wanted me to do about the word last week, there were a number of times when I felt convicted to trust that everything is happening in God’s time!
My family is at the start of this new season, in our new home, in a new way of sharing art and faith. Every segment of life right now is like a dream come true. And yet! Part of me feels really antsy. That’s usually the case for me as the seasons change. I want to share what we’ve been given...now!
As that word “believe” came again and again to mind throughout the following week, I was able to believe that we will share these when the Lord allows. Then I heard this new song by Justin Bieber (yeah) that seemed to bring a new light to my Word for the Week.
The lyrics on the bridge of Bieber’s new song “Holy,” says, “I know we believe in God, and I know God believes in us.” I’ve been mulling over that line in wonder since yesterday. I’m a bit blown away.
Sometimes faith has felt like a one-way street for me: God calls, I believe. Through those lyrics I was able to rejoice in the thought of God’s belief in us. Maybe when I respond to His voice, God also believes that I will be able to do all He asks of me. Maybe He’s cheering me on, too. That image is more cyclical for me, less linear. And I love it. What a beautiful sphere to be part of.
Is there anything that you happen to feel antsy about today? Maybe it’s an unpleasant feeling. Or maybe like me you’re simply excited to share what you’ve been given. Either way, I’ll invite you to imagine how God believes in us, in the midst of our hopes, dreams, and restlessness. His Word is ever ancient, ever new: “God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.” -Genesis 1:31.
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