Ann Radtke

98) Create In Me A Clean Heart

Lent is upon us, the season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It’s a season of repentance, allowing the Holy Spirit to search our hearts, find what needs God’s Hand of Mercy, and drawing us to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to be washed clean in preparation for the celebration of Easter! The phrase “blot out or sins” has always caused me to stop and pay attention – Ps 51:9b calls for God to “turn away Thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.” What would that look like? The answer came to me in a moment of grace a few years ago.

A friend shared that there was a particular memory that the enemy often brought to her mind, and which had always been a source of deep shame. It happened so long ago, but kept re-appearing at times when she was tempted to slip into desolation and forget that the Lord had forgiven her of that failure. She had confessed it in a general way, but never specifically, and felt that God was calling her to go deeper in repentance.

The opportunity presented itself on retreat with a holy priest. After a beautiful talk about the healing gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, she approached the confessional and shared in detail the specifics of the sin. The good priest heard her confession, blessed her for her desire to be cleansed of the residue from this transgression, and absolved her of this sin. She left the confessional feeling the weight lifted, and in gratitude went to the chapel for Adoration, to thank God for this deeper cleansing.

As she sat before the tabernacle, images began to play in her mind. She saw herself sitting there, with Mother Mary next to her, her arm gently encircling her. They sat together at the foot of a huge crucifix, and on her lap was a photo album with pictures of the sin she had confessed. These were the images that the enemy had often reminded her of and which had been the source of her shame. Then slowly and gently, drops of Jesus’ precious blood began to drip down from the crucifix, landing directly on the photos and blotting out the images. They were like bleach blots, that when they landed completely obliterated the pictures, until there were all just pure white. Pure white, innocence and purity restored!

She related that now whenever the enemy sought to resurrect those images, all she saw were the clean white photos in the album, and she was reminded of the drops of Jesus’ blood which had washed away her sins. It always filled her with great joy and peace, and the comfort of being held by Mary as she received this healing. It’s another sign of God’s ability to redeem, and to make all things new!

As I go to Reconciliation soon, in preparation to celebrate Christ’s Resurrection, I go in gratitude for this great gift of grace! Indeed, He “blots out all my iniquities!” and cleanses me from my sins – Praise God for His Goodness and Mercy!

97) Stand Up For Jesus!

Secrets! Remember how fun it is to whisper a secret, knowing it’s a special surprise waiting to delight a friend? Perhaps for a birthday party, or a welcome home treat, the joy we experience at bringing unexpected delight to those we love is multiplied when shared with others. In Ignatian vocabulary, this can be called a non-spiritual consolation, which always has the potential to bring us to spiritual consolation, as a drawing nearer to God. This kind of secret can be healthy and holy! There’s another kind of secret that St Ignatius warns us to avoid however, and that’s when the enemy whispers to keep silent when our own spirit is troubled.

An example of this can be when we are tempted or have fallen in to entertaining thoughts or behavior that is not in line with our Christian values. In Rule 13 of the Rules for Discernment of Spirits, we are warned about keeping secret the whisper of the enemy that it’s ok to be unfaithful to our marriage vows. The quickest and most effective way to foil the enemy here is to do the opposite – to share this temptation with a trusted spiritual friend or spiritual companion who can help us to see the truth, and turn away from the deceptive tactic of the enemy. Even in just speaking this “secret” out loud, we can experience clarity in our spiritual vision, and gain the strength to confess our sin or temptation and return to the holy highway.

As I was praying about this, a memory came to mind that reminded me of this rule in a slightly different context. Growing up with a strong Christian faith, I was invited at an early age to publicly confess my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. No secret here! Be strong and bold to declare my Savior! Many years later, after I had been blessed to enter the Catholic faith, we were at a large gathering of Catholics for a mini retreat. The Pastor of the Church proclaimed the Gospel, and then invited us all to stand up if we were ready to give our lives to Jesus. That had never been presented like that to this group, and there was silence, and not a soul budged from their pew. Then slowly, a few of us stood up! It took several minutes, and a few more exhortations from the pastor, for people to stand.

What was keeping us all silent? This was a group of committed Christians, many of whom shared a deep and holy faith. Was it the unexpected request that caused the delay – or was it the enemy whispering, “don’t be so public!” “This isn’t the way we show our faith!”
To me it was the invitation to be more bold, and to stand up for Jesus! Not to hesitate, but to be ready and able to declare Jesus as Lord! No longer to hide what I believe, nor keep it secret, but to be happy and proud of my Catholic faith, in gratitude for all it has given me in this life, and in the promise of eternal life.

To me it was the invitation to be more bold, and to stand up for Jesus! Not to hesitate, but to be ready and able to declare Jesus as Lord! No longer to hide what I believe, nor keep it secret, but to be happy and proud of my Catholic faith, in gratitude for all it has given me in this life, and in the promise of eternal life.
Secrets. So many different kinds of secrets, some healthy and holy, and others tricks of the enemy. We need the gift of the Spirit to discern well, to bring to light what is meant to be revealed.

Lord God, help us to grow in the gift of discernment, to be able to sort out from the variety of possible responses those which are most pleasing to You. Especially Lord, give us the courage and boldness to never keep our trust in You secret, but be willing to stand up for You in gratitude for Your gift of Life…

96) Stocking our Spiritual Pantry

How often when we experience something beautiful, we exclaim, “I’ll never forget this moment! It will stay with me forever!” only to find that as time passes the images aren’t quite as vivid, and the details become a bit fuzzy. We still recall the moment, but can’t quite re-capture the same delight as when it first occurred. The Lord understands our human weakness in re-call, and He offers us the grace of re-living the moment as for the first time, bringing it into the present for us. This is the same gift He gives us in the Mass – we’re not just remembering what Jesus has done for us, but rather it is re-presented with all the power of the original sacrifice when we enter into this Reality. We need to ask the help of the Holy Spirit to receive this grace, and He is only too ready to extend it to us!

This gift is especially helpful when we slip into desolation, and can be a sure remedy to restore us to a season of consolation. In the 10th Rule of St Ignatius we read, “When one enjoys consolation, let him consider how he will conduct himself during the time of ensuing desolation, and store up a supply of strength as defense against that day.” Consolation comes with times of drawing nearer to God, and Desolation is the opposite – becoming distant from God. We want to store up a supply of strength against the day of desolation – one way which can be to stock our Spiritual Pantry!

I first heard this term in the writing of Liz Kelly, and it brings to mind a visual image of a pantry, with shelves ready to receive and keep the consolations I have received in the past. The shelves are labeled: music that has lifted my heart, stories from books that have blessed me, family gatherings that were times of harmony and love… whatever terms are meaningful to identify the experience. The experiences stored in our Pantry are resources God has given us to leave Desolation and return to Consolation.

How do we begin ? Step one is the awareness that we are in desolation. St Ignatius begins all discernment with this step, becoming aware that we have lost our inner peace.

Step two is always to turn to the Holy Spirit, Who helps us to remember what we need. Having recognized the enemy at work, now we need to take action, step three! John 14:26, “the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Consolations are a gift from God, and He wants us to remember them, as being spoken to our hearts in experiences or words by Jesus.

The action here is to go to our Spiritual Pantry, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us to the memory on the shelf that relates to our current situation. We retrieve the memory in prayer, and savor the grace received then and allow it to re-ignite our faith, hope and love for the present circumstance.

An experience related by a friend is an illustration of step two, turning to the Holy Spirit. She was in college, and had been negligent in attending a statistics class. Time came for the final exam, and receiving the questions, she realized she didn’t know how to proceed to answer them. In high school she had excelled in math, so she had within her the ability to do the work, but was at a loss with these particular questions. Having attended Catholic grade school, she remembered the teaching to always pray to the Holy Spirit before test taking, that He might bring to mind what she had learned and apply it to the test. Bowing her head, she invoked the Holy Spirit to do just that, and then proceeded to answer the questions, and turned in the exam paper.

Two days later her professor called her into his office. He stated that prior to taking the exam she was failing the course for lack of attendance and not turning in homework, but she had answered all the questions perfectly. Also she was the only one in the class who had written a perfect exam, and he knew she couldn’t have copied from anyone. However, she had shown only minimally how she had arrived at the answers; if she could explain how she did it, he would give her a B, otherwise she would get a C and pass the class. She didn’t disclose having prayed to the Holy Spirit, and she didn’t remember how she had arrived at the answers. But she passed happily with the C!

What an encouragement to ask the Holy Spirit to remind us what we need to proceed in any area of our lives! Particularly when in desolation, which is always from the enemy, to return us to the time of consolation where we can be the joyful witness to our faith that will be a blessing to ourselves and others!

This story is one of the items stored in my Spiritual Pantry. When I get stuck on a question, or need a boost to restore my joy, pulling this off the shelf and re-visiting it always re-ignites my faith and helps me to move forward in consolation.

Lord God, thank you for all the holy experiences you have blessed me with, times of consolation to be used as weapons against the snares of the enemy. May I not hesitate to open the Pantry and again receive the grace of Your love and care for me, gathered through the years and continuing to bring blessing, for me and for all those with whom they are to be shared…

95) Antidote to Desolation

Our spiritual journey is often a roller coaster ride, with the highs and lows of consolation and desolation. Consolation draws us deeper into the love of God, and desolation leads us farther away from Him. St Ignatius teaches us that this is normal, and offers ways to regain our peace in his Rules for Discernment of Spirits.

When meeting with directees who are experiencing desolation in their spiritual journey, we hear thoughts of self-pity, isolation, confusion and general discouragement, all tools of the enemy to lead them away from God. What can we do to combat these lies? How can we regain that inner peace we so desire, and live in the victory Christ has won for us? God doesn’t leave us without resources, and one of those is the practice of praise! How does that play out in our daily walk? There are three simple steps that can lead us out from the shadows into His Light once again.

First, and always, we need to have our spiritual radar on to be aware whenever our inner peace is disturbed. St John of the Cross states, “Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world disturb it.” We become aware of that inner disturbance, which is the source of our desolation.

Step two can be reaching into our arsenal for a good tool to access. Rule Six of the Discernment of Spirits notes several weapons to have in that arsenal (prayer, meditation, much examination, and by giving ourselves more scope in some suitable way of doing penance). The one we’re focusing on today would fall into the prayer category, as praise is a foundational element of prayer.

The third part, which will begin the process of moving from desolation and returning to consolation, is to put this into practice! “God inhabits the praises of His people,” (Ps 22:3), and where the Good God is, the enemy flees! We can go to favorite Praise Scriptures, or to multiply the grace, we can sing them! He who sings, prays twice!

I’m reminded of my Mom’s response when things got too overwhelming in caring for Dad with his Alzheimer’s. She would go into the bathroom, shut the door, and sing the Doxolgy loud and clear! “Praise God from Whom all Blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above Ye Heavenly Host, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!” This would renew her inner strength, and give her the grace to carry on with whatever needed to be done, knowing she was not alone, but rather accompanied by the Good God Who had been faithful to her all her life, even as she had been a faithful Christian all her life!

There are so many beautiful praise and worship songs available at our fingertips. A holy priest friend once advised me, when I was relating a tale of woe about being under dire circumstances, “what are you doing under the circumstances? Get out of there!” Look up, sing praise to God, and allow Him to restore your peace.

Thank You Lord, for reminding me of Truth when I come to You for help. Reminding me to praise You in all circumstances, for Your Word tells me that You inhabit our praises, and where You are, evil cannot endure! May I always come to You quickly, in haste like Mary, and not linger in desolation. Jesus, I trust in You!

94) Advent Peace

We’re about to enter the third week of Advent, and the words “peace” and “forgiveness” have been on my mind a lot! It seems the two go together – we can’t really experience peace without living a forgiving life. I deeply desire to live in peace – the peace that keeps my heart at rest no matter what the outward circumstances are. I have an icon of St Seraphim of Sarov next to my desk, to remind me of one of his famous sayings: “Acquire interior peace, and many will find salvation near you.” I hope to help others grow in their relationship with God, to gain the salvation Jesus has suffered and died to give us. Living with interior peace brings a grace to others that may help open their hearts to God’s grace for them.

When walking with others in spiritual companionship, the topic of forgiveness often surfaces. I’m often prompted to share the YouTube by Larry Christenson on Unilateral Forgiveness, and in particular one of the stories he relates in it. He tells of a good friend who is deeply hurt and troubled by an injustice, such that she becomes embittered against the one who hurt her. She finds a deep peace in the quiet of a church that allows her to release the bitterness, and this is followed by a word from the Lord that has helped me a lot in my own life. She heard in her heart, “you never lose your peace over someone else’s sin, but only over your own.” She had lost her peace through her bitterness toward another, and not because of what they had done.

There are steps to take here, tied to the desire for peace and forgiveness. First is to acknowledge the injury, and to allow oneself to gently lean into the pain it has caused. We don’t want to over react to it, nor diminish it, but to name it and feel it.

The second step is often overlooked. We take our eyes off of the injury, and ask the Holy Spirit to convict us of how our own reaction may be in need of God’s forgiveness. In the case mentioned above, the need was to acknowledge the bitterness that had taken root in her heart, and to ask the Lord to forgive her for that. This is then followed by His gift of peace, freely given to every soul that honestly confesses their own sin, and seeks forgiveness. It also takes our eyes off someone else’s sin, and paves the way for us to offer a blessing for them, rather than ill will. In his article, Larry speaks about “beaming out forgiveness” to others, unilaterally. That is, from one side only – we don’t wait for them to ask for it, we offer it first. “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,” can only be done from the heart when we have allowed the Lord to cleanse us of our own sin, and receive His gift of peace.

Peace and forgiveness, partners hand in hand. May our Advent preparation include time to examine how we may have reacted and lost our peace in some circumstance, and allow the Lord to restore it through a good confession and extending blessing to others.

Lord God, I desire to be an agent of your peace and mercy. Help me to take my eyes off others’ failings, and allow you to use me to help others on their journey of faith. Thank you for Your gift of forgiveness – may I allow You to convict me quickly, that I may live in Your grace…

Link to Larry Christenson’s YouTube audio:

Larry Christenson – Unilateral Forgiveness & Empathetic Repentance

Track 1 – empathetic repentance. (20:25 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im8w7ihVid8

Track 2 – unilateral forgiveness. (19:27 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MBGwHO0MeM

93) Communion of Saints

November 2 is celebrated in the Catholic Church as the Feast of All Soul’s Day. This day is specially designated as a day to pray for the souls of all the faithful departed, especially those who are believed to be in purgatory, awaiting their journey to heaven. Purgatory is the place of “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.” (CCC 1031). This purification is needed, for “nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven.” (Rev 21:27)

It was Sunday, Nov 2, the Feast of All Souls Day, and my friend shared how she felt a particular spiritual energy at the early Sunday morning Mass she attended. She had recently lost a loved one, and that loss magnified the meaning of the Feast for her. It was an experience of a friend of hers at the second Sunday morning Mass that has blessed me, and all those with whom I’ve shared it.

Her friend shared how at a certain point in the Mass, the priest became visibly shaken, and turned away from the altar for a few moments to regain his composure. He finished the celebration, and at the conclusion shared what had happened that caused him to react like that. As he was looking out at the congregation, he began to see, seated in the pews, all the people at whose funerals he had officiated in this church. And as he continued to see them, members of his own family who had passed away were also present there. Overcome with emotion, he had to stop and turn away, so moved by this vision granted him by the Lord.

Her friend had recently lost her husband, and she also shared that as she stood before the priest to received the Eucharist, he paused. Something had caused him to wait a short time before offering her the Host. She stated that she truly felt the presence of her departed husband there with her in that precious moment.

What a gift they had all been given, and how blessed they were that their priest shared with them what he saw! As I heard this story, what came to my own imagination was a church filled with people I know who have passed away, all present there at the Mass, and asking my prayers to speed them on their journey. Holy anticipation filled the atmosphere, and joy at the thought of all those good people now praying for me, and for all those I hold in my heart. The communion of saints became more real, along with the recognition of the magnitude of this gift, and thanksgiving to the Good God Who has so arranged it!

Each time I hear a “glory story,” it strengthens my faith and encourages me to be more attentive to the invisible world that surrounds us. It‘s a catalyst for expectant faith, awaiting the next surprise the Lord has in store. “Open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see You” is the refrain from a praise and worship song. It’s the refrain of my heart too!

Lord God, help me to pay attention and be aware of Your Presence in the everyday circumstances of life. Give me the courage and the means to share these gifts, that others too may be blessed. I don’t want to miss You passing by…

92) A Priest’s Meditation on the Passion

As a member of the Seven Sisters’ Apostolate, I have the privilege of spending one Holy Hour each week in prayer for a particular priest. The demands of the priesthood are many, and the blessings that flow through his ministry are invaluable to the life of the faithful, and to those who do not yet know Christ. How blessed their ministry is to have inspired one woman to offer a Holy Hour for the priest who has been a blessing to her life! This one Hour was the foundation for the Seven Sisters’ Apostolate, which has now expanded exponentially to all 50 States in the US, and beyond! When the Holy Spirit offers an inspiration, and the recipient has listened, heard and responds, the results are no less than miraculous! And of course, the blessings flow not only to the priest, but through him to his flock, through them to their extended relationships, and to the Sister who is praying. Another example of the ripples of grace that flow from prayer 🙂

I’ve always stopped to reflect when I read in the Scriptures, “they saw the grace of God.” What does that look like? How can I tell? My Seven Sister membership brought me to a moment when I saw and experienced God’s grace at work. I’m a sub for a group that prays for a very holy and wise retired priest, now 97 and in an assisted living facility. He is sharp and filled with wisdom, a man of great intellect and compassion. Six of us joined him for Mass and then a time of fellowship before his lunch hour. His walk is slow and deliberate, using a walker for stability. With the dignified manners and respect of his generation, and of his own character, he greeted us all and expressed his gratitude for our gathering, and for our prayers. He said that as he was no longer giving homilies, he wanted to continue to share from his treasure house of years of prayer and study, and so began to write poems. The one I heard this day is a meditation on Christ’s Passion, which will remain with me and has deepened my own appreciation of what the Lord has done for me.

In a voice deep and sonorous, at a pace that is slow and thoughtful, he read us his poem. His pauses, inflections, and obvious feeling for the words he had written created an atmosphere of holiness, in complete listening silence. The very many years of his personal contemplation of the Passion of Christ were skillfully woven into a beautiful tapestry, which we were so blessed to receive. It was an intimate prayerful gathering, and indeed, it was here that I “saw the grace of God.”

He began with the repetition of one word, “Pain.” Hearing him speak this word, and seeing his face as he spoke it, revealed the depth of his understanding of Christ’s suffering. He wrote of the wound that hurt Christ the most, in His shoulder from the carrying of the Cross. I’m reminded of the prayers of St Bridget of Sweden, where she also remarks on this particular pain, and how much sorrow it caused our Lord to know that despite all His sacrifice, there would be many who would turn away. The final words of this extended meditation came to the Resurrection, and to His invitation to us as Friend, to stand on His right beside Him.

How grateful I am to be called to pray for this holy priest of God, and to have been a recipient of His recitation. May God continue to bless his days, until he goes to meet His Savior, his Friend, face to face.

Father God, thank you for the gift of the holy priesthood! Thank you for raising up the Seven Sisters Apostolate to offer holy hours for Your priests.
Thank you for calling each of us to appreciate and pray for them, to enter into Christian Friendship with You and with one another…

91) Do It Now

Procrastination has been a challenge for me all my life. I’m reminded lately of my mom’s acronym, DIN! Do It Now! How I need to respond to that command, and recall how often in Scripture things were done “immediately,” “with haste!” Perhaps my problem has been with discerning just what it is that needs doing now! There are so many options, and it’s time to start whittling them down to the essentials, in the hope that actually doing it now can be accomplished! Where to start?

Making a list of non-negotiables can be a starting point. For me at this time in my life, this would include daily Mass whenever possible, and daily rosary, always possible. Checking the calendar to note appointments or meetings that are necessary should come next. Daily exercise of some sort has become more important, as I find myself spending way too much time sitting, often at the computer. So I’ll put a daily walk, and also my exercise video high on the list. I try to keep the kitchen tidy as my main contribution to housekeeping chores, and basic bedroom tidiness too. And that’s really about all of the essentials!

That leaves lots of room for the non-daily activities, like laundry, other cleaning, paying bills and other paperwork…. This is when I get bogged down, seeing the giant list of things that don’t demand immediate attention, aren’t on the daily essential list, but need to get done “sometime.” Ah, sometime… that smells like procrastination to me! Methinks I need a better plan ~

This brings me to mom’s second acronym – HIC = Help Is Coming! And the help she knew was always available came from the Lord! He would send people help, inspirational help, a Word from the Scriptures – but always something to get going and do the next right thing. Over and over the Scriptures remind us to ASK! So I’m asking now, Lord – help me to discern how to spend each moment of each precious day that You give me in a way that glorifies You and helps to fulfill the plan and purpose You have made me for today. I don’t want to just spin my wheels and waste the gift of time You’ve given me. I know that this isn’t about being more “productive,” but rather living in Your will for me each day, which naturally includes accomplishing whatever tasks You have set before me. I recognize these will include times of rest, times of silence with You, time in Your Word. I think of Bp David Rcken’s advice: “Each day, no more, no less, no sooner, no later than what the Lord asks of you.” Harmonize my life, Lord, that the music it produces may be pleasing to Your ear and create a symphony that will bring blessings to others. DIN and HIC – thank you mom!

Lord God, help me to live well the days remaining to me! I ask to hear Your Voice throughout each day, leading me on the path that accomplishes what’s necessary, and brings glory to You! Thank you for my mom’s wisdom, that whispers in my ear…

90) Surrender to Grace

This last weekend was spent in helping my sister-in-law pack up and leave the cabin she dearly loves, to return to her residence in a retirement community. She had spent several weeks solo at the cabin for many years, but last year due to health challenges it hadn’t happened. Missing that time at the cabin had been really hard for her, and a time of depression had set in.

It was a long drive, and she thought she could do it alone this summer. When I offered to help her get there, she readily agreed to the offer, so my son and I picked her up in July and made the trip North, planning to do the return trip in September.

It was a time of great blessings, and also of a surrender to the grace of God as she realized the reality of physical limitations due to health and age – she’ll be 90 in October! Blessings included many evening meals shared with extended family visiting at nearby cabins, being back in the woods able to see the lake and savor the deep quiet. Short trips to nearby towns with easy and beautiful country driving were a joy!

It wasn’t all easy though – some of the things she most wanted to do were not do-able; the dock was too wobbly and her legs too unsteady to sit on the bench at the end of the dock. The lovely and peaceful bench on a little lake in the woods surrounded by a bog was unattainable, as the board walk was unstable. The shot received to reduce the pain in her legs began to wear off as the weeks went by, and the constant pain began to return.

All of this reminded me of Paula D’Arcy’s story told in her book SACRED THRESHOLDS, where she relates her time as a therapist with Morrie Schwarz. (TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE). Morrie had ALS, and was slowly losing his ability to do all the things he had loved in this life. Paula walked with him through this journey, as he shared the stories and they re-lived them together, savoring and celebrating the joys, and then letting them go, one by one. This was what my sister-in-law was able to do. She was in the place she loved, remembering the special joys she had experienced there, and then by God’s grace being able to let them go. The reality of not being able to do what she thought she could was acknowledged and accepted, and she said she was blessed with peace as she realized this would be the last time she would spend being at the cabin solo like this. And it was ok, for the frustrations had been replaced by peace.

What a gift the Lord had given to her! As Paula writes in her book about Morrie, she had found the path of surrender to the grace of God. I think of my mom, the last time she came to the cabin. We walked all around the property, visiting the special spots which had been like home for her for over 60 summers. She said goodbye to each one, with gratitude in her heart for all the blessed memories, and ready to let them go and be passed on to the next generations. The words she wrote to the family about the property are a precious legacy –

“Each of us is responsible for our brief moment here on earth. All of us have a love for this small piece of God’s handiwork. May the future find that it has been nurtured and cared for during our lifetimes. All that we have is God’s alone. We are blessed to have each other with whom we can share it.” Please God that we may take these words to heart and live them!

Thank you Lord, for the path of surrender to Your grace! What a gift that has been modeled for our family! My I learn it well as I too am being called to savor the memories and experiences, and then to return them with deep gratitude to You, the source of all that has blessed me in this life…

89) Prison to Praise

What do I do when I fall into a funk? When I’m stuck in self-pity and feeling discouraged? When I want to run away, to hide in my room? Only remedy: sing praise to my God!

My friend Loretta introduced me to the book PRISON TO PRAISE by Merlin Carothers many years ago, and it’s offered an answer to my prayer for help again and again. “God inhabits the praises of His people,” (Ps 22:3), and where the Good God is, the enemy flees!

Here I am once more, feeling lost and confused, and down in the dumps. Thank You Lord, for reminding me of the antidote! I’ll sing Your Praises, and thank You for this situation just as it is, trusting that You know all about it! Nothing is ever a surprise for You, and You have a plan to follow in every circumstance, to bring good from every adversity. (Rom 8:28) I need to listen to You first, and not to trust in the world’s advice!

I’m reminded of Mom’s response when things got too overwhelming in caring for Dad with his Alzheimer’s. She would go into the bathroom, shut the door, and sing the Doxolgy loud and clear! “Praise God from Whom all Blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above Ye Heavenly Host, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!” This would renew her inner strength, and give her the grace to carry on with whatever needed to be done, knowing she was not alone, but rather accompanied by the Good God Who had been faithful to her all her life, even as she had been a faithful Christian all her life!

How grateful I am for the foundation of Faith in which I was formed as a child! There was never any doubt that God was Real, He loved me, and He would be with me in whatever circumstance I found myself. He’s with me now, in every question, every challenge. I don’t need to spend time speculating on the “what ifs,” but rather make an act of faith, of hope, and do the next best thing. For me today, it’s been to sit down and write this, to remind myself of Truth, and allow the Lord to re-set my attitude. I’ll move from “poor me” to Praise God!