The photo to the right was taken not far from my home near the bottomlands of the Missouri River. The sign is absolutely correct, as several times a year the rain, the river and the nearby creeks combine to saturate the fields and overflow the road — a perfect storm of natural events that creates something that no one control. You just have to be prepared to accept the inevitable and take another route for a while.
Inevitable events are the ghosts of our lives. They linger in the back of our minds and come out once in a while to haunt our dreams and bring worry to our waking lives. Parents get older and die. Loved ones suffer in a myriad of ways. We face our own life challenges and — in one way or another — stare down our own mortality. Life’s changes and storms are inevitable, so the challenge of our faith is to be prepared when they come, to be spiritually strong so that our first response is not to throw up our arms in exasperation but rather to throw ourselves into the arms of God, the unchanging changer who stands solid at the center of our ever-changing lives.
Ask yourself in silence: Am I spiritually prepared for the inevitable events of my life? Am I building a faith and a relationship with God now, so that’s it’s ready when I need it most?
Indeed, we are ever so conscious of our mortality, of the inevitable that will take place. It’s the when , the where and the how that remain forever clouded in mystery.
In the course of our lives, we have witnessed the unexpectedness of the ‘inevitable’ happening to dear and near relatives and friends. It comes like a thief in the night.
So yes, we must work and pray towards a state of spiritual preparedness, to build up a strong faith within ourselves and also within family members so that we are able to weather the storm and accept the ‘inevitable’ without drowning in the sea of helplessness, hopelessness and bitterness.
I think in every step of our lives, our God, who loves us dearly, is preparing us for the unexpected, the inevitable. Even the youngest in our circle of family and friends experiences the challenge of learning “patience” with the events occurring around them, and they suffer loss. It is in the love that cradles them and us, from those hands and feet God has placed on this earth, that we learn the Source of this great Love.
Do I still fret and worry? For sure! Then I am reminded of why we are here and that we never carry our burdens alone, even when it may feel like it, and also think, He made us this way! We question and doubt, and search and learn, each step of the way, until we can finally hand it all over to Him. What an amazing process life is! How unique, yet the same for each of us.
How this series has helped each of us in our own personal struggles, to stop and refocus, Steve.
God bless,
Kathleen
The words today were so true and so helpful. This reading gives me the lift I needed today to keep trying to stay strong and know God is with me in all of my challenges that come faster than what I feel I can handle. how comforting to know the Lord is there when I need to rest my head on this journey of life. Thank you for your encouraging messages. May God blessSTKyou and be there for you and may you continue to always have strength and be able to help others.