Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a peace filled day. Al and I left early this morning and I visited a friend in Hackensack and then went on to my former Bible Study group while Al visited a friend. We had a great video, singing of carols, and a luncheon; it was a wonderful time of fellowship.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
God puts others in our lives to help mentor us and show us a way that draws us closer to Him. Some have a spiritual director who knows just the right questions to ask to help us know the direction the Lord may be leading us. Sometimes we read a book that seems to be exactly where we are in our walk with the Lord and it gives us the courage to take the next step on our journey. As we observe the lives of those that have a close relationship with the Lord, we learn from them as we see their deep faith walked out in their lives. I love to read the lives of saints who have gone through so much and found joy in the midst of their suffering, and experiencing that Jesus is more than enough. From them we learn the importance of seeking God for Himself alone and not what we can get from Him. Prayer is a way of life and their whole day is one of being present to the Lord and receiving His love, not trying to earn it or achieve something. It’s not about what we do but trusting what He has done for us. Our part is to surrender to Him our will and plans and to receive what He has for us. St Therese of Lisieux lived close to God and saw her poverty and nothingness. She looked for opportunities for self-giving and wanted to please God. She died of Tuberculosis before she reached 25 but left behind a way of love for others to follow. I also read about Saint Elisabeth who was a Carmelite  at 21 but died at 26 of Addison’s disease. Her life was one of surrender to God and letting God love her. She knew the importance of removing obstacles to God’s love and being attentive to His will. She wrote of how we are holy as we let God love us and desire to do everything with Him. We are all a unique creation of His love so there is no place for competition but only the desire to receive and express His love and beauty in our own unique way. Let us not be so concerned about praying the right words or saying a lot but rather loving much.  James 4:8 (God’s Word) says, “Come close to God, and He will come close to you.” Our Heavenly Father desires that we come to really know His love so let us draw close.
Challenge for today: Spend some time just enjoying His presence and with few words.
Blessings on the rest of your day and prayers and love, Judy