“My Soul Glorifies the Lord, and My Spirit Rejoices in God my Savior” – Luke 1:46-47
When I think about where God has brought me from, and what He has done in my life, I’m so grateful. In a recent speech by Pope Francis as St. Patrick’s Cathedral, he said that ‘perhaps we don’t appreciate the blessings that we have’ and it resonated with me. Honestly, we have so much to be thankful for, and we don’t deserve any of it. In my lifetime, we have witnessed the election of a two term African American President, and we have either been impacted by it, participated in it, or watched from the side-lines.
The most impressive thing of late, is that we witnessed the Papal visit of Pope Francis; and while I don’t claim to know anything about the Roman Catholic faith, or its auspices, I have the utmost respect for a man of God who proclaims the Word of God and exalts Him. In fact, when he was moving through the crowds during his visit here, I reflected on what it must have been like when Jesus, the Son of God, walked among men. I could almost see the woman with the issue of blood going beyond her reach, to touch the hem of His garment, in a massive crowd. I could just see Blind Bartimaeus, shouting out in the crowd, as Jesus was passing by, thronged by so many people; some wanting to just be with Him, and others just wanting what He had to offer. I could see the leper that was cleansed, and I could appreciate that for the first time, he skipped his way back into the communicable population, as he made his way to show the priests. I could see the woman at the well, having a one-on-one conversation with Jesus, because He sought her out, and no the other way around. And the picture of a woman running through town screaming, when just hours before – she walked stealthy into town, gave me a new appreciation for extraordinary people, living in extraordinary times.
Everything that is written for our times, and we have the written record of what God has done, and what He’s going to do. We’re living in a time where God’s great plan of salvation is being worked out – and it doesn’t look like what we think about it ought. But I have no doubt that He will have His way in the end. Regardless of the difficult times that we experience, I truly believe that it’s all working out for our good, and for God’s glory. God is allowing His plan to unfold in our presence and if we want to know what He’s doing, we just need to look at what He’s already done. My new prayer is this: “Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So, I will bless you as long as I live. I will lift up my hands, and I will call on Your Name.” (Psalms 63:3-4)
Submitted by Deaconess Irene Gardon