Love and Blessings

 

These are quiet days for me, time to read, reflect, pray, and ponder God’s many blessings in my life.

A short while ago, my brother-in-law had a stroke and then he and his two daughters/caregivers had caught Covid.  They survived that, but now their father is in hospice care and near death.  His remaining daughter wishes to fly to be at his bedside with her sisters, but now she has caught the Covid virus, and cannot fly for now.  She waits, and prays.  Nearby, a dear friend of mine recently had a heart attack, and then caught Covid, and now her son/caregiver has Covid also.  Then today, I had an extra Communion host and I called my sick friend to ask if I could bring it for her.  Upon my arrival she told me how she had no sooner hung up on my call when her phone sounded with some Christmas reminder she had programmed, and it sang out: “Jesus is coming!”

Sometimes it is hard to see God’s blessings in this world, but we can always feel His love.  It’s all around us.  Sometimes at the 7-11 store.

Today was Day 361 in The Bible in a Year podcast.  Fr. Mike’s podcast today was on the Book of Revelation, where it speaks of much desolation coming to the world, and yet also consolation. Regarding desolation, Fr. Mike comments that “God is Love --- yet, at some point if we don’t choose to repent, we will get what we have chosen.”  And suddenly his wording moved my thoughts to that popular video series, titled The Chosen.

I had thought those Chosen videos had a major focus on the 12 apostles, His “chosen” twelve.  And so it does, however, it now came to me that it also has a focus on us --- we are The Chosen of today.  Jesus came 2000 years ago, but we celebrate His Birthday yet today, as if He has just arrived for us.  And He has; He comes and chooses us even today, but as Fr. Mike and the Book of Revelation reminded me, He is indeed coming and does choose us, BUT, what we will get when He arrives is “what we have chosen.”

Fr. Mike further commented: “As Christians, we should feel as if we do not belong in this world.  The prophets were killed and/or ignored.  The world hates holiness.  (As the Book of Revelation notes,) He will come, not to punish the innocent, but to bring justice to this world.  Pray we receive His mercy, amidst the justice.”

He is a God of Love and Blessings, amidst the desolation of this world.  Have faith, trust in Him.  His coming was, and is, a blessing.

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As I went about today, I heard a radio program speak of studies which have been done on the youth of today, the huge increases of depression, loneliness, and suicides.  Things encouraged to make their lives better, like social media contacts and sexual deviancy, are strongly correlated with making them worse.  It’s like a huge whirlpool, spinning and dragging them down.  Yet, they too are among the chosen, perhaps even the most desired by God, His little children.  The radio program noted that over 50% of the young said they can relate to all the world’s major religions, and so deem themselves “religious,” but very few have a personal relationship with God.  He is thought to be in buildings or books or somewhere in the heavens, but not in their lives, not in their hearts.  And when He comes, what will they choose?

Whether due to some video series or podcasts, or even being struck down from a horse like Saul was, I pray that somehow the young come to realize how special, how loved, how chosen they are, and in a sudden awesome joy, reciprocate that choice.  And despite the world’s sicknesses and sadness cry out: “Jesus is coming!”