Have you ever experienced pop-up words? By that I mean one particular word repeatedly pops up in your life, like God's trying to get your attention about it. Recently for me the word "comfort" has popped up frequently, and then, once I learned the lesson embedded in it, a corollary word: "perseverance."
The word "comfort" came with a great discovery. I'd been complaining to God that he was taking a terribly long time (years and years) to bring victory to some very important situations and relationships. Did my prayers about these not really matter to him? Of course they did! So then apparently my prayers don't make a difference due to some fault of mine. As I bemoaned this, the word "comfort" popped up. I tried a different prayer: "Okay God, while I'm waiting so very long to see the victories I've been praying for, comfort me."
And in the next moment, I felt comforted! Supernaturally. Beyond logic and reason. And that comfort has remained as long as I continue to seek it from the Holy Spirit, who is THE Comforter. It gives me peace and a smile.
That word is still popping up, but now so also is "perseverance." And it makes sense. God is saying that my daily years-and-years prayers are good. I am supposed to persevere with them. Someone else had told me that my continual prayers meant I wasn't "letting go" of the problems and truly entrusting them to God. But this repeated popping up of "perseverance" reassures me that my trust in God has been genuine even though I did continue to pray daily with the same prayer requests.
In speaking engagements, I have told audiences that when we continually cover in prayer our long-suffering trials with no victory yet in sight, it's like putting the fruits of our prayers into a bank (I'm picturing a kid's "piggy bank"). In our Lord's perfect timing, God will break open the bank and all the wealth that's accumulated inside of it will spill forth and make a huge difference in the world. Therefore, the more we pray, the more the wealth is increasing. And its value is being multipled with interest --God's interest in our prayers.
Praise God I am learning the truth of this more deeply! It has given me a new prayer, which I’d like to share with you:
Lord, the wait has been long, but I choose to persevere in prayer. Comfort me when I feel discouraged, strengthen me when I feel weary, and anoint me with a joy that puts a smile on my face when I am with others, so that You are glorified even in the lengthiness of the trial.
One of my long trials has now entered the victory stage. After two years of persevering through obstacles and delays in the construction of my new house, we finally broke ground and the foundation of the future is now being laid. Here's a photo of me smiling about being able to put my foot into what will be the footer of the house, upon which the strength of the structure will depend:
The lesson behind it: The construction of your future is a partnership with God. He is the builder, but the strength of your future victories depends on perseverance as your footer or foothold.
It's been a gift from God that my mom has been visiting long enough to see the foundation of her future home get poured. As I've shared in my weekend newsletter before, Ralph and I designed this house to give us a good place to care for my parents in their final years. Here's a picture of Mom and me:
Someone who saw this picture on Facebook said that I look older than my Mom. LOL! That's because God gave me my first grey hair when I was 18. Mom still has her original color. For some reason, God thought she'd look prettier in brown hair and I'd look best in grey. Who am I to tell God he made a mistake?!
Remember ... Lent's about to begin, and my ebook, The Daily Lenten Journey, is meant to help you break away from how you normally read my Good News Reflections so that your Lenten journey is more enlivening. When Carol J. ordered it, she told me her reason: "I downloaded your Advent reflections and it was the best Advent ever." While at my Catholic Digital Resources website, she also ordered "The Way of the Cross" prayer booklet, and "The Healing Wounds of Jesus" and my Examination of Conscience that's based on the 10 Commandments.
The Daily Lenten Journey is about journeying into the powerlessness of death so that we can enter into a faith that is more alive after Easter than it was before Lent began. So please join me on the journey and give the journey to others who have not yet signed up for the emailed subscription to the daily reflections (an easy way to evangelize others). Hurry! Be sure to download your copies before Wednesday!
May God bless you abundantly with more faith, hope, love. Please keep me and my family in your prayers. Every morning I lift up in prayer all those who help Good News Ministries in any way (donors, volunteers, prayer supporters, etc.) and all the prayer requests posted on our site. God bless you!
Your servant in Christ,
Terry Modica
Executive Director
Good News Ministries
Keep your eyes on Jesus!