Wednesday in the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time [361] 1 Kings 18:20-39 Psalm 16:1b-2ab, 4, 5ab+8, 11 Matthew 5:17-19

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer

"How long do we straddle the issue?" "How long do we stand by and not intervene or express our understanding of what God has done for us?" "How many times do we need the proof that 'The God who answers with fire is God'"? Today's first reading made me begin to think about how important it is to acknowledge the gifts and the "saving graces" God provides for all of us throughout our lives. I 'd like to share with you a recent "saving grace" that I experienced.

Saturday, May 22nd was an extremely windy day in Omaha. I went on a walk with two of my daughters through Boyer Shoot, a nature preserve near Omaha. As we were walking I noticed that my shoe had come untied so I stopped to
tie my shoe. My daughters, who could have kept on walking, stopped and waited for me. As we resumed our walk, a huge limb fell onto our path - a limb which could have caused a major injury or possibly death to one of us - had we not all stopped together to tie my shoe. We immediately said a prayer of thanksgiving together as we recognized the "saving grace" in the experience. Later that night, on the local news, it was reported a young boy in Omaha was killed from a huge limb falling from a tree. Why, the three of us continue to wonder, were we spared from a tragic loss and not this young boy and his family? We do not know how to answer the "Why" but, as I have reflected on today’s reading, I am touched by Elijah who says, "I am your servant." As I have done many times before, I wonder "What is God's will for me and for my two daughters? What are we going to be asked to contribute based on the gifts that we have been given?"

"Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.You will show me the path to life."

These lines, for me, express my relationship with God. I learned at an early age, that God is my way, my truth and my light. That God is on this life journey with me and that God intends for me to engage in life, using my gifts, one of which is "speaking up" when I question a situation. While this gift , which may sometimes seem to be a curse, has raised some
controversy I have learned to first: engage in a conversation (prayer) with God; second: ask for guidance and third: feel how the spirit inside of me is directing me. I trust fully that God will save me, will continue to give me hope and will show me how to live my life, if I simply pay attention to others and to situations that stir my heart, remaining ever faithful to fulfilling the commandments from God and the Word of the Lord.

God is very much alive in our lives and yet God remains a mystery with so many "Whys". Why were my daughters and I spared from the falling branch and the young boy not spared? I cannot answer that question but I know we were grateful for not experiencing tragedy at that moment, and are left with hope and prayer for the young boy's family that they will be able to make some sense of what happened; that they will be able to live life with this terrible loss and that they will find comfort from God. There are so many "Whys" that we cannot answer but must look to God to find the strength, courage and confidence to go on living this life, using our gifts, to try to make this world better for those who travel alongside us.