Fear and Faith

01 Saturday Feb 2025

Tags

Calming the Storm, Faith, Fear, God-moments, Heb 11:1-2, Jesus, Jesus I trust in You, Mk 4:35-41, Prayer, Trust

Calming the Storm, Simon de Vlieger, 1637, (Wikimedia Commons/Art Collection of Univ. of Gottingen)

It’s been almost thirteen years since my conversion experience that brought me to Christianity, that instant when I knew for certain there is a God, that Jesus is real, and the Holy Spirit filled me with more love than I’d ever known. And, last month was the tenth anniversary of what I consider to be my second conversion experience, the event when I learned to trust in God’s mercy and providence, and which I recorded in Put Your Faith Where Your Prayer Is.

My daughter had just given birth to my first grandson, Jack. He appeared to be a healthy newborn but the day after he came home from the hospital we thought we’d lost him. My wife was holding him and he quit breathing. I truly believe his guardian angel was watching over him because, just hours before, my wife’s sister, a nurse, and her husband, a doctor, stopped by to visit as they were traveling across the country. They had the knowledge and expertise to revive Jack until the EMTs arrived. Jack spent the next two weeks in the NICU experiencing multiple epileptic seizures per day.

To say the least, I was consumed with fear for Jack and for the emotional health of my daughter and son-in-law. Upon learning the news, I began praying continuously, including praying many Rosaries, imploring our Blessed Mother to intercede and make Jack well. In the midst of my fear, there came a moment when I finally knew there was nothing I could personally do to help heal Jack, and that it was all in God’s hands. I uttered the words, “Jesus, I trust in You!”, and I immediately broke into uncontrolled sobbing, crying tears of joy because in that instant I knew in my heart that Jack would be made well. Two weeks later he came home from the hospital and for ten years did not have another seizure. That is until this last Wednesday.

Wednesday evening, Jack was at basketball practice and went into convulsions. Again, his guardian angel was watching over him because the father of a team mate, an emergency pediatric doctor, was present and he took control until the EMTs arrived. Once again, I fell into a state of fear for Jack and for my daughter, and began praying unceasingly.

Mid-day Thursday, with Jack still on my heart, I needed to prepare for a men’s group meeting that night. Our group reflects on and discusses the following Sunday’s Gospel, so I opened my Bible to the passage upon which our group leader instructed us to meditate. However, through some error, the passage was not tomorrow’s Gospel reading, but, instead, today’s, Mark 4:35-41, the account of Jesus calming the storm at sea and alleviating the terrifying fear of his disciples. As I read it and came to verse 40, I knew the error was no coincidence: “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”. I heard Jesus say to me, “Son, have you forgotten I was there for Jack, his parents, and you ten years ago? With faith you gave it up and trusted in Me then, trust again in Me now.” Once again, my eyes sprung a serious leak and I knew I had nothing to worry about, that Jack was in good hands.

Today’s first reading is from Hebrews 11:1-2. The author reminds us that, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Through faith, I realized for a wonderful ten years that for which I hoped. And through that experience, I received evidence that Jesus’ saving grace will make all things well again.

“Dear God, I wish Your method of grabbing my attention and drawing me closer to You through faith wasn’t quite so extreme! But, Your ways are not my ways. Once again, I thank You for this experience, for reminding me of Your love, and reinforcing my faith and trust in Your Son, Jesus. I may think He’s asleep in my boat in the middle of the storms in my life, but He is always with me. Help me to recognize that moments like this are opportunities for faith to be the ballast in my boat when the storms of life rage. I know You will make all things well, even better than they were. I thank You in advance. Amen.”

(Fear and Faith, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2025 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Grace, God-Moments, and First Graders

30 Monday Oct 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Grace

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God-moments, Grace, Lk 12:35-38, Predominant Fault, Third Watch, Vice and Virtue

Last Tuesday’s Gospel (Lk 12:35-38, NAB) had Jesus telling his disciples, “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who wait their master’s return….Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.” Jesus is giving a warning that we shouldn’t wait til the last minute to live virtuous and holy lives. We should live as such every day because we don’t know when that last day will be.

He then goes on to say, “And if he should come in the second or third watch and find them prepared, blessed are those servants.” The second or third watch. Jesus is implicating those who are in their middle years or towards the end of their lives. He’s placing an importance on becoming more virtuous and growing deeper in relationship with Him as we age.

I think I’ve entered into the third watch of my life.

To me, being vigilant at my stage of life is synonymous with being virtuous – doing the right things, for the right reasons and in the right amount. And, the deeper I grow in my relationship with the Lord, the more my predominant faults, those bad habits and things to which I’m attached – my vices – become apparent to me. I’ve found it is getting more difficult to summon up the gumption to combat those to which I’m especially attached.

There is one particular bad habit that raises its ugly head over and over – my eating habits and my lack of exercise – the two things that should go hand in hand for better health. I admit it, I love to cook and I love to eat. I snack too much, and I don’t push away from the table as quickly as I should. I don’t get as much exercise as I should, either. Since I returned back to work six months ago, I have a lot more “desk time” than I do “up and moving around time”. It shows.

So, Tuesday morning during my morning meditation, I prayed for God to help me get better, to find the strength to overcome the inertia. I resolved especially to carve out a little time each day for some form of exercise. I didn’t have a plan other than to just try to find some time.

Later that morning I was sitting at my desk and I glanced out my office window. My window looks out over our school playground. There, about ten feet from my window, two young girls, probably first graders, were sitting on the ground. It was their recess and they were eating their snacks. One girl was nibbling on cookies and the other was dipping a breadstick in a Nutella tub. (And, no, I did not secretly want to run out and steal their snacks!). In unison they took their nibbles and then set their snacks down and did five sit-ups. They’d take another bite, and then do five leg lifts. They did this until their snacks were gone and then they jumped up and ran off to play the rest of recess with their friends. It was quite fun to watch and it made me laugh. As I returned my attention to my work, I wondered why these two little ones with all their energy felt they needed to work off their snacks.

An hour or so later it was lunch time and I unwrapped the sandwich I’d made for lunch. I was about half way through my ham and cheese on wholewheat when I recalled my resolution. And then, those two first graders came back to mind and it occurred to me that they had found a way to carve out a few moments to exercise. And then it hit me, I had just received a beautiful grace-filled God-moment. I had asked for help and God didn’t waste any time. He sent me two first grade girls to show me the way. Never before had any children sat outside my window to play. But that morning they did. It could have been two boys playing rock-paper-scissors, or something worse, but instead it was two skinny six-year old girls worried about their figures.

I looked at my sandwich and then looked at the floor to see if there was room for me to do some sit-ups, but then I imagined how sad I would look as I tried to get up off the floor. It was a beautiful autumn day outside, sunny, and the air was beginning to get crisp. I thought about those kids running and playing on the playground. I looked again at my sandwich and decided I would finish it and then go outside for a walk.

Twice around the school soccer field gave me time to earnestly thank God for answering my prayers, for sending me a simple sign – perhaps more of a challenge – that if little girls could do it, then I could, too!

“Loving God, I know that I cannot amend my life on my own. You hear and answer my prayers…sometimes in simple but always awesome ways. Thank You for Your love and for the grace to realize Your presence in my life. I pray for continued actual grace to match my will with Yours. Amen.”

(Grace, God-Moments and First Graders was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2023 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Iris and the Botanical Hitchhikers

05 Thursday Oct 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections

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Tags

God-moments, Grace, Hiking, Psalm 46:10

It’s been a while since my friend Bob has provided me with one of his Random Musings. But, good things come to those who wait, and I’m happy to offer his latest reflection. I don’t think his James Joyce stream of consciousness literary style is intentional, it’s just the way his mind, and heart, works. I love him for that, and it makes for some good conversation when we get together.

Iris and the Botanical Hitchhikers – by Bob Magness

We went for a hike this weekend. Well maybe ‘hike’ is a bit too ambitious of a term, let’s call it a nice walk through the forest of a local state park. This fall season so far has been a continuation of summer – warm and dry. The cottonwood trees are already dropping their dry brown leaves, but some of the maples are showing off their autumn colors. This hike was on a bridle trail that we’ve been frequenting for the last 25 years. In those years, we rarely come across other hikers and seldom see horses. It’s a nice quiet trail.

We take the opportunity to cut the dogs loose and let them burn some energy by running ahead. We are back to having two dogs. Tilly is a wire-haired pointer – I like to tell people she is my dog. Iris is a pointing griffon; she is Robyne’s dog. Iris is a good girl but sometimes she doesn’t hear me so well and other times she just flat out ignores me. They’re both still pups – less than 18 months so they have plenty of energy and this hike gives them a chance to run and explore and to just be a dog. It’s fun to watch.

The inventor of Velcro is said to have made the discovery after walking through a field and was picking burrs off his wool sweater. I would have guessed that he had a dog a like Iris. She is a magnet for all varieties of these prickly seeds. But she’s a thinking kind of dog – she thinks that rubbing up against the forest floor or patch of grass will free her of these botanical hitchhikers. And before long her long hair is wrapped around these tiny seeds, and she is completely matted. Our peaceful walk through the woods is now interrupted as we attempt to free her from this predicament. She doesn’t seem to enjoy our efforts of pulling the seeds from her fur and before long a wrestling match breaks out. For a thinking dog she doesn’t seem to realize that we are trying to help.

Wrestling. I wrestled in high school. It is a tough and brutal sport with absolutely no shortcuts or hacks to success. The sport teaches you about yourself – what you’re willing to sacrifice to be better, and what you can endure. In wrestling there is only one person to blame if you lose a match. I look back at those days fondly and mostly grateful that they are behind me. I used to think I was pretty good but for some reason most everybody I wrestled was better. It’s good to be humbled. I found it more than interesting that one definition for “Israel” is “he who wrestles with God.” I’ve thought about that for some time now. It certainly feels appropriate for all my struggles with attempting to understand life and His creation. Wrestling against all those times I thought I knew the better path. Wrestling to understand why my sacrifice was not sufficient for what I thought I wanted. And suddenly, I’m back in the Garden of Eden and there’s the Tree. I’m a thinking dog too… I know how. I know what’s best…

Maybe the hardest thing about wrestling with God is that He doesn’t play fair. Maybe He shows me how silly and futile my actions are while walking a dog through the woods. He gives me a forest and pats me on the head with a resounding “Go get’em boy!” And I come back to Him with all the burrs of life stuck on me while I thrash about trying to shake them loose – so much like Iris. And as I cry out to Iris, “You silly dog just be still, I’m trying to help”, it hits me and I can’t move. I’m pinned as I hear Psalm 46: 10, “Be still and know that I am God.”

(Iris and the Botanical Hitchhikers was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Lift High the Cross

15 Thursday Sep 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Adoration, Faith, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, God-moments, Grace, Jesus, Lift High the Cross

I have had the great fortune to spend this week at the Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas attending the Catholic Spiritual Mentorship Program as an alumni staff member. As always, it has been an absolutely awesome week! I received a text this evening from my spiritual director back home in Ohio asking me how my week is going and that he is praying for me. I responded that, once again, it has been an amazing experience in an amazing place with amazing people and I still have three days left! I added my thoughts about why it is that way, “It’s 100 people all seeking the same thing – holiness and the desire to help other men and women to do the same. It’s the spiritual friendship that is developed from that common desire. It’s communion with God and with each other! I wish you could be here, too.”

His response: “Amen! The Lord’s prerogative! His words at the Last Supper: ‘I pray for them, that they may be one…me in them, I in You, and You in Me, that we may all be one!’”

Did I tell you I love my spiritual director?

I wish each and every one of you could be here! We receive so many graces and feel the presence of Christ in so many ways, especially through our interaction with the students and staff.

Yesterday I posted Recognizing Miracles: How You Can Resurrect the Dead in which I suggested that the dead or lukewarm spiritual lives of people we know can be resurrected by our witness to the presence of God in our lives. I want to practice what I preach by passing on to you a special moment from yesterday.

Wednesday was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a feast that was first celebrated in Rome before the end of the 7th century. It commemorates the recovery of that portion of the Holy Cross which was preserved at Jerusalem, and which had fallen into the hands of the Persians. It was recovered and brought back to Jerusalem in the year 629.

At mass yesterday morning in the chapel we sang the hymn Lift High the Cross. The song’s refrain goes:

“Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim

’Til all the world adore his sacred name.”

The cross, that instrument of death which the Romans utilized to put fear in anyone who might think to counter their authority. The cross, upon which Jesus died for our sins so that we might have eternal life. The cross that, because of His resurrection, became a symbol of victory to all believers and, ironically, was used by Christians to thumb their noses at Roman persecution.

As I sang those words I thought how it explained our mission perfectly, to proclaim the love of Christ so that the world will adore Him.

Later in the day we were gathered in the chapel for Adoration and Reconciliation. At the end of the Holy Hour I lingered for a few minutes as the others processed out. When I bowed to take my leave, I looked up at the crucifix behind the altar and froze in wonder. I took this photo so that I could share it with you.

The shadow behind Jesus on the cross, which isn’t visible most of the day, struck me as an image of God lifting the cross high as if to say, “Here is my only Son Who gave His life for you! Adore Him and proclaim His sacred name!” Can you see it?

This is how God works in your life when you are open to receiving His love and reassurance that He is with you at all times! You see and feel His presence in so many and unexpected ways.

Ask our Lord to open your heart so that you may readily feel His presence, too.

I would love to hear of how you’ve seen or felt God working in your life lately. Please feel free to share by adding a comment. Thank you and God bless!

“Thank you, Jesus, for allowing me to feel Your presence in my life. ‘I adore You, O Christ, and I bless You, for by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world’. Amen.”

(Lift High the Cross was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2022 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Ask and You Shall Receive

28 Saturday May 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Prayer

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Charity, God-moments, Grace, John 16:23-28, Love, Prayer

(A reflection on the Gospel of John 16:23-28)

One night a week or so ago I didn’t sleep well and I woke up groggy and too late to go to 7:30 morning mass. In fact, I barely had time to get my act together and make it to 9:00 mass at another parish. I didn’t have time for my morning meditation and, because of the slew of errands i I had to run during the day, I knew I wouldn’t be able to fit it in until my Adoration hour that evening. So, my resolution for the day was the standard I use in situations like this: “Heavenly Father, grant me the grace to recognize and act on the opportunities you present to me today to be charitable to others. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

My first stop after leaving mass was the grocery store. As I pulled into the parking lot the skies opened up and it began to pour down rain. I decided to wait it out and lay my seat back and take a little nap until it stopped raining. I checked the clock to see what time it was and then closed my eyes. Three minutes later, just as I was about to doze off, I heard a knocking on my window. There, looking me in the eyes with her nose almost touching the glass, with either rain or tears running down her cheeks, was a young woman asking, “Sir, my car won’t start, would you mind giving me a jump?”

I immediately replied, “I don’t have any jumper cables” (which was the truth), to which she responded, “I do!”. I couldn’t very well say we should wait until it stops raining since she was already soaked to the bone, so I agreed to help her.

The shopping cart corral was between her car and mine so I pulled out and maneuvered my truck close to her little sedan. By the time I got my hood opened I was already sopping wet. The young woman pulled her jumper cables out of her back seat and they were the shortest set of cables I’d ever seen, only about three feet long and they wouldn’t reach my battery. I repositioned closer to her car, reopened the hood and connected the cables, which barely reached, and soon we had her car started. As I disconnected the cables and closed the hood, she politely told me, “Thank you.”

I got back in my truck and pulled back into my parking spot. As I watched her pull away I realized the extent of my sogginess. I started to complain when it hit me that I had received exactly what I’d asked for, a chance to be charitable to someone else. I looked upwards and, with a chuckle, prayed, “Lord, you didn’t waste any time, did you!” In my imagination I could hear God, with a chuckle in His voice saying, “You asked for it so I gave it to you. Thank you, my son”, to which I replied, “You’re welcome….and thank You!”

This memory came back to me as I read today’s scripture. In today’s Gospel, John 16:23-28, Jesus tells us that “whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give it to you….ask and you will receive so that your joy will be complete.” This was nearly the last thing Jesus said to His disciples before He was arrested. It was His last request to His friends. He had told them He was going away but He would send the Advocate to be with them in His absence. He wanted them to know that He wasn’t leaving them alone and if they trusted in Him they would still find joy no matter what.

Jesus wants us to trust Him, too. He wants us to know that His Spirit is with us all the time and all that we have to do is call upon Him and ask Him for what we need. We please Him immensely when our request is for something good, something that is in line with making us like Him, something that leads us toward holiness.

If our request is for something that is not good, we might get what we ask for or we might not. We might get it to teach us a lesson, or we might not get it because we’ve sold ourself short and He’ll give us something even better. The important thing is to ask Him, to include Him in our daily lives, to trust that His generosity will provide the best for us and that it will complete our joy.

How often do you ask Him for help?

“Lord Jesus, I know that I don’t ask You for Your help nearly enough. You’ve told me that, without You, I can do nothing. I need to take that to heart and spend more time asking You for the good things in life like: loving my family and neighbors as they deserve to be loved, being more virtuous, and loving You more dearly by spending quality time with You in prayer. Come, Holy Spirit! Amen.”

(Ask and You Shall Receive was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

No Chance Encounters

16 Sunday Jan 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Discipleship

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

1 Samuel 9, Calling of Matthew, Discipleship, Friendship, God-moments, Mark 2:13-17

The Calling of St. Matthew, Matthias Stomer, 1629

In yesterday’s first reading from 1 Samuel 9, we heard about Saul the Benjaminite who, while out looking for his lost donkeys, just happened to run into Samuel the prophet. Samuel had been told by God the day before that he would meet the man whom he would name as the new king of Israel at that specific time the next day. From Saul’s perspective, It was a chance encounter. From Samuel’s, though, it was God’s plan.

In yesterday’s Gospel, Mark 2:13-17, we read about Jesus calling Matthew, son of Alphaeus, to follow him. Matthew certainly wasn’t expecting to be called, but it was in Jesus’ plan to pass by his tax collection booth that day and invite him to be His disciple.

Jesus meets us in unexpected, memorable and life changing ways, also. Unfortunately, when He does, we can be quick to write them off as mere coincidences. I’ve learned, though, that most anything very far removed from the ordinary is God working in my life and not just a result of dumb luck. He’s calling my attention to Himself and His will. Sometimes it may only be a reminder that He is here with me, sometimes a reminder to be grateful for His providence, and sometimes He’s telling me I need to make a course correction. Sometimes it’s all of the above.

I had a little God-moment yesterday. An old friend, Joe, called me out of the blue. I hadn’t talked to him in many months, and only a couple times since he moved away five years or so ago. Joe and I first met ten years ago this coming April on a Christ Renews His Parish weekend, a retreat in which neither of us ever expected to participate. Joe was a lukewarm Catholic with little desire to grow deeper in his faith but attended to placate the man who kept pestering him. Me, I had never had any faith to allow to grow cold. I was simply at a low point and attended to get away from the stress of life for two days.

From the get-go, Joe and I hit it off. We became instant friends, both satiated with the Holy Spirit by the end of the retreat, and wondering where we would go from there. I chose to join the Catholic Church and learn more about Jesus, and Joe chose to begin living out his faith with renewed zeal. We were both on fire and our friendship kept each other stoked like a blacksmith’s furnace. Together, we went onto the next Christ Renews team. We met for lunch once a week and shared how God was working in our lives. We participated in a men’s small group at which we discussed the Gospel and learned more about our faith from other friends.

And then Joe changed jobs and moved a couple hours away. We lost touch, yet we kept moving forward in our own ways. Joe got involved in the small parish which he attends and started making new friends. I retired and began studying to become a spiritual mentor. Our small group slowly dissolved and I found new friends with whom to share my faith.

We talked for over a half hour, catching up with each other, our families, our faith. He called me because he thought of me and our Christ Renews His Parish journey together. He was giving a pulpit talk this morning to ask men to attend a weekend retreat and he wanted my prayers.

I told him I have a couple groups with whom I meet regularly and just last week gathered together some of the old guys from our first group. It was a fun reunion and we talked about resuming regular get-togethers. Joe said he misses those group discussions and would like to get a small group of friends from his parish together to share their faith. We talked about our prayer lives, and about the spiritual mentoring that I do, and he sounded interested in getting his own spiritual mentor. It was almost like old-times. Before we ended the call we vowed to stay better in touch.

After our call, I thought back to how our friendship evolved. We were both called to be on that retreat together. We had our reasons, but God had His own. It was not a chance encounter. Yesterday’s phone call wasn’t a chance encounter, either. We needed each other during that time to grow deeper in our faith which ultimately made us better disciples for Christ. We needed each other yesterday. It was like God giving a couple pumps on the bellows of that old furnace.

The Holy Spirit is still urging us to continue being disciple makers. And, because of this, we have the grace to know and accept that He puts Sauls and Matthews in our lives by His plan and not by coincidence. But, they don’t know that….not yet.

PS: My wife and I arrived at mass this morning just moments before the opening procession. Not wanting to walk down the aisle to our preferred seat, we took a spot in the back pew on Mary’s side, at the far outside end of the pew. As I sat down I remembered that this was Joe’s seat. He would always get there early to make sure someone else didn’t get it. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

“Heavenly Father, thank you for the friendships we have developed with You as the Common Denominator. Through them You give us the extra help we need to be disciple makers and bring our brothers and sisters to You. Amen.”

(No Chance Encounters was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

God Returns Our Generosity

29 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Generosity

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Encouragement, Generosity, God-moments, Joy, Mark 3:35

After writing today’s post, Please Pray for Our Priests, I thought I would write something a little less somber and with less gravity. I posted Looking for God Moments on Monday about an experience of grace I received the previous day. Well, the Lord didn’t wait long to bring me to another one of those moments. Let me tell you what happened yesterday.

On Monday night in a meeting with 13 other men, we talked about qualities we need to exhibit to imitate Christ. Two of those were generosity and forgiveness. With respect to forgiveness I mentioned that I easily forgive others and have never held grudges. On the other hand, I feel I struggle with being generous to others in the form of encouragement and affirmation. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist, just that I wish I were better at it.

Yesterday morning after reading the Gospel from Mark 3:35 where Jesus says, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother”, and knowing that the will of God is to love him and others, I recollected the discussion from the previous evening. I realized I could love others more effectively by improving my generosity and making others feel valued. My resolution for the day was to look for and take advantage of any opportunities that might arise.

Finishing my prayers, I noticed I had a notification on my FaceBook page saying that it was the birthday of my Tuesday afternoon Holy hour prayer partner. Since I would see her later in the day I saw this as an opportunity for which I had just prayed and resolved to take action. I found a nice blank note card and wrote an encouraging birthday greeting inside. Then later, just before I headed out the door to go to church for my hour of Adoration, I was looking for a book to take and read. I noticed in my book case that I had two copies of Henri J.M. Nouwen’s book, Life of the Beloved. Deciding that I didn’t need two copies, I thought one might make a nice birthday gift for my friend.

As I pulled into the church parking lot my prayer partner was doing the same. With book and card in hand I approached her and gave her my gift. The joy she showed in receiving the gifts bounced straight back to me.

She exclaimed, “How did you know?”

I replied, “Well I saw on FaceBook that it was your birthday.”

She said, “No, I mean how did you know I’ve been wanting to read this book and I planned to go to the bookstore after work tomorrow to get it so I can take it with me on a silent retreat this weekend!”

I replied, “Ha, I didn’t know. I just realized before I left the house that I had two copies on my bookshelf and thought that you might enjoy having one to read.”

Then, as she gave me a quick hug, I looked upwards and thought, “Lord, this is your doing. Thank You for the grace to be more encouraging today and thank You for Your generosity and affirmation for doing the right thing.”

I can’t make this stuff up, folks. God is good and He must chuckle to Himself when He shows His love to us in surprising ways such as this.

“Good and gracious God, thank You once again for Your great love and generosity. You never fail to deliver in surprising ways. You encourage us to keep our eyes, ears and hearts open looking for the God-moments that You bring. Amen.”

(God Returns Our Generosity, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2020 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Looking for God-Moments

27 Monday Jan 2020

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Grace

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

God-moments, Grace

One simple thing I’ve learned since I’ve been Catholic is that when I’m not living in the present moment and not opening my heart to the special graces God offers me, I seldom see them. On the other hand, when I anticipate and look for them, I frequently experience what I once called coincidences but have since learned to call “God moments”. Today was one of those days when I felt His presence because I was ready for it. I want to share it with you.

To begin, my resolution after prayer this morning was to try to be a “light” for someone I would encounter today and help draw them closer to Christ. I didn’t know how I would do that but I prayed I would seize the moment if I had the opportunity. The problem was I didn’t plan on leaving the house except for attending a Marriage Encounter meeting tonight.

I discovered mid-afternoon that I needed a head of cauliflower for a recipe I was preparing for dinner. I drove to my favorite grocery store only to find they were sold out of cauliflower. Standing in the checkout line with a few other items I needed, I thought it was an inconvenience to have to go to the other grocery store just to buy a head of cauliflower. I consciously thought, “But, if that’s what God needs me to do, then that’s what I’ll do.” And, I thanked him for it.

The produce section of the second store is just inside the front door so I grabbed one of only four heads of cauliflower they had (and wondered what was up with a run on cauliflower in late January!) and headed for the checkout. But, then I thought of one other item I wanted so I dropped back a couple aisles to get that. On the way, I ran into a friend from our parish and we chatted for a moment. On the way back to the checkout I ran into another friend from church and we chatted for another moment. And, then, as we were finishing our conversation another friend from church, along with his daughter, walked down that same aisle and greeted me. Actually, he and I were more like acquaintances than friends because we’d only met and talked to each other a few times over a weekend last September.

Oddly enough, about a week ago, this gentleman had been on my mind for two or three days straight and I wasn’t sure why. During our encounter last September we had exchanged phone numbers so I texted him this message: “My friend, Jerry Robinson here. We met last September on your Welcome weekend. I hope this finds you well. For some reason that God may only know, you’ve been on my mind the last few days. So I thought I’d reach out to you and see how you’re doing and ask if there’s anything for which I can pray for you. If there is please let me know and I’ll include your intentions in my prayers. God bless you.” I hadn’t thought about him since, and he didn’t reply to my text.

So today, we greeted each other warmly and, a little sheepishly, he acknowledged receiving my text and apologized for not responding. I introduced myself to his daughter and I learned that she will be graduating from high school this spring and is discerning which college to attend. Her dad mentioned they were doing the financial aid thing and looking into scholarship opportunities and I commiserated with him about that process and my familiarity with it having put four of my own daughters through college.

I sensed he was perhaps a little stressed about his oldest child (and a daughter, at that!) heading off to college. I mentioned how it’s not easy when your first born flies from the nest and he readily agreed with me. I asked the daughter about which colleges she was considering and we talked about that for a moment. Then, needing to wrap the conversation up, I mentioned to her that I hoped she will keep her faith once she gets to where she’s going because the pressure to do otherwise can be so great. And, I told her I would pray for her discernment and success wherever she decides to go. With that, I glanced at her dad and saw in his eyes both relief and gratitude. I knew that feeling. I’d been there before.

I don’t know when he and I will talk or see each other again but I believe that, by the grace of this God-moment today, we will be more than acquaintances the next time we meet. I believe that God wanted me to pray for this man and his daughter and thus put him on my heart. And, even though he may not have known how to ask for prayers for the one thing weighing heavily on his heart, I believe we were brought together in that grocery store aisle because the Lord knew my friend needed some reassurance to trust in Him.

“Good and gracious Lord, thank You for Your omnipresence, love and generosity! You answer our prayers when we remain in You, especially when our prayers are directed with charity toward others. Lord, You meet us where we are and use us to bring others closer to You. Thank You for the opportunities that You provide for us to serve You. Amen.”

(Looking for God-Moments, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Tuesdays at Five

05 Wednesday Sep 2018

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization, Faith, Prayer

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Action, Evangelization, Faith, God-moments, Prayer, Thanksgiving

Every Tuesday evening at five o’clock after my Adoration hour, I meet with a small group of two to three other men to share our faith over the last week. This summer when the weather has been nice we’ve met on the bleachers in the shade of the trees behind the baseball field backstop at our parish school. We take turns talking about our progress in piety; the sincerity of our study to learn and grow our knowledge of our faith; any action we’ve taken to help others grow closer to Christ; and to relate any close God-moments we’ve had where we’ve seen or felt God’s presence at work in our lives. We also take this opportunity to help hold each other accountable.

Yesterday, it was my turn to go first. I shared that my prayer life had improved from a couple weeks prior, and, uncharacteristically for me, my study had taken off like a jackrabbit. I’d read four books in the last week – one on meditative prayer, one on life in the Spirit, a short book on devotion to Mary, and Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, Humanae Vitae – as well as listened to some of my classroom lectures. I had a couple action items worth honorable mention, and concluded that I’ve struggled lately with actively recognizing when God has been working in my life. I simply haven’t had any tremendous revelations to speak of.

Next up was my friend Mike. When he got to his study sharing he confided, with a wink in his eye, that he used to read a blog called Reflections of a Lay Catholic but for some reason it’s author had stopped writing. He added that, in fact, he would often get some of his weekly God-moments from that blog site.

Of course, his comments were intended to be a friendly jab at me for slacking off in my writing and they were taken as such. Nevertheless, I made a mental note to double down on living in the present so that I might better realize, when they come along, those small God-moments about which I often write. After my other friend, Paul, finished his sharing, we, as always, held hands, prayed for special intentions, and then together prayed the Lord’s Prayer.

During the forty-five minutes that we sat there sharing, the parking lot had filled up with the minivans and SUVs of soccer moms and their sons eager to get on the field and play. When the three of us finished our prayer we stood and walked to our own vehicles. Mine was the farthest away and as I neared my pickup truck a young mother caught my attention and told me with a sincere smile, “That was a beautiful display of your faith, the three of you praying together in public. I am so glad that my ten-year old son got to see that! Thank you so much!”

I didn’t know what to say other than, “Thank you!”. I think, but can’t say for sure, that I babbled something about doing that every Tuesday evening. I know I said, “Thank you!” more than once and I know at least one of those expressions of gratitude was not just back to the young woman but to the Lord above for creating that special moment and for allowing me to experience it.

Before driving away I sat in my truck and reflected on what had just happened. I thought about the Gospel passages from our daily scripture this week from Luke, chapter 4, the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, and how He calls us to minister as well. I thought about the quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the Gospel at all times. And, when necessary, use words.” I thought about how I often fail to use words as much as I should in proclaiming my faith, but, in this case, I was grateful for the affirmation that my actions spoke so loudly.

I thought about how, just possibly, that ten-year old boy might remember, years down the road, the moment when he saw three old men sitting on the bleachers praying together, and that he may decide to do the same. I thought about the young mother who’s faith may have been severely shaken in light of the current crisis in the Church, but may have just had that same faith reawakened. I thought I will probably never know but I can hope that good will come from it.

Finally, I took a moment to give thanks again to God for allowing me to experience that moment, for showing me that small acts done with love and gratitude are especially appreciated.

And, this morning, I give thanks to God again for giving me the fodder I need to post again in Reflections of a Lay Catholic so that my friend Mike will have something to read for his daily inspiration.

“Father, I love You and I know You love me. You are there for me each and every time I turn back to You after journeying away. Thank You, Lord, for my faith in You and for allowing me to share it with others. Please, Lord, let this ministry be efficacious in bringing others closer to You. Amen.”

(Tuesdays at Five was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

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A Light Silent Sound

15 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Daily 100, Prayer

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

1 Kings 19:12, God-moments, Meditation, Prayer, silence, solitude

It can be exciting when God lets us know of his presence in those profound experiences when He deals us an “ah-ha!” moment. He certainly gets our attention. But, I’ve come to long for that “light silent sound” (1 Kgs 19:12 NAB) such as Elijah heard on Mt. Horeb in today’s scripture passage. It’s truly a special feeling to be in my place of silence and solitude, in morning prayer and meditating on His Word, and hear God speak to my heart, telling me what He desires of me that day. It’s the perfect start to a day!

(Daily 100: A Light Silent Sound was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)