“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” Henri J.M. NouwenI will always remember this as my most unselfish prayer. My father had lung cancer. He lived with me in his last days. That Sunday morning was especially difficult when I prayed, “God, he’s suffered enough, please take him home this morning.” Grief has a way of mixing multiple emotions until they are indistinguishable. But one think I remember clearly was thanking God for answered prayer, right down to the timing. My father was no longer in pain; he was in the presence of God. But through my thankfulness to God and peace that he was no longer in pain, I was still wracked with the most severe grief I’d even known.
Are you struggling with emotions that are dragging you down? Have you looked for things to be grateful for, despite your circumstances? What can you do right now to replace your reliance on emotions with a choice to be grateful? Lord, thank You for one of the most memorable days of my life. Today, instead of a painful memory I look back and treasure those last minutes with my father. I still miss him terribly but thankfully I no longer suffer from grief...thank You. Amen Note: Henri J.M. Nouwen (1932-1996) a Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian interested in psychology, pastoral ministry, social justice and community. He taught at University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School and Harvard Divinity School before going on to work with intellectually and developmentally disabled at the L’Arche Daybreak community in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
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WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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