I want to share with you a compelling poem titled “The Way Under the Way” by spiritual writer Mark Nepo. I hope it touches your heart like it touched mine. Here’s my favorite part:

“We cannot eliminate hunger,
but we can feed each other.
We cannot eliminate loneliness,
but we can hold each other.
We cannot eliminate pain,
but we can live a life
of compassion.”

God bless.

Why forgive? Forgiveness is a favor to ourselves. The people whose memories cause us pain are not affected by our pain in recalling them. They haven’t the slightest clue when we are thinking about them or the hurt we experienced due to their actions. We are the ones keeping that negative part of the past alive, and it’s not doing us or anyone any good. It takes away from our ability to love fully or be fully present to those around us when we are dwelling in that anger. We are the only people who can release and free ourselves from that by our own choice and the grace of God.

How do we forgive? Oprah’s Life Class said that to forgive, we must not only accept what happened but also give up the hope that the past could be any different. We can, however, always hope for and work toward a better future, and freeing ourselves of holding onto anger from the past is a step in the right direction.

Jesus Christ says we must forgive in order to be forgiven. It’s a tough calling but an important one for us all to work on.

Lady of the Sea (Venice, Italy)

My parents took my sister and I to Italy for a family vacation; what a blessing! It’s beautiful how Mary shrines are sprinkled throughout the country in public places, usually nestled in the wall of an alley or peaking out from a street corner. I love how she watches over the streets. In Venice, I found the most gorgeous Mary shrine just off the shore amid docked gondolas. After visiting her, I wrote this poem about her:

“Lady of the Sea”

Glistening in the sun of dawn;

Shining in the moon of eve;

Radiating love with open arms.

She listens in stillness-

While the sea churns and empty gondolas teeter.

From her glass lookout tower-

She watches and waits.

Come,

Be her visitor, friend, child.

Her brilliant blue robes sop up your tears;

Her sweet gaze melts your worries;

Her strong shoulders brunt your burdens.

She is Mary, Lady of the Sea,

A lifeline to the Trinity.

Come close and lend an ear;

Like a conch shell, you will hear;

From her vessel, a message clear,

To your salt-worn heart: “Love’s near.”

Here are some of the wisdoms he bestowed upon me:

-Life is temporary and you never know when it’s going to end here, so live in love and kindness and forgiveness, without worry or stress, praying and trusting in God.

-God will provide for you down the path He chooses for you. So worry not, just say yes to Him.

Here were some of my heartfelt prayers:

-Fulfill us with Your love. Satisfy us with Your compassion, peace and loving energy. Lord, bring light to our darkness. Give us strength. You are all-powerful. May your will be done. Open our eyes to the truth and fill us with joy to spread and share and glorify You. Restore us to health in You. Bring us closer to You. Help us to access You, even when it’s been awhile. Bring us home to You. May we find comfort in You, confidence in You, love in You, trust in You. Jesus, though all others can disappoint  us, you cannot. Though others may love us, none like You.

-Jesus, if only I could trust. Just let go. Surrender. Turn it over. Hand it over. Give it to You. Be at peace with where I am and where I’m going. Know deep in my heart that You are with me. Be engaged in the here and now. Accept and hope.

-God, pease help me. You know how I feel. You speak to the silence and the storm within my heart. Awaken me to the truths You desire to reveal to me. Help me feel your calming and awakening presence and go forth in love and peace and warmth. Help me to be there for others. Help me to be with You.

-Every day that I lived, loved and learned is a victory. You, Lord, are my salvation. You cleanse me in your constant fountain. You forgive me and surround me with your constant love. You nurture me and send angels to care for me and remind me of Your mercy, comfort and endless love.

-Lord, remind me that you alone are sufficient and perfect and complete.

-Lord, be with me and give me strength, courage and confidence. Hold my hand and hug my heart and guide my steps.

He knows and accepts everything about you – past, present, and future – and is confident that you are equipped for the job because He has equipped you for the job since you were born.

Job description for all: life of holiness, spreading God’s word, caring for our brothers and sisters

This job is a 24/7 job, a forever job, there for you always. No preparation is required, just a willing heart.

God says that so long as we choose to apply for the job, we are instantly hired, and we will be compensated. We will be paid every  day in full and with health benefits like peace, joy, happiness and love.

He will never fire us. He will continue to forgive us for our mistakes time and time again and he will never give us more than we can handle so He believes we can succeed. He will give us rest and love and everything else we need along the way if we just ask.

And the greatest part of the job is the ultimate retirement plan that it comes with – to a place of forever peace and glory – Heaven.

If darkness is the absence of light,

If evil is the absence of You,

Light up my life, oh Lord.

Illuminate my path,

Stay by my side,

Glow in my heart.

I am Yours-

Your creation,

Your daughter,

Your lantern-

Who desires to house your flame of love,

So that I may live,

So that others may see,

And ask me to pass on the fire.

I felt uneasy as I began praying the rosary aloud alongside a handful of my peers. I felt like the evil one was close by. Sometimes I forget, but we really are in spiritual warfare. The enemy is always looking to attack. Red ants bit my feet, and I thought of Mary and the serpent as I squashed them. I watched a young woman probably in her early 20s walk by us quickly and enter the building. Later, I heard someone shout as he drove by, “Pray harder,” and I didn’t know whether he was mocking us or encouraging us. Either way, I upped the intensity of my prayer, each word building a bigger shield with which to thwart the enemy. Together, we formed a powerful line of defense as we fought to protect life.

As my fingers made my way through the knots in my rosary, as my lips relaxed into the familiar words “Hail Mary” on the second decade, a sense of hope and warmth began to flood from my heart, and I felt it radiating from my accompanying peers as well. Holiness seemed to descend upon the building, and I knew the power of prayer would prevail for at least one teetering heart today.

We knelt for the last decade. We followed it with a few minutes of quiet time for personal prayer. I continued to plead for the unborn, that those women would make the good decision, as tough as it might be and as many challenges as might accompany it, to continue to be mothers to the children growing inside of them.

I left feeling like those 30 minutes could not have been put to better use. The power of prayer may be immeasurable, but my heart says prayer did something special today.