Yesterday I was deep into my morning prayer. There is so much suffering in the world, I thought to myself. There are so many who are troubled, in crisis or just very, very sad. A close friend of mine just lost a horse she has been working with for over a year. He had become a dear friend. A young woman who is pregnant is waiting to find out if there a health issue which could threaten her child. Someone else is presently not permitted to communicate with her grandchildren who live in another state. A young mother has a child who cannot eat and the doctors are struggling to find out why. These are just some of the people I pray for every day.
And then I heard these words: Remember who you are. The voice in my head (God?) said this to me as I was contemplating the trials that all of us must go through in life. No one’s life is easy or perfect. Remember who you are. The words flooded my mind. And that started me thinking. I am a child of God. What does that mean? It means that I am never alone, no matter what the circumstances are in my life. That yes, suffering is part of this world but there is hope because the next place I go will be devoid of suffering, pain and evil. We must hold onto that, knowing that this life is temporary, and so is the heartache.
God does not prevent all suffering, but he walks with us as we go through it. We just have to reach up for His hand, like we did as children reaching for our earthly father’s hand. It made us feel safe and secure. As a small child I would climb into my father’s lap, putting my head under his chin. I buried myself in his chest. I felt like nothing in the world could ever harm me. He was so big and I was so small. And isn’t that God compared to you?
Believe in Him. Believe in His awesome power to change you, from the inside out. To walk with you when you are troubled or frightened. To lift you up when you have fallen down. Remember who you are.