In Difficult Circumstances: Trust!

“To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.” (2 Thes. 1:11-2:2) 

 The first thing that came to mind when reading this passage was to always trust in the Lord. Sometime, it is easy to doubt God especially when things aren’t going as planned. One may wonder why good people suffer the bad things in life, considering they weren't deserving of such punishment or why wasn’t the Lord there for them.  One questions why the loving single mother of six passes away at a young age, or why a good man loses his job and is forced to beg on the streets. It can become easy in desperate situations to look upon the Lord and ask “why me?”

 An example of a good person suffering is seen in the book of Job. Job lost nearly everything and maintained his faith to the Lord. Through Job’s misfortunes, we learn a very important lesson. There are times in life that are so difficult that it appears right to blame or doubt God. God  is always there for us, and we may never fully understand his reasons.

  This passage bears a parallel with the American motto of “In God we Trust”. This motto was originally printed on American currency during the Civil War as a way of encouraging Americans to keep their faith in God. This statement remains on our money and in our contemporary society as a way and a reminder to trust in God not only with our savings but with our souls. We should forever trust in God, we should not doubt Him -- because He is always with us, looking over us -- in the best and worst of times.

 As students at this school, we celebrate reliance on divine providence... or the fact that God is with us and an active part of our world and lives. How do you demonstrate your faith in “difficult times?”  How do you support and encourage your friends and family?  Is prayer a part of the support that you give?

 In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1817 provides a good example of keeping trust in the Lord.  “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. “Let us hold fast the Spirit...he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we night be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.”

Prayer of Trust

 My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.  I do not see the road ahead of me.  I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself. And the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually going to do so.  But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have the desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And i know that if I do this you will lead me by the right rough though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost in the shadow of death. I will not fear for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my troubles alone.