GOD IS WITH US
RILEY MASON-SCHICKEL
God is with us! This statement may seem mundane; of course God is with us, where else would He be? However, recognizing and appreciating this statement for what it truly means is where we all fall short time and time again. I invite you to read this with an open heart. Let God penetrate you with His presence and overflowing, unconditional love.
Come awake. God is all around you. He is omnipresent, after all. Why then, is it so hard to know that He is there? First of all, we must stop relying entirely on our senses. We won’t always hear God speak to us, see His loving face, or feel His presence. These instances are usually few and far between and are a product of God bestowing a lot of His grace upon you in order to draw you closer to Himself. These God-instances are life changing and show us in a tangible way how God is with us! However, even when we cannot perceive God with our senses, He is there!
God is the fulless, the perfection, of goodness, truth, and beauty. And guess what!? With our senses we are able to detect goodness, truth, and beauty in the world around us. For example, you can feel the goodness of a friend’s comforting hug on a bad day; you can hear truth being spoken by your theology teacher; you can see beauty in the sunset that you wish would last forever. These examples are a few of many, which is an understatement. All around you–everywhere you go, everything you experience–you will find truth, goodness, and beauty. And since God is the fullness of these attributes, He is present within those things you experience every day. In fact, He made everything that is good, true, and beautiful that you experience for you. He made them because He loves you and wants you to be joyful. He also invites you daily through these moments to draw closer to Him–the perfection of everything good, true, and beautiful. There seems no better invitation than that, in my opinion!
Take heart! God is with us, even when things don’t feel good, true, and beautiful. He is with us in our suffering! Remember, He embraced the Cross and died a bloody death in our place. His Passion is full of suffering, but most importantly full of love. Raising our eyes to Jesus and meditating on His Passion in times of strife reveals to us deeply how He is there. God calls us through our suffering to lean more closely on Him, to trust Him. Even when it feels like He has abandoned us and we are close to despair, He is the one that is holding us up. When we are at a high moment in our lives, He is also the one supporting us. We can do truly nothing on our own; all that we accomplish is purely through God’s grace!
God is with you in everything you do. He never leaves your side and constantly reaches towards you, inviting you to step closer to Him and His love. So be awake, seek Him, and take heart in His goodness, truth, and beauty! Truly, if God is with us, what else do we need? I invite you to fall more deeply in love with Him, lean closer to Him, and trust Him with more of your heart. This task is one that is lifelong yet daily. It is for all of us, all the time. I will give you a starting point for today. Below is the Litany of Trust, which reveals God’s love so powerfully, that you, by meditating on the words, will come closer to Him, whether you feel it or not.
From the belief that I have to earn your love. Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear that I am unlovable. Deliver me, Jesus.
From the false security that I have what it takes. Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear that trusting you will leave me more destitute. Deliver me, Jesus.
From all suspicion of your words and promises. Deliver me, Jesus.
From rebellion against childlike dependency on You. Deliver me, Jesus.
From refusals and reluctances in accepting you will. Deliver me, Jesus.
From anxiety about the future. Deliver me, Jesus.
From resentment or excessive preoccupation with the past. Deliver me, Jesus.
From restless self-seeking in the present moment. Deliver me, Jesus.
From disbelief in your love and presence. Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being asked to give more than I have. Deliver me, Jesus.
From the belief that my life has no meaning or worth. Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of what love demands. Deliver me, Jesus.
From discouragement. Deliver me, Jesus.
That You are continually holding me, sustaining me, loving me. Jesus, I trust in You!
That your love goes deeper than my sins and failings and transforms me. Jesus, I trust in You!
That not knowing what tomorrow brings is an invitation to lean on You. Jesus, I trust in You!
That You are with me in my suffering. Jesus, I trust in You!
That my suffering, united to Your own, will bear fruit in this life and the next. Jesus, I trust in You!
That You will not leave me orphan, that You are present in your Church. Jesus, I trust in You!
That you plan is better than anything else. Jesus, I trust in You!
That You always hear me and in your goodness always respond to me. Jesus, I trust in You!
That you give me the grace to accept forgiveness and to forgive others. Jesus, I trust in You!
That You give me all the strength I need for what is asked. Jesus, I trust in You!
That my life is a gift. Jesus, I trust in You!
That You will teach me to trust You. Jesus, I trust in You!
That You are my Lord and my God. Jesus, I trust in You!
That I am your beloved one. Jesus, I trust in You!
