I should point out that that song has been on my mind for the last couple of days!
That was the message from the Ignatian Spirituality. com website.
Did God speak to me today? Absolutely! Most certainly!
And just how did God speak to me today. I will list some of the obvious ways.
1. He put this literature in my hands. Papers that had been buried deep in the bottom of the pile in a box under my bed, suddenly found their way into my hands and begging to be read.
2. My good friend Marie called to tell me that she was worried about me, with all the snow and not having heard from me in a while, etc. etc., she was ready to send her husband out to check up on me. We made plans to go out tomorrow.
3. I gave Julissa a courtesy heads up, by telling her I was going to deposit a check for $120.00, she had given me a while back. In turn, she instead gave me the $120.00 in cash, so I wouldn't have to go through the trouble of depositing.
4. I had run out of personal checks and was wondering how I was going to pay my property quarterly taxes. When I looked for the tax bill, included with it was a check already written out in the full amount of the taxes owed. I had written the check a couple of weeks ago and had totally forgotten about it.
5. My friend Marie again: written on one of the papers among the stack I found this morning, there was a note I had written to myself, that said, "It's all going to be OK in the end, and since it's not OK, it's not the end." Marie.
Where all the above coincidences? Nope! In all the above, God was speaking to me. And all, today.
St. Ignatius states that the key to a healthy spirituality is to find God in all things, and to work constantly to gain freedom in your life in order to cooperate with God's will. He advises us to be still and be attentive to God's word and His will. In order for us to do that, we are ask to begin by thanking God for the gifts He has given us today. To take special care to notice what we have received, and also what we gave. And as we do that, pause to thank God for all of these.
So in summary, if I look at the gifts I received today, they would have to be: Marie's phone call and invitation to go out tomorrow; Julissa's quick and thoughtful response to replace the check she had given me with actual cash; another gift from Julissa today was cooking dinner for us before going to work. Lastly, Ashley's hugs and smiles are always a precious gift to me.
And the gifts I gave back: I made Marie feel special by truly acknowledging and appreciating her call and accepting her invitation to go out tomorrow. I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen after dinner; I drove Julissa to the Hispanic bus stop on the other side of town; I stopped at McDonald's and treated Ash to dessert. And lastly, I made Crissy's day, by texting her and attaching the cutest pictures of her adorable pooch which I took of her today.
Notice that none of these were out of the ordinary, expensive gifts, but rather small, meaningful ways telling loved ones how much I appreciate them. Those are the best gifts!
Reflection for today: What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything. Make sure that you're in love with God, and that will have a positive effect on everything you do.
Look for ways in which you've responded to God's gracious gifts and love today. Ask the Holy Spirit to come into your heart and help you look at your actions with a clear understanding of your limitations. Remember, the key to a healthy spirituality and consequently to a healthy life, is to find God in all things!
God bless you, and may you find Him in all things today.
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