Of the many things I learned in my years
of being active in Magis Deo, it is the acknowledgement that God is present in
my life. Thanks to the teachings during Community Celebrations and the
offerings of recollections and Ignatian Retreats by Magis Deo, what seemed to be
an abstract and surreal is made real by praying the Examen every day,
journaling, reflection and attendance to prayer workshops. These formation
activities deepened my relationship with God. What gives me comfort and
grace in prayer is always the discovery of living in the now with God beside
me.
This recognition of God as my constant
companion, caring and forgiving, humorous and kind eases my worries. I worried
a lot back in the day. But with this newfound image and relationship with Him,
I learned to worry less. I learned to pray on my worries.
And amazingly, God replies in more ways
than one. A call or private message (PM) from dear friends who read one of my
cryptic social media post. A good news from the eldest who lives away in
college. The sun shining in the morning after days of heavy rain. The tree frog
that rests languidly on a branch of our avocado tree. The butterflies that
circle the white flowers growing in our front yard. Even the sun setting and
spraying the sky colors of pink and indigo is God's way of saying, rest now Zarah, for tomorrow, we battle on
together.
Once, my boss had the kindness and
humility to make me an espresso during "hell" week in school. She
knows coffee would calm me down. God was there at that moment when she handed
me the cup of hot espresso. It was God telling me to chill and that the line
dividing supervisor and subordinate is a man-made law. In the end of all the
deadlines and deliverables, we are all hard working people who need a break. I
see God in my daughter who takes candid pictures of me when I am in a pensive
mood. I am assured. There is someone who will constantly keep an eye out for
me. When BCGG prayer companions patiently listen to my reflections and
recurring struggles, God is there listening too. Even in the spats and quarrels
I have with my husband, petty or serious it may be, God is there shaking,
disturbing and awakening us.
At times when I feel He is far away, too
distant to be reached and felt, or missing in the little and simple events of
daily life, I go back to this memory I have of God as a warm energy embracing
me. This happened in a silent retreat I had with the help of a lay formator
from the Center for Ignatian Spirituality at San Jose Seminary. That was a
powerful experience!
This was five years ago and the feeling
remains clear in my mind. This I know. God is here. God is in the now.
No comments:
Post a Comment