In today's first reading, Isaiah 45: 6b-8, 18, 21b-25, Isaiah makes the statement that God forms "the light" and creates "the darkness", that God makes "well-being" and creates "woe." My response to the Lord was: "Lord, I have a difficult time believing that darkness and woe (the woes of illness, of war, of violence, and so on) come from You. The Lord's response may sound something like this:
Dorothy Ann (or your name), chaos, woe, and darkness are all part of life, as is order, blessing/joy, and light. Chaos, woe and darkness are not such for Me. They are opportunities, challenges, and obstacles which, overcome, lead to life anew. They are opportunities that call for your creativity, that invite you to collaborate with others. Nothing is really awful or a failure but are temporary blockages to something more profound like discovering My help, My strength within you and others to make things better or to right wrongs. Your depleted energy, for example, which indicates that your brain is healing, is a blessing that teaches you to respect an injured part of your body and to be attentive to need, your own and others. Human need, weakness--yours or others--is a time when I, your God, rain down strength and healing from My storehouse of gifts. It is also when I inspire you to offer help or, if you withhold what you could do, to realize your stinginess and sinfulness.
In my case, I recently found out I have a macular hole on the back of each eye. My vision has already been distorted and it could eventually lead to blindness as surgery is not always effective. As an avid reader, painter and photographer, I have been having a difficult time with this prognosis, especially since my hearing is also going. So I think acceptance is key before discovering how to use it to become gift. But my consolation at present is knowing I am not alone and that many, such as yourself, are finding themselves on the same sort of journey to rediscovery. And that in itself offers a gift in being a strength to each other. So thank you for providing your story as it has been a help to me on my own journey.
ReplyDeleteIn my case, I recently found out I have a macular hole on the back of each eye. My vision has already been distorted and it could eventually lead to blindness as surgery is not always effective. As an avid reader, painter and photographer, I have been having a difficult time with this prognosis, especially since my hearing is also going. So I think acceptance is key before discovering how to use it to become gift. But my consolation at present is knowing I am not alone and that many, such as yourself, are finding themselves on the same sort of journey to rediscovery. And that in itself offers a gift in being a strength to each other. So thank you for providing your story as it has been a help to me on my own journey.
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