His Goodness is Immeasurable

I am forever grateful to God and His goodness; in my greatest time of need He has been a major force in my life, ever-present and clearly working on my heart. I remember when I lost faith, God spoke to me through a series of authors and mentors. He appeared to me through people who cared and genuinely wanted to see me find the truth in my life. Some may say it was a series of coincidences, but I never believed in coincidences. And so I continue my story: lately God has been speaking to me a great deal, and been a driving force in my return to Him. Just these past two weeks I was requested to meet with my pastor at school, I received a book on reflection, I received kind advice from a nameless stranger, and I am about to go on a retreat with my church. Sure, all of these isolated events could be coincidences—the right things happening at the right times, but I believe they are something more.              

I have not lost faith in God’s goodness and drive to be closer to us. Now I find myself with a choice: I can accept the helping hand given to me, or wallow in my sorrow. I received a book in the mail called A Book of Hours. It is based off of the writings of a monk named Thomas Merton. The big theme of the book is the necessity of reflection and silence. It is only through silence and the stillness of our hearts that we can hear God’s voice. I find it increasingly hard to reflect though; I live in an environment that is constantly buzzing. I sit in my room and hear the noise of the hallway, in the coffee shop and hear people rushing to their classes, and in the library and hear the clacking of keys on keyboards as students frantically type there papers. Where am I to reflect?

 Fortunately I have a retreat this weekend; I did not really want to go on this but am very glad I signed up. I need the time to reflect, the time to look back on the past three months and refocus my attention on God. Even though I gave up on myself, God has not given up on me. It is truly comforting to know that God’s love extends down to the deepest parts of our hearts where we truly need it.