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Devotionals for Today

INTRODUCTION

STEPPING STONES DEVOTIONALS for THE DISCOURAGED and BROKEN-HEARTED

Things happen. We hurt. Then we cry out to God,
“Won’t you please help me?”
And He does.

~~From me to you.~~

We are on a journey and we know not the way. We only know “The Who,” the One Who is offering his hand as our Guide into the great unknown. If it seems too hard, and we stop, we will never know “What we don’t know that we don’t know” which is to say, what God has for us throughout our spiritual metamorphosis. On the other hand, if we say, “Yes I will seek you Lord until my life’s end,”we are in for a magnificent journey that gives us no advance indication, preparation, definition,preconceptions or warnings of its capacity for inner delight, health and wholeness.

A Few Words of Introduction

THESE DEVOTIONALS were originally written for the Christian divorced as way to encourage those who are struggling to find their spiritual footing in the aftermath of an unwanted or unfortunate divorce. A friend of a friend asked me to write them. I was given some guidelines to follow with a verse, content limit, and closing prayer. There were many sentences I had to cull out of necessity to stay within the word quota. However, this forced me to say what most needed to be said without adding more explanation. Sometimes, brevity speaks louder than prolific words.

TO START OFF, I sat down with a sheet of paper and wrote headings for the main areas that God had used to heal me of the emotional pain that once lived deep inside me. Even though my divorce is a decade past, it is easy to remember the distinct ways God brought me through it to the other side, the place where healing and grace restored a wounded person’s heart and comforted its sorrow—while also ending and then removing its suffering.

I WROTE EACH DEVOTIONAL  with a specific intent to help others who are in the crush of circumstances and buried in emotional pain. If you have not been hurt in such a way, you will not fully appreciate and understand how devastating it can be to be wounded or hurt by someone you dearly love. Loss, in general, is a host for all kinds of inner torment and pain. It is for such wounds these devotionals are offered.

MY LIFE has not always been easy, but I’m not complaining. The good far outweighs the hard and unexplainable times. I have learned more than I ever would have thought possible through the school of hard knocks, as people like to say. Yet, and it is a big yet, I would not have gotten far without the help of my Father God.

GOD HAS KEPT ME through all the times when life didn’t make any sense or seemed too big a hill to climb, those moments when I felt all alone in my silent suffering. I can now say, the difficulties and emotional injuries were stepping stones to a better life, but only because I let them be and by the grace of God. In recent years, life has particularly become sweet. I know it is because of God. He has changed who I am and the way I think. It is an amazing reality.

THE CORE content applies to anyone who has known suffering, and anyone who wants to know God in an intimate way. For you, I hope the words found in these devotionals will be an encouragement to keep you seeking God for hope, help, and healing; for recovery, restoration, and renewal. Nothing is impossible with God. You are one of his miracles ready to happen.
God bless you and keep you; May His face shine upon you.

. . . .

Orchards of Perseverance: Conversations With Trappist Monks About God, Their Lives and the World by David D. Perata (St. Therese's Press, 2000)

I purchased this book at Vina Monastery, a place where I often go to meditate, pray and write. The monastery’s book store draws me like a magnet. This book is an excellent “inside” view of the personal side of the monks’ journey. Orchards of Perseverance contains part and parcel of the origin of the Vina Monastery.  Nine monks share first-person accounts of their own stories. Perata records each one’s monologue as if they are talking to us. The stories often focus on how and when God started calling them toward their vocation, then the struggles and the joys of living as a monk, and the rigorous but gentle way their lives are directed by God and those who lead them. I found it fascinating in many respects. First off, I realized that I had some of it wrong. Some of my assumptions about monastic living were incorrect. It’s not so much about “duty” (my assumption) as it is about seeking God and embracing His presence. One of the beauties of living as a monk is the opportunity to grow in a centered relationship with Christ. However, even though there is less distraction than on the outside, there is more awareness of self and self’s problems. The journey is as much about facing one’s own self as it relates to one’s need for God in a very  difficult but beautiful way. This book is also some about the author. As a boy, he spent time with a friend at the monastery. Throughout his life he has participated in visiting the monastery on many occasions. His love for the place and for the brothers is apparent. Orchards of Perseverance is an interesting read for anyone who enjoys monasticism and asceticism. The book opens with helpful information concerning Cistercian Trappists’ roots. I enjoyed this book.