Listen

My God! My God, why have you left me all alone? Why are you so far from saving me—so far from my anguished groans? My God, I cry out during the day, but you don’t answer; even at nighttime I don’t stop.

Please don’t be far from me, because trouble is near and there’s no one to help.

Psalm 22:1-2, 11

Think

At one point in my life, I thought I had reached the top. I thought I had achieved everything.
My youth ministry was at its peak, I was married, and I was doing well financially. For me, everything was perfect.

Then everything changed. Insecurities began to take hold of me. I suffered the abandonment of people I considered very close to me, and my marriage ended. It was at that very moment that I felt like the psalmist, abandoned. I cried and cried, I felt anger and frustration and even questioned God.

However, I understood that even in the midst of my sadness, God was still present in my life giving me the strength to go on. I understood that God’s presence in my life is not synonymous with ridding me of burdens and problems. Nor does it make me immune to sadness, doubts, and pain. Rather, it is the assurance that in the midst of my anguish, God’s love fills me with strength and encouragement to continue.

Luis Daniel Román Hernández

Question to Ponder:

How many times has the feeling of abandonment paralyzed you in your journey?

Pray

God, you know my pain. You know that I have often felt alone or lonely. You know the many questions I have. But today I want to feel your embrace and companionship. Help me, Lord, to find you in the breeze that envelops me. I want to feel your tender embrace in the warmth of the sun. Renew my strength to go on.

Amen.

Go

Keep following God.

You are not alone, never alone.

God is with you.

God is with you.