Listen

On this mountain, the Lord of heavenly forces will prepare for all peoples a rich feast, a feast of choice wines, of select foods rich in flavor, of choice wines well refined. He will swallow up on this mountain the veil that is veiling all peoples, the shroud enshrouding all nations. He will swallow up death forever. The Lord God will wipe tears from every face; he will remove his people’s disgrace from off the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 25:6-8

Think

I had had a horrible day. I don’t remember what happened, but I was miserable. At school, I was teased about my physique. At home, I was lonely and had no one to talk to about what was going on without feeling judged or teased. Suddenly, it started to rain. If I hadn’t been raised in church, I wouldn’t have paid much attention. However, as I listened to the rain, a thought came to my mind: “God is crying with me.”

At that moment I felt seen and accompanied. God understood what was happening to me. That gave me hope and comfort.

It is important to know that God accompanies us. In Isaiah 25, God prepares a banquet for the people of Israel. They no longer have to be sad because God will eliminate all reason for tears and people will receive comfort. Knowing God is with us is a beautiful thing. It dries our tears and fills us with hope that, even though we are going through difficult things, there will always be reasons to celebrate and rejoice.

Marissa Galván-Valle

Question to Ponder:

How can I open my heart and my life to feel God’s presence and comfort, especially in times of loneliness and difficulty?

Pray

God, you are with me even in moments when tears do not allow me to see or feel your presence and embrace. In those moments give me your peace. Today I need your peace about…

Fill me with your peace of mind.

Amen.

Go

Always return to your point of origin: God. Inhale for a count of four. Hold that air inside your being for four seconds. Exhale for a count of four. Every time you breathe, remember that God is in every breath.