Gather Us In

Women of Faith:

As I reflected this morning I searched for guidance, God’s Spirit to lead me to the words that could tie together the fragments of our lives scattered by society evils and family demands.

Sunday I wrote at the top of my church journal—Gather Us In. As usual God seems to find Me—to put before Me--just what I most need to hear. The song ‘Gather Us In’ says: “Here in this place new light is streaming, now is the darkness vanished away. See in this space our fears and our dreamings, brought here to you in the light of this day. Gather us in the lost and forsaken, gather us in the blind and the lame; Call to us now and we shall awaken, we shall a rise at the sound of our name. We are the young our lives are a mystery, we are the old who yearn for your face, We have been sung throughout all of history, called to be light to the whole human race. Gather us in the rich and the haughty, gather us in the proud and the strong; give us a heart so meek and so lowly, give us the courage to enter the song.”

Even as my heart “analyzed” what I was singing I knew I was in church to be “gathered in” to put the pieces together, to unscramble life’s puzzles and challenges. And as Father said, “have the message PROCLAIMED into my life.”

And then I read the following verse and reflection from the USCCB website: “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me”. (Philippians 4:13)

“Paul is writing to the Philippians and saying to them that there is a secret that leads to survival and, indeed, joy in every circumstance in life. The interesting thing about this secret is that it is no secret at all! The problem is that we too seldom avail ourselves of the power of it. The name of Jesus, the person of Jesus, the personal touch of the Savior, the closeness that is closer than our own skins - this is the "secret" Paul speaks of. It is one of the most widely known and poorly used secrets in the whole world.

“Wherever you may be in life, look to Jesus. Go to Jesus, speak with Jesus. Whatever is happening, Jesus has the ability to help you cope. In good circumstances and bad, remember and reverence his Name. In a famous spiritual classic of the Orthodox world, one Pilgrim through the world endeavors to say His name with every breath and with every step. Such would be a good practice for us as well. Whether we are in good times or bad, fast or feast, famine or abundance, Jesus is the one who helps us - He is our strength, our mainstay and our hope. He is the one who gives us the power to rejoice in chains and to conquer our enemies through love. And the only true conquest, the only lasting victory, is Love - Jesus Himself.” –Saturday, Nov 6 USCCB daily reflection

Dear God: Gather Us In! I come to you, lost, lonely, blind and lame. Awaken me to find the “secret” that is in Your Spirit of LOVE; leading me every step of the way and rejoicing in the knowledge that you are close. Thank you for seeing my fears and helping me get through each minute, of each hour, of each day. Thank you for seeing my dreams and helping me to put those dreams into the proper perspective, in good times and bad, in sickness and health, for richer for poorer—Give me the courage to enter the song.

Are you missing the “secret” ingredient in the recipe of your life?

Blessings—Charlotte