Bound in Love

“See!  I will not forget you…I have carved you on the palm of my hand.”

Isaiah 49:15-16

When I was received into the Catholic Church at Easter in 1996 my sponsor gave me the small plaque pictured above.  I have always loved it and the message it conveys.  I remember during the time (about 9 months) we spent in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) feeling taken care of by God, feeling that He had his hands under me and was supporting me on the journey.

Recently I have been experiencing the same sense of just how much God is loving us, cradling us, and taking care of us – all the time.  Not only has He been protecting my children and keeping them safe in dangerous conditions, He has also placed me in a job that uses all of the gifts that He has given me.

In the last 27 years I have been a trading desk assistant, a sales assistant at a brokerage firm, an OTC stock trader, a clothes sales person,  and an interior decorator.  But the most meaningful and fulfilling part of my life is that of wife and mother.  I feel “at home in my own skin” as a wife and mother.  I feel joy and satisfaction, even when it is hard.  The job that I recently started as RCIA director at my church is the first job that I have had where I feel that same sense of fulfillment and joy.  I wake up completely excited about what the day will hold.  I know that God is running this show, and amazingly I feel no worry or anxiety, despite the fact that I am in a new job and there are quite a few unknowns out there.  God has put me right where He wants me to be, and He is working through me as I learn the ropes, and find my way.  I can feel Him with me constantly and I am so thankful for His Presence.  Praise God for leading me to this place in my life where I can serve Him and use the gifts that He has given me to help others know, love and serve Him.  It is a wonderful thing to feel this much joy while working.  But I guess that makes sense, because it is God’s work and I am merely showing others the way to Him.

A Servant’s Prayer

Most Precious Lord Jesus…
Gentle And Wonderful God…
Truly Awesome And Ever-present Holy Spirit…
Lord Jesus, I love you.
My life is blessed because you called me to be your servant.
Thank you for putting your call on me because your call has given my life a meaning and purpose I could not find anywhere else on earth.
Help me know how much you love me by helping me be a humble and giving servant.
Help me be a humble servant who takes your orders and makes your deliveries.
Forgive me when I treat you as if you were the servant instead of the Master.
Forgive me when I have so many urgent needs I want you to fill I forget I am the servant.
Forgive me when I think of you as only a vending machine waiting to roll out blessings and answers when I give you my list of needs.
As your servant, help me to humbly help others and deliver your love and essence to everyone I meet.
Help me humbly see the needs of others in the part of the world you have given me.
Give me the vision and heart to see the hurt and broken persons in my world.
Help me see the many broken hearts, broken homes, broken lives, and broken relationships.
I know you love me.
I know you hold me in the palm of you tender and nail-scarred hands.
Help me remember you hold all people of every walk and faith on earth in your hands.
When I go out to serve you today, help me beam out your love and care to all the people I meet.
Lord, I love you.
I get busy and forget to tell you.
When I get busy with the daily grind of my life, give me a vision of how important my life is in your eyes.
Remind me being a servant is not easy but that I have the right Holy Spirit stuff needed to do this work.
And when you can, tickle my funny bones, give me goofiness, and make me laugh at myself.
All these things I humbly pray in the name of my most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, my Mighty God, and my Ever-present Holy Spirit upon whom I can rely.
Amen