Good morning…
As my husband and I were away visiting my family in Ohio this weekend, our dog sitter retrieved from the front porch bag after bag, box after box, donated item after donated item. Yesterday, I spent time assembling and dropping off the fifteen Welcome Bags we created for the recovering women arriving for the ISP retreat at Ignatius House today. The retreat, entitled “Brave Enough To Begin Again,” will offer a life-changing opportunity for these courageous women who are recovering from homelessness and addiction.
We, as a planning committee, have been praying for the participants who are chosen from residential treatment facilities in the area. We, as a group of individuals, have been praying over these women by name, praying on their behalf the Merton Prayer.
*****
The Merton Prayer
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire
in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do
anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this
you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone.
******
None of us can see the road ahead. Each of us sometimes wonders, “Do I really know myself?” and “Am I actually following the will of God?” We can all relate to feeling lost and in the shadow of death, yet God never leaves us to face our perils alone.
With your own heart engaged, might you join us in our tender prayers for these brave recovering women?
Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord (Psalm 27:14, AMPC).
…Sue…
P.S. Deep thanks to all who contributed kind, nurturing items for our overflowing Welcome Bags. Candles. Fuzzy socks. Journals and pens. Handmade bookmarks. Gum. Kleenex. Chocolate. Protein bars. Sweet snacks. Salty snacks. Breakfast bars. Handwritten notes. Scripture cards. Toiletry kits. Lip gloss. The generous list goes on. All symbols of God’s extravagant love.
One friend made homemade banana bread for each woman. Another dropped off a check to help offset the cost of the retreat. Each quarterly ISP retreat is offered free of charge to the women attending. If you feel drawn to help cover the expense of food, lodging, and programming materials, please donate directly to Ignatius House through this private link: https://ignatiushouseretreatcenter-bloom.kindful.com/?campaign=1361894
Together, might we all wait, hope, and expect the Lord?
