Purple Coco's Musings: Lent

Yesterday, Sunday, Christians throughout the world celebrate the Holy Palm Sunday services, marking the start of the Christian Easter Holy Week. Christian devotees waved palm fronds, which represent the palm leaves people laid at Jesus' feet as he entered Jerusalem in his final week of life. As we celebrate, there are people who are less forturnate than us, who are not able to celebrate freely this kind of celebration.

The evening news brings vivid pictures of new destruction in people’s lives; poverty, natural disasters and many more. These are endless agony and trauma felt by our brothers and sisters who are affected by these kind of unfortunate happenings around them.

I silently asked. "Lord, where is the hope?" My chest grew heavy with compassion and I could feel tears welled up in my eyes.

Immediately a parade of faces flashed through my memory. Faces of people I knew personally who found God to be their anchor and strength in times of great distress and personal loss. These were people who put their trust in God in spite of seemingly insurmountable circumstances. People whose faith anchored them as I witnessed first hand the peace and comfort they received from God. I saw the calm that God gave when they were shaken to the core. I witnessed my own close friends who are so committed in carrying out their daily life in serving God.

Did they brave the storms of life without tears or fear or moments of loosing it? No, for they are people just like you and I and storms can be overwhelming. Yet their eyes always turned back to the God they knew. They choose to run to Him and not from Him in their pain. He was there. He is there. For every breaking heart and every hopeless situation He is still there, today, for you and me.

The words in Psalm 13 as David laments over the agony of his life. He cries out to God with anguished questions. “How long, O Lord, will you forget me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart?” But David's trust in God's unfailing love brought his heart to rejoice because it is only through God that he knew he found true salvation.

God is always there for us to cry out out heart to. He will encompass us with His love and quiet our hearts and bring rest to our body and soul. He will remind us of blessings we still have in spite of loss.

We choose. When everything else fails and our future is uncertain, God is still there for us. Let us then as Him for guidance and stability in our life's journey. Let us continue our trust in Him and pray that peace rest in our body and soul in spite of the turbulent that surrounds us. Let us invite him to journey with us and ask for His guidance, strength, peace and comfort and at any time we stumble and fall, He is there to stretch out His hand for us to hold on to. God is Hope and Hope forever stay in our heart.

Let us pray together "Dear Holy Spirit, my God, please come to my assistance in this daily journey toward eternity. Let me see earthly pleasures according to their true value, without expecting too much from them. Forgive me when my mind wanders in prayer, and grant me interior strength to avoid unnecessary distractions. Show me how to recollect my thoughts and control my senses, and let me forget worldly things when I am united with You in prayer. Whatever leads me away from You is worthless and dangerous. You are my greatest treasure. In all my activities I desire to be aware of Your nearness, so that I may lieve my earthly life in union with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

Let us strive to refrain ourself from

- anger and hatred and give our family an extra dose of love each day.
- judging others and before making any judgements, recall how Jesus overlooks our faults.
- discouragement and hold on to Jesus’s promise that He has a perfect plan for our life.
- complaining when you find yourself about to do so, close your eyes and recall some of the little moments of joy Jesus has given us.
- resentment or bitterness and let us work on forigivng those who may have hurt us
- spending too much money and give ten percent of those savings to the poor and needy.

Smile to all. Jesus loves you.