I happen to believe that “if you are looking for God, God will find you.” Ignatius of Loyola or Mother Teresa would have likewise believed that even as we are looking, and even when we mostly feel lost, God is somehow finding us, whether or not it feels that way to us. Ignatius believed (as I do) that when we set ourselves toward some worthy purpose that transcends our meager strength, we tap into a source of meaning, strength, peace, and courage that is beyond us. We come to realize, in a graced moment, that we are called to some great purpose, that we cannot do it on our own, but that we don’t have to do it on our own. That’s why Ignatius urges, in one after another of his Spiritual Exercises, that we speak to Jesus “in the way one friend speaks to another.”
—Excerpted from Heroic Leadership by Chris Lowney
Yes, I was lost and now am found.
Amazing grace, indeed!
Yes God does find us in all our disarray
If we “keep the faith”, and continue to tell Him of our pain, sorrow, and joy, He will answer- in the twinkling of a eye, it will seem.
He is my Redeemer who will make right the paths I have trod because they have led me back to You
Thank you, Ed James, for your reference to Peter in the boat.
All though I am alone I know I am never really alone as my Lord and Saviour is with me at all times. Widowhood can be lonely especially when one lives in a remote area. That being said Gods wondrous creation all around me to remind me of his divine presence.
Marie. Widowhood can be lonely but Jesus is showing me how to reach out and ask others to join me. My prayer for you today is for you to reachbout to someone. 💕🙏🏼 In Christ. Bev
I was looking for God in a different direction but He found me in His beautiful time.
God our mercy and beloved Father!
May your plan and will be fulfilled!
Franky Choi
For so long I gave God the same character traits that my earthly father had…thru guidance and love blessed by the Holy Spirit and the amazing book Walk a New Path by Arch Bishop Slyvain Lavoie – is the miraculous story…in the book Bishop Lavoie deals with addiction of all sorts..the miracles at times would overwhelm me and Bishop Lavoie would always listen, meeting him at the Star of the North retreat center and with his guidance I was able to separate them, God my heavenly Father was always there in the suffering, in the joy and in the peace. Mary my precious mother was always there as well. Thru the Holy Spirit I was always protected and guided thru…even as I could not protect myself all of them surrounded me and protected and saved me from myself..for that I am so grateful, fully knowing that God never abandoned me I abandoned Him.
Our world is a tiny world. We are blessed with awesome stamina. The faster one tries to run away, greater are the chances of the ace runner of encountering the all powerful and all pervading force called God.
This has given me much consolation. Recently I have been asking God, “Where are you, God” and He does not answer. However I do feel relieved after a while. Now I do believe He is looking for me to carry me up if I will allow Him to do it. I shall try next time to allow Him to mould me and care for me.
God will always find us. He is here !
The only refreshing and comforting I found was God, who I can tell all my problems, The one who said we should bring our problems to him, that one who said we should knock and the door will be opened, and we seek we will find, and we ask and whatever we ask shall be giving us, what an Awesome God. No human being has spoken such words like the holy one.
There is no other hope other than aligning with God the creator that I realized is the best thing I did for my life discovering the truth and making the right u turn into the right lane, I came to conclude it is the best thing for one to achieve in all achievable. A relationship with God is soul satisfying, it rejuvenates the body and soul and mentality as well, and knowing you are in good relationship with God relaxes the spirit person who is God living inside of you . As I learnt to seek him I found peace of mind even at the worst of times I am strong and confident that the Lord is with me, the apostle Peter called on the Lord when the boat was sinking and immediately the Lord rescued him. I am one of the apostles that was recued that I tell myself always to keep up the faith waiting to be rescued again.
Although I feel very lonely, while writing I realized that I see God in my husband as he is such a good man. I am blessed and very thankful. Thank you Lord!
Thank you for all of your comments. Please pray for me “All you Holy Men and Women.” I am going through a difficult time and want to understand HOW to listen to God’s plan for me. Thank you for your prayers.
I forget the name of the philosophy who said, “You [the Searcher whoever] would not have looked for me [The Lord] if you had not already found me.”
This is just so comforting. It reminds me that I need to be childlike in the presence of God, to let him be the father the one who will find me when I’m lost.
I feel blessed everyday. I feel his presence in my life always. I am thankful for this 31day opportunity to seek God. For me it’s s continuous process or I’ll forget him. So be praised.
I can’t put my finger on where I actually read it when studying the Spiritual Exercises, but St. Ignatius said, God will sometimes step aside. He does not leaves us, He just steps to the side of us to see what we are going to do next as we feel He has left us. It is what we do during this time that God determines where He takes us next.
buried my father two days ago….feeling sad..and then a friend sends this to me…..God will walk with me in these next weeks……comforting
Thank you for those words. They are so true.
This reflection reminds me a bit of Psalm 139, one of my favorites (especially as set to music in two different pieces by Dan Schutte and Bernadette Farrell). God is always searching for me. I cannot hide from God who is always there, even if I run away. Thank you for a great way to start this month.
I sometimes find myself lost in the midst of worries, temptations and trials. looking myself at the mirror, and not knowing what will became of me tomorrow. being despised by family and friend.But I bless His name because He found me even when I did not want Him. and with His kindness and mercy, He drew me nearer to Him.
Looking forward to these 31 days. Grateful for the coming daily unfolding. The stress of long and sometimes fruitless hours at work leaves me feeling disconnected. God finds me in these words today.
What a relief to know that God will find us where we are. It takes the striving and anxiety out of the process.
This morning was an unusual one here on the prairie of Western South Dakota, foggy, some humidity, lush and green with lots of birdsong. The presence of God was almost overwhelming, what a great beginning to these 31 days with St. Ignatius. As Oscar says feelings of being embraced, cared for, loved and tenderly comforted in His presence make my heart burst with Praise! Praise! Praise!
Even when I am not “consciously” looking, thinking , meditating about his presence in my life, GOD surprises me in a way that a FATHER or a MOTHER cares for a son or a daughter. I feel embraced, cared for, loved and tenderly comforted by his presence in my life. It takes me to moments of praise and reminds me to be thankful for all that transpires in my life.
I am searching for God.. Somehow I feel like I’ve lost HIM and I want to find HIM; to have a deeper meaning to my life and to once again stand in awe of HIM. Thank you for this beautiful article of hope. God bless you.
Ophelia –
“If only I call His name”. I love this. Thank you,
In times when I felt so lost out of my own mistakes of choosing my own road and refused to stand up from falling apart, I realized that God is just so near to lift me up holding me so near… And when I see His face through the sun, the moon and stars that’s lit a light from where i hid in the darkness, then I realized that He found me first before I find him to walk with him side by side. He’s so near to be recognized, and if only I call His name. So be it Lord, by now, I will always call your name.
This is incredibly true. God finds us in our “lostness” and holds us in God’s hands.