Hello and Welcome to Two Hearts True Healing! I am your host, Jacinta Wick. This is Season Two Belonging, A Father’s Authority; Episode Eight Decision. We have been talking a lot about God’s presence in our lives and what belonging looks like for both male and female. For us to succeed we need to be seen. It can be hard to keep our awareness of God’s presence alive in the day to day struggles. We get kinda lost in the ordinary and lose sight of the fact that it is precisely in these little moments that God is most present. When we lose sight of God, it is easy for us to fall and find ourselves in a dark hole. But it is then that we need to reach to God to save us. St. Padre Pio says, “The Lord sometimes makes you feel the weight of the cross. Although the weight seems intolerable, you are able to carry it, because the Lord, in his love and mercy, extends a hand to you and gives you strength.”

In these moments of darkness, it is then that we have a decision to make. We either stay in the dark hole that we are in or we try to keep to the path and faithful to our post. It is hard to experience struggle. It is hard to suffer the cross. The difficulty can be so heavy that we lose our footing and fall. We fail and find it hard to have motivation to keep going. Did you know that St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta experienced this darkness for fifty years? No one knew this until recently. She had abiding joy. She persevered in charity. No one could tell on the outside that inside she was dry. But she knew that God was still present and that is how her hope kept her on the path of sanctity. She wanted to satisfy God’s thirst for souls. That’s all very well, you may be saying, but I’m far from saintliness. How am I going to get there? Precisely by the struggle. By being small and weak. Let’s take a look at another quote from another humble simple figure. “The weak can manifest the Power of God. So when you yell and scream over all your faults and weaknesses and imperfections, you’re fighting against the very tool that God wants to make you holy.” Mother Angelica.

In Season One, we talked specifically about how the enemy tries to steal, kill, and destroy. He lays traps for us and makes us try to not carry our cross and to step out of the bounds given to us by vain desire. (See Episode 8) We also talked a great deal about God’s plan versus the enemy’s wounding and how it can be hard to tell the difference in Episode 11. We’ve talked about obedience to the Word of God and just being with Him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All of these are stepping stones to the topic we are now discussing. It is the very epic battle between Good and Evil that happens daily even if it is only a small matter. Small matters give way to large ones. So if we are faithful in small matters, then we can be faithful in larger ones. So goes the opposite. With all this being said, let’s turn to the Old Testament passage, Joel 3:12-21. This is not your typical passage that is soft. It has some hard sayings but it is true and it will help us grow and lay before us the path of righteousness.

Let the nations bestir themselves. That means to arouse ourselves. Wake from sleep and inactivity and take the step toward God and His judgements. He looks at the fruit and eventually will harvest it. This may bring fear to our hearts but we need to keep moving in this passage as God has more for us. We must journey with the multitudes to the valley of decision. For the day of the Lord is near. He is very powerful and great signs and wonders occur and will occur in the heavens and on earth. We must be moved to act. For God is great as He is just and we cannot hide from Him. Yet here is the consoling key to the whole passage, But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. We are grafted onto that vine. What do we have to fear if we are righteous and choose to follow the path laid out for us? If we are actively walking toward God, He sees that and showers us with mercy. If we walk with this knowledge, And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk. He feeds us and nourishes us so we can keep walking. And a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and water the valley of Shittim. We will be satisfied as life-giving water is poured over us quenching our thirst so we do not die and wine to give us joy and milk to feed us and prepare us for solid food. Every baby begins on milk and it is no different in the spiritual life. We have to grow and change and mature. 

But what do we have to fear? For the LORD dwells in Zion. He is walking right with us and will definitely not leave us alone. The problem comes when we do not do as He asks or recognize His presence or live like we are being watched out for. Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate waste for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood. That is a very stark difference. One that calls us to examine closely what happens to our enemies and it shows us what not to do to become enemies of God. Our blood is accounted for. Our sweat and tears. God sees and catches every drop. This should be both humbling and encouraging. Something that moves us to act. It is not enough to think and ponder. Those are to bring us to the next step. Psalm 97 The Glory of God’s Reign brings us again to this praiseful place of awe and wonder which is the first stage of wisdom. Holy Fear of the Lord, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit. I want you to close our time with this Psalm and see what sticks out to you. I have one more passage that I want to talk about with you.

Luke 11:27-28. Jesus receives praise from a woman in the crowd in a fleshy sort of way. “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!” Definitely a very high praise of His mother. He gives a little correction though. He takes the woman a step deeper. It is as if He is saying back to her, “Yes it is amazing of my mother’s devotion but it is not just because I dwelled within her and she nursed and raised me but rather that she listened to the word of God and kept it!” “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” These words are meant to direct us to Mary’s example. They are meant to encourage us to be doers of the word. Doing as God asks brings us blessing. All He needs is a little yes. One more step when we are really tired and worn from the journey. That is what Mary did. Little ordinary steps. One at a time. She prayed daily to the Lord and tried to be present to Him. Then the angel came and because she had been saying yes already, she was able to consent to a bigger yes with deep faith. Then she was able to take the next step of going to help her cousin Elizabeth. She knew it would take time to process what just happened and being away with someone who loved her as she began to experience early pregnancy was exactly what she needed. We know that St. Elizabeth helped her and even praised her like this passage and Mary draws them both deeper, “My soul Magnifies the Lord who has done great things for me…”

She knew hard times were ahead as she was betrothed to Joseph not yet living with him. Perhaps her dream of marriage and family had to be shifted. Yet it was precisely by her trust that she was able to take the next step after this time of prayer and service. Three months. She would be showing by this time as she went back to the ordinary and to the people of her community and that she would be judged. But we hear no complaints. I’m sure word reached Joseph before he even saw her. Even quit whisperings that perhaps they had already been together. He was shocked and we know a few things. He questioned Mary’s word. Had she been with someone else? But he didn’t want to hurt her or the child. He didn’t want them stoned. So we hear that he was planning to dismiss them quietly so all the blame would fall on him and not her. He was a righteous Man. Mary did not fight him but trusted that God would work it out as she had received a promise. She told him honestly the truth, knowing he would doubt and perhaps walk away. After all, what did she “conceived of the Holy Spirit” actually mean? What happens next is another big yes with divine intervention. An angel comes to Joseph in a dream and provides yet again and confirms God’s will of the two of them being married but that their family was different. But this difference was of God and Mary was being faithful to God and would he also consent? (See more of this in Episode five in Season One.) God leaves it entirely up to our free will. This is both amazing and a little scary. One step is all it takes to either stay with God or walk away. God takes this risk. Why? So that our love is free and not forced. He wants us to walk to Him freely of our own accord. But we have to take that step! We must decide to follow and carry through and do it trusting that with each step God will provide.

Practically speaking, what does one do when you feel bogged down and lost? First, ask the Father to fill and comfort you. Second, make a list of all the things that you want or need to get done. Just as a way of getting it out there and to acknowledge you have a plan and to give your day a little direction. Pick one. If you have the energy after you have done it, then pick another small thing otherwise don’t sweat it. Consider yourself successful if you even get half of the first task done. It is amazing what this does for one’s mental health. It is very filling and rejuvenating when you can do this.

Lastly, consider in your mind those things that are priority in your life whether for yourself or one of your loved ones and do that daily. When you really have no energy or gumption to do anything, it is from this list that you choose (the priority things) and do it and then choose to serve your friends and family in a very concrete way like going for a walk, meeting at the park, or a phone call or text to a close friend. People over things. For me, that daily task is cleaning the kitchen and filling the dishwasher because I know it gives my husband joy. In our family, we have a list of things that would really help each other know we are loved and that is the bare minimum on hard days. Other days, I just play with my children or read to them.
If something touched you, share it with a friend and bring them on board. I also want to hear if God did something amazing for you with this and other episodes. You can always reach me at twoheartstruehealing@outlook.com or on my website www.twoheartstruehealing.com on the Contact section or in a comment below the episode. Am I giving you relevant food for the journey? Let me know here! We are also on Facebook and YouTube. Please know I am holding you in prayer and interceding for you. Until next time, God Bless!