One

"Live in me as I live in you. I am the vine and you are the branches. As long as you remain in me and I in you, you bear much fruit; but apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:4,5

For once, I looked forward to riding the Long Island Rail Road to work in the morning, it gave me time to keep reading The Alchemist. I've wanted to devour the book to see what message God has for me through these pages. At one point, I was reading how the young shepherd boy was standing on a cliff over the Sahara desert and had to turn himself into the wind or the general of an army would kill him. As the boy stood over the dry sands, he observed the desert, the winds, the sun, and as powerful as they each were, it was the hand of God that created them and gave them their powers. At that point, the boy directed his prayers to God, and in silence without asking for anything or giving thanks for anything, felt connected to the Almighty. He felt himself and all around Him as one in God. And through this prayer, the boy had become one with this force and became the wind.

As my train pulled into Penn Station, I couldn't control the tears welling up in my eyes. As I read these words, I thought of Jesus' words when He said to remain in Him, remain in His love and we will bear fruit. I walked out of the train and felt like the boy, totally connected to this force of the living God, who created all things and is in all things, and to Jesus, through whom all things were made. This is what Jesus meant when He said to live in Him and He lives in us - when we open our eyes of faith, we will come to realize how God isn't up in Heaven, He is in us, He surrounds us, we are one with Him. Therefore, I kept thinking to myself, what can defeat me except my own fears? What can put me down except my own worries, and what can't I do if I have the force of the Almighty flowing through me, as do you? There is nothing because Jesus has chosen us, He lives in us, and only our own excuses separate us from this very real power.

This may sound so lofty, but close your eyes. Listen to your heart. Feel how your body works and your blood flows through you. This is the work of God in you. Pay attention to all that surrounds you, the noises you hear, the birds in the sky - all these were created by the same God, just like the universe outside of us. It is His life, His Spirit, His breathe that flows through and connects us all.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for opening my eyes to seeing how I am one in You. Thank You for this amazing gift, this amazing power. Help me to always be grateful for it and show others how to remain in You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

The Alchemist

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches grow tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all that I have told you, know that the time is near, even at the door." - Matthew 24:32

I have a story to tell you…
My retreat was this weekend for my ministry classes and it combined some of the people in my own Wednesday night classes with others from the other churches across Long Island. I was so happy to get away after all the stress I dealt with at work this past week. The retreat was held at a seminary out in Huntington and it's so secluded and just gorgeous. And although I was away from everything and in this tranquil place, my mind would get anxious and go back to worrying about work. The retreat consisted of class sessions regarding the dynamics of the family and during discussions, this young man would get up to give his own opinions about the subject matter and I was blown away by not only his intelligence but by his passion. I know people like him, people with great minds I met in college, but the people I know didn't believe in God, like they were too intelligent for Him. It was so refreshing to see someone like him with such a zest for God and the faith. I told myself I would introduce myself but Friday came and went and come Saturday, whenever I was free he was talking to someone else. Saturday night during our last session, our presenters gave us a break and I stayed by my seat a bit zoned out when all of a sudden I look up and there he was next to me. He smiles, extends his hand and introduces himself and before I could really react, he reached out again with his other hand to give me a book. I was a bit confused and took the book but thought, "I don't have any money on me right now," thinking he was trying to sell it. The book was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and he asked me if I had ever read it before. Although it had been on my mind to read for a while, I told him I hadn't. "I just had a feeling I needed to give you this," he said, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you under a lot of stress?" And as a balloon suddenly being released of its air, I burst out "yes," letting out so much emotion at the same time. "Then you need to read this book," he went on, "It's about following your dream, what you're really meant to do in life." I told him its exactly what I needed and he replied, "then maybe this is meant to tell you something," and walked away.

After last night's social, I left at around 10pm back to my room and began to read this story of a young shepherd who through signs and omens goes on pursuit of his "personal legend," that one dream in life that will make you happy, the one thing you were meant to do because God put that desire in you. Today when I was leaving the retreat, I wanted to go back and thank the young man for having given me the book. I was so taken aback by the fact that God let him feel what I was feeling and allowed him to give me this gift. When we said goodbye, he gave me a letter he wrote me about the book. In the letter, he quoted one of his favorite authors who said he found the one thing in life that made him simmer and boil, and for me to pray so that God can show me what that one thing is in my life.

Right now, I'm only on page 90 of The Alchemist, but already I've learned so much. Each of us has something we really want to do, something we really want out of life…and that one thing is God's will for us because He put that in our hearts. For so long I've questioned my career and have dealt with so much stress and anxiety that I've slowly realized that if it drains me in this way, it's not what I'm meant to do. And maybe the story in this book won't relate to me that much, but like the main character who sees God pointing him in different directions through signs, God sending this young man to me was a sign that He sees my struggle and my quest for my "personal legend," and I believe God does this for all people if we allow Him to guide us and be where He needs us to be in order to bless us. Nothing happens from one day to another, but we learn and grow through processes and, like Jesus tells us, by reading the signs God puts around us to lead us to where He is and where we're meant to be.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, thank You for the retreat and for the person You put in my path to give me The Alchemist. You see my anxiety and my confusion and You show me You are there and You are by my side to guide me to the place You created me to be. In Your Name we pray, amen.