"The way to joy is not through fleeing all difficulties. Joy is found in your deepest recesses, and your deepest recesses are always with you, even in your most difficult times."
Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen, "This is the Day the Lord Has Made"
As if we could flee all difficulties! But I think Fr. Stinissen means that we need to face the difficulties and see what they have to teach us. And we have a God-given reservoir of joy within us from which to draw. We may not be able to change others, or the the situation, but we can change how we react to things and how we cope. When the rubber meets the road, our faith can be tested and held to the fire. How does it stand up? And then what about the times we seem to be coasting? No big traumas or dramas going on? At those times we still need to practice our faith. We can be a friend to those who are struggling and stand with those, we may not even know, who are going through difficult times, in prayer. Our joy is down deep...sometimes we don't even realize how deep until we need to tap into it. Our joy isn't as much dependent on the situations around us, but is a gift from God. And it is ever-present. Love, heidi
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