Today I almost stepped in this puddle: Just mud. When I look down, that's what I see. Always mud. But then I stopped and got down on my knees, and really looked at the mud puddle.... And there was a little bit of Heaven, right in front of me.
Did you ever watch ice melt on a river? As it recedes, sometimes you can discover crystals that have been hidden, compressed deep within the ice. I feel like our problems and suffering are the same as this ice; they are just a heavy burden that we carry, they weigh us down and paralyze us for a time. But when Spring comes round again, as it always does, sometimes we catch a glimpse of the great value of our troubles. Even the beauty of our burdens.
After all, the ice feeds the river. Ice is a source of its strength. "With Mary for your guide, you will never go astray; while invoking her, you will never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you will not be deceived; while she holds your hand, you will not fall; under her protection, you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you will not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you will reach the goal."
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux_, Doctor of the Church, 1090-1153 |
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