—Deuteronomy 31:6
Week 4: March 24, 2009
Dear Jesus:
Thank You for the opportunity that You have given me to walk the 48 steps to Easter. I'm a little worried, though. There's just 18 steps left, but the past 2 have been full of obstacles. Every time I get closer to You, things get in the way to try to keep me apart from You. It happened when I led the Emmaus. It's happening now. And I fear the enemy.
I trust You, though, because You are stronger than he is and goodness always prevails. I pray that You lead me, that You use me as your instrument. What You have entrusted me with is a big responsibility. A lot of women are doing this walk with me and I cannot let them down.
Please protect me from all evil and from all the temptations that the enemy is sure to place in my path. Help me not to fall and help me to remember that it's your message what I need to spread, not mine.
29 steps and counting. May tomorrow be a smooth day.
I love You, Jesus!!!
Week 4: March 25, 2017
Dear Jesus:
It's happening again. I knew it was too good to be true. The first two weeks of Lent were as smooth as silk. And then, the attacks began. I have learned to differentiate between obstacles and attacks. The past week, we have definitely been under attack.
First, my computer crashed and I was not able to work for two days. At any time of the year, this would have been inconsequential. But during tax season, complete chaos. In the midst of that, major plumbing issues at home. At least, since I couldn't work anyway, I was able to deal with that. On the same day of the crash, I took Penny to the vet for her shots. And while at the vet, she started bleeding from her gums. The next day, she had a huge blood clot. This was the same day the toilets backed up with a house full of spring-breakers. Plumbers came. I took Penny to the vet. And to make a long story short, she ended up having oral surgery and getting five molars taken out. And since she's such a drama queen, I've had quite the week.
On Sunday, we had to take Alex to the airport. His flight was scheduled for 10:45 am from Ft. Lauderdale. When he woke up at 8, he checked and his flight had been delayed until 12:30. Perfect, we have time to go to breakfast. We went to "The Muffin Tin" in Pinecrest and had a delicious breakfast, until 9:30 when Alex got another e-mail stating that his flight was reset back to 10:45. We flew out of the restaurant, drove like maniacs to the house to pick up his bookbag, rushed to Ft. Lauderdale to arrive there at an estimated "Waze" time of 10:30 which meant he had 15 minutes to get through security and run to his gate. But the entire time, I was praying to You for peace and tranquility. Worst case scenario, he would miss Monday classes and leave the next day. Of course, in the rush, he forgot his contact lenses and his hoodie. No big deal. He could buy a sweater at the airport in Connecticut and I would ship his contacts. While on the Palmetto, he gets yet another e-mail. Flight is now at 12:15. By this time, the delicious breakfast was stuck on our throats, and our blood pressure was through the roof, but we breathed a sigh of relief that he was not going to miss his flight after all.
We dropped him off at 10:30 because Waze is amazingly accurate. Packed airport. No way he would have made it through security in 15 minutes but this was not a worry anymore. We dropped him off, and decided to go to mass at 11 am at Little Flower in Hollywood. It's 10:45 and Alex calls me, "Mom, are my keys on the backseat of the car?" I look back, and sure enough, his keys are there... The keys to his house but most importantly, to his car parked at the airport in Connecticut. He gets out of the security line, we make a U-turn, return to the airport, hand him the keys, and head back to Miami to go to 12:30 mass at our parish. The only good thing was that I was too stressed out to shed my usual separation-tears.
But wait, I'm not done yet, there's more. The icing on the cake. My poor hubby's back that has been pain-free for over five years, started hurting him to the point that he couldn't even go to mass. Apparently, the drive back and forth to Ft. Lauderdale under stress, did a number on him. And of course, he blames me for writing about his back on my blog a few weeks ago. He says I cursed him. As if I had that much power. But I know the enemy does. However, I do not fear him, because You have more power, Jesus. So please, heal my hubby. He has a massage scheduled later today. And because I'm such a good wife, I've volunteered to accompany him and get a massage as well. Trust me, I need it too.
Please, Jesus, cover us with your protection because we are still three weeks away from Easter and I don't think I can handle another week like the one I just had. I know that with your help, we won't allow the enemy to get the upper hand. You have defeated him already and You are walking with us, every step of the way.
So much for giving up worrying for Lent, Jesus. What was I thinking? This past week, I failed miserably. Next year, I think I'm just giving up chocolate. It's so much easier. But then again, You don't want us to take the easy route. You want us to take up our crosses and follow You. And You promise to send angels to help us along the way.
I love You, Jesus!!!
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