Fore-feast of the Encounter; the Holy Martyr Tryphon (249-51)
Romans 8:28-39; Luke 10:19-21
Each of us has experienced moments of pain, suffering, loss, and loneliness. There are some hardships in life that hard to bear. We may even be brought to a point of doubt in the love of God for us, for others, or even God’s existence. St. Paul reminds us that the Lord is always present. He is not up above; He is here dwelling in our midst. And not only that – He is FOR us. He desires for us to be like Him by grace as He is by nature. He doesn’t just share what He has with us, He shares WHO He is with us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God! It is good to remember this.
There is a well-known poem written the 20th-century that exemplifies our Lord’s love for us. It is called Footprints.
One night I had a dream…
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and
Across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; One belonged to me, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of my life flashed before us, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that many times along the path of my life, There was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my life
This really bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
You would walk with me all the way;
But I have noticed that during the
most troublesome times in my life,
There is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why in times when I
needed you the most, you should leave me.
The Lord replied, “My precious, precious
child. I love you, and I would never,
never leave you during your times of
trial and suffering.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.