“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”—Joshua 1:9
We are not on a lonely journey, all alone on a long road. Our loving Father never takes his eyes off us. We all are subject to feelings of fear and anxiety. All the great saints repeatedly tell us, “Don’t let those negative feelings control you.” It’s damaging to the good that God has created in you. It paralyzes your potential and cripples your natural gifts and talents. How do you thrust those feelings away? Know the truth! There is another who loves you as you are and cares deeply about your situation. Your loving, ever-present, ever-caring Heavenly Father is only a breath away. Jesus tells us to pray always—“cry to [God] day and night” (Luke 18:7). We can all do that. God is holding you and me by the hand along the path he has marked out for us. Simply whisper a simple prayer—“Lord, help me,” or “Thanks,
Lord”—to let God know you’re holding his hand, too. With any short, spontaneous prayer, we reach out to grasp God, and God lovingly grasps us.
Lord, show me that I am never alone on my life’s journey. I abandon myself into your hands. Amen.
—from the book Three Minutes with God: Reflections and Prayers to Encourage, Inspire, and Motivate
by Monsignor Frank Bognanno