I am continually amazed when I see the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the world around me.
I know I shouldn’t be. I’ve seen enough to know that God is alive and at work in everything that is, and if we slow down and actually look, we can see Him in the everyday, countless times throughout the day.
But yet, there is so much that I miss when I get distracted with life, and so when I do see these moments – these Holy Spirit moments – it just amazes me.
When, after much distress, I finally let God take the reins, and then bear witness to the things in life that take shape, those answers to prayers, answers above and beyond what I could even imagine at the time, these things that coalesce for no logical reason, that I could never produce. And then you realize that these happenings could not occur by any other means than by the grace of God.
When I see it happening, and watch it unfold and are a part of it, and I let go and stop trying to control it – I just want to throw my hands up in praise, because it is so unbelievable, so fitting, and so true.
It can only be the work of the Holy Spirit.
When I think back, I can see countless times in my life where this occurred, where I’ve realized, thank you God, you did answer my prayer and that truly was the best solution. But its only been a handful of times where I’ve actually realized, literally while it is happening that this is truly the work of the Holy Spirit right now – there is no other explanation.
But what about when tragedy strikes, or the moment bad news occurs? Where is God then? Where is the Holy Spirit then, you might ask? In a real-life story, close to home right now, I’m seeing this happen.
My brother-in-law has a brother who has been diagnosed with terminally ill cancer. The brother has some places he wishes to go in the short time he has left, including to visit their parents one last time (one whom cannot travel) but the brother can’t fly due to his health and being confined to a wheel-chair. And so he must be driven. From Michigan to Florida, to California, and back to Michigan.
It just so happens that my brother-in-law is a teacher, and has the summers off. This is going to be a tough few weeks and months for my brother-in-law and his brother, and their entire family, and I know they would appreciate your prayers. And while it’s certainly going to be at times uncomfortable and super-inconvenient, and as challenging as these trips will be for all involved, this to me is also what life is all about.
That even though one’s days are literally numbered, it’s about still helping them live their life to the fullest, serving them when in need, helping them to seal the relationships in their life, and spending time with family.
As I was talking to my sister and brother-in-law at my son’s baseball game today, and listening to them speak about this, and as I thought about it, I was moved. I could not help but see the beauty and grace with which the Holy Spirit is alive and immersed throughout this, amidst the circumstances, the way His work is truly unfolding.
I think about the journey my brother-in-law and his brother will be taking. I hope he writes it all down. Experiences like this are priceless. Yes, I know this will be tough for them, but the blessings and the graces that will come out of this will truly be life changing for all involved. And so even in bad times such as this, the Holy Spirit is there, all the way, extracting a divine goodness that overshadows all.
Why do I write these two stories today? Because the readings talk about the Holy Spirit and how all those years ago, the Spirit was there, alive and active in the lives of the Apostles and those new converts to Christianity. The Spirit is there, in the peaceful times of prosperity, and in the times of trial and distress. And Jesus tells us that if we love Him, and obey His commandments, He will send a new Advocate, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth that will be with us always.
And so in life, the Holy Spirit guides us through, shaping things along the way, often in ways beyond our understanding. He also provides the means, or in other ways uses the means of trials and tragedy, and even sin that occurs, to present this truth, this very truth that God is there in all things, everywhere around us, of every day, and uses all that to bring us closer to Him. And that whether it is an ebb or a flow in the tides of life, the Holy Spirit is there to balance it out and help us to recognize God there in the person next to us, in that summer breeze, in everyone and everything.
Not everyone chooses to feel and see this, but I know that He is there, in your life, every day. Take the time to just stop, and step back, and look at the world around you. You might be surprised what you witness happening. Know that in everything, your Advocate is there with you, on your behalf, praying for you in ways you cannot humanly pray, interceding for you, shaping your world and providing special graces you cannot foresee or imagine.
But you won’t see this unless you build a relationship with Him. Look to Christ, look to His Holy Spirit, and see what is happening in your life for the beauty and special grace that it truly is.
You will be truly amazed at what you see!
ACTS 8:5-8, 14-17; PS 66; 1 PT 3:15-18; JN 14:15-21
