Happy Endings

“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

We need to believe in happy endings once again. We need to believe that light can overcome darkness and that good will always triumph over evil in the end.

It is not wishful thinking. It is hope. And in times of despair and trouble, hope needs to be rekindled in our hearts.

We have learned much of the valuable things when we were children. We only need to remember once again, to see the world again with eyes that know how to dream and hearts that know how to fight to make such dreams come true.

The world we grew up to may be complicated, but the most important things remain simple, and heaven is always within the grasp of a little child.

Things are not perfect yet but they will be. Times are troublesome, but all such troubles shall end.

In God, we never hope in vain.

I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.” – Revelations 21:3-4, WEB

Our Little Sacrifices

“For, in regard to that little of your will which you now willingly forsake, you shall forever have your will in Heaven. For there you shall find all that you will, all that you can desire. There you shall enjoy the possession of every good without fear of losing it… 

There no one shall resist you, no one shall complain of you, none shall obstruct you, nothing shall stand in your way: but every good that you desire shall be present at the same time, and shall replenish all your affections, and fully satiate them.” – The Imitation of Christ

Sometimes, you have to let go of the little things so you can gain what’s truly important. You have to learn to overlook many of your neighbors’ little faults as you want them to overlook yours.

We are not perfect yet and even with the best of intentions, we may not please everyone.

Let us learn to be more patient then as we try to see others in their best light.

The little sacrifices we make can add up to a big difference in our relationships. It is like oil that reduces a lot of friction in our daily life. It is like a little seed that will eventually grow into a sturdy tree where we can seek shelter beneath the fiercest storms.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Matthew 16:24, WEB

WAIT AND BELIEVE!

Wonderful things can happen at the least expected time. Blessed are those who wait.

Blessed are those who wait upon the Lord, whose expectations come from Him. They shall not be put to shame, neither shall they be disappointed.

For they have put their trust in Him who alone can be trusted. And they have set their eyes on Him who alone can satisfy.

Despise not the time for waiting. We may not see it with our eyes, but beautiful things happen even while we wait.

“O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him.” – Psalm 34:8

THE LORD IS NEAR

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. – Psalm 34:18, WEB

Just when you think God is so far away, believe, because He is ever near. He is there with you – closer than you could ever think.

For He watches over you and He knows your sorrow, He shares your every hurt. Right where it hurts the most, He is there. Right where it is darkest, He walks with you and gives you strength.

You may not know how you can still heal from all the pain, but hold on! Though you may not know, trust there is One who can make you whole again.

You may not see how life could be bright again, but take heart! There is One who can lift you up from your deepest falls.

He knows what it’s like to be broken, what it’s like to be crushed from within. Had He not been deserted by His closest friends and betrayed by those whom He trusted? Had He not been accused unjustly and scorned by those whom He healed?

We have a friend who is closer to us than we think. He understands our tears more than anyone ever could, and if we could only trust Him, He will do everything to wipe them all away.

Child, speak no more of your misery; it is already forgotten. Listen, My child, to what I desire to tell you. Come close to My wounds and draw from the Fountain of Life whatever your heart desires. -Diary of Divine Mercy

SEEDS OF LOVE

You can always plant seeds of love. But you must leave the harvest to God. – Jocelyn Soriano

Let us make it a habit to plant seeds of love and kindness wherever we may go. Let us plant some in our workplace and in our travels. Let us plant some where we meet our neighbors and where we praise and worship God. And let us never forget to plant some in our homes, within our family circle and our friends, and ask God to bless such seeds which only He can help to grow.

We may not see too quickly the fruits of the good we do, but let us continue to believe that we never labor in vain. For true love and charity takes root deep within the heart and changes the soul. It grows unseen until it blossoms from grace known to God alone.

Let’s not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up. – Galatians 6:9, WEB

Love Forgets One’s Wrongs

There are times when because of one sin, a person is condemned forever as though he could never do anything good anymore. Instead of seeing a person in the image of God, fully capable of repenting his wrongs and correcting his ways, we see his sins always before us, focusing on them as though they would always define who he is.

The Worth of Our Tears

Love… bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. – 1 Corinthians 13:4,7 (WEB)

This life is full of beautiful things, though it is also full of suffering and pain. Many times, no matter how strong we are, we hurt. We cry from the depths of our soul and our spirit groans as we lift our prayers to heaven.

In such times, the last thing we need is for someone to come by and say that we have no reason at all to be sorrowful. The last thing we need is for someone to neglect our pain as though it didn’t matter, as though none of the things we went through were real.

Pain is real. We bleed sometimes. Though we all want relief from the pain, we also want deeper consolation.

There at the cross, we see all pain and darkness conquered in such a way that it is defeated forever. Not by disregarding it. Not by denying it. But by giving value even to our tears. By loving everything about us, including our very worst hurts.

How do you wipe away pain? You don’t. You put in tenderness, compassion and joy. You cling to hope and then you offer everything to God. And you wait, with faith you see all things anew – light shines out from darkness, happiness grows through every pain, and all things become indeed so very beautiful in His time.

God Knows Your Name

God does not love the crowd, but the person within the crowd. He may attract a multitude, but what truly matters to Him is if you could let Him in your heart.
-Wisdom Nwani

God loves you as you. He loves you with all that He could possibly give from Himself. It is a love that is more intimate than the love between spouses, a love more personal than the love of a mother for the child in her womb.

God’s love is personal. It is not a mere universal force that cannot think or speak on its own. It is not a mere power that we can manipulate at will.

Believing in God’s love requires more than knowledge. True belief needs to be expressed in an authentic relationship that changes us because we have known just how much we are valued and loved.

God knows your name.
And had you been
the only person who needed
to be saved,
He would still have
died on the cross
for you.

Look up at the sky!
Who created the stars you see?
The one who leads them out like an army,
he knows how many there are
and calls each one by name!
-Isaiah 40:26, GNT

Anger Has Its Place

He who who cannot be angry with evil cannot truly be capable of loving what is good. – Jocelyn Soriano

Anger has its place. We don’t have to be filled with thoughts of revenge or of uncontrollable wrath. But we don’t have to forego anger either.

Anger can move us to recognize what is evil, to see how injustice is being done to our neighbors and to do something about it. Anger can urge us to take action to defend the oppressed, and to find justice for those who are exploited.