This past Lent was the most transformative one I’ve experienced. It coincided with my Ovarian Wedge Resection recovery. During those forty days, Christ healed me not only physically, but spiritually. By Easter morning, I was made totally new. A few hours before Lent began, I asked God what He desired for me to sacrifice. Since I was laying in bed recovering, I felt like I didn’t have much to give. How far from the truth! Christ accomplished His greatest work when He was immobile. I started reflecting on what I was holding back from God and things that I to which I'm attached. Social media came to mind, specifically Instagram. The Call and Sacrifice I use Instagram as the main platform for evangelization for my ministry, Finding Philothea. I fought the idea of fasting from it. What would I do as I laid in bed recovering? Wouldn’t I be lonely if I fasted from it? Bored? Wasn’t I meant to continue to evangelize throughout Lent? God’s answer penetrated my heart: He could do more with my silence. And He did. Replace With Beauty I decided to fast from Instagram. It was one of the best decisions I made. When we fast from something, we should always put something good in its place, as a priest once instructed me. So I replaced the time I normally spent creating content or scrolling on Instagram with spiritual reading, specifically Saint Faustina’s Diary and Bishop Barron’s Word On Fire articles. Those two resources set my heart ablaze. I felt like I had been spiritually starving and now my cup was overflowing with beauty, truth, and goodness. I couldn’t get enough. As I continued with my spiritual readings, my prayer life naturally increased. The knowledge of God’s love for me that both Saint Faustina and Bishop Barron revealed flowed gently into a deepening of my love for Him. Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear I realized how much I had been holding back from our loving and trustworthy God. I discovered how many fears I had, especially the fear of suffering. Physical suffering scared me and I had been trying to avoid it at all costs. I had been afraid of the pain of surgery before my Ovarian Wedge Resection and as I lay recovering I was scared for my heart to continue to suffer with the cross of infertility. I was full of fear. I discovered Saint Faustina’s own journey with suffering and the deep joy she found in it. She wrote of not only comforting Christ but saving her own soul and other souls through her suffering. She wrote that God revealed to her that if angels could be jealous of men it would be for two things: the Eucharist and their ability to suffer. Yet because of my “yes” to Christ at the beginning of Lent, I had opened the door just enough for Christ to enter into my heart. Grace began to pour into my life. I Surrender A few days before Lent ended, I sat on my bed and looked at the San Damiano crucifix that hangs in my bedroom. I saw the suffering Christ, hanging, dying, for me. I looked at Him and repeated, “I surrender.” I told Him I surrender to all He has in store for my life. I said yes to the infertility, if that is what He willed for my life. I said yes to the suffering, if that is what His plan was for me. The most profound peace and joy I have ever experienced immediately flooded into my entire being. That joy has continued to grow as I surrender each day to Him and His will for my life. There is freedom in the surrender. There is joy in knowing that our suffering has merit. [bctt tweet="There is freedom in the surrender. #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] The Power of The Holy Spirit Looking back, I know that it was the Holy Spirit Who prompted all of this. It was the Holy Spirit, the Love between the Father and the Son, Who was inviting me to participate in that Divine Romance. The Holy Spirit blows where He chooses (John 3:8) and I know He was breathing new life within my heart. It was the Holy Spirit Who was inviting me to silence, to retreat, to learn, to discover, to pray. It was the Holy Spirit Who gave me wisdom and understanding, Who planted the seeds of my surrender. Come, Holy Spirit, we pray; and He comes rushing in, powerfully, gently, overwhelmingly. He invites, we give permission, and when we do, He overshadows, and our life is forever changed. [bctt tweet="Come, Holy Spirit, we pray; and He comes rushing in, powerfully, gently, overwhelmingly. He invites, we give permission, and when we do, He overshadows, and our life is forever changed. #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] Ask The Holy Spirit To Be With You I don’t know what God has planned for me this Lent. I do know it will be beautiful. Beauty is found in the sacrifice, in the suffering that always leads to new life. The Death and Resurrection of Christ prove this—the most beautiful reality in this world has ever seen was on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This Lent, I encourage you to join me in asking God what He wants you to sacrifice and what beauty He desires you to replace that sacrifice with. Each time we fast we build upon past fasts. That is why it is so important to fast. We are better able to hear His call and His voice. We are disciplined to say “yes” to His invitations. Ask the Holy Spirit to be with you. Set A Fire Blessed Is She’s Lenten Devotional, Set a Fire, does just this, it helps us invite the Holy Spirit to be with us as we journey toward the Cross and Resurrection. We are never alone in our Faith! We have the Great Advocate, the Holy Spirit, with us. The Holy Spirit transforms us in our sacrifice, in our suffering. Let Him breathe new life within the darkest recesses of your heart, your body, your mind, your soul. Give Him permission to breathe, to move, in you. You are loved by God, you are Spirit-filled, you are called to greatness. The way we live out that call is, like Mary, to say yes and let the Holy Spirit overshadow us. Great things are in store for us this Lent the moment we decide to do this.   [bctt tweet="How the Lord Has Gently Purified Me #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]   This post contains affiliate links. Thanks so much for supporting the ministry of Blessed is She!

Many of us have had seasons in our lives when we were not sure how we would get through the day. Faced with life's inexplicable and sudden burdens, our legs buckle and hearts tremble. Our Lord also knew the crushing weight of darkness, of sin. He bore all of it, carrying the Holy Cross up Mount Calvary. 

In the previous Mystery, we reflected on the purity of Our Lord and Our Lady's intention: their singleheartedness. In the Crowning with Thorns we see the truth: “He was tested as we are in every way but did not sin†(Hebrews 4:15).

The Saints and mystics recount the tremendous love with which Our Lord embraced His Passion and Death. Imagine the unflinching, resolute love that kept Jesus tied to that pillar, lash after agonizing lash. The vastness of His love is unfathomable. He endured it all to win salvation for each person—it was for you, dear sister in Christ. 

The First Sorrowful Mystery // The Agony in the Garden Fruit of the Mystery // Conformity to the Will of God Reflect The night before my perpetual vows, in my family home, I had prayed in my room. My Sisters, young women in discernment, friends, and family had all gathered to witness my final “yes forever” to God. I trembled at the gravity of the words I was about to declare. Only God knew what the future would bring. I only knew there would be plenty of sacrifices to accompany the joys in my life as a Daughter of St. Paul. Having spent over ten years in preparation for that day, I knew I had to rely totally on God to live my religious life well. So, that night I prayed to be simply, honestly, who I was before the Lord—no more and no less: a woman from Tempe, Arizona, who was responding to God’s call and publicly giving Him full permission over her life. Faced with the ultimate sacrifice, Our Lord trusted in God, His Father. “Father, let this cup pass from me, but not my will but your will be done” (Matthew 26:39). In this First Sorrowful Mystery, we draw spiritual strength from Our Lord, finding particular courage to face the areas of our hearts where we need the grace to persevere. Perhaps we face financial insecurity, uncertain health, or a challenging family situation. We hold these circumstances in our hands and offer them to the Lord as we pray this First Mystery.   [bctt tweet="In this First Sorrowful Mystery, we draw spiritual strength from Our Lord, finding particular courage to face the areas of our hearts where we need the grace to persevere. #BISblog #prayerpledge" via="no"]   Let Us Pray Jesus, shoulders the burdens of the day with us in such a way that everything will be pleasing to the Father. May Your will be done. Amen. For Discussion What does trust in the Lord mean to you? What does that look like in your life; how has it looked in the past? What "cup" are you struggling to accept in your life right now? How can the Agony in the Garden console you in your struggle?     Praying the Rosary Throughout the Prayer Pledge and beyond, we really encourage you to pray the Rosary! Since we will be looking at the fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary, it only makes sense to actually pray it! Here is a guide on how to pray the Rosary. I like this podcast and this podcast for praying the Rosary. Hallow also has a marvelous Rosary meditation. And if you want to go even deeper in to the Rosary, check out Mystery!   [bctt tweet="By Their Fruits: The 2021 Prayer Pledge // Day 18 #BISblog #prayerpledge //" via="no"]

One of my favorite memories of Rome was when I visited the Basilica of the Chair of St. Peter in 2018. This was my fourth time there. We were delegates from 75 nations, and had assembled for the first CHARIS global leaders meeting with the Holy Father. As a ministry leader, this experience was life changing. Roaming and Rome I have to admit that I never really thought that I needed to see Rome or the Vatican to deepen my faith. I often chide and say that I had two conversions—one from Atheism and the second to Catholicism. After my conversion, having been heavily influenced by denominational churches, I did not practice Catholicism, as I was opposed to many of its dogmas and couldn’t relate to its practices. Therefore, I always consider my time in Rome as a time of healing and restoration. I am grateful today for the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the Church and the gift of community that helps me understand our history, heritage, and the Truth that brings hope and joy to millions. During that visit, the magnificent paintings displayed at the Basilica left me completely in awe of sacred art. I stayed there lost in time, mesmerized by the mysteries of Salvation as they unfolded the goodness, truth, and beauty of an omnipotent God through the work of human hands. One such beautiful masterpiece stood in a small church near Piazza Navona. Painted by the late Renaissance artist Caravaggio, the painting captures “The Calling of Saint Matthew” exhibiting rich and royal hues of 16th century finery. An Encounter With Light Reflecting from Matthew 9:9-13, Jesus is seen entering the world of Matthew and his tax collector friends. Matthew (called Levi before) is seen seated at the table with his comrades, lost in counting the day’s proceeds. They appear caught up in themselves, unaware of others and oblivious to the stranger in their midst. There is a look of enthusiasm in their faces, yet a profound sense of emptiness in their eyes. They seem to have it all, yet show unease, a sense of lack, searching for something more. Jesus’ gaze is upon Matthew. He looks him in the eye and points to him. Caravaggio paints this gesture intentionally, drawing attention to the hand that reaches out to God the Father, as depicted in Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. There we see the hand of Adam reaching out for God as creation is fragmented in sin. Now, Jesus, the New Adam is calling Matthew to new life, desiring to make him a new creation. This is a moment of illumination. The canvas captures the light pouring in, streaming into the darkness where the tax collector sits. He has this incredulous look on his face. Surprised by the intrusion, perhaps even dazzled by this sudden light, Matthew gestures toward himself with his left hand as if to say, "Who, me?" Arise to New Life The stranger calls out, “Follow me,” bringing Matthew to the point of decision—that pivotal moment between Matthew the tax collector and Matthew the disciple. What will Matthew do? How will he respond to the invitation of light? I have often wondered what went through Matthew’s mind as he felt the tug to “come, follow.” I wonder if he reasoned at the new possibility before him. In my own journey from Atheism to Faith, I cannot look back without denying the shadows of the One who relentlessly pursued me, even when I wasn’t "looking." Yet when I sensed the invitation, I fought with reason, afraid of what would become of me. I was desperate to find freedom from my life of shame and endless worries but I also feared what this new life would demand. ‘What would my life look like if I came into the Light?’ ‘What would I lose?’ ‘What would I see?’ And therefore how fitting it is that we enter every new year with an invitation to “see.” In the liturgical celebration of the Epiphany (meaning “manifestation” in its Greek origin), we are invited to see and experience our own paradigmatic shifts. Where am I? What am I doing? What is God calling me to see? Where in my life do I need to reorder and reorient myself? Where is the Light? Jesus came for Matthew and called out to him. And Matthew responded to the Light. There are no recorded words between them, all we know is that he rose and followed Jesus. This is the same verb that is used to describe the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This is what conversion means—a rising from the dead, an elevation to New Life. Matthew responded to that invitation and entered into the Power of Jesus’ Resurrection. He received new life. He became a disciple and an Apostle. He became a vessel of the Light. His life bore witness to the brilliance of Christ’s love. So bright and powerful was this love, that the man who once "took" from people, did not hesitate to "give," even his own life. What about me? How will I respond to this invitation? Come, Follow Me Perhaps for many of us, this is a moment to rekindle our faith and think about the moment of our conversion. Have we been faithful? Do we need to return? Maybe for some of us, we feel unworthy with our sins and failure, finding it difficult to believe that God can even call us. For many years, I struggled, wondering if I had what it took to serve Christ. My own brokenness fueled comparison and competition for spiritual gifts, preventing me from truly seeing Christ and seeing myself in Him. But the good news is that Christ continues to come. He continues to manifest Himself. He is not deterred by our dirt and our darkness. His hand continues to point to us, calling us to discipleship, reminding us of our destiny. Dear sister, do you hear that call? Do you recognize Jesus coming to you in the most ordinary moments of your life, bidding you to “come,” “see,” and “rise”? Perhaps that voice comes to you in the restlessness that there has to be more to life than what you are experiencing right now. Perhaps it comes through your losses, failures, and shattered dreams; maybe it’s even through the voice of your child or your spouse. Perhaps you are sensing it right now. This is Jesus beckoning your heart, awakening your call, leading you to the Light. Will you rise and follow? If God can choose to make His Incarnation and redemption real to us through magnificent art, surely He desires to use His grandest art of all to make both His love and His light real to the world. This grand art piece, dear sister is you. You did not choose Him, He chose you (John 15:16). You are God’s masterpiece and you belong to Him. Hear him calling you “Come, follow me.” Here Him bidding you to rise and go forth as the light of the world and the salt of the earth.   [bctt tweet="Transformed By Light with Caravaggio #BISblog //" via="no"]

As human beings, we naturally run from suffering—because we are made for perfect goodness, truth, and beauty. We are made for union with God.

Each of the Fruits of the Luminous Mysteries—The Baptism in the Jordan, The Wedding at Cana, The Proclamation the Kingdom, The Transfiguration, and The Institution of the Eucharist—give us a moment in Jesus’ public ministry to reflect on and see how the work He performed 2,000 years ago is present to us today in our own circumstances. 

I didn’t exactly understand what we were doing at the chapel during Eucharistic Adoration as a pre-teen, but I knew it had to be something really special because it was so quiet and peaceful.

My days went from chaos to order when I made the decision to organize my time around when I would pray. All other tasks and duties revolve around my first task and duty, to communicate with my Creator. Prioritizing time with God put my entire day into perspective and simplified my routine. Disciplining My Heart, Mind, and Will It took a lot of discipline to get to this point. I promised myself that I would pray during the times I set aside each day no matter how I was feeling. My prayer times range in duration throughout the day, but it’s not the length of time that matters—it’s the fact that I am prioritizing my relationship with God above all things and all people. How to Simplify Your Morning Routine This has led to both freedom and simplicity. I used to fall into my day without a routine and reacted to everything and everyone that came at me. Now I wake up and give my first fruits to Christ, no matter how I feel. I know that no matter what happens in my day, all my failures and successes, I have done the most important thing: speak with God. Envision the Person You Want To Become We are created for holiness, to become Saints! Envision the person, the Saint, you want to become. Do you want to be a leader, motivated by love? Do you want to offer sacrifices for our Church? Do you want to use your time wisely and for His greater glory? Picture that person and write down the qualities of the person you desire to be. This will help you make a routine that enables you to become that person. All of our sacrifices and actions—whether it’s waking up twenty-five minutes earlier so we can pray or going to monthly confession—shapes us and molds our hearts. Write Down Your Routine Taking time to write down a schedule to simplify our routine is essential. We are better able to take care of ourselves and serve those around us. We begin to respond instead of react. Take the time today to create a weekly routine. Write out the hours of your morning, then write down when you will pray. After that, list the essentials (this includes prayer, rest, and leisure, too!) you need to accomplish before noon. Visualizing what we need to accomplish each morning helps us reach our goals. Next, list the non-essentials you’d like to accomplish. Everything from scrolling Instagram to making a phone call, write it down and when you’d like to do those things after your essentials are completed! Visualizing the details of our to-do lists helps us feel less overwhelmed and brings peace. My Morning Routine My routine looks like this: I set aside time for prayer, first thing, after waking up. I read the daily Mass readings and pray the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer found in the Divine Office. I eat breakfast, exercise, shower, teach my son his pre-k lessons, prepare lunch, eat, and clean up. Some Practical Tips Don’t be afraid to adjust your routine if it isn’t working out. With a four year old son, I am revising my morning routine often. Our routines are meant to free us, not enslave us. Challenge yourself. Refining ourselves is difficult and takes discipline. Don’t give up! Ask for the grace and strength from God to reach your goals. If you miss a prayer time, don’t toss away your entire routine! Offer it up and try again! Read A Mother’s Rule of Life, The Pope and the CEO, and Atomic Habits. Place your daily routine somewhere you can see it often. Have scripts of encouragement that you can repeat when things get hard or you don’t feel like sticking to your routine. Set out anything you need for the morning the night before. Our mornings begin before we go to bed! Have an accountability partner! Find someone on the Blessed is She Instagram page or a friend who is yearning to simplify their mornings, too! Exchange ideas and tips. Don’t touch your phone (social media) until your morning essential to-do list is complete! What are ways you simplify your morning? What times do you have set aside for prayer? What have you found helpful? Share in the comments below!   [bctt tweet="How to Simplify Your Morning Routine #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]

As a child, I thought holiness was only available to those who lived in convents or were cloistered in some remote mountain top experiencing absolute solitude praying for the rest of us poor sinners down below. That image I had about holiness changed as I grew in my faith. 

What a great opportunity these past couple of months have offered us to exhibit charity, forgiveness, love of neighbor, compassion, and dying of self.

During my third pregnancy I felt Mary’s fiat repeating in prayer. Her humble “yes†to everything that unfolded in her life in being the mother of Our Savior and King left me contemplating the areas of my life where I had delayed or stifled saying “yes†out of worry or doubt. 

This Lent, we are inviting you to offer your hearts over to the Holy Spirit to experience the transformation of His fiery love. In Set a Fire, we explore the themes of purification and transformation alongside Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, and through the love of the Father. Meet the Writers Our writers have brought these stories from their lives to the page, offering inspiration and encouragement on the journey for the rest of us. We challenge you to pray with and consider this question as well: how has the Holy Spirit touched and transformed you? The writers of the 2021 Lent devotional share their responses below! Jenna Guizar // Founder & Creative Director of Blessed is She It was a hot day in Phoenix, and I stepped outside to let the heat soak into my cold, air conditioned skin. I headed to Adoration and stepped foot in the chapel, the Blessed Sacrament poised as if He had been waiting just for me. I sat and soaked up His presence—my Lord and my God! I meditated on His peace and His love, and I couldn’t help but recognized the transformation happening inside of my soul. It was just like the AZ sun after sitting in the A/C all day long, how much I appreciated the Lord warming my stony and cold heart. And He does that again, every single moment of every single day. It’s not (always) a big, extravagant moment. It’s the little surrender to allow Him to warm us, to purify us, to transform us to look more and more like Him. Little surrender, bit by bit. That’s all this journey is.   Olivia Spears // Blog Manager & Writer for Blessed is She Most of the Holy Spirit's movements in my life have been subtle and quiet. Consolation, Wisdom, and Courage are ways He often moves in my heart, inviting me to come closer to Him in order to better hear His voice. But there have been moments in which the Holy Spirit has moved like a mighty wind rather than a whisper, and these moments of healing—physically, mentally, and emotionally—can only be described as Divine. He is my Advocate not only in my daily struggle against sin and for virtue, He is my Defender in the midst of my greatest storms. I want more of Him, every day.   Tricia Tembreull // Writer for Blessed is She When I think of the Holy Spirit, memories of youth ministry retreats, parent retreats, and silent retreats fill my heart. Then there are the moments when I had to take a leap of faith and felt I fell onto the wings of the Holy Spirit as I jumped. The Holy Spirit is my counselor, my comforter, my encourager, and my motivator when I am resistant or complacent in my relationship with God. When I look back at my life, I recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit every step and move I’ve made: big or small. When I look forward, I trust He is guiding the way. And when I am still and present to the moment, He is the wind that brushes my hair on my cheek.   Elise Howe // Writer for Blessed is She I am certain I fail to notice all the countless, boundless ways the Spirit leads me each and every day. One particularly memorable moment was my first experience of Eucharistic adoration at a conference on the Vigil of Pentecost. That experience of the Spirit filling the room as I worshiped Jesus alongside many sisters and brothers in Christ was overwhelming. Life-altering. It both challenged and inspired me to really ponder what my faith meant, and to pursue the Lord in a new, more whole-hearted way. What a gift.   Mary Catherine Craige // Writer for Blessed is She The Holy Spirit has brought me peace, life, and healing. This experience has been a transformation with my health and in so many aspects of my life that has brought me a deep sense of peace that, even if there are challenges, I am ok. What a gift to have the presence and transformation of the Holy Spirit in our lives!     Sarah Ortiz // Writer for Blessed is She I have most especially seen the Holy Spirit stretch, grow, and bring life to my heart in my relationship. If I hadn’t been inviting Him to enter and meld my heart to Christ’s, I would never be able to forgive those who have hurt me. Any damage that has happened at the hands of a human would have left me as just that: broken. In trusting the Holy Spirit to move, I have found healing and growth.   Ginny Kubitz Moyer // Writer for Blessed is She I love how the Holy Spirit is all about movement. In the Scriptures the Spirit is often shown as a dove, or wind, or a flame, dancing and moving and shaking things up. That's been true in my life, too. Over the past many years, the Spirit has led me down surprising paths, both personally and professionally. For example, an idea for a writing project that seemed crazy to me several years back has ended up bearing fruit in unexpected ways. I've found that the Spirit is full of surprises and, if we're willing to play along, we're in for a wild and grace-filled ride. Share Your Story? Now we want to hear from you! Let us know in the comments how the Holy Spirit has transformed your heart and life. And if you want to hear more of these women's stories and to pray alongside thousands of other women in the Holy Spirit this Lent, be sure to grab your copy of Set a Fire (or the Lent bundle!). We can't wait to hear your story, and we can't wait to see what God writes with your life next.   [bctt tweet="The Heart Behind Our 2021 Lent Devotional #BISblog #bislent //" via="no"]

When our son was about three months old, our parish priest asked if he could play the part of Baby Jesus for the Christmas midnight Mass. I said no on the spot without any hesitation! I was a brand new mom and envisioned our son wailing and crying the whole time. I just couldn’t bear the thought of ruining someone else’s Mass experience during midnight Mass! 

You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased. // Mark 1:11 Love this print from Jazmin De Guzman from today's readings. Let His word dwell in us richly, sisters. Remember, Members, you get this for free! Log in and download! Download your F R E E wallpapers right here --->>> Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

As I approach my college graduation, more and more conversations have begun circling around this certain topic: what am I supposed to do with my life? What is my vocation? And as someone who desires to serve the Lord in some form of ministry, the question frequently becomes: how can I serve God with the gifts and talents He has given me? What is my calling? This is a beautiful question to ask. Uncovering the best path for our future is very important to all of us. We are all eager to find our own unique calling in life which will bring us the most joy and fulfillment. And when we find that sweet-spot of our calling, it can be one of the most exciting and satisfying moments for our heart. How do we go about this? Frequently, we take personality tests, look at our strengths, assess our desires and wants, or even follow the suggestions of our families and friends. We try to find the niche of ministry that best suits us. But what if I were to suggest that sometimes it is not our talents and gifts which point us in the right direction to help serve others? What if I told you the answer might lie in your wounds? Wounds Can Become Wellsprings of Grace We all have experienced hurt and pain throughout our lives, and much of our experience has contributed to wounds in our hearts. Maybe this wound comes from you experiencing a tragic loss of a loved one; maybe you seriously struggled with depression or self-harm at some point in your life; maybe you grew up within a broken family; maybe you have experienced deep and emotional heartbreak; maybe you have walked through periods of serious disease. There are as many different types of hurt as there are different types of people. We all have something that we can pinpoint as causing us deep pain, that has presented us with the opportunity to rely deeply on the Lord and His strength. But no matter what your wounds are, those experiences have uniquely equipped you to serve others going through similar situations. In Service to Others Saint Paul tells us: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. // 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 When we have received the Lord’s comfort in our afflictions, we are better able to turn and comfort others when they experience the same affliction. A mother who has experienced the suffering of the death of her child can walk with another mother through the same struggle, much better than a mother who has never walked through it. Are Wounds a Weakness? With all this in mind, I have a challenge for you. Rather than viewing your wounds as a weakness, I dare you to swing your perspective and see your wounds as some of your greatest strengths. Not only can God reveal Himself to us within those wounds by providing us comfort and strength, but He can then use the witness of our wounds as an avenue for others to experience His consolation as well. Someone else may be in need of your wounds. Therefore, when we examine ourselves in an attempt to find the whisper of God’s call for us in our lives, I believe we cannot and should not overlook the wounds that we have experienced. God may be calling us in a unique way to serve Him and serve others particularly out of the wounds that have shaped our hearts. Not the Only Consideration A word of warning here: there are some wounds that may be too recent, or may simply be too personal and painful to share. If that’s the case for you, that is totally fine. None of this means we should be proclaiming our deepest struggles and hurts from the rooftops. As in all things, there is need for discretion and prudence here. Rather, if you have experienced a wound in your life through which the Lord has brought healing and glory, consider that He might be calling you to walk with someone going through a similar struggle. If you can pinpoint a hurt in your life that you would never, ever wish upon another person, why not put that desire to work and help console those who are suffering the same way? I Saw Your Glory Saint Augustine once said: I saw Your glory in my wounds and it dazzled me. [bctt tweet="I saw Your glory in my wounds and it dazzled me. -Saint Augustine #BISblog //" via="no"] God wants to bring His glory from our wounds. He wants to show His power, healing, and love from our wounds. He wants to dazzle us by bringing goodness out of those places of deepest hurt, both for ourselves and for others. After all: We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. // Romans 8:28 Let us let Him use our wounds to bring about His glory.   [bctt tweet="How Can My Wounds Speak to My Calling? #BISblog //" via="no"]