As they walked on conversing, a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. // 1 Kings 2:11
I watched as the smoke from the incense curled up toward the crucifix. It is a moment in the Mass that always draws my heart toward the Lord. I imagine each prayer floating up to the attentive ear of Jesus, the Lover of our souls, so close that every whisper is heard by Him, every hope-filled plea and utterance of praise given to the One who is all powerful. I could trust Him. I could have the courage to hope in His promises. Hope in His goodness. Hope in His most perfect will. This gave me the comfort I had been longing for during a time of great change in our family.
The Lord had been calling us to new places and new adventures, and inviting us to work in His vineyard with radical love and surrender. With this came a whirlwind of job changes for my husband, school changes for my children, and saying yes to Jesus even when it seemed as if everything was being swiftly uprooted.
I take comfort in today’s First Reading about two Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha, “[w]hen the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind” (see 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14). They walked together guided by the Holy Spirit, and Elijah was about to leave Elisha to prophesy on his own. I think of how walking with the Lord is yielding to the movements of the Spirit. Parting from what once was, and entering into the new places the Lord is calling us to. Knowing that we are being given an abundance of grace, greater than all our expectations. Trusting that, like He did for Elisha, the Lord will give us the portion of the Spirit that we need to follow Him.
Sister, where is the Lord calling you? What fears are holding you back from giving Him your complete and total trust? Tell Him all your troubles, all your apprehensions, and step forward. Step forward and let Him lead you. This life of following the Lord is a pilgrimage to everlasting love.
Leana Bowler is a wife and mother of eight little ones. She is a Holy Rosary enthusiast with deep devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Her love for the message of Divine Mercy led her to become a Marian Missionary of Divine Mercy. She enjoys the miracles of family life, strong coffee, and encountering others on this journey to sainthood. She was a contributing author to And Hay Became Holy and Made New: 52 Devotions for Catholic Women.
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