God is Our Safety Net
I have been feeling a little lost lately after the recent passing of my dad. The tasks involved in handling my dad’s affairs have been so overwhelming at times that I have sometimes felt like I haven’t had the time to process his death and fully grieve. Since my mom died nearly ten years ago, it’s a strange feeling being in this world with no parents; so much so, that I have been asking myself, To whom do I go when I don’t know what to do? Do I really have to navigate this world without the safety net my parents have always provided for me?
Thankfully, attending the Build the Faith Women’s Retreat has left me feeling less vulnerable and more complete despite my parents’ passings. Why? Well, at the retreat we talked about prayer… in particular, the prayer Jesus taught us… the Lord’s Prayer. In it we pray, “Our Father….” Focusing on God as my Father, turned out to be just what I needed to pick myself up and keep going. Though I have always known that my true safety net has always and will always be God, reflecting on this prayer was a good reminder for me to lean on God when I don’t know what to do. It reassured me that God will always be there for me and He will always provide me with what I need in this life.
This beautiful, faith-filled retreat weekend recharged my spiritual battery and gave me the energy and resolve to continue with my responsibilities in regard to my dad’s estate. These past few weeks I have felt lighter and more productive. I also no longer feel lost. There is even an extra spring in my step!
As we all move forward into the month of November, the month when we as a Church remember the faithfully departed, let us take a moment to reflect on how our loved ones who have gone before us have impacted our lives and how they live on through us. Most churches have a Book of Remembrance where those who have died over the past year are recorded and prayed for at all masses said over the course of the month. Check with your local parish to see how you can remember your loved ones. Many churches have information on their website so you can do this over the internet from the comfort of home. You can also remember your loved ones at home through prayer. Here is a popular prayer said during the month of November:
Remember, O Lord,
Those who have died
And gone before us
Marked with a sign of faith
Especially those for whom we now pray (insert names of deceased loved ones).
May these and all those who sleep in Christ,
Find in Your presence,
Light, happiness, and eternal peace.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Perhaps what comforts me most now is realizing that God’s safety net doesn’t just catch us when we fall, it also connects us to others who help lift us back up. The friendships and faith community I’ve found through Build the Faith have reminded me that we are never meant to journey alone. When we open our hearts to God’s grace, He often sends His love through the people around us, those who listen, pray, and walk beside us in our times of loss. In that way, my parents’ love continues to live on, woven into the larger net of faith that holds me, and all of us, securely in God’s loving arms.
Deb Egan grew up in a Catholic family. Throughout her adult life, she has participated as a church volunteer in many capacities, including teaching Religious Education, being a Eucharistic Minister and Lector, Ministering to the elderly and homebound, and Facilitating Small Faith Groups. She has been trained by Evangelical Catholic and became a member of the Build the Faith Team in April of 2017.
