Monday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time
Gen 28:10-22
Mt 9:18-26
“Be sure I am with you; I will keep you safe wherever you go…”
There will come a time in our lives when we feel as alone as Jacob did when he left his home. The journey stretches before us through unfamiliar territory, the scorching sun will wear us down, and it will be a constant effort to put one foot in front of the other. Some days, we will struggle to even get up to face another day. How do you trust in God to make things better when you feel utterly alone in this world with only your problems and the thoughts inside your head as your companions?
I am having those days — I am so filled with doubt and fear that I don’t know which way to think.
It’s hard when you can’t see the future. You can’t plan for something so uncertain. I think Jacob must have felt that too. There was no way to prepare for what he did not know; in fact, he only had his staff with him. But God blessed him and promised him, “Be sure that I am with you, I will keep you safe wherever you go.” And Jacob trusted in God to fulfil His plan.
Fear, doubt, depression, anxiety… There is something about such negative feelings that prevent us from leaving our ‘safe shores’ to get to the other side of salvation, so we remain stuck because we are afraid to act. It does take a little bit more than faith to step out of our comfort zone. It takes courage as well. The bleeding lady in today’s Gospel reading is an example of what courage and faith can do. She had dared to touch Jesus’ cloak even though she was scared to do so, because she trusted that Jesus could heal her. The official whose daughter had died asked Jesus to bring her back to life despite the odds, because he dared to have the courage to believe in the impossible.
I don’t know yet if I have the courage to take the next step, or if it is the right decision. Am I still afraid? Indeed, I am. But I have nothing to lose, so I will strike in the direction that I see fit and trust that God will guide me. I will trust in the promise He made to Jacob, that He is always with me. I will depend on His protection and the certainty that He will be with me till the very end.
(Today’s Oxygen by Annette Soo)
Prayer: Lord God, Heavenly Father, I’m faced with all this uncertainty and I don’t know if I’m making the right decisions, but I trust that You will be with me all the way, come what may.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord, for not abandoning me. Thank you for the promise, and for not letting go of my hand.
OXYGEN 
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