This was a difficult week for me spiritually. There are times when the ugliness of the world gets me down and I have difficulty maintaining my joy in being a Christian. This was one of those weeks with the terrorist attack in Charleston. At first, I was not able to identify why I was feeling distant from God. Then I started to talk about how I felt with some sisters and God revealed what was really on my heart; anger, frustration, and fear. For me, it is difficult to feel the pain in the world and maintain my joy, peace, and passion in serving the Lord. This is why I go weeks without watching the news. As I allowed others to lift me up, one sister (and my daughter) reminded me that the terrorist attacker is under the influence of Satan and my response to pull away from God is exactly what Satan wants me to do.
I am working on recognizing the decline of our society and the persistent hatred throughout the ages as the work of Satan. And, I am trying to laugh in his face because of my firm faith that God still sits on the throne.