What are the impossible situations you are facing?
Maybe Saint Patrick can be your friend in these hard times... and hold on to this prayer of his as you arise in courage...
What’s an impossible situation you are facing?
Are you caught up in a turbulent time of waiting?
Challenging circumstances swirling around you with no tangible way to get control, to stand, to escape? Maybe Saint Patrick can be your friend?
A fourth-century young British man of talent with his whole life ahead of him. Then, shockingly, out of nowhere he is caught by cruel Irish raiders who drag him back to their homeland across the isle, enslaving him.
As expected he becomes embittered and hard-hearted. And with great courage, he escapes.
Unexpectedly he makes his way to Rome.
There his spirit is set free of his bitterness and hard-heartedness by the love of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He experiences the forgiveness of sins, and then forgives those who enslaved him.
Even more unexpectedly he became an ordained minister in the Church of Rome.
And even more unexpectedly he chose to return to the home of his raiders who enslaved him, to set them free from their bondage to sin, slavery, raiding, and violence.
It’s almost too much to take in, but unexpectedly- it worked!
More to the point, God worked powerfully through “Patrick” - his new name to go with his new calling and purpose and power. They say that the whole of Ireland was healed, rescued, and set free, unexpectedly.
And here we are still talking about it seventeen centuries later…
What are you expecting to happen these days?
What would it look like, inspired by Saint Patrick, to be open to the unexpected work of God in and through your life?
The sun was so beautiful this “Patrick-inspired” morning, as I arose from the kitchen table to head to my next task, I was unexpectedly reminded of this adapted prayer attributed to the British saint of Ireland; may it be an unexpected blessing to you as well:
“I arise today through the strength of heaven, the light of the sun, God’s strength to pilot me, Christ’s might to uphold me, the Spirit’s wisdom to guide me.
I arise today in the strengh of the love that Christ Jesus has for me, I arise to face this day with the loving Christ before me and behind me, beneath me and above me, on my right and my left, all around me and within me.
I arise with Christ, in love.
Amen.”