October 7, 2022

Guest Column / Richard Etienne

Trust that our merciful God will provide for you each day

Richard EtienneNot long ago, I was given this quote by my spiritual director: “Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love and the future to God’s providence.”

How different—and fantastic—would life be if a person attempted to truly live in such a manner?

As I reflect on my life, I become aware of just how often I spend unnecessary energy rehashing the past and wondering what would be if “things had been different”—if I had not made some of my negative choices in life?

Have you ever wondered if God could possibly forgive you for something that you did in the past? Do you truly believe that God is merciful and forgiving if you are truly sorry? And in the present, do you wonder if you are worthy of God’s continued love right here and now?

A good deal of anxiety in the present moment could be dispensed if a person could proceed daily knowing that God’s love surrounds them, that God wants only good for them, and that God’s love does not depend on a vague event that will somehow materialize in the future.

Briefly consider how much energy you have exhausted while worrying about the future. Do you really believe God has a plan for you? Can you be more patient and peaceful as you wait for that plan to unfold in God’s time?

In the Gospel of Luke, we read, “Do not worry about your life and what you will eat, or about your body and what you will wear. … Notice the ravens: they do not sow or reap. … Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil or spin” (Lk 12: 22, 24, 27).

How different would life be if a person seriously believed that God will provide for them, like the lilies of the field and the birds of the air?

Why not take a few moments now—and each day—to sit quietly and reflect on these thoughts: that God is merciful, that you are loved and that God will always provide for you?

It can make simply breathing in each moment a much easier task.
 

(Richard Etienne has a degree in theology from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad and resides in Newburgh, Ind.) †

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