Looking back at the year 2014, I realize how blessed I am. I know so many people who have gone through so much this year. Illness, divorce, and horrific family problems. I feel like I got out of the way of the speeding train as it barreled along the track. Everything that happened to them, could easily have happened to me.

Why did terrible things happen to those I care about and not to me? Why were those I care about brought to their knees by their own illnesses or those of their loved ones? Why were families imploding when they were supposed to be enjoying “retirement?”

No answers will justify these hardships, but suffering is part of life. My friends accepted their experiences with a deep trust in God that somehow this is what they were to experience. They immersed themselves in their faith. My non-Christian friends are just glad this year is over and they are hopeful that 2015 will be much better. What about you? Was 2014 terrible for you or were you 1 of the lucky ones that got to look at everyone go through and suffer while you enjoyed life with hardly any problems? My heart breaks for all people that went through hell and suffered.

To me, Mother Angelica is the only one I know who understands and can explain suffering. If you’re looking back at the year 2014 in shock at what’s happened to you and yours, I hope this paragraph from her book Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality brings you some comfort:

When you are suffering you have the capability of achieving great things. You can:

1.Create great holiness and become a powerful witness to those around you.

2.By accepting your pain you are doing God’s Will in an awesome way.

3.By offering your pain to God, you save souls.

God is trusting you with pain; He is trusting you to accept it with love. Don’t miss the possibilities.

May God bless you abundantly in 2015 with faith and good health!
Shared with you by Pam Spano