Hi hi.
I hope you’ve been well. First question you may ask is, “Mimidoo, where have you been?” Truthfully, I don’t know the answer to that either.😭😂
What I do know is that due to a variety of reasons, this is a difficult season for some. I know people who are fighting all sorts of battles from health issues to loss to exhaustion to discouragement to hopelessness to fear to deep sadness. Sometimes, it just seems like life is dealing us blow after blow and everything gets overwhelming.
If that has been you at any point, I would like to encourage you today with this letter.
Some weeks back, this was the responsorial psalm at Mass and the line highlighted struck me deeply:
(Psalm 77(78):18-19,23-28)
R: The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
In their heart they put God to the test
by demanding the food they craved.
They even spoke against God.
They said: ‘Is it possible for God
to prepare a table in the desert?’
R: The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Yet he commanded the clouds above
and opened the gates of heaven.
He rained down manna for their food,
and gave them bread from heaven.
R: The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Mere men ate the bread of angels.
He sent them abundance of food;
he made the east wind blow from heaven
and roused the south wind by his might.
R: The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
He rained food on them like dust,
winged fowl like the sands of the sea.
He let it fall in the midst of their camp
and all around their tents.
R: The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
I began to think about the circumstances surrounding this psalm. The Israelites had been in captivity for so long in Egypt. God finally rescued them when He sent Moses and at every point of this deliverance, He showed His power and His greatness. From the plagues to the final release to crossing the Red Sea, He showed them His might. Only the Creator of the heavens and earth could wield such power.
Now they were in the desert and all of sudden, realized that they didn’t have food. The Israelites then quickly forgot all these previous marvelous deeds and began to grumble; “At least we had food in Egypt. At least we could eat meat and different vegetables in captivity”. Can you imagine? They wanted to go back to slavery because of the variety of food. But I don’t blame them because many of us are like the Israelites.
We forget so quickly how God has rescued us COUNTLESS times in the past. We live as though His power reduces after each miracle. If you believe He is still as powerful as He was when He delivered you the last time, why do you think this time will be any different?
So the Israelites asked if it was possible for God to create a table in the desert. A very valid question because a desert is dry, sandy, without water and just looks barren. Where would food come from to feed them all? Where would shade come from? Where would water come from? Would there be no more meat?
Many of us are asking the same question in our hearts this day. Right now, it seems like you’re in the desert and it just doesn’t look like there’s a table being set up for you. You look to the left and to the right and all you see are problems, unanswered prayers and worries. And you ask like the Israelites, HOW can God set a table for me right now? It’s impossible.
But you forget one thing, Impossible is where God starts.
I’ve come to realize that often, God will wait till we’re at our wits end, until the midnight hour before He acts. He does this so that when He acts, you will know without a doubt that only He could have done it. When we still feel like we have some control, He just waits till we actually surrender. He waits till you’ve exhausted all your options before he comes into the picture and sets a table for you in the desert.
The psalm continues by saying that God commanded the clouds above to open and He rained down food on the Israelites, mere men ate the food of angels. He didn’t just give them manna, He gave them quail, He gave them water, He gave them a pillar of cloud by day to shield them from the heat and a pillar of light by night so they could see. He thought of everything and He prepared a table for them.
That’s the same God you believe in.
That’s the same God you call Abba, Father.
That’s the same God that has you engraved on the palm of His hand.
That’s the same God that calls you by name.
Is He less powerful today than He was when He parted that Red Sea or Fed the Israelites with the bread from heaven? The answer is no.
He is still as powerful, He is still the same God.
And He can set a table in this desert you seem to be in.
The question now is if you believe. You may not have unwavering faith right now as you may be holding on by a thread. If that is you, we have a friend in the gospel of Mark 9:24 who said some powerful words you can repeat: “I believe Lord, help my unbelief”.
We serve a God who sees and hears us. A God who cares deeply about us and only wants the best for us. Even in the darkness, He remains good for the darkness has not overcome Him and will never be able to. So hold on to hope. Believe that this table can become a reality.
God rained food on the Israelites like dust, it fell all around them. May blessings rain upon your life like dust. May answered prayers surround you like dust. May joy ring in your heart again. May good tidings surround you and the ones you love.
Hold on to hope dear friend, God can be trusted. Even in this dark time, He can still make a way. Even at this roadblock, He can create a path for you. He has promised to take care of You till you are old and grey and He keeps His promises.
Dear friend, hold on to hope.
I’m rooting for you, always.
🖋️Quote of the week:
“The Effort Paradox: the more effortless something looks, the more effort was put in to look that way.
Whether you're an athlete, artist, entrepreneur, or blend of all three. It's the work you do in the dark--the empty gyms, early mornings, and unseen reps that allows you to shine in the light.
As the saying goes,
“You earn your trophies at practice,
you just pick then up at competitions.”
-Unknown
If you missed the last letter, you can read it here:
"I’ve come to realize that often, God will wait till we’re at our wits end, until the midnight hour before He acts. He does this so that when He acts, you will know without a doubt that only He could have done it." Ken Iti Na
The only comment I can think of
This was so timely😭 God bless you and thank you for sharing🥹💕