Paddling Home

I am a firm believer that the Word of God is alive and active. In other words, if we allow it, it will ‘hit’ us at where we are at in our lives. God knows exactly what we need in a given situation.

I was reading a daily reflection and it was based on Paul’s letter Phil 3:12-16 where Paul says, “One thing I do; Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead”. The reflection was titled ‘Paddling Home’.

Paul’s quote and this title hit a cord with me because I am very conscious at the moment of a young wife and mother, in her early forties, who succumbed after a two year brave battle with cancer.

Paul’s words say to me that this lady has been paddling through much suffering and knowing one day that she will leave her husband and children and leave this world behind and paddle into her reward into eternal life.

I would pray that the she would forget what was behind with her suffering, her unfulfilled hopes of beating her cancer and paddle through the smooth waters of the love of her husband and children, and family and friends to receive that ultimate and perfect love of a God who welcomes her into the depths of his love and tells her, her paddling is over.

Fr Michael