Every morning I get up a few hours earlier than everyone else and have my coffee, meditate, pray and reflect. Today I am reminded of something that happened in 2010 that I’d like to share with you.

It seemed like every few days (while driving here and there) I would drive past this billboard that would grab my attention. Have you ever had that happen? As if this billboard was scattered throughout different places and were put there just for you? Ok, maybe that’s not the case but it sure seems that way when something draws our attention and speaks to us out of the blue.

It actually is a billboard advertising Provena – St. Joseph Hospital and it reads “FEEL THE DIFFERENCE FAITH MAKES.”

Last year was a very difficult year for me and my family. Trying to adjust to a new way of life in Chicago, experiencing financial difficulties and all sorts of challenges yet every time I would get into the car and drive to an appointment, an event at a business, or just the grocery store I would see this sign “FEEL THE DIFFERENCE FAITH MAKES and I would be reminded to have faith, even and especially when circumstances are screaming quite the opposite.

If you’ll allow me (and since it’s MY blog) I’d like to share a little of my devotional from this morning that addresses this.

“Be satisfied with the condition in which God places you no matter what it is, no matter how difficult it seems at the moment. Pains and sufferings would be a paradise to me while I should suffer with the help of my God, and the greatest pleasures would be pure hell to me if I could experience them, without Him.  What comforts us in this life is when we SEE HIM by faith; when we can say, ‘I believe no more, but I SEE‘. This is faith. God often permits that we should suffer a little to purify our souls (mind, will and emotions) and asks us to continue on with Him, even through the difficulty. Take courage, offer Him your pain always, pray to Him for strength not to get out of them, but to endure them making you conformable to His holy will – whatever that entails – simply in Faith alone. Comfort yourselves with Him who is the only Physician of all our maladies and in faith alone, which will not fail us in our time of need but will be our support and the foundation of our confidence, which must be all in God.” (taken from The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence)

Sometimes we can get so overwhelmed with the “stuff” of life; caring for others, dealing with illness or whatever and we need simple reminders to get us back on track such as my billboard in the sky, “FEEL THE DIFFERENCE FAITH MAKES.”