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In All Things

How Do You Find God in Tough Times?

James Martin, S.J.January 07, 2010

Look backward.

When God seems asleep in our lives, or not present, or when we want to say "Don't you care?" sometimes it's best to look backwards and see where God has already been. Looking for God in the past helps you trust that God is with you in the present, and will be in your future, too. No matter how stormy life gets. 

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James Martin, SJ 

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15 years 5 months ago
Great reminder. " Life must be lived forward, but can only be understood backwards ".

Soren Kierkegaard
Margaret Riordan
15 years 5 months ago
I'm not sure that looking back to the past is the best place for all of us to find God, especially those of us who had some kind of trauma in childhood and teen years, eg facing the loss of parents. I was one who screamed out to God as a teen for help when my parents died, and it was difficult to believe that any help came. It is only now, decades later, that I can see how fortunate I was that several good people who were believers in God took me under their wings.
For me, it is easier to find God in a place that might be strange for others..... I see Jesus more as a companion on a walk into the forest and mountains where difficulties and joys might lie in wait.

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