New in our relationship, I was desperate (16 years old desperate) to see my boyfriend again. He had been gone for an eternity – as I remember it, almost two weeks. His whole family had travelled back to England to visit relatives, so far away. I still hold on to the letters and cards we exchanged while we were separated. When he finally returned from his trip, I remember seeing him from a short distance, arriving at my house. The sudden joy I experienced stirred my heart and quickened my feet as I ran towards him for his welcoming embrace. Oh, to be a teenager in love for the first time . . .
So, when I read this quote during my morning prayers, it stirred something inside me. “When we pray we go to meet Christ Who is coming to us. If our Creator and Savior comes from heaven with such
great love, it is only fitting that we should go to meet Him. And this is what we do when we spend some time in prayer.” – St. Bernardine of Siena.
I imagined as I was reading this, what I would do if, from a distance, I saw Jesus walking towards me. I can say I felt myself propelling forward. I felt like I was running with all my strength to meet Him. My legs would be shaking, my arms stretched out in front and my whole self, body and soul, preparing to meet Jesus’ awaiting embrace. Funny, I think of Jesus as sitting next to me in prayer, being present in church and even with me during my day; but this picture in my mind of physically running towards Him left me a little breathless and my heart yearning more, even throughout the rest of my day.
You and I should always be running full of love, joy and anticipation to meet Jesus. It doesn’t matter where we are in life, be it sorrow, contentment, confusion, happiness and even in times of desperation, if we can just recognize His face as he meets us where we are, our feet and our heart will never hesitate to run into His arms. How filled with joy we will be!
“He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.” 2 Samuel 22:34
From God's Lips 