[caption id="attachment_4196" align="alignright" width="200"] Blog by Associate Mary Ellen George, OPA[/caption]
Sitting on my office desk is a heart-shaped pop-up note dispenser that was given to me as a gift. Posted on the dispenser are the words “GOD LOVES YOU” in uppercase letters. What a beautiful, simple way of keeping in sight a reminder of God’s affirming love. Sometimes we need to surround ourselves and others with messages of love.
There are many ways God shows us love and sometimes it’s the little things people do for us. For example, one frigid day, a gentleman saw me struggling with opening my car hood and came to help me. I thanked him for his kindness and felt in that moment that God sent him to help me. Just one of those messages of love and support that we can easily miss and shrug off as seemingly insignificant.
Driving into work one day, a vanity license plate with the words “I AM LOVD” caught my attention. The words could have been a self-affirmation for the driver or a message to those seeing the plate. Whatever the case, I thought it was one of those mystical moments of God sending a love message. May you see and hear the love messages God is sending to you today.
We can be messengers of hope and love, not only around Valentine’s Day, but every day. We can seek out opportunities to be agents of God’s message of love in simple and creative ways that may have a profound impact on another person’s life. To realize that we have the power within us to be vessels of God’s love and compassion is something to reflect on. Or, as Mother Teresa once said, “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world” because she notes also that “I believe God loves the world through us—through you and me.”
If we believe that we are indeed made in the image and likeness of God, we can meet God in the crossroads of our life’s experience and see that God is always with us. So if today you hear God’s voice or feel God’s presence, take heart and know that God loves you. And, if you need a reminder, create a post-it note and place it on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator to see every day.
If you are eager to spread God’s love to others, why not consider being God’s disciple as a religious sister. One of our Vocation Ministers will be happy to discern how God is calling you. Click here for the names and contact information to reach one of our sisters. Or, you may want to join us at our upcoming “Come and See” retreat, which is being held March 9-11, 2018 at our Columbus Motherhouse. This free retreat is a great opportunity for personal reflection and to explore Dominican life, meet our Sisters, and share in our community life.