Signposts: Daily Devotions

Written by Renée Miller

Monday, April 21

O my strength, I will watch for you; for you, O God, are my fortress.
—Psalm 59:9

There are times when life presses down so hard upon us that we feel as if we can hardly breathe. We struggle underneath a weight so heavy that the air itself seems compressed and flat. While the ache and sorrow are almost more than we can bear, we are often more awake and aware at times of crisis than at any other times in our life. This is, perhaps, one of the great graces of suffering. Every cell stands at attention and life is fully real. There are no illusions, no sleeping through the struggle.

In our painful wakefulness we find our soul straining for the glance of heaven. We seek either a release from the suffering or a reason for it. We wait, we watch, we wait, we watch. We pour out our heart in prayer and look for the signs that heaven has heard.

And then the moment comes. The Holy One lifts from us the misery that has held us captive. We find we have been plumped up again with hope. Our heart fills with gratitude, and we realize that the suffering that was so unwelcome has actually brought us closer to the love and touch of God.

O God, when suffering blinds me to the goodness of life; waken me by the heat of your love.

The Signposts for April are written by Renée Miller and originally appeared on explorefaith.org in May 2004.