Persevere in Prayer

Sometimes it seems that everything is going wrong.  We reach out to people and they don't respond, or they give us a surface response "what they think we'd like to hear" but no connection is actually made.  We find ourselves again and again overwhelmed by activity and resonsibility and can't seem to get on top of things.  We forget to do things, we lose things, we waste so much time looking for them.  The day ends and we have nothing to show for it, at least in our estimation.  Then we see a story on the news (good news for a change) that Oprah came to the rescue of a woman who lost both arms from the elbow down, and both legs from the knee down.  A handicapped friendly house was Oprah's gift.  Itself astounding, but to me even more astounding was the handicapped woman's totally joyful attitude toward life despite her affliction.  Rather than wallowing in self-pity, she sees the goodness that comes to us through hope and trust.  St. Paul tells us:  "Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer" (Rom 12:12).  A very succinct formula, any part of which could be come a mantra we might repeat over and over several times during the day.  Or if we need a further elaboration and want to spend more time with this notion, here is another apt passage:  "We urge you brothers and sisters, admonish the idle, cheer the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all. See that no one returns evil for evil; rather, always seek what is good [both]for each other and for all.  Rejoice always.  Pray without ceasing.  In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thess 14:-18).  If we see ourselves as  the idle, the fainthearted, the weak and see the need for patience with ourselves, we will find release from the negative attitudes that bring us down. If persevere in prayer along these lines we'll find that joyful attitude of the armless and legless woman.
Bro. Rene