In His Grip

In His Grip

Posted by on May 8, 2012 in Featured, Inspiration, Spirituality | 4 comments

As I write this I am still grieving the death of my dad who passed away on April 18. I have thought much about God’s many mercies during a difficult time and I wanted to share a few with you all.

How great are the sacraments! We arranged for a priest to visit my dad before he died. Even though dad was mostly asleep at the time, I knew that a great act of God’s mercy was taking place. What a consolation to me, and I’m sure to my dad’s soul, to hear the words of absolution and blessing spoken in faith.

Too often I take the sacraments for granted. On that grace-filled day I saw them as they are—holy encounters with Christ that restore us body and soul. I’m so grateful!

In my father’s last days, I wanted to pray the rosary for him because I believe it is a powerful prayer for the dying. But I’m not very good at praying the rosary, especially when I’m distracted. I had to spend many hours in the car going back and forth and I prayed along with the CD, The Rosary Project: A Celebration of Prayer and Song. Not only did this help me pray the rosary, but it brought palpable peace to my frazzled emotions. Little did I suspect that when I worked with Chris Padgett over a year ago to bring that product into existence that it would be such a blessing for me when I needed help to pray. God does work in strange ways.

Seeing the truth

I had to reschedule a meeting with an author during the days I was attending to my dad. He signed his e-mail response to me with this closing: “In his grip.” I thought about that a lot. I wasn’t doing too well at praying or at finding time to be quiet with God. But God was with me. I was in his grip. How often I feel I am desperately clinging to God, hoping not to lose my grasp. Those simple words helped me see so clearly the truth—he holds on to me. He won’t let me go. In the middle of the storms of life I will not be swept away.

What has helped you in times of sorrow and pain to connect to God? Have you experienced being in his grip?

Photo “Red Water Drops” from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 
 

About the Author

Louise Paré has spent the last 37 years in Catholic publishing and is currently a director of product development for Servant Books. She works from her home in Michigan, where she is an avid Detroit Tigers fan.
 
 
 
  • Anonymous

    Oh yes! Many times.

  • John Janaro

    Yes, I understand. Actually I wrote a book about that a little while ago, and you folks published it. It’s called NEVER GIVE UP: MY LIFE AND GOD’S MERCY. It is a personal story about my struggles with physical and mental illness, and about God’s continual goodness. Sometimes He works most deeply in our lives during times when we feel like we can’t find Him. But He always gives us what we truly need.

  • Fabian Husley

    Yessir, I feel that I am in “Gods grip” right now. When my wife of 66 years was laying
    in her hospital bed with the IV in her arm, and the attending physician told me that
    for my wife to continue living that the IV would have to be in her arm “24-7″ and he
    asked me if I felt that she would approve of that, I knew the decision was dfficult
    to make. My answer to his question was “No”. My Wife had been extremely active
    throughout her life with golf;tennis;walking, etc. The Doctor removed the IV, and five (5) hours later she took her final breath. I felt like a criminal then, and still feel that
    way, but I know that God will be the final Judge, and my Wife will have the final word
    on the subject. I confess, and continue to re-confess my actions when I am in the
    “Confessional”, and I pray that God will stay with me throughout my “Pilgrim Journey”
    on Earth.

  • Prairie Girl

    You have articulated exactly what I have experienced and feel. It has been several years since I lost my parents 6 months apart and now as I look back I know I was and I am always in His Grip!. I still have moments of tremendous sadness but more and more  I understand that is only because I am missing two very important people in my life. It is my faith that God is with me always that has brought me through even when or probably especially when I struggle. Until you experience it you really do not understand it and even then I am really not sure I do. I just know it gives me peace.