392nd Meditation
“Nothing should you consider as an obstacle on the way to the Lord. Do not pay so much attention to whether you are enthusiastic or discouraged. It is part of our condition of exile to change thus from one state of mind to the next. At such times, believe that He never changes, that in His goodness He always bends over you to draw you in and shelter you” (St. Elizabeth of the Trinity).
Wise advice from a saint….
Too easily we consider our momentary state of mind as the criterion for examining our relationship with our Heavenly Father. However, this is erroneous, because, as Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity rightly points out, our emotional states can change rapidly. Moreover, the spirits of evil like to use our feelings to attack us. Through them, it is easy for them to confuse us. Therefore, one of the essential things in spiritual formation is not to allow ourselves to be irritated by the fluctuations of our feelings.
The important thing is to fix our gaze on God. Our Father does not change. And if we have not done anything objective that could take us away from Him and that we should put in order, there is no reason to worry about our relationship with Him.
Our Father is the safe harbor in which we find our home. If we bring this to our memory, making an act of faith, then the restlessness or the storm of emotions will dissipate and calm will return, as happened to that boat in the midst of the storm on the Sea of Galilee, which did not sink because the Lord rebuked the winds (Mt 8:26).
We must fix our gaze on Him, without allowing ourselves to be carried away by the impulse of restlessness. Our Father will see us when we seek Him and will grant us His gentle presence, capable of calming all storms.