More from Lory Widmer Hess

In the months between writing my meditation and its publication in The Upper Room, Luca left the residential home for adults with developmental challenges where I had been working with him. Now he is living with his family and working nearby. It was sad to see him go, but I felt blessed to have had the opportunity to watch him grow so much in confidence and security that he could take this step. It showed me all the more that when we trust our loving God to take us by the hand and lead us, we will find the way we need to go.

Recently that lesson resonated in my own life as my husband, who had been working in the same organization as I do, found himself facing health issues and had to consider retiring sooner than he had planned. It was difficult for him to let go of his idea of how the future should be, but once he released those self-generated images and committed to listening to the messages coming from his body, the path forward became clear. After a lifetime of putting aside his own needs for those of others, he is now hearing the call to take care of himself.

His openness to learning new things and finding joy in everyday achievements, like discovering that after a few weeks of practice he’s able to ride his bike up a hill, is an inspiration to me. As I continue discerning my own way forward, it's helped me remember that the voice of God speaks to us from without and within, in everything that touches us. It is sometimes challenging to hear that call, especially when the messages seem strange or uncomfortable, but when we get into connection with it, it really does make our path straight and clear.

If you’d like to connect with me, please visit my website, lorywidmerhess.com, where I share more of my writing about life’s challenges and God’s blessings.