Do Not Lose Heart

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:1-8

I come from a family who prays and from generations of people who prayed in the face of insurmountable odds and perilous situations. My ancestors prayed on the trail of tears. What looked like the end became another painful chapter in our history. But God did not leave us or abandon us. We persisted in prayer and despite the worst thrown at us and so many, our people are thriving once again.

Jesus told the disciples a parable, a story of faith. An widow persists until justice is done. In the face of corruption, greed and indifference, the woman came until the judge gave in from exhaustion. God does not moved for us from exhaustion but rather with love and compassion. The Creator is always open to our petitions, moving mountains and hearts for the love of creation. We are reminded today to pray without ceasing.

Today I ask God to help me not lose heart. May we respond to every challenge through prayer, being quick to ask for God's help. May we always seek divine guidance and intervention, trusting that God has a solution despite our desperation and confusion. Whatever journey we find ourselves on, may we trust God to be with us through the journey's end.