Jesus, take the wheel

Jesus, take the wheel
Take it from my hands‘
Cause I can't do this on my own

I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Jesus, take the wheel

Anyone knows this song? Maybe some of you know this song is sang by Carrie Underwood. Although it's not a song that we used to sing during prayer meeting, but for me this song has a deep meaning. A reminder that in every problems, we don't face it alone because we have our God that is always beside us.

This month is supposed to be a joyful month for me. First is because we have Christmas day plus Vincent and Desh wedding. Though everything didn't  run smoothly as what I want. Many things happened this month. Last week, my mom was sick and maybe some of you guys who read the email knows and already prayed for my mom. I’d like to say thank you so much for your prayer because now she’s getting better and better. Last week I feel very down and emotional because my mom asked me to come to accompany her but I can’t. If I have to explain it’s just too complicated. I was so worry about her and thank God she wants to visit the doctor and took the medicine. Frankly, she doesn’t like to visit doctor and when she feels unwell she would prefer natural treatments which don’t have side effects. Compared to me, I seldom use natural treatments and used medicine prescribed by the doctors. However, my mom told me not to take too much medicine because it is not good for your health later. Because of that, nowadays I try my best not to take my Farmacrol Forte (medicine for gastric which I always bring). Sometimes I just pray when I feel sick and let God healed me. Like for example during midnight, I tend to feel heart burn, but I just surrender and pray for God that in the name of Jesus, I can be healed and the problems will go away. Praise God, it works. 

Thank God also nowadays my gastric problem is not as severe as I was in the past during my high school. Even I was sent to the hospital because I couldn’t take care of myself well. That was a very difficult time for me though. I really give praise to Him that I can survive. I remember when I felt that I almost lost my consciousness, my father asked me to pray Hail Mary together. I remember that I keep vomiting until few days and managed to lose my weight up to 8kg. Maybe through this God has answered my prayer to lose weight in the fastest way :p. Sometimes God answer my prayer in the wiser way than what I thought it should be. Because of this situation, God reminded me again to eat properly at proper time and also to take a good care of myself.

On the same day, when my mom was sick, my father’s flight back to Manado didn’t go well. According to schedule, he should have transit at Makassar, but instead of going there, the plane went to Bali. The weather he said was terrible. It was raining heavily and the wind was strong. Even when he was already in Makassar and ready to take off, the weather still was not so good. It was stormy and cloudy. Thank God he can reach Manado safely.

Last night, with other Emmausians, we went to Church of St Mary for the penitential service. It was just wonderful that God has granted a time for me to have peace between Him and myself, for me to acknowledge some, maybe not all my sins and mistakes I did to Him, my parents, and others. I really want to have this Christmas meaningful for me and my family, to be united again in Christ and for all of us to learn how to forgive each other. May the Lord grant us peace in our days.

I’d also like to share Prayer of St. Francis from the Advent Reflections 2010 booklet, a prayer that I feel very meaningful:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there’s doubt, faith; where there’s despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there’s sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love,; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we’re born to Eternal Life .Amen

-          Prayer of St Francis

Peace, Love, Joy, and Hope

Preily Picelia Karamoy