Published by guest blogger Kathy Brents
I started praying the Novena of the Sacred Heart again today. I prayed it for the first time last year. I love the words of this novena because it reminds me of some of the promises that Jesus has made us, such as…
“O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of…”
“O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” 
Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of…”
“O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of…”
Quoted text excerpts from praymorenovenas.com
As I started praying the novena this morning, the words brought back memories of praying this same novena last year as everything in my life was starting to come to a head, blowing apart, my marriage, my home, my career…at times trying to force myself to keep praying as I was being screamed at, as household objects were being hurled around the house by my (about to be) ex-husband, just praying through tears of bitter desperation pretty much that after 29 years it was all coming unglued. As things continued to deteriorate in my life, at times I would lament in my heart the seemingly-failed, obviously-ignored novena.
But now looking back after the passage of a year I am shocked and humbled to see how my prayers through this novena have been more powerfully answered than I could have imagined. Maybe not as I thought they would be, but I also didn’t dare to dream very high back then. Instead of fixing what I thought was broken, I think God wanted to show me that this life was beyond repair. He put me in a situation that forced me to come to the desert, sent me to St. Jude’s, gave me a chance at a brand new life literally rebuilt from nothing, My eyes have been opened. So much pain to that process, but now not as much, not as often. Now there is actually joy, more and more. Friends that I truly love, less chaos, more peace, a more deliberate life, purple mountains majesty, and unspeakably more! I had the chance to turn the focus of my life towards God and bask in the glow of his love shining on my face. I have had to trust and grow and do things that have completely terrified me at times. But I have not been alone in this and I am not alone now.
It isn’t over by any means. God is still answering my prayers from last year’s novena, as there are many changes happening in my life that I can see God’s hand in, friendships rooted in God, oh my wonderful Lord! And I am starting to dream higher now, as I understand that sometimes the answers to my prayers are things I once could never have fathomed. I think if you pray with faith that God will answer your prayers, he will – maybe in unexpected ways, maybe not in easy ways, but the right answers, the answers that can fill your life with joy, bring you closer to him…if you will move. I can hardly wait to see where saying yes to God will take me this year, as I continue to ask and to seek and to knock.
Outstanding Kathy!
That's what I think traditional Christians would call a testimony.
Way cool.
Posted by: Rick aka Mr. Brutally Honest | Wednesday, June 03, 2015 at 01:55 PM