The Parable of the Unfaithful Servant
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In this reflective poem, I am feeling that the Lord is moving to and fro and hard to find. I am being tossed about, like a cloud in the wind. The Lord seems to be hiding or far away, but then God reveals His truth to me in nature. Sit with me and reflect as we watch the clouds in the sky.
CLOUDS
I see so many clouds fill
The beautiful sky.
They seem to stand still
As the sun passes by.
We are the clouds that fill
Such a beautiful sky.
We seem to stand still
As the Lord passes by.
REFLECT: Remember a time when you watched the clouds, with the sun appearing to dart to and fro from cloud to cloud. Some of the clouds seem to miss the visit from the sun. Now think of a time when you felt that the Lord was distant. How did you feel?
Think now of the fact that sometimes the Lord seems to take care of others, but was slow to answer your prayers.
The wind is what makes clouds
Able to float about.
The wind gives life and freedom
That they cannot do without.
It is the wind that molds them
Into the shapes we see.
The wind swirls and folds them
Into whatever they should be.
REFLECT: Imagine watching the clouds move and change form. Now think of how the wind can blow you here and there, and you might feel you have no control over it. Write about a time you felt this way.
But aren’t we the ones who veer
And too often sway.
For a while we draw near,
And then we back away.
It’s the Spirit, like the wind
Working inside us
Who is the Lord’s hand
As gently He guides us.
REFLECT: Now imagine looking at the sky again, but this time, focus on how the sun stands still, and the clouds pass by it. It is the wind that moves the clouds. The wind can be friend or foe– it can be storms of life blowing us in every direction, or it can be the Spirit of the Lord guiding us. What does this mean to you?
It appears that the sun
Moves from this to that one.
That’s how it looks to us below,
But the clouds move–not the sun.
So the Lord is the sun,
And we are clouds in the sky.
The Lord is standing still,
As we are passing by.
REFLECT: Meditate upon how nature can reveal the great mysteries of God. The clouds are moving, and the sun is standing still. In the same way, we are the ones moving to and fro, while God remains constant and never-changing. Reflect upon how you can harness the wind from the Holy Spirit to shape you and move you closer to the Son of God.
Loreen Marie Derry is a Roman Catholic who worshiped in Charismatic Roman Catholic communities as a teen and in college. She earned a Bachelor's degree double major in Theology and Psychology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and Master's in Clinical Psychology from Slippery Rock University. For a time, she lived a life of wandering in faith, and then she and her husband found spiritual renewal in a Charismatic Protestant church that was very Spirit-filled and focused on the Word of God. In 2018, Loreen and her husband found a home at Ascension Catholic Community in Melbourne, FL. In 2020, Loreen walked beside her husband as a sponsor in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Being so inspired by this process and returning to the Church of her youth, she has continued reading theology and inspirational writings. As a result of this journey of faith, Loreen now writes devotionals, articles about faith, and poetry reflections. The focus of her works are spiritual reading for for new and renewed Catholic followers of Jesus Christ.
