Maria Abbe on Psalm 139
She Speaks is a conversation series that launches with each Ruah book.
For each She Speaks, we ask five women to answer the same three reflective questions about one meaningful theme.
It's an honor for us to share the heartfelt words of these women. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, cozy up, and enjoy!
Wisdom from Maria Abbe
On Psalm 139
When you read Psalm 139, which word or verse(s) speaks most deeply to you? Why?
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. (Psalm 139:16) I love this psalm, because it’s a psalm of hope for those who are in the middle of their journey home to Heaven. It’s filled with so much goodness, it’s hard to pick just one verse or word, but if I have to pick just one, it’s Psalm 139:16. I like to think of life as a story book. Some has already been written, but there are a lot of blank pages left to be filled out. Reading this verse reminds me of this analogy in the most perfect way - our Lord has a book for each of us. And I imagine there’s a library in Heaven filled with billions of stories, all uniquely created. And this comparison also shows the sanctity of each person’s life. We live in a world now where we shoot for the masses - how many followers can we get on social media, how can we make the biggest impact, how can we reach more people - and we forget that each individual person has a story. This verse reminds me that I have my own God-written story and so does everyone around me.
What does it mean to be “enough”? How does feeling enough or not feeling enough play out in your everyday life? How does it affect your relationship with God?
To be “enough,” means to see yourself as a true child of God. To be rooted in who you are as He created you, and not as the world tells you to be. It means taking the time in prayer and reflection to discover your true authentic self. That’s the self that doesn’t have to try to do or be anything else. It’s the self that’s pure, well-formed in faith, and constantly looking for and living in the light.
For me, being enough is something I have to remind myself of every single day. It’s so easy to get caught up in what’s going on in the world - what everyone else is doing and what the new trends are - I have to make sure I don’t become preoccupied with what the world says, and instead focus on where God is calling me each and every day. Reminding myself of this, brings me closer to God, because He must be my lighthouse. He must be the one navigating me each and every day, or else I’ll fall prey to the pettiness of this world. So, in essence, it brings me closer to Him.
If you could offer yourself wisdom on this subject what would it be? What does your heart need to hear today?
Keep going. Keep fighting the good fight. I recently dove into some of the readings from St. Faustina’s diary, and was reminded of Jesus’s love and mercy. His words to St. Faustina were exactly what I needed to hear in the moment, because they reminded me that if I stay close to Him and cling to His mercy I will see eternal life. It opened up my eyes to how we can use our suffering for good. And it showed me that I am good and enough, because He is good and enough, and He is the one who created me. Right now, at this and every stage in life, it is my responsibility to be a living testimony for Him. And for me that’s all I need to know that I am enough.
About Maria Abbe
Maria is the effervescent mind behind RunningMyselfTogether, a blog on faith, running, and mental health. She’s an RRCA Certified run coach and leads a run club in Charlotte NC, called ARC Running. Needless to point out (though we will anyways), running is a big part of her life. She was never a runner growing up, but has come to see the immense value running can have in a holistic approach to living a good, healthy life. You can contact Maria at maria@runningmyselftogether.com with questions, thoughts, speaking/guest blogging opportunities, and run coach inquiries.
INSTAGRAM: @RunningMyselfTogether
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/runningmyselftogether
BLOG: www.runningmyselftogether.com