The future can be a daunting reality and can fill us with great anxiety or fear. We don't know what will happen next and that can frighten us.
However, with God, our heart can be set at ease and joy can fill us with a peace we never thought possible. St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross knew well what it meant to trust in God when the future looked bleak. She lived in the midst of World War II and as a Jewish convert to the Catholic faith, her life was in the crosshairs of the Nazis.
Yet, through it all she was able to maintain a confident trust in God and remain joyful throughout her suffering. This can be clearly seen in this prayer she composed, which can help us look toward the future in hope, rather than fear.
O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You. Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me. I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived where the horizon now closes down, a new prospect will open before me and I shall meet with peace.
