I believe in a Higher Power, but I’ll admit, I am not at all religious. I shirk away from people who make it their business to ask if I go to church, as if that in and of itself made me a good person. People who somehow manage to insert and expound upon Biblical verses in the midst of the most ordinary of conversations also turn me off. It isn’t that I don’t have high regard for The Book, but I believe actions speak louder than words. There are people who have obviously devoted much time to memorizing passages from the Bible, while at the same time not practicing what they preach. As far as I’m concerned, people like this are hypocrites.

I try very hard to see the good in everyone, and if someone ruffles my feathers, I close my eyes, breathe, and, in my way, pray. My prayers are simple and to the point because God knows what I am thinking. Such a day was yesterday when a friend vented her disappointment and anger on Facebook about a magazine article I had written. I had done my part; I had written the article and submitted relative photographs to the editor. From then on it is out of my hands. When the magazine finally hit the newsstands this week, I notified everyone whom I had interviewed, giving fair warning that the editor makes final decisions about what is and what is not in each article.

Soon I got a message from this interviewee, and it was obvious that she was upset about her photograph not being included in the article for which I had interviewed her. My reply was that I, too, was disappointed, because it would have added much to that particular article, but the final decision was not mine to make. I assumed that was the end of that, but it wasn’t. Her anger spilled out on a vague Facebook message, which in turn garnered sympathetic and inquisitive responses from some of her friends. Luckily, it happened at the end of my workday, so I powered down the computer and headed home, all the way thinking about how I would respond to her post. Or if I even needed to.

Something told me to consult Daily Word, inspirational messages with themes like hope, healing, and guidance. One such message is emailed to me each day, and it has become as vital a part of my morning routine as my first cup of coffee. If I skip either, I am off-kilter for the rest of the day. The app allows me to save the messages that hit home, and I hoped I would find just the right one for this situation.

My intuition was spot-on; my eyes focused to a Daily Word message dated many decades ago: June 7, 1950. The theme was gaining emotional control through the peace and love of God, or whomever or whatever that Higher Power is for us. We are reminded to be calm, and to let that inner peace direct our responses to say or write things that will bless the situation and not aggravate it. I realized that my own emotions, and just not hers, needed to be regulated because the more I thought about what had been posted, my feathers had become very ruffled.

When I finished reading that particular message, a calming stillness seemed to wash over me, and I felt directed to share the message with my friend. She responded in a very kind way, and said that she sincerely appreciated the message I sent. Still, her post remained on Facebook, and I couldn’t help but think about it all last night, up until the time I went to sleep.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered this morning that the post was gone! Had the Daily Word message softened her heart and changed her attitude? I know it did mine. And as simple as it seems, instances such as this is how my Higher Power reaches me. This is how I know He is.