When everything seems lost, when everything seems hopeless, where there is so much uncertainty in your future, when you are about to give up and give in, when you seem paralyzed by what is going on in your life, you can be rest assured that you are not alone, that whatever struggle and hurt you are experiencing in your life at the present moment is not the end. When everything seems hopeless, you can count on Jesus for healing, peace of mind, hope, comfort, and new beginnings. But these do not magically appear, and they will not come to us unless we are willing to have them. If our lives then are to find peace, healing, or hope in the middle of all these uncertainties or hurts and paralyzing guilt and hopelessness, the gospel reading for this 7th Sunday invites us to consider doing a few things: Do not shut yourself out — let your friends in to help, offer and seek forgiveness, and say, “Yes, Lord.” Click here to listen.