My beautiful Tewahedo Orthodox sister, how often do we leave the house in a rush for work, school, or an appointment without pausing to consider that we may not return?
So often, we take life’s greatest blessings for granted. We step outside carrying worries, pain, and unfinished thoughts. Our hearts become consumed with what is wrong, what is missing, and what feels heavy.
Yet the simple act of leaving home and returning safely is not ordinary at all. It is a quiet miracle, a daily mercy from God that we often overlook.
Every safe return is an unseen protection, a mercy we may not fully notice until we walk back through our door again. Many leave home with fear in their hearts and exhaustion in their bodies, facing long hours, uncertain roads, and silent dangers, all to fulfill responsibilities, provide for their families, and keep life moving forward.
Coming home safely is never something small. It is a reason to be grateful, to pause, and to acknowledge the grace that carried you through another day. Gratitude does not erase hardship, but it reminds you that you endured, that you survived, and that you were given another chance.
One thing my spiritual father has told me, and it has stayed with me deeply, is this: before leaving your home, always seal yourself with the sign of the Cross and say a prayer, asking for God’s protection and for the intercessions of His saints, especially the prayers of our blessed mother Saint Mary, to guard your journey.
No matter how busy the day feels or how rushed you may be, never underestimate the power of beginning your journey with prayer. There is comfort in knowing that God goes before you, walks beside you, and watches over your return. Entrust your going out and your coming in into His hands, knowing that true safety is found in His mercy, care, and protection.
“The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.”
—Psalm 121:8 (NKJV)—
Selam Seyoum