Reflection: Saints, Struggles, and God’s Quiet Work

It strikes me as quietly beautiful that Saint Eligius—the patron saint of craftsmen, metalworkers, watchmakers, labourers, and all who work patiently with their hands—is remembered on the 1st of December. A saint connected with making, mending, shaping, and restoring. Because it was on that very day that something began to take shape in my own life.

On the 1st of December, I worked out a few important truths. First, that I am normal. Second, that I am capable of loving another human being unconditionally. And third, that love does not disappear when circumstances become painful or confusing. These realisations did not arrive with noise or certainty, but quietly, like grace does.

Today, I spent time with my Godchild and took them shopping for things they needed. It was in these simple, joyful moments that I had another realisation: just because the person I care deeply for isn’t present in my life right now, it doesn’t mean I need to put my life on hold. God is the one who brought us together in the first place, and if it is meant to be, He will bring us back together in His perfect timing. Until then, life is full of blessings, relationships, and opportunities to grow that I can embrace fully.

As the month has gone on—particularly by the 16th—I find myself realising that I have done more thinking, praying, and soul-searching than I feel I have done all year. I have overthought. I have shouted at God. I have cried. I have laughed. I have wrestled, much like Jacob, refusing to let go until blessing came (Genesis 32:26). And yet, through it all, I have found myself still in the presence of Christ, still kneeling at the altar, still held.

What surprises me most is not the struggle, but the faithfulness of God within it. Scripture tells us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18), and I have felt that closeness—not as an escape from pain, but as companionship within it. Christ has not removed the struggle, but He has walked through it with me.

I have learned again that faith is not tidy. It involves lament as much as praise. Even Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). And yet, that cry did not mean abandonment—it was spoken from within perfect trust. In my own shouting and silence, I have discovered that God is not offended by honesty. He meets it with mercy.

And so, like the craftsmen Saint Eligius represents, I sense that God has been quietly at work—refining, repairing, reshaping my heart. “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). I am not finished. But I am held. And in all of these struggles, I have known this truth: Christ has been with me, every step of the way.

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A Prayer for Guidance and Trust

Lord,Thank You for walking with me through every struggle, every doubt, and every moment of joy. Help me to trust Your timing, to live fully in the blessings You place before me, and to love others with a patient, faithful heart. Guide my steps, strengthen my faith, and remind me that You are always near, shaping and holding me through it all.

Amen.