Give up or give to God? A few weeks ago I was describing to a friend about cutting off my own cast after I broke my hand a few years back. She said "You certainly are willful." I think it's a good word to describe me. I'm not really one to be stubborn, if it becomes obvious that something that I don't have an emotional tie to isn't working, I do something else. However I hold on to what I want or emotionally desire to do for far longer than is good for me.
On my own, I end up with dreams and desires that are unfulfilled and seemingly unobtainable, specifically for me, having a wife and children. I have a very bad habits with giving up (or not), both giving up without trying, and refusing to give up on them despite what is obviously right in front of me. Either way, I don't involve God, and therefore these issues remain governed by my will, not His. A smart friend of mine reminded me that God is interested in the desires of my heart, but even if God wants to give me what I desire, my insistence in doing it my way messes everything up.
What would be good for me is God's will for me, not my own, but my holding on to things stops me from enjoying all that the Father will give me. Instead of giving up, I should offer my desires to God, let Him bless them and fulfill what is best for me rather than what I want. When I give my issues and desires to God, and let go of the result myself, it's not giving up, it's asking for help.
Lord I pray that you help me give it to you instead of giving up or holding on.
Beautiful weather, beautiful people: Joe (presenting us), Frank, Me, Lindsay, Frank, Brianne, and Teri.
Location and Architecture:
Saint John the Baptist, 215 North 13th Street, Fort Calhoun. A funny thing happens during Mass. I sit, stand, kneel, pray, participate, and listen, and while I am doing so, I notice all sorts of marvelous pictures to take. Mass ends, and I don't remember a thing. While we were waiting for Mass to begin, I turned to Teri and said "I'm usually uncomfortable in new places (yes, this makes Mass Chaos a challenge), but I feel right at home here. Saint John the Baptist is a small parish, but there was just something about the design of the church, the fall sunlight streaming through the stained glass, and the tile around the altar. It all worked together to be a friendly experience.
Gospel:
"Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?"Luke 17:9
Of course I have heard this passage before, and read it, and suddenly on Sunday, I nearly laughed out loud because I finally got it. Father Preisinger had a masterful Homily, and explained it so clearly, I'm not sure I could have not gotten it. Doing your job is not something that you should expect credit for.
I went through this at work at a couple years ago. I felt that I was hearing negative things all the time, and that I should be given more credit for all the hard work I was doing. In fact, I was looking at this incorrectly, my paycheck is my reward for doing my job, and the negative feedback coming from my boss(es) was opportunity to improve my work and attitude. Oddly enough, once my work and attitude improved, I started to hear more positive feedback from the boss.
I'm sure that many people who do good things would like to feel appreciated for the good things that they do. God does appreciate you, and if His grace, His love, and His providence are not enough for you, there is the reward at the end of being with Him forever. Doing the right thing by God and your neighbor is not frequently glamorous, or fun, and particularly rarely does it produce worldly acclaim. It is, however, the job that God has given us to do, to be His presence in the world. Let us do our given work with humility and effort so that when this life ends we hear the words "Welcome, good and faithful servant."
Prayers:
Please pray for:
Tom who is being deployed to Afghanistan, and his wife and two daughters.
Amy and Shannon for protection on their missions.
Frank who is looking for meaningful employment.
Kevin as he prepares for his final year of seminary and the priesthood.
Marcus as he has been accepted into seminary and will be discerning the priesthood.
My friend M., who is pregnant, please pray for her and her baby.
My friend S., who has been ill and fears it might be something serious.
Me, I applied for a new job.
Next:
Sunday, October 10 @ 10:00am at Mass: Holy Ghost Parish, 5219 South 53rd Street, Omaha.
Peace, Eric
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