God Doesn't Give Up

 

Imagine driving across the country on a highway with no roadblocks, no detours, and even no attractive exits along the way. Imagine nothing but a straight path, free of challenges and anything that would distract you from reaching your destination.

Sometimes we want life to be like that: we want God to make our journey easy. He knows better than we do, though, and in His wisdom He lets us choose which routes to follow and which exits to take. Over the past 10, 30 or 50 years you probably chose routes that brought you closer to Him and maybe took exits that led you far away from Him. You may even be lost right now. No matter where you are, God sees your potential. He invites you to turn toward Him and let Him pour His grace on you. He will never give up on you because He knows you’re still on your journey.   

Imagine what would have happened if Jesus had said to Zacchaeus, “You’re a liar and a cheat. I doubt anyone would hire you, but go get a decent job and then come back. Maybe I’ll let you hang out with Me.” Instead, Jesus first loved him. He saw the longing in his heart and offered him an opportunity to follow Him. The love and peace that radiated from Jesus caused Zacchaeus to quit his job on the spot, take Jesus up on His invitation, and offer to pay back fourfold anyone he had cheated. Jesus loved him despite his dishonest work and then Zacchaeus turned his life around.

God does the same with us. He doesn’t say, “Get your act together and then I’ll love you.” Instead, He loves us first. He loves us now. He knows we have the potential to become more like Him and never gives up on us. He gives us opportunities to turn toward Him through our circumstances, the people we encounter, and the sacraments. He continually invites us to follow His way of gentleness, kindness, compassion, and patience which will bring us the joy we so desperately long for.

God offers His love and mercy to us no matter where we are. In turn, we’re called to offer these to our ‘travel companions’ and invite them to follow Him. We don’t know all the roadblocks they’ve encountered, and maybe they’ve taken exits we’re unfamiliar with. That’s not our business. What matters is that we’re all on this journey together and, as He won’t give up on us, we can’t give up on each other. Let’s ask God to guide all of us on our journey and lead us closer to Him.

 “Lord, thank You for not giving up on me.”

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Reasons to Hope

 

There’s more to love about autumn than the glowing Harvest Moon and maple leaves painting the landscape with reds and yellows. Autumn’s charm lies in its unique aura, a combination of contentment with the present, optimism for the future, and nostalgia for the past. We say goodbye to another short summer; we enjoy just-picked tomatoes and sweet corn; and we plant bulbs for next spring, and remember the ‘new beginning’ feeling with another school year starting. This looking-back-and-looking-ahead may stir in us some wonder about what’s in store for us as we near the end of another calendar year. The prophet Jeremiah reminds us that our future is in God’s hands:

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future filled with hope.” –Jeremiah 29:11

Maybe you’re an educator or a student and you’ve embarked on a new school year. God has plans for you to flourish. Take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves!

Maybe you’re looking for work or have recently changed jobs. God has plans for you to succeed with the particular talents He’s given you.

Maybe you’re dealing with health challenges, relationship difficulties, or some other burden. God has plans for you: These challenges may lead you to greater strength, insight, or holiness. Ask Him to wrap His peace around you and help you carry this cross.

Maybe nothing significant has changed for you recently and you’re left wondering if there’s anything good coming out of this monotony. God has plans for you, too. He’s your constant companion in your routine; your good work today will reap rewards later.

The Lord wants us to trust Him and His plans. Imagine Him saying to you, ‘You will thrive and prosper, and live in peace, if you strive to follow Me. You will work and you will speak, and some people will appreciate you and listen to you, and others will not. This is how it was with the prophets and with Me, so why should it be any different with you? Continue in your work. Do not lose heart. Do not get discouraged by any of your challenges. Do not abandon your work or give up just because you don’t see results. I am working in hearts; I am working where you cannot see. If you give up, then you give up on Me and I won’t be able to accomplish what I mean to accomplish through you. Persistence and cheerfulness will pay off.’

Our God, Who ordered the seasons of nature, has great plans for you! YOU are precious to Him!

 “Lord, I trust that my life has purpose. Because of You, I will look ahead with hope.”

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Look for the Back Seat

 

Mother Teresa instructed her Sisters to always take the back seat on a bus or train. In her wisdom, she knew that the practice of choosing the least desirable location would help keep herself and her Sisters humble. Sometimes a person in authority, seeing Mother Teresa sitting in the back, would invite her to sit up front, and she would follow him to the front with gratitude. Some critics would say, “That’s the same as taking the front seat to begin with!” But it’s not: By taking the back seat, she took the chance that that’s where she’d stay. It required humility to deliberately choose the lowest place and be content to stay there. It also gave the person in authority an opportunity to offer a kind gesture, which she graciously accepted.

 “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” – Mark 9:35

Being humble doesn’t mean you think you’re worthless. It’s thinking less about yourself, not thinking less of yourself. YOU are a beloved child of God with gifts and talents and, yes, weaknesses that make you uniquely equipped to serve Him in the people around you. In this verse, putting yourself last doesn’t mean putting yourself down. Rather, putting others ahead of you builds them up and helps them see how precious and beloved they are, too. Imagine our world if we all did that!

If you’re a person with power, you can still be humble. In the Gospel of Luke, the centurion’s slave was dying (see Luke 7:1-10). At first, this Roman military officer sent messengers to Jesus, asking Him to come to his house and heal his servant. Then, while Jesus was on His way there, the centurion changed his mind and sent more messengers to tell Him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof… but say the word and let my servant be healed.” Maybe at first he wanted to experience what others had seen -- Jesus performing a healing. Soon after, though, he was willing to ‘take the back seat.’ He abandoned the opportunity to witness a miracle and, instead, asked Jesus to heal his servant from a distance, maybe so he’d be healed sooner. The centurion put his servant ahead of himself by acknowledging the power of Christ and dismissing what he could gain from the encounter.

This week, take a lesson from Mother Teresa and the centurion. Look for ways to put yourself in the back seat and put others ahead of you, not in ways that put you down but in ways that pick them up.

“Lord, help me to see how I can lift up the people around me.”

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Let Him Speak to You

 

Some of us have gotten so used to all the sounds around us we don’t hear them anymore. For example, city dwellers get accustomed to traffic noise; they might feel uncomfortable in the silence of the countryside. If you live close to church bells that toll at regular intervals every day, you may find you don’t hear them unless you intentionally listen for them.

 “The Lord God opens my ear that I may hear;

And I have not rebelled, have not turned back.” – Isaiah 50:5

 

God so wants you to experience His love, He actively pursues you to make that happen. He uses a variety of media to get your attention and wants you to make the effort to hear Him:  Let your mind be awed by the wonders of the changing seasons. Feel the love in a stranger’s act of kindness. Let your heart burst with the miracle of a newborn and the innocent joy of giggling toddlers. Appreciate the loving hospitality of family and friends. The list goes on and on.

When you look for God in ‘ordinary’ events -- with awe rather than indifference -- you’ll find the holy in them. You’ll notice that He uses you to answer others’ prayers, and He uses others to answer your prayers. This happens especially in situations that you used to write off as mere coincidence. Once you start paying attention to them in His light, you’ll see many of these as treasured ‘God moments.’

Another way to strengthen your faith and get clarity of what God is trying to tell you is to take a few moments during your quiet prayer time to write down whatever random thoughts come to mind. Listen for God speaking to YOU in the written words of Scripture, and pay attention to the thoughts that ‘pop into your head.’ You may find that they’re not so random after all and give answers you hadn’t thought of before.

God wants to have a loving relationship with you. He wants to speak to you, and He wants you to speak to Him in your own simple words. Look for Him, and listen.

 “Lord, open my ears to hear Your declarations of love all around me. Encourage me to share Your love with others.”

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Take Time to Recharge

                        

 “…aspire to live a tranquil life…” –1 Thessalonians 4:11

During His ministry, Jesus was a busy guy: healing cripples, feeding multitudes, casting out demons, forgiving sins. Huge crowds followed Him, wanting to hear His hopeful message of God’s love and maybe witness a miracle. He frequently made it a point, though, to get away from the crowds to recharge. Was His intent to hide from the people? Not at all. He removed Himself physically so that He could let the Father refresh Him spiritually.

Since we also are called to serve the people God has put in our life, it’s good for us to take time to ‘get away from it all’ on a regular basis – away from our routine, our phone and other devices – and let Him refresh us. Stepping away even for a little while brings about a surprisingly freeing feeling. There are countless ways to do this. My husband and I have found hiking and tent camping to be the ultimate getaways! They say that walking relieves stress, and following marked, scenic trails in the woods gives you time to relax, reflect, and pray. Camping immerses you in the wonders of God’s magnificent creation.  You don’t have to camp or hike a trail, though, to find this serenity. Getting away could be as simple as unplugging and sitting in a quiet room, on your porch swing or a park bench, or taking a walk around your neighborhood, and thanking God for your many blessings. Getting away also could be much bigger, like going on a retreat for a day or a weekend. No matter how you do it, the point is to step out of your routine, free yourself from your electronics and other distractions, and invite God to refresh you spiritually.

This doesn’t mean you run away and ignore what’s happening in the world around you. On the contrary, when you take a step back, you open your eyes to the world as God created it, with all its beauty and goodness. You make room in your heart for more of God’s love so that you can share it generously with the people you encounter each day, in your particular circumstances:

^“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” –Romans 12:21

Strive to live in tranquility. Step away for a bit to recharge. Frequently invite God to refresh your spirit.

“Lord, help me ‘get away’ with You so that I can serve You in others better.”

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