Setting Spiritual Goals

 

“He resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.” –Luke 9:51

They say if you want something to happen, make it happen.

Jesus traveled to Jerusalem knowing full well it was there that He would be put to death. He also knew that His death and subsequent resurrection would fulfill His mission of salvation, and He was determined to go to Jerusalem to make that happen.

What do we want to make happen? Do we have spiritual goals? Do we ask God to guide us, and open our hearts to what we sense Him showing us? Do we try to fill our part of the world with love and peace while we work, or do we focus only on the material gains? Do we use our time, our gifts, and our finances to benefit our neighbor, or just ourselves? Are we determined to love and serve others even when it’s inconvenient or expensive?

This isn’t only about making big decisions like choosing a career path or spending hours volunteering at a soup kitchen. It’s about making good things happen through smaller choices like welcoming to the neighborhood the woman who wears a sari; doing a favor for someone who can’t return the favor; or listening to understand – and not condemn -- someone with a point of view that’s different from yours. It’s about being persistent in loving and serving our neighbor as ourselves (see Luke 10:27-37).

It takes determination and sometimes courage to reach for spiritual goals. Listen to what our Lord may be saying to you, especially when you need a little extra inspiration or encouragement:

Let no one squelch the fire within you.

Let no one smother the Spirit within you.

Do not let the behavior of others bring you down.

Do not close yourself up.

Don’t listen to the evil one who tries to whisper doubts and accusations to you.

Do not listen to the voices that accuse, ridicule, mock, or lie. These are small annoyances; My love is greater.

Focus on Me and listen only to My Voice of Love.

Open your mind and your heart to the people and circumstances around you.

Continue to do good, and strive to do good in secret.

Your reward is in heaven. Don’t look for rewards here.

Shake off the dust from your heart, clear your mind of darkness, and strive to shine and share the light of My love with your people, your acquaintances, and the individuals you encounter today.

 “Lord, help me to persist in loving and serving You in all people, especially when I find it difficult to do so.”

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell    

If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

Kindness Not Criticism

 

“Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” – Matthew 7:3

Children are taught not to point fingers at others’ wrongdoings: “When you point, you have one finger pointed at them and four pointing back at you.” We’re reminded to focus on the good in people, and that we all make mistakes.

When we notice others’ shortcomings while ignoring our own, we create an ‘Us vs. Them’ attitude. We fall into thought patterns like, “He’s bad; I’m good. Look what she did; I would never do that.” This breeds contempt for others and fosters a false sense of innocence in ourselves. It dismisses all the good qualities in them and distracts us from our own need for spiritual growth.

The other problem with noticing the ‘splinter in your brother’s eye’ is that, chances are, you possess the same trait that you find bothersome in that other person. So when you condemn him, you condemn yourself.

All of us have goodness in us, and all of us fall short at times in living out that goodness. Acknowledging this keeps us humble. Humility lets us see ourselves truthfully – not better and not worse than we really are. It makes us understanding and merciful toward others. It motivates us to make changes in ourselves to become more loving people.

Only God can see inside a person’s heart; we can’t. All we can do is love them, not criticize them. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Believe that they’re doing the best they can -- just as we are -- with what they have in that moment. Show kindness when someone’s unkind, lend a hand to someone in need, and forgive those who need to be forgiven.

Ask God for the grace to see the goodness in people. When you find yourself starting to criticize someone, stop your thoughts and silence your words. Look at the person with kindness. Ask the Lord for forgiveness for you, and ask Him to pour His love and blessings on that person. Believe that as He blesses them, He will bless you, too.

“Lord, fill my heart with humility, understanding, and kindness.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell    

If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

Better Than Fair

 

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.” –Matthew 5:38-39

The ancient ‘eye for eye’ law was created to instill fairness and ensure that no punishment or revenge would be greater than the offense. Jesus turned that law on its head when He taught the people to not retaliate when someone wronged them.

Let’s look at how His way plays out for us in the 21^st century. (Note that this addresses how we treat people who have offended us in some way. This is different from dangerous situations where we need to protect ourselves, such as instances of attack or abuse.)

When a small child hits another, we don’t say to the one who was hit, “OK, he hit you one time, so now you can go ahead and hit him back, but you get just one hit.” That could escalate into back-and-forth fighting. Instead, we may separate the children, tell the offender that hitting is not OK, and direct him to say “I’m sorry.” Rather than giving the injured party permission to hit back, we give the wrongdoer a time-out. This allows time for calm to settle in.

If a driver cuts you off in traffic, racing ahead so you can cut her off in return and flipping her off in the process might make you feel powerful, but it doesn’t make the situation better. Doing so might lead to all-out road rage. The best way to defuse this situation is to let go of your own anger and just back off and continue driving. This may go against what you want to do, but it’s what Christ taught us to do. It’s how we ‘turn the other cheek.’ It also doesn’t give the other driver the satisfaction of knowing she made you mad!

While ‘an eye for an eye’ might be fair, Christ’s way is better than fair. It brings peace upon the people involved and stops the incident from escalating into a more harmful situation.

Let’s follow His way: Instead of trying to even the score with retaliation, let’s ‘turn the other cheek’ and take steps to defuse the situations we find ourselves in.

“Lord, help me keep a handle on my temper and not seek retaliation when I am wronged.”

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell    

If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 

p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

God's Most Magnificent Creation

 

 

(Glacier National Park/Photo credit: Pete Garvin)

 

  “O Lord, our God,

How wonderful is your name

In all the earth!

When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    or human beings that you care for them?

You have made them little less than the angels
    and crowned them with glory and honor.

You have given them rule over the works of your hands,

    putting all things under their feet.

O Lord, our God,
    how wonderful is your name through all the earth!”

--Psalm 8:1, 3-6, 10

 

Have you ever gazed at Lake Superior, or gasped from a mountaintop, or marveled at photos taken from space? The vastness and magnificence of the universe are impossible for us to comprehend, yet we are God’s most precious creation.  Read Psalm 8 again: He made us ‘little less than the angels.’ Our Mighty God, the Omnipotent Creator of the universe, created you and made you holy!

The wonder and awe of His loving creation is hitting home for us as we’re basking in the recent birth of our fourth grandchild. This tiny baby girl is a miracle – all of us are miracles! In His supreme goodness, God created and cherishes all of us: both male and female, both rich and poor, all races, all colors and shapes and sizes, all degrees of intelligence, all levels of physical ability, and regardless of whether we’re born in a hospital or house or hut or manger.

God is the creator of the universe; let yourself believe that He cares for you above all His other wondrous creations. 

God’s love for you is immeasurable; let yourself receive His love. 

God gives you life; let yourself want to live with and for Him. 

God gives you His grace, and He gives you people who love you; let yourself be overcome with gratitude.

Let’s consider all the works of God’s hand, and marvel at what and who He has created. Let’s contemplate His infinite goodness, and see ourselves and each other as He sees us: precious, lovable, and valuable beyond anything imaginable. Let’s join the psalmist in praising God and letting our hearts and minds burst with joy and thanksgiving over His immense love for us:

” Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

--Psalm 100:1-3

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

 

God Has a Plan

 

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.” –Luke 1:47-48

(This verse is taken from Luke 1:39-56, which was read at Mass on Tuesday this week for the Church’s celebration of the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.)

Listen to the awe and excitement in those words, spoken by Mary to Elizabeth. Mary, young and unmarried, had just consented to become the Mother of God (see Luke 1:26-38). Elizabeth, past child-bearing age, and childless at a time when that was thought to be punishment by God, was pregnant with John the Baptist. These humble, devout women were marveling that God had chosen them and were blessing them beyond anything they could have imagined or prayed for.

Mary didn’t know exactly what was in store for her; she knew only what the angel Gabriel had told her. She didn’t know the magnitude of what God’s plan was for her and, through her, for all of humanity. And because God gives us free will, He gave her the chance to say ‘no.’ But Mary trusted God, and trusted that He would use her for His good purposes. Her fiat allowed His plan of salvation to unfold; because of her fiat, we’ve been promised eternal life.

In her younger years, Elizabeth may have wondered if God heard her prayers for a child. She discovered that God’s plan was to use her late-in-life pregnancy as part of a greater miracle.

We, too, can trust God and His plan for us, even though we don’t understand fully what that plan involves, and even when our prayers seem to go unheard. If we use the free will He’s given us to look for Him and say ‘yes’ to the promptings of His Spirit, we will allow Him to bless us as well as the people around us. When we say ‘yes’ to God, we say ‘yes’ to His promise of eternal life.

God has a plan for us, and He hears our prayers. He offers us eternal life with Him. That’s why we have hope. That’s why we, with Mary, are able to proclaim the greatness of the Lord and rejoice in God, our Savior.

“Lord, my soul rejoices because of Your immense goodness to us. Help me say ‘yes’ to You and Your plan.”

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...