Pray First and Then Decide

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Congratulations to all the graduates! Remember the excitement and apprehension before your graduation? The future looked like a wide open field of countless possibilities and opportunities. So many decisions to make! More school? Get a job? Stay close to home or move away? These are just a few questions that young adults have to answer.

Graduates aren’t the only ones facing life decisions. Over time we may decide to go back to school, change jobs, or move. No matter our age or education level, we’re always called to give to society in a positive way. Deciding on what that looks like can be a challenge. 

We may ask ourselves: “How does our Lord want me to use my particular skills? How can I use my gifts to contribute to society and to the needs of others?” As we get older, our questions may switch from “What career do I want to pursue?” to “Now that the kids are grown and gone, what’s my role?” or “Now that I’m retired, how will I use my time?” 

Our Lord has given each of us a unique combination of our personality, talents, and circumstances. He knows you better than you know yourself. He knows your strengths, your weaknesses, and your potential. He knows what brings you toward Him and what pulls you away from Him. He knows your heart, and He knows your motives. He sees you, He knows you, and He loves you. He wants you to have His peace – the peace that comes from following Him and uniting your will with His.

Regardless of your age, whenever you’re presented with an opportunity, or are facing a dilemma, pray first. Let Christ guide your mind and heart toward Him and what He wants you to do. Pray, and ask Him what He wants for you. Pray, and ask what He wants from you. Pay attention to what comes to mind. When you consider your options prayerfully, you allow our Lord to direct your steps toward what will bring you and others closer to Him. The key is to make these decisions with prayer. Christ will lead you to His peace if you ask Him to. 

Praying before deciding isn’t just for life decisions. Every day, we’re presented with situations that require a decision. For example, we decide what to watch on TV and what sites to visit on the internet. We decide whether to be kind or irritable toward the wait staff when the service is slow. In how we treat our coworkers and family members, in the emails and texts we send, and in how we spend our time, we have countless decisions to make. Stop and ask our Lord if what you’re about to do or say is pleasing to Him. Then, pay attention to how your mind and heart respond. 

Pray first. Then, you can decide.

“You, Lord… know the hearts of all.” – Acts 1:24

“Lord, guide my decisions on what I do and say today.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, at home, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Work With the Spirit

 

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It may surprise you to learn that St. Paul worked as a tentmaker. Even while traveling great distances to announce the Good News of Christ’s resurrection, he worked. This is surprising because we tend to put the early apostles on a pedestal, thinking they did nothing but pray, perform miracles, and hear the voice of God. But Paul and the others worked as they traveled and preached; it wasn’t necessarily an all-or-nothing endeavor. Paul surely taught them while he worked: Through his words and interactions with his coworkers, he showed them the loving power of God.

God uses you in your work, too. He uses all of us, if we let Him. 

Remember that, through your baptism, the Holy Spirit lives in you. Like a deep well that requires only a bucket to reach the hidden waters below, you have only to ‘dip into’ the power of God to access the love, patience, compassion, peace, and more that He has made available to you through your baptism.

How? First, through prayer. Prayer keeps Him close in mind. Sit quietly, thank Him for loving you, and pay attention to the thoughts that come to you. Read the psalms or any book of the New Testament and see what words strike you. 

Then, draw on the patience that dwells in you when dealing with a difficult client or child. Ask the Spirit to give you insight into how to handle a particular situation – and then pay attention to the ideas that come to mind. Ask Him to help you be fair and honest in your work, in your dealings with coworkers and how you use your time. Ask Him to guide your words when discussions get tense – and then let Him. Ask Him to bless the people who will benefit from the work you do. All these and more will bring our Lord into your workplace.

As Christ spoke to the apostles, He speaks also to and through all of us. We simply have to be open to hearing His words. Start by taking a few moments to thank Him for your job and the people you interact with – that’s prayer. Then, pay attention to how He speaks in your workplace. For example, when you get a friendly call or email just when you need a pick-me-up, that’s Christ speaking through that other person. When you offer encouragement or other kind words to another person, you’re letting Christ speak through you.

As Teresa of Avila said, “God has no hands or feet or voice except ours, and through these He works.” 

No matter what kind of work we do, one of our jobs is to let others see God through our words and interactions with others while we work, just as Paul and the other apostles did. 

“(Paul) stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.” – Acts 18:3

“Lord, let the work I do be done with You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

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

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Lifting Each Other Up

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If you’ve ever struggled to reach a goal, you might have discovered that joining a group with similar desires as your own helped you succeed. That’s because we tend to thrive when we’re supported by people who have the same goal that we do. For example, if we want to walk regularly, walking with a group might help us stick to a routine. The group makes the activity more enjoyable and encourages us to keep going when we want to stop. It also holds us accountable (“We missed you yesterday!”). 

We benefit from our social and spiritual connections in a similar way that we benefit from a club such as a walking group. It’s important to nurture our relationships with the people who encourage and challenge us, and who allow us to do the same for them. We bring out the best in each other emotionally and spiritually. We strengthen each other for the hurdles that life presents to us. We pray for each other as we navigate health issues, work-related challenges, or family struggles. We help each other get through each particular difficulty in the way Christ wants us to, which is sometimes different from what our initial reaction might be.

Lifting each other up in this way fills us with the Love our souls crave. Convinced that we’re loved by God, we’re strengthened to offer this love to others. For example, if someone at work shares with you that they’re struggling with something, offer to pray for them. Tell them that you don’t even need to know the details; God knows the details. Tell them you’ll pray that the Lord will give them whatever it is that they need the most, including His peace during this difficult time. Doing so will remind them that they’re loved and that Christ is walking with them through their challenge. 

The early apostles also supported each other as they traveled and spread the word of Christ’s resurrection. Take the case of Paul. He and Barnabas were preaching and healing people with the power of Christ, but there were some who didn’t accept them. At one point, Paul was stoned and left for dead. The other disciples gathered around him and, presumably, prayed for him and cared for him until he recovered fully (see Acts 14).

Empowered by the love of Christ, the early apostles prayed for each other and strengthened each other in their ministry. In a similar way, let’s lift each other up and encourage each other to face life’s difficulties with the strength Christ gives us. 

“When the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city.” – Acts 14:20

“Lord, thank You for the people who help me face my challenges with You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

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

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Life in Abundance

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Though our consumer society tells us otherwise, material goods may give us fleeting happiness, but the joy they give doesn’t last forever. Everything breaks down, or we get tired of them: cars, appliances, homes, clothes. Like the bicycle that brings happiness to the 10-year-old until he wants a bigger bike, our possessions bring us joy, but that pleasure is short-lived. We’re always searching for the bigger, newer item. 

Our souls are searching, too. They’re searching for Christ – for Peace. God designed us to understand that there’s more to life than accumulating stuff. Deep down, we’re happiest when we live in Christ and allow Him to fill us with His grace, power, and love. We experience lasting joy when we’re detached from our material goods; we feel His peace when what we want aligns with what He wants. As Augustine of Hippo wrote, “You have created us for Yourself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in You.” 

When Christ said, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10), He wasn’t saying, “If you follow Me then you’ll have material wealth and you’ll be free of hardships.” What He meant was more like, “If you follow Me then you’ll have riches that are greater than material goods. Do everything with Me and for Me, and I’ll give you hope in difficult times and peace through your suffering.” 

What does this abundant life look like? Goodness in our hearts. Joy in simple things. Detachment from worldly goods. The freedom, desire, and willingness to share what we have. A clear conscience. Avoidance of anything that separates us from Christ. A sense of purpose in contributing toward the betterment of society. Feeling that what we’re doing is what God wants us to do. Gratitude for our life; taking care of our body, mind, and soul. Appreciation of nature; taking care of our planet. A welcoming and inclusive heart toward people of all walks of life. The desire to spend time with our Lord – and doing so – to let His grace fill our heart. 

Having abundant life doesn’t mean we won’t have hardships. Christ wasn’t spared His passion and death, yet God used Christ’s suffering for a greater good: to break the power of evil and to prove that evil and even death itself didn’t have the last say. If we imitate Christ and ask God to use our suffering for some greater good, He will do so. We then trust Him to lead us through each difficult situation. His love gives us hope; His strength gives us peace.

Material goods give us fleeting happiness. Seek the lasting joy that comes from having an abundance of spiritual goods. Strive for riches that will never break down. Follow Christ, and let Him fill your soul with His abundant blessings.

“I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10

“Lord, fill my soul with Your riches.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

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

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Science and Miracles

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The eclipse: Was it science, or was it God?

Maybe it was both. Sometimes the science (or math) behind a phenomenon like the eclipse is so improbable it’s miraculous. For example, it just so happens that the sun is 400 times larger than the moon, which is almost the exact same proportion as the distances between the Earth and the moon and the sun. These proportions allow for an eclipse. 

Some things can’t be explained by science. Three times in the past two weeks I’ve been reminded of this event: 

In 1531, a woman appeared to a peasant man named Juan Diego near the Hill of Tepeyac in Mexico. She identified herself as Mary, the mother of Jesus. She told him to ask the bishop to build a shrine there so that people would know of her love and care for them. Naturally, the bishop demanded some proof. So Mary told Juan Diego to go and gather flowers to take to the bishop – in December, when nothing was in bloom. Juan Diego found a large number of Castilian roses blooming there and wrapped them in his cloak. When he went to the bishop, the bishop was stunned to see the fresh flowers – plus Mary’s image imprinted on the cloak. Today, the Basilica of Guadalupe stands where Mary appeared. The cloak is on display; its cactus fabric and the image have not deteriorated after nearly 500 years. To learn more, see https://westcoastcatholic.co/blogs/news/6-miraculous-facts-about-the-tilma-of-our-lady-of-guadalupe#:~:text=Tests%20have%20shown%20that%20none,impossible%20to%20paint%20by%20hand.

Another miracle you may not know about:

In the 8th century there was a priest in Lanciano, Italy, who was struggling with the Church’s teaching that the bread and wine actually become the Body and Blood of Christ. While celebrating Mass, he saw the host change into flesh and the wine into blood. Many investigations followed. In 1970, Pope Paul VI commissioned the latest study of these relics, which had not deteriorated. Two physicians performed separate investigations; both found that the flesh consists of myocardial tissue and the blood is Type AB. To learn more, see https://www.stmike.org/from-the-pastors-desk/eucharistic-miracles-lanciano-750-ad

Our Lord uses miraculous events like these to strengthen our belief in His love for us. But if we look with faith, we don’t have to experience an eclipse or travel far to see His miracles. We can see God’s hand in every change of the seasons and in each newborn baby. We can ask Mary for her Motherly care to point us toward her Son. We can be in Christ’s presence in the Eucharist in any Catholic church.

When we recognize God’s hand at work in our world, our hope and trust in His love, and loving power, is reinforced. When we open our eyes and hearts to His miracles, our faith is strengthened. This helps us be open to His peace and His joy.

“Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You.” – Psalm 84:12

“Lord, increase my faith!”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

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

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

What Are You Looking For?

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The videos and photos of the eclipse are spectacular. In Northeast Ohio on Monday, in the middle of the afternoon, the sky got dark, the street lights came on, and the birds stopped chirping. In backyards, parks, and stadiums here and around the country, millions of people gathered in watch parties and turned their protected eyes toward the sun. I appreciate the photos and videos that all of you have shared because my husband and I didn’t see the eclipse. We were on our way home from North Carolina after sharing a few delightful days with our daughter and son-in-law. Right when you were seeing the moon block the sun, I was driving on the interstate through a downpour.

“The ends of the earth stand in awe at the sight of your wonders.” – Psalm 65:9

The eclipse got everyone’s attention.To a miniscule degree, the timing of the rain got mine, too. We tend to take for granted the world God created and the people He has blessed us with. The eclipse was a welcome shot in the arm – it awakened our senses of wonder and gratitude. Let’s keep that momentum going. Let’s not only marvel at the science of the eclipse but also look for God, the Creator of the universe, Who’s behind it. Let’s look for Christ in our midst in both the ordinary and the extraordinary:

Imagine God’s hand moving the moon slowly in front of the sun.

Look for Him opening the buds on the trees, gently pulling the flowers up from the ground so they bloom, and changing seeds underground into vegetables in your garden.

Notice how much He treasures you when your friend smiles at you or gives you a hug.

Look at His guiding hand as people and opportunities become available to you in your recovery. 

Look for His grace that gives you the strength to get through your current difficulty, one step at a time.

Look for the people who need to see God’s love through your friendly words or your kind gestures.

Look for Christ at work through your doctor’s kindness that gives you hope and makes your treatment more bearable. 

Look not only at your struggles, but look also outside yourself for something to look forward to. Notice what comes to mind. He may be guiding you toward something you hadn’t considered before.

Look for Christ in the people you love. We didn’t experience the drama of the eclipse but we felt His presence with our daughter and son-in-law as we shared meals, walks, our time, and our hearts. We shared the excitement of the Women’s Final Four and marveled at their God-given talent, their sportsmanship, and their teamwork. 

Let’s keep our sense of awe. Let’s look for Him in the world He created and in the people He put here with us to share it.

“Taste and see how good the Lord is.” – Psalm 34:9

“Lord, let me see Your hand in the wonders all around me.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

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

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Christ Sees Something in You

 

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When she was in college, one of our daughters was interested in a particular part-time job but didn’t feel qualified for it. “I have no experience!” she said. She applied anyway. During the interview, her potential employer saw some things in her that he knew were valuable assets: her openness to new endeavors, her past accomplishments, and her willingness to learn. She got the job and thrived in it.

In Jesus’ time, women were at the bottom of the social ladder. Yet it was to a woman, Mary Magdalene, that Christ first appeared after His resurrection. (Side note: Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute as some have portrayed her to be. Rather, she became one of Jesus’ constant companions after He cured her of seven demons. See Luke 8:1-3.) Jesus didn’t appear first to Peter, the ‘rock.’ He showed Himself to Mary, a ‘nobody’ in society. Maybe He chose her because He had seen something special in her: love and loyalty, demonstrated when she stayed at the foot of the cross with His mother. 

When Jesus instructed Mary Magdalene to tell the apostles that He had risen, she didn’t say to Him, “But I’m a woman; they won’t listen to me.” She didn’t consider that she wasn’t qualified for the job. She did what Jesus asked her to do: She ran ahead and announced to the apostles that she had seen the risen Christ. She trusted Him to open their hearts to this incredible news. Because of this, Mary Magdalene has been called ‘the apostle to the apostles.’ 

Maybe you’ve had thoughts like, "I would love to ____" or "I wish I could be more ____." If you’ve had an idea of how you could make a positive difference in your part of the world, or how you could be more loving toward the people you encounter every day, trust that Christ has put those ideas in your head. If you’ve come up with reasons why you couldn’t accomplish those things, remember that Christ sees more in you than you see in yourself. He sees your potential. He sees your goodness. He sees your desire for a more loving world. He sees your wanting to be a more loving person. 

Try to see yourself as Christ sees you. Seek Him, as Mary Magdalene did. Ask Him to guide you toward turning your ideas into realities. Be open to something new that He may want to do for you or through you. Do everything, one moment at a time, with love. Trust Him to work in the hearts of those around you to find Him through your actions.  

“Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’ and what he told her.” – John 20:17-18

“Lord, help me see myself as You see me.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

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

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.