Take What You're Given - and Make the Best of It
I'm supposed to be taking some time off. It's not working out that way, but why complain? Stuff came at me from both work and my personal life that's filling in all the "time off." The work's my own fault. I just couldn't get things wrapped up enough to put them aside for a few days. The other stuff just came. You know how that is, right?
So that complaining heart inside me has taken to push me into a bit of a funk. Complaining about what? About the fact that things just aren't going swimmingly well, I suppose. I don't know. But I do "hear" the complaining.
And so I came across these words from Father William Doyle:
"He wants you to possess your soul in peace in the midst of the many troubles, cares and difficulties of your work, looking upon everything as arranged by Him, and hence something to be welcomed joyfully."
Of course, the same applies to not just work but the rest of life too.
These words really struck me, like a sharp blow to my midsection. How far I am from this peace of soul! How difficult - right now, that is - it seems to me to simple see everything, and this means EVERYTHING, as arranged by God. How easy to think that what's not going right is just my own fault, something to be fixed, something that, if I were only more diligent, more organized, more caring - whatever - would simply not be here, would just go away.
This idea that it's part of God's plan, a way to get me to be more childlike in my prayer and work, a way to push the normal difficulties and troubles that come from work (and, yes, from life) so that I can find peace - well, it seems beyond me at this moment.
What is it? Would I rather complain, or feel sorry for myself? Is that what makes it so tough to grasp this?
Well, for one thing, I'm just going to plow ahead today, take one thing at a time, and do so joyfully (yeah, right!) with the singular thought that this really is God's plan, and that it's His way to bring me closer to Him.
Maybe it's something like this: For Jesus to dwell within me as He wishes, my soul must be perfectly at piece, emptied of all the complaining, worry, anxiety, unhappiness, despondency (at times) - never mind all those sins of course. All this stuff crowds Him out. It's that "peace of soul" that makes room for Jesus.
Can I approach me work, and those personal things that are unnerving me, with that attitude, with that singular understanding, trust and faith? We'll see. For now, it's off to work I go.
So that complaining heart inside me has taken to push me into a bit of a funk. Complaining about what? About the fact that things just aren't going swimmingly well, I suppose. I don't know. But I do "hear" the complaining.
And so I came across these words from Father William Doyle:
"He wants you to possess your soul in peace in the midst of the many troubles, cares and difficulties of your work, looking upon everything as arranged by Him, and hence something to be welcomed joyfully."
Of course, the same applies to not just work but the rest of life too.
These words really struck me, like a sharp blow to my midsection. How far I am from this peace of soul! How difficult - right now, that is - it seems to me to simple see everything, and this means EVERYTHING, as arranged by God. How easy to think that what's not going right is just my own fault, something to be fixed, something that, if I were only more diligent, more organized, more caring - whatever - would simply not be here, would just go away.
This idea that it's part of God's plan, a way to get me to be more childlike in my prayer and work, a way to push the normal difficulties and troubles that come from work (and, yes, from life) so that I can find peace - well, it seems beyond me at this moment.
What is it? Would I rather complain, or feel sorry for myself? Is that what makes it so tough to grasp this?
Well, for one thing, I'm just going to plow ahead today, take one thing at a time, and do so joyfully (yeah, right!) with the singular thought that this really is God's plan, and that it's His way to bring me closer to Him.
Maybe it's something like this: For Jesus to dwell within me as He wishes, my soul must be perfectly at piece, emptied of all the complaining, worry, anxiety, unhappiness, despondency (at times) - never mind all those sins of course. All this stuff crowds Him out. It's that "peace of soul" that makes room for Jesus.
Can I approach me work, and those personal things that are unnerving me, with that attitude, with that singular understanding, trust and faith? We'll see. For now, it's off to work I go.
Comments