The Best Way To Work Through Any Trouble and Sorrow That Pushes It's Way Into Our Lives - 2

Picking up where we left off last time, we'll read more of Father Doyle's advice to his spiritual child (whoever it might have been). But first, let's look at some particulars of troubles we may find specifically at work. Here's a personal example:

Part of our business entails consultations with clients, giving them advice on the best ways to handle their finances. A lot of this work is problem solving. And it's not all a numbers game. In fact, numbers generally play the lesser role of what we must offer. 

When done right, a natural part of this endeavor involves some rather personal exchanges with clients. We know from experience that unless we really must understand a person, their likes/dislikes, needs/wants. Their individual personality, especially their temperament, play a big role in how we choose to address their problems and outline solutions. 

While not a professional psychologist, there's most definitely a need to look at folks from that perspective. This requires honesty and openness on both sides. And that typically leads to some degree of personal relationship, over and above a purely professional one.

So if things go awry in such a relationship, it naturally can get somewhat personal. Like when this recently happened:

After three intense years of guiding and counseling a woman through an incredibly contentious and emotional divorce, and with a reasonably satisfactory financial result ensuing, the client literally stopped responding to our emails, calls, texts, etc. In other words, complete "radio silence." This had never happened - or anything remotely like it - during our 15+ years in this business.

Without getting into any more detail, suffice it to say that we held up our end of the relationship in stellar fashion. Nevertheless, since we take our work seriously, we scrutinized our interactions and transactions with this client to see if anything - anything - could have precipitated this sudden and, frankly, shocking action on the client's part.

Yet, even when we we're confident we had comported ourselves properly, both personally and professionally, there can be a nagging doubt of question. Did we miss something? Or we can still go on wondering why our stellar efforts resulted in a surprising or even shocking disappointment - or worse. I won't bore you with the details of the unfortunate angst that sprung from my typically overactive and "creative" imagination, but suffice it to say that weeks, then months of anxiety ensued.

My spiritual reading wound up being a trigger for seeing all this in the proper light. I went to my Heavenly Father and sought His comfort and steadiness, to His Holy Spirit for counsel on how to handle this situation if any of the dire possibilities of this client's abandonment came to fruition, and to Our Lady and Our Lord for the companionship and the grace I needed to face this trial in the calm and peaceful manner which which we should face all such trouble.

The end result of all this was that the client did reconnect and deeply apologize for the radio silence. Their anxiety was simply so deep and disruptive, they decided to just seal themselves off from all but essential endeavors until they could gather their wits and level themselves. 

God likely used this as yet another reminder to always, no matter the circumstance, trust in His Goodness. Once we've done all we can to fulfill our end, He will do what's ultimately best for us. Period.

(We'll see how well this lesson sinks in.)

We'll finish with Father Willie's words, which speak to the absolute trust we must cultivate in our relationship with God. Only with that can we always and everywhere work through any trouble and sorrow that pushes its way into our lives.

“This morning during Mass I felt strongly that Jesus was pained that you do not trust Him absolutely, that is, trust Him in every detail of your life. You are wanting in that childlike confidence He desires so much from you, the taking lovingly and trustfully from His hands all that He sends you, not even wishing things to have happened otherwise. 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 welcome joyfully. Jesus will not dwell in your soul as He wishes unless you are at peace. This is the first step towards that union which you desire so much – but not so much as He does. Don’t keep Him waiting, my child, but by earnest and constant efforts empty your heart of every care that He may abide with you forever.” (Fr. William Doyle, S.J., 1873-1917)