Every day
when I have my little chat with God while suffering through a walk or praying
my rosary or preparing to write these reflections, I ask for help resolving my
problems in the way I think they should come out.
“Please God,
let my sick friend/relative recover.”
“Please God,
protect my kids and my grandkids.”
“Please God,
bring peace to the world and end racism and hatred.”
“Please God,
let it rain.”
“Please God,
put out the fires!”
Sometimes
things turn out just like I’d hoped but often God has a different plan. At such times, it’s good to reflect on St.
Paul’s message to the Thessalonians that “You received it not as
the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is now at work in
you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:9-13)
My
experience is that often we think the voice of God sounds a lot like that of
our own egos. That’s probably especially
true for those of us who pray mostly in hurried snatches while thinking of
everything from today’s “To Do” list to what’s for dinner on Saturday.
Before I
retired—when I was often overwhelmed with ‘busy-ness’—I would try to visit the
nearest perpetual adoration chapel for an hour or so once a week just to try to
LISTEN to God. Even this brief regular
period worked wonders in letting the Spirit cut through the clutter of too much
multi-tasking. It taught me that God
works best in our lives when we allow Him quality time to do so.
But even when we don’t, God finds ways to move and shape us. We’ve all suffered a disappointment that led to a greater good, reminding us that when God closes a door, He always opens a window. My prayer today is that God opens many windows for all of us as He works in our lives.
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