The helping hand of God

So many times I miss seeing God because I focus on worldly things, or I have to search in order to find Him in a certain situation.    We probably all have those times when we feel as if God is hiding from us, but if we only open the eyes of our heart, we would see Him at work in every aspect of our lives.  God gives us the opportunity to see Him in our lives multiple times each day.  Some people call them coincidences, but I believe that those times are the hand of God guiding us along the right path. 

It may come when strangers smile at us as we are walking along the street, or when someone holds the door open as we walk through.  It’s like the people in Mark’s Gospel for Monday this week: “As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him” -Mark 6:54.  People immediately recognized Jesus.  There was no hesitation.  Why?  Jesus didn’t look any different.  He was called a great teacher, even a wise prophet, but why did they immediately recognize Him?  I think it’s because they were looking with the eyes of faith.  The people heard stories of this man named Jesus, who cured lepers and gave sight to the blind.  They believed He could cure their sick and because of their faith, many were cured.

The last few weeks have been crammed with many wonderful opportunities and challenges, but I’m drowning in a sea of obligations. I feel as if I am rushing from one to the other, not able to breathe before the next obligation is upon me.  The Gospel made me think of how it must have been the same for Jesus.  The disciples had barely tied up the boat and people were scurrying to bring sick people for Him to cure.  I’ll bet it would have been at times overwhelming.  But Jesus must have been nourished by the faith of those people, who only wanted to touch the tassel of His cloak, just as my faith should nourish me even in the busiest of times.  I can feed that faith by taking time even when life is hectic and I have no time, by praying, by taking time to rest in God.

That rest can be as simple as taking a deep breath and quieting my anxiousness down so the noise of the outside dims and the busy gears turning in my brain slow down.  That rest and quiet can help me to really focus on what’s important, to ask God for the strength to do my best and the strength when life becomes overwhelming to ask for His help and help from others.  Sometimes we have to ask God for the strength to say no to more obligations and to be serene in that decision.  Without a doubt in my mind, the easiest way to do this is to set aside at least an hour a week to visit Jesus in an adoration chapel.  Nothing, other than Mass, gives me more peace of mind than simply sitting (or kneeling) in front of Him and telling Him my frustrations.  I recently wrote this advice for someone else…I just didn’t have the sense (or conviction of faith) to follow it myself.