Giving thanks

“In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Bible verse seems extremely appropriate today, but at Mass this morning, we were challenged to pay attention to the second word:  all. In all circumstances, not just the ones we like or the times we are happy or when we feel moved to do so.  Even (and perhaps especially) when we’re frustrated, hurting, angry, sad and just don’t want to!  

God is all-powerful and all-good, meaning that nothing that happened in our lives is beyond God’s control. However, because God is all-knowing, He may permit something hard or painful or tragic in our lives that He can ultimately work for our eternal good. Because as a good father, He desires our well-being and ultimate happiness, which is only found with Him for eternity.

The challenge (or opportunity) today, and every day, is to give thanks at ALL times; the good, the bad, the ugly, the joyful, the ordinary. Always.

Limiting God

Limiting God - that sounds like it should be the title of a Science Fiction horror; God is limitless!!!  But yet, all to often we do exactly that.  

It sounds absurd, I know!  

How can we, mere humans, begin to contain the Creator of the Universe?

There are more examples of this than you might care to admit.  In today's Gospel, (Mark 6:1-6) Jesus was limited when he began to teach in the synagogue.  This was the same person who, just when he returned to Nazareth, had been welcomed and greeted and received by family, friends and neighbors.  Yet when he spoke the Truth through the Scriptures, their minds and hearts limited what they were willing to receive.  They couldn't get past what they thought they knew, and thus, no mighty deeds were done by Jesus in Nazareth.  How sad is that?!

Waiting

Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord! ~Psalm 27:14

I love to wait . . . . [said no one, ever]!

Umm, no thank you.

While there are different levels of waiting i.e. waiting for results from a medical test, waiting for news of a baby's birth, waiting for a family celebration, it can be hard to have joy when the waiting feels prolonged or without fruit.  I'm not referring to waiting for a pizza delivery or for the book you've been dying to read, either!  This is the waiting that involves soul-searching and trust in God.

How are you?

Recently, someone asked me how I was.  Before I could even think, I automatically replied, "Fine."  I paused for a nano-second, and then clarified.  "Actually, I'm stressed out about xyz, but everything else is fine."  I'm not exactly sure what compelled my revision of the socially expected response.  We are seemingly programmed to respond, "Fine," whether it is true or not.  Maybe because we don't want to reveal problems and insecurities, or maybe because the person asking isn't interested in an answer with more than one syllable.  It is interesting to ponder.

How are you?

Fine.  

The Puzzle of Life

 I cam across this quote recently, and it really resonated with me.  

If you can trust a puzzle company to make sure every piece is in the box to complete the puzzle, then why can't you trust God that every piece of your life is there for a reason?

I love puzzles, whether jigsaw or not.  I like the challenge of taking a bunch of seemingly random pieces and seeing them take shape.  I enjoy the thrill of putting in the final piece, or the joy of finally finding the right place for that stubborn piece that looked like it was in the wrong puzzle box!  I've frantically searched for missing pieces that seemingly vanished and leave the puzzle unfinished (maybe they went to the place that missing socks live?!).  I've placed pieces where I thought they fit, then discovered the piece that truly fits and had to change what I thought was complete.

What an amazing analogy for life!!!!!