tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7332117297336636395.post8426571177613832874..comments2023-11-22T11:42:06.780-05:00Comments on Do Not Be Anxious: What Do You Want, Lord?Do Not Be Anxioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607616214486933423noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7332117297336636395.post-4327432967756802982016-02-24T10:37:39.527-05:002016-02-24T10:37:39.527-05:00Fran, I agree with your summary points of why thin...Fran, I agree with your summary points of why things work that way --- so we don't get in the way. As for your brother, like many of our friends, he has a foundation of faith. It's not for us to bring everything to fruition, God has a role also. I will pray for him.<br /><br />Relative to that waitress, one thing I didn't note was her asking me how God talks to me, and I said most often through people I meet, or things I read, and I am confident I am hearing Him. And she asked me what I was reading, and I showed her. The first words in the Brievary were from Psalm 105: "Give thanks to the Lord, tell his name, make known his deeds among the peoples." And she smiled and said: "I see what you mean." Do Not Be Anxioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04607616214486933423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7332117297336636395.post-36052278913971297782016-02-22T15:17:50.182-05:002016-02-22T15:17:50.182-05:00(cont. from previous post. From Fran)
Many years ...(cont. from previous post. From Fran)<br />Many years ago, in the 1980's, I went on a trip to Rome, Assisi and Medjugorje sponsored by the University of Stubenville and led by Sr. Ann Shields. There were a couple of priests on the trip who were our Spiritual Directors, and so she really didn't do any talks or reflections. When you mentioned her name I remembered her with fondness, though I was just one of 40 or so people on a trip many years ago. Our Lord had brought the trip to my attention in a really unusual way, and I found I had the time and finances to go right at that time. So, I have not only been the messenger, but also the recipient of God's whisper through someone else, and have been blessed by the vocation of Sr. Ann myself. (I signed up mostly because of Assisi, because I just HAD to go where Francis lived. But that's another story.)<br /><br />Lastly, I want to share something that happened to my brother. He believes in God and prays, but stopped going to church 20 years ago. <br />A few years back he lost his job because of a plant closing. He was sending out resumes all over the place, and one company called, basically asked him a few questions over the phone, asked him to fax a resume and called him back in 10 minutes and hired him,. It was a a job below his skill level in a door factory, but he took it for the time being to have money coming in since he had a family to support, and while he looked for a more suitable job. He had been there a couple of months, and he told me, he would often think, "Why am I here?" because of the odd way he got the job. <br />One day an argument broke out among two other employees, one that escalated beyond reason. One of the arguers was a gang member, and in his rage said to the other, I'm calling my home boys. YOU ARE A DEAD MAN! <br />My brother was horrified. He knew these guys were not playing, and these were not just idle words. A little while later, the gang member guy went out for a smoke break, and my brother followed him outside. He said, hey Joe (I don't remember the guy's name.), do you pray? The guy says, What? My brother repeats, Do you pray? The guy says, Yes, I pray. My brother says, I think you ought to pray right now, to think about what's happening here. And so Joe kneels down right there on the ground, crosses himself, and says a prayer in Spanish, then bows his head and closes his eyes for a few minutes. Then he got up, just looked at my brother, and my brother gave him a sort of friendly slap on the shoulder, and went inside. <br />A couple of hours later, when work was getting out, a white car with three or four guys inside pulled up in front of the business. Joe went out and spoke to them for a few minutes, and then they drove off. Nothing ever came of it. Within a couple of weeks, my brother secured another position more suitable to his skills, and left there.<br /><br />Although I wish my brother were attending Mass and receiving the sacraments, I can't argue with the fact God used Him that day to intervene in a powerful way. Any of us could be called on to be a "peacemaker" at any time, or to minister to our fellow man. I can't help but believe my brother did God's will that day, and your story reminded me of that. I expect helping save a soul is the real goal, and that's true for all these incidents. <br /><br />God bless, Tom.<br />FranAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7332117297336636395.post-80730240301402185902016-02-22T15:17:06.246-05:002016-02-22T15:17:06.246-05:00Hi Tom. Fran here,
Too bad you didn't go to th...Hi Tom. Fran here,<br />Too bad you didn't go to the movie, because I've heard it's pretty good. I didn't see it. I'm not a movie go-er either (I have to say, I only went to the Passion of the Christ because of all the wow reviews by fellow Catholics, and I didn't like it much. I get what Mel Gibson was trying to do, but after seeing some of his other movies, like The Patriot (and I can't remember the other one I saw that was of this genre, but it wasn't Braveheart) after seeing the Passion of the Christ I came away with the conclusion that it was just another Mel Gibson blood and gore movie. Because of that I'm not sure I trust even other Catholics who tell me about a "great" movie.) <br /><br />I hope that waitress went to the movie, and who knows, maybe she saw a priest or bumped into someone there who is the next step for her to find her way back to God. We can only hope and pray.<br /><br />I truly believe your experience and Sr. Shields' experience are God using a willing disciple to rescue His sheep (or send info to a faithful servant.) I think it happens like it does so that 1) we don't mess up what God is trying to do for the recipient by overthinking what to say or do; 2) Our pride is bypassed because we can see we really had very little part in the "plan" except as a messenger-boy. I expect we get full credit for our love of neighbor (charity) in heaven because of our willingness to be an instrument in His hand.; and 3) we can appreciate that God gives EVERYBODY a chance to know Him, and when they die, they will never be able to say "but I never knew you wanted me to come to You, Lord." Because these things are meant to make the recipient stop and think. God is tapping them on the shoulder, so to speak whispering "come home" to them through us. Will they listen? It's none of our business. It's between Him and them. Our part is to deliver the message. Once that's done, we move on.<br /><br />(Had to post as Anonymous. My OpenID acct won't work.) (Cont. in next post)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com