You Can Do This!

The Monsignor spoke of a childhood experience many of us have had:  his learning to ride a bike.  He related that his father helped seat him on the two-wheeled bike, and urged hm to pedal, and his father held on so he wouldn’t fall.  “It was scary and I felt sure I’d fall,” he said, “and indeed would have if my father hadn’t been there to catch me.  But he continued to urge me on, you can do this, he said.  Focus!  And as I did, the balance became easier, and I increased my pedal speed --- checking that my father was still holding on.  And as I sped even more, my father was trotting next to me.  And, as my confidence grew, I looked back and he was running behind me.  I was riding on my own!!”

The Monsignor said that story illustrates our spiritual growth.  Perhaps the Church’s teachings seem hard to understand.  Perhaps our quiet time in the church or adoration chapel seems useless; we’re constantly distracted.  As his father told the child on the bike: Focus!  You can do this.  And we WILL go forward in faith and holiness as we focus on God and keep at it.  And, yes, in our spiritual lives we will fall.  But, our Spiritual Father is always behind us, to kiss and heal any wounds, and help us get started again --- even if more cautiously this time.  God is always ready to show us mercy when we fall.  Look at the cross, and remember how He fell!  Trust in Him!  The Father is waiting to help.

Living in faith is hard.

You can do this!

He rose from the dead!

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As I set out this morning, a band of thin clouds crossed the blue Eastern sky.  When I looked upward, the sun was totally behind those thin clouds, and they seemed to magnify it to be much, much larger than normal.  Yet, despite the size and brightness of the sun, I now could look at it directly. It was beautiful.  It gave me a great peace.  And I thought of God’s presence, big, always there, even if sometimes hidden by clouds of darkness in our lives.

It made me recall that Father who is always there story above.  Then I thought, no, the peace I felt is better described as joy.  I felt joy in those moments.  It is hard to describe joy, but it is so much more than peace, or happiness.  It is so all through me.  It is a feeling of great comfort, and confidence. Kind of like the feeling that “I can do this.”

But then, suddenly, other words came to my mind:

 

My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

 

And as I drove in the quiet of my vehicle, I smiled, now totally filled with joy.

My life, our country, the world, is sometimes very dark, but I can do this.  The Father is with me.  And He just reminded me of that fact.

Gobble-Gobble

 

On Sunday, as I drove to church my mind wandered a little, and as I came over a slight rise in the road, there, right in front of me, was a flock of wild turkeys.  I slammed on the brakes, and heard the skid of the car behind me (which was probably following too close).  As I stopped, the turkey in the middle of the road looked at me as if to say: “well, what do you want?”  And I really thought another started toward my car to bite a chunk out of my tire.  If it wasn’t for the car behind me, I probably would have peeled in reverse.  But after a moment of eye contact, the turkeys slowly walked off the road. (Because of the increased deer herds, Michigan is upping the number its deer hunting licenses this year.  I wonder if they have them for turkeys?)

In the Catholic Church, On October 2 was the feast day of Guardian Angels.  Don’t believe you have a guardian angel?  Hah!  Good luck the next time a deer or turkey crosses your path.

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Monday was a busy day for me.  I took time for a protein bar in the morning as I drove, but it was 3:30 in the afternoon before I found time to make a sandwich.  It was drizzly outside, so I was I in no hurry to drive to church, and I decided to take a half hour nap.  I heard the wind and very hard rain pounding outside and thought “it will be a fun drive.”  But when I started out, the rain had slowed to a hard drizzle, and as I arrived at church, it totally stopped.

I took my umbrella with me inside, as dark clouds still filled the sky.  But as I said my Evening Prayers, bright sunlight filled the chapel, and remained as I prayed.  Later, upon leaving I was surprised to walk outside and see the totally dark cloudy skies again, but no rain. 

I checked my phone messages as I sat in the car, and a Plymouth police car pulled in right next to me.  I’ve seen the officer before, as he sometimes takes his meal breaks to go into the chapel and pray.  As I slowly began backing up, the alarm on my car screamed, as a car came behind me, past the large police car I could not see around.  Wouldn’t that have been pretty, getting into a collision right behind a police car?  I think my guardian angel watches over me in ways I’d never expect.  And as I made my way home, the heavy drizzle began again.  It was as if the rain had stopped for me to go outside, and even went away while I prayed.  Guardian angel again?

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But my day ended on a funny note.  Driving home I stopped at a light behind a large blue vehicle with Michigan license plates.  The plate in front of me read: GO 8IUE.  I thought that was pretty original of that Michigan sports fan.

But They Are So Wrong!

 

I was planning my monthly confession, and so arrived early at church to be the first in line.  I reflected on my sins and how I might resolve to change.  I thought of the people and events which had irritated me in recent weeks.  I then recalled a talk which emphasized that God is Love, and when we grow irritated for any reason, it is a sign that the evil one is winning, for God is love, and in Jn 15:12 Jesus commanded us to love as He does.  That love is His will, and in His timing, not mine.  And I reflected that when we become irritated, we are not loving as He does.

Then the word “patience” came to my mind.  I need to be more patient with those who don’t think as I do, or are not as faith-filled as I am.  And then after a few minutes I began reading my morning prayers, and I read from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians: “I plead with you … to live a life worthy of the calling you have received, with perfect humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another lovingly.”  Reading that, I thought again, yes, I need to be more patient with people --- all are not as blessed as I am, all are not thinking as I do, yet even if they think wrongly, I am called to have patience, “bearing with one another lovingly.”  Yes, I think I see what sins I must confess and how I must resolve to change.  Then the morning mass began (confession was after mass).  And while I sat there, suddenly I heard aloud the words I had just read, because that Letter to the Ephesians was the first reading at mass!  Patience!  Again!  And then, an even deeper thought struck me:  how patient God is with me.  And that became part of my confession also, how grateful I am for God’s never-ending mercy, never-ending love.  He is so patient with me.  Even when I am planning for confession, I was thinking what I thought were sins, but not seriously asking the One sinned against what He thought.  And so then He had to tell me, and tell me again, and TELL ME AGAIN OUT LOUD.  You need more patience in dealing with others, even as I do with you!!  Okay, Lord, I got it.  It took a lot to get past my pride, thinking that I know it all. 

But He is a patient, loving God.  Oh, if I could just shut my mouth one time, stop one thought of irritation at another --- it would be a start to loving as He commanded us to love in Jn 15:12, to love with a total self-giving love, as He did.  Patience is a Gift of the Holy Spirit, and it is also a major step forward in pleasing God.  And even if no one else noticed how hard I had to bite my tongue, He would be pleased.

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Glancing at my last posting, I guess this one is just a follow-up.  God is so patient with us when we fail.  This week I made a commitment to connect a woman I know who is losing her sight and very depressed, with a man I know who had lost his sight a few years ago --- and is extremely happy.  After a time, he had decided not to be depressed, but to get on with his life, and he found many resources to enable him to do that.  I resolved to connect Karen with that man.  And days passed, as I forgot that commitment.  Then another friend texted me to ask me to pray for her friend, Karen, who was having very serious eye surgery that day.  And after I got over that whack in the head from God, I texted my friend that I would pray for her Karen, and would she in return pray for the woman Karen I know who is losing her sight.  And that night, I called the Karen I know and told her about my blind friend, who is extremely happy, and who once even said “I see things much better, since I lost my sight.”  After a while of recalling happier times in the years we have known each other, Karen said she’d like to call my blind friend, and learn how he moved on with his life, even if sightless.

This blog’s title says it all.  We need to trust, despite what seems like the world falling around us, and be patient.