HOW?

HOW?

Whenever I write about trusting in God, which looking back I apparently do a lot, often readers write and say, “But it’s so hard!”  Forgive me if I have made it seem like it is easy.  I pull from own experience of faith for these comments and perhaps I have never said how difficult it was to reach a point of absolute trust in God.  Believe me I know how hard it is. 

The first step is getting to know God better.  I was raised in the crime and punishment era of faith and thought when you wanted something from God you had to pray and do penance over and over again, but it was still a turkey shoot whether you would get what you wanted.  I was not aware of the infinite goodness of God.  I was as wary of God as any indentured servant is of their master, waiting for the blows to fall when I erred.  I never, ever, thought of God as a companion. 

Once I prayed and prayed that my new husband would not be drafted.  He was. When he left to report I cried all day.  Then about 5pm he called and said he had been rejected because he had flat feet and varicose veins.  It wasn’t right away, but shortly thereafter, I thought of my pleading with God and realized I prayed to God as though He did not know me.  I also began to understand not only did I not know everything, I didn’t know anything, especially about God. I didn’t know my husband had those issues, but God did.

God sees the big picture.  That lesson has to be learned over and over before it actually sinks in.  Jesus said it himself, “Your Father knows what you need, before you ask.”  (Matt 6:8) I wish I had been taught that in the first grade.  Notice Jesus says what you need, not what you want.  He is subtle that way. 

We want to control everything.  We can’t let go of the feeling that we are right and we just need to convince God of it, so sure are we that we know what’s best. Acknowledging the primacy of God is the second step in building trust. 

In the Muppet’s Christmas Carol, the Spirit of Christmas Present is a huge, beautiful, smiling and glowing figure that spreads his arms wide and calls to Scrooge in a powerful voice,

“COME IN AND KNOW ME BETTER, MAN!”

There are many beautiful passages in Scripture where God reveals his love and all but pleads for us to come in and know him better. He calls us down through the ages to know Him, to love Him, and to trust Him.

If I take the wings of dawn and dwell beyond the sea,

Even there your hand guides me, your right hand holds me fast.” (PS 139:9)

Words to live by.

Carol Lemelin OPA

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

There used to be a daytime quiz show in the late 50’s called Who do you trust?  It was silly, but fun. 

In real life that question is not fun, but critical to our security.   Usually the real answer is no one, not really.   We say we trust the pilot, we trust the surgeon, but actually there is always that hint of doubt that all will be well and our trust rewarded.  The reason is valid.  We are putting our trust in another human being and being one ourselves we have our doubts. 

Unfortunately, the same sliver of doubt accompanies our trust in God.  When my son went away to college, I told God, ‘He’s all yours now. I trust you to care for him.”

Then for the next four years, I asked regularly, “You’re sure you’re watching over him?”  Rare is the person who has achieved absolute trust in God. 

It’s not as if God takes this doubt lying down, though.  In chapters 38 to 41 of the book of Job, God responds to Job’s mistrust,  “Where were you when I founded the earth?” Then for page after page, God reminds us, not only of His great power and control of everything, but also of his deep and abiding love for all His creation. He recounts every little detail of his creative power.  The oceans stop at the shoreline.

Animal mothers, protect, feed and teach their young because of the instincts that God has given them.

“For who has known the mind of God, or who has been His counselor?

Or who has given Him that he must be repaid?

For from Him, through Him, and for Him, all things are made.”

(Rom 11:34, 1Cor. 2:16, Is. 40:13)

These words run through Scripture as more and more prophets recognized the absolute trustworthiness of God.  Now, if only we would.  Part of the problem is that when we call on God, we want the answer to be on our terms, not God’s.  We can’t seem to bring ourselves to acknowledge that God knows what’s best.  Jesus said, “God knows what you need before you ask.”  Notice the word is need, not want. In another place He said,  “Ask and you shall receive.”  The missing word here is ‘it’. He does not say what you will receive, only that God will respond in some way. It might be new insight.  It might be a change of heart.  Once we accept that God always responds, we can begin to grow in understanding of his perfect love.

The only way to achieve absolute trust in God is to try.  To end every request with the words of Jesus Christ himself; “Not my will, but thine.”

Blessings,

Carol Lemelin OPA

CONNECT OR DISCONNECT

CONNECT OR DISCONNECT

“Quantum physics is based on the primacy of energy and the interconnectedness of all that exists. “(Sr. Ilia Delio FSE)

That is the only definition of Quantum physics I actually understand.  The interconnectedness of everything is something we actually know intrinsically, but for some insane reason the human race has done everything in its power to deny it.

In Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, Shylock speaks of it with eloquence in comparing Jews with Christians.  “When you tickle us, do we not laugh?  When you prick us do we not bleed? When you poison us, do we not die?”

Even so, Jews were so hated they were nearly annihilated from the planet.  People give those who are different insulting names to further the distance between us.  Good people refer to others as ‘those people’ and say with a knowing look,  ‘well, you know how THEY are.’  Most of these people are Christians or think of themselves that way.  What’s to be done?   If interconnectedness is too big of a word how about family?

I watched a documentary of the Tsunami of 2004. Of those interviewed, all of whom lost someone that day, the prevailing thought was that they were meant to live lives with more meaning, more kindness and more awareness of the bonds between human beings.  They had been stripped of everything except the will to survive and the desire to help anyone they could.  Prayers were heard in every possible language.  280,000 people perished and over 500,000 worked to save others, to help people to find their families and compile lists of everyone who could be identified, alive or dead.  Interconnectedness indeed. 

So what makes us do it?  Mostly, I think it boils down to a fear of change.  Fear that people of other cultures will intrude on our way of doing things and make us feel like outsiders.  When people speak their own languages, it makes us uncomfortable.  Culturally speaking everyone is stranger to everyone else.  In some countries the market places have dogs hanging up to be sold as meat.  A custom we think is barbaric considering the pedestal we place our dogs on.  In India, however, they view anyone who eats beef as the lowest of the low.  These differences are never going to go away so we have to learn to understand, to be patient, to try to find a common ground.  We have to. 

God is the creator of all and if you ask him who is more important, his answer will be simple;  “Those who hear my word and keep it.”   In case anyone has forgotten the words are, “Love one another.”  We have to try to build within us the spirit that causes people to go out of their way to help in disasters.  If we can foster that spirit in everyday life, we will make great strides in connecting with our neighbors.  Peace and justice are just pipe dreams unless we do.

Here’s to finding the connection.

Carol Lemelin OPA