TRY HARDER

TRY HARDER

As I have grown older some things that were easy are now much harder, such as opening packages. Little kids can rip open a box in nothing flat but I can’t.  I keep tools handy such as scissors and box cutters.  But sometimes I am annoyed with myself for taking the easy road and so when, like today, I was trying to open a bag with that sort of tongue in groovesealer, I didn’t go for a tool.  Instead, I told my self “Try harder!” I am a little embarrassed to admit that I felt quite wonderful when it opened.  

That got me thinking about trying to live our lives in Christ’s image.  I don’t think I would have been a very good disciple, because I question everything.  When Jesus said, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”    I would have said, “Good luck with that!”   See what I mean?

When Jesus said that we should be perfect, what did he really mean?  Perfection in humans is not possible.  Face it.  You see a model that you say is perfectly beautiful and you would be surprised to hear her say, ”My nose is too long, or my right eyebrow is not shaped as well as my left.” 

Jesus meant be perfect in love.  The love of God is perfect.  That means it is universal, never weakening and over abundant. It might surprise us to know humans can actually achieve that.  We can love perfectly.  We can fight the urge to look down on people, to hate them, to carry grudges, to gossip, or hunt down and kill them.  We just have to try harder. 

There are people who do good and still claim they don’t believe in God.  That’s fine for them, but the fact is they reach down inside themselves for the motivation and love to help others without realizing that that love is God. There is no love without God no matter what you may think. 

In this world of incredible technology, it is often a shock to people of my generation who try to do something the old way and find out it’s already been done in a millisecond by their car or computer or their phone or embarrassingly, by their grandchild. But, isn’t it wonderful?  That’s how the love of God works, quickly, quietly, and powerfully.   The only way people will feel the love of God or learn to recognize his presence will be through us. What we must do is be constantly aware of the Spirit within us and try harder. 

Blessings,

Carol Lemelin OPA