Have you ever felt that line between complete serenity and reality? I did this morning. I was sitting on the back porch of the beach house that my friends and I are renting for spring break. It was sunny, but cold; I was curled up in a chair with yoga pants and a fuzzy sweatshirt reading Tuesdays With Morrie. I stopped reading for a moment, closed my eyes and tilted my head towards the sun.
As I sat there all alone with nothing in particular on my mind, I fell into a peaceful state. The wind blew through my hair and against my face. I could hear the ocean waves crashing against the white sandy beach just over the sand dunes. It was there, with my eyes closed and nothing on my mind that I felt completely at peace. Yet, on the other side of the house, I could hear a bulldozer beeping as it backed up. It was this strange balance between ultimate relaxation and reality. The sound of the ocean was pulling me toward surrendering my worries and doubts to the wind, to carry them far away. Then the buzzing of construction workers reminded me that I still have responsibilities and uncertainty in my life. It was a cruel tug of war game on my heart and mind.
The desires that I have to make a difference and impact the lives of others is so real, yet the struggles and hardships of life stand before me like a brick wall. I've climbed over many of these walls before and I am confident that I will in the future. Yet, these walls are still luminous in their size and structure. The moments of complete peace that I felt this morning sitting on my porch help keep me in motion. They remind me that although we are going through these defining, sometimes difficult, moments, we have the option to be at complete peace with God, ourselves and others if we so choose. It is choosing to be happy and serene that is the most challenging part. It is a hard decision, because life makes it hard to always be at peace. Temptation, jealousy and anger are always looming. Remembering to hear the ocean through the construction of those brick walls is the goal of my days and thoughts. It's a way of life and a way to lead a happy life. I choose that life, the life with The Lord as my light, and with that, I am at peace.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Life is Messy
This was the topic of a visiting priests homily this past Sunday at church and the three simple words keep popping up in my head. "Life is messy." It's so true, yet sad at the same time. Our lives are so messy; they are cluttered with technology, sticky situations, friends who might tempt us and so on. Everyday we get up and go through our routine just to happen upon new situations that throw us of balance and shake our faith. Life is messy.
The priest went on to talk about the gospel reading which was Exodus 3, where God comes to Moses through the burning bush. Now Moses fled from Egypt when he killed an Egyptian who was whipping a Hebrew. He began a new life in Midian with a wife and children and became a shepherd He seemed to have completely started a new life and was happy. That is when God came to Moses through the burning bush and told him to return to Egypt to free His people (the Israelites) from slavery. I can only imagine Moses' reaction, "You want me to do what?" Even with his lisp, God chose Moses to complete this act. God pushed Moses out of his comfort zone, quite literally, and made Moses rely on Him for comfort and protection.
This is an amazing example and reminder that we must rely on God in all that we do, not just in trying circumstances. God pushes us out of our comfort zone, where life can get even messier, so that we can lean on Him, rebuild our trust in Him and recognize His plan for our lives.
The priest went on to ask us about the messes in our own individual lives. What is going on right now that just seems too overwhelming? It's the situations that you want to run and hide from that make life messy. Well, each of us knows of a man that had an incredibly messy life: Jesus. Jesus was put to the test everywhere he went. He was tempted by the devil, betrayed by his friends, denied by one of his closest friends and hung upon a cross for a crime that he didn't commit. What is messier than that?
Through the resurrection, Jesus gave each one of us the ability to clean up our lives: through belief and faith in the Lord. This alone is how our lives can be managed; not through our own wants and desires, but through our complete submission to God's will. Once we do this, the messes that seemed to clutter our lives get packed up in nice, neat little boxes. They are still there inside those boxes, but we are better able to see and understand them with the help of God.
The priest went on to talk about the gospel reading which was Exodus 3, where God comes to Moses through the burning bush. Now Moses fled from Egypt when he killed an Egyptian who was whipping a Hebrew. He began a new life in Midian with a wife and children and became a shepherd He seemed to have completely started a new life and was happy. That is when God came to Moses through the burning bush and told him to return to Egypt to free His people (the Israelites) from slavery. I can only imagine Moses' reaction, "You want me to do what?" Even with his lisp, God chose Moses to complete this act. God pushed Moses out of his comfort zone, quite literally, and made Moses rely on Him for comfort and protection.
This is an amazing example and reminder that we must rely on God in all that we do, not just in trying circumstances. God pushes us out of our comfort zone, where life can get even messier, so that we can lean on Him, rebuild our trust in Him and recognize His plan for our lives.
The priest went on to ask us about the messes in our own individual lives. What is going on right now that just seems too overwhelming? It's the situations that you want to run and hide from that make life messy. Well, each of us knows of a man that had an incredibly messy life: Jesus. Jesus was put to the test everywhere he went. He was tempted by the devil, betrayed by his friends, denied by one of his closest friends and hung upon a cross for a crime that he didn't commit. What is messier than that?
Through the resurrection, Jesus gave each one of us the ability to clean up our lives: through belief and faith in the Lord. This alone is how our lives can be managed; not through our own wants and desires, but through our complete submission to God's will. Once we do this, the messes that seemed to clutter our lives get packed up in nice, neat little boxes. They are still there inside those boxes, but we are better able to see and understand them with the help of God.
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