Paul as a role model (one of many examples)

 I was reading 2 Corinthians (chapters 11 & 12) and Paul mentioned "a thorn in the flesh". I believe it is intentionally vague as to what it is referring to because the what is not important but the how he deals with it, is the true importance. He "begs" the Lord three times that he may be rid of it, but God said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness". As I reflect, I start to see all the thorns that are poking me. I cannot pluck them out on my own, I must pray to God for help, then listen for how I should handle. Some, He will take away and others he will allow to stay. That ones that stay, are there for a reason. God only gives us what we can handle and our challenges / sufferings are for a purpose. We will either grow from them or they may help someone else. Just trust in God and spread the Word.

 

Letting God work in me

 Today I heard a great point of view on how we get better. It revolved around how steel is shaped into something useful. First it needs to be heated, to become soft and then it is hammered to shape it. If you try to shape it when it is cold, it could break. As God is forming us, we must pray first. This softens us, so we can be formed. The hammer comes, with the challenges we face. Just like steel, if we are not softened first (through prayer), we can break. 

I write this reflecting on how God has shaped me when I have allowed him and when I felt broken, when I was distant from Him. A very recent example, was I felt tempted with a pull into sin. I made the effort to get up early and go to reconciliation and mass before going to work. I had gained strength by the time I returned from mass to resist the temptations that were so strong before.

God wants to walk the journey with us and we need to ask Him daily to do so.

The Tree at the Abbey

 When I got to my room, I looked out the window and my first impression was that I have a tree blocking my view. Upon reflection over the next couple days, I understood the tree was the view I was supposed to see.

A tree can appear to be strong and healthy, but as you admire it and really look at it, you notice, it is not perfect, just like people.

I stared at a broken branch. It appears that it got some disease and died off, while the rest of the tree survives. I look at that branch that might be a bad relationship in our lives and if it does not break apart from the tree, it could infect the whole tree. A bad relationship could do the same to us.

I witnessed birds flying to the tree to get nourishment and shelter. This is like those we are sent to protect and support. This could be our family, friends, or strangers. Everyone needs a safe haven to come to and we, as God's servants on earth, should provide that to the people we meet.

Finally, some of the branches go in all sorts of directions. From a distance, the tree looks like it is growing in perfect symmetry yet it doesn't. It has branches that decide to shoot up versus out or encounter a growth spurt. We also don't grow in the perfectly. We make bad decisions and have to change path. We might have our growth get stunted for a bit as we loose our path, but we have that much more growth when we focus back on God.

Life is a journey and each season brings good and bad events to our lives. Just remember that just as a tree, we are always growing and the bad parts should be discarded and allow the good to flourish.