In today's world of COVID impact, in which EVERYONE has had their lives changed, we each struggle with how to deal with these changes. We worry that we may get infected; we worry that members of our family or some of our friends will get sick. We fret over the loss of being able 'to do what we want' and to go where we want to go.
Because of this severe chapter in our lives, we find that we can no longer rest our confidence in our own abilities. We have lost control over so much of the activities that we used to manage.
But . . . allow me to note that the issue of 'control' is a facet of our being that we constantly struggle with. So perhaps the intensity and vastness of our current crisis will help us to grow more in our relationship to God. That is what suffering and hardship do to us. We are forced to lean more on God, and less on ourselves.
Essentially, when we rely on ourselves, we know deep in our hearts that what we are relying on isn't very substantial; it isn't very strong. When life gets tough, and we are no longer able to be in control of it, we are forced to look around. And when we reach out and rely on God, we get on solid ground. Then we can have hope in all situations. Hope is the assurance that there is goodness, love, meaning, and purpose in life. That all comes from God through Jesus' love in our hearts. He will never leave us or forsake us.
So here is the kernel of the fascinating, mysterious miracle that God wants us to be working at in ourselves:
It's the miracle of the compost pile. It takes ordinary everyday garbage and turns it into rich growth-producing soil!
We are urged and called to become deep people, people who can build hope out of the unwanted messes we face. We can, and must, raise monuments to our sufferings and sorrows for the growth and hopefulness that, with the Lord's help, can be produced in us by the hard and heartbreaking parts of life.
I'm suggesting that you consider how the image of the compost pile can be a positive factor in your life. What do you have time to do now that in other, 'normal' times you wouldn't get around to doing? — something that can better your life. Something than can better the lives of other people. What things are going into your compost pile? Stir them up; turn them over; add some positive ingredients to help them all work together to produce some amazing, fertile, rich soil.
Think about it. Here is a golden opportunity for you.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Click here for today's LAUGH LINES
Comments