Sometimes I can get lost in time when I go on Facebook, not so much on what people are eating or wearing but the beautiful, thought-provoking quotes that come up. Here is one from Salt and Light Words that I couldn’t pass up sharing with you. See what you think.
“Long before Zacchaeus needed to see Jesus, God planted a tree. He’s going before you and making a way too.” I admit there are times I feel God isn’t beside me, and yet, here God is, going before me. Trust is at the very heart of our relationship with God, yet it can be so difficult because we want to be in control! When we put our trust in God, it is easier to say, ‘I don’t understand, but I trust that you are with me, God, that you are always present in my life’.
Early in my religious life, when things happened that were challenging or hurtful, I would say to God, “Sorry, but nowhere in my vows did I ever say I’d rewrite the book of Job for You.” My prayer was one of control. Time, experience, and spiritual maturity have helped me change my prayer to “What am I to learn from this experience? Surely someone will come to me, and my experience will help me to understand their situation.” Until today, this last prayer has served me well, but I had to learn to Trust and Hope in God’s plan for me
Proverbs 3:5-6 says it beautifully: “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do and everywhere you go; God’s the one who will keep you on track.” (Taken from The Message by Eugene Peterson) Hope, together with trust, helps us realize that even when we don’t understand, we can trust God’s faithfulness; there is more to our story. Hope keeps our heart open so God can continue working on us for the future/the rest of our story.
When we can change our prayer from ‘Why is this happening to me’ to ‘Lord, I may not understand, but I trust you will show me what you are creating from it all.’ If trust is saying that God is with me now, then Hope is saying God is leading me toward something beyond what I can see at the moment. As we learn to trust God, that becomes surrender, and hope then becomes peace.
I pray like Zacchaeus, you find the trees that God has already planted for you. May your trees, adventures, and prayers be numerous this week.
Till next week,
Sister Theresita Donach, CSFN
