Tuesday, May 22, 2012

It is Not About Me

For those of us who feel particularly hurt by our loved ones' lack of faith (or anti-faith stance), God has recently brought home to me that it is NOT about *us*.  It is not a threat to our personhood or our self-worth (or theirs either, for that matter) that they do not believe.  The journey they take is up to them in some ways, and also up to God.  The fact that all our behavioral and spiritual machinations have, seemingly, had no affect, means, essentially, nothing.  We do not control things.  We do not decide when to drop something onto the timeline of someone's life.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it may be that God is deciding to drop something into our own lives that we don't particularly like.  It may be for our own humility that we feel surrounded by people who hate something so dear to us.

Cling to the Church.  Use God's way of spiritual self-discipline to keep what self-focus there is focused on imitating Christ as closely as possible.  Give up trying to control things that are only up to God.

It is not about us.