Catholic Quotes Day 4

“What you are is God\’s gift to you,
what you become is your gift to God.”

Hans Urs von Balthasar

God\’s Gift to You

For a long time I thought that God had a special plan for my life. That if I prayed, listened and was open to guidance He would show me the best plan for my life. Then one day I was sitting at a table during my stay at Guest House with a Catholic priest and a nun from Bosnia. I said something about God\’s plan for my life during the course of conversation.

The priest interrupted me quite suddenly. \”God does not have a plan for your life,\” he stated in a very firm voice. \”God gives you your life and you decide what to do with it.

Truthfully this was amazing to me. Although I half understood having free will I still felt there was an element of God having a good, better and best plan of what would be best for me. Not sure where I came up with this idea but when the priest said those words it was like a burst of light that broke through a whole lot of cloudy thinking I was going through.

At the time I was going through the whole decision process of leaving the monastery and feeling that God would not be pleased with me if I did that. When I heard those words an image came to me of God handing me a big piece of art paper, a brush and a whole palette of colors and saying, \”Here, paint whatever you want.\”

How we decide to serve God is not as important as that we do. The medium we use, the colors, the design that is up to us. Today I don\’t feel that God is more pleased with our \”how\” as he is with our \”why.\”

I think we put on God our own judgement of things. God is not as controlling as we sometimes think he is.

God will be there for us, with us and in us no matter what road we decide to walk down. Yesterday for the scripture quote I used the verse from Jeremiah 29:11 that says, \”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.\”

But those plans are not a detailed, point by point road map of what we should do, say and act. They are plans like a parent has for their child when they provide what they can to give their child what is needed for their growth and happiness and at the same time give them freedom to be who they are.

If we are called to love other unconditionally surely we can believe that God has that same love for us.

A Gift for You

I am offering a free e book of the book I published for St Mary\’s Parish in Albany, Oregon for new subscribers. It\’s a collection of stories to celebrate their 125th anniversary back in 2010. If you would like the e book let me know via the comments and I will send you the link to download it. You can also reply to today\’s email if that is easier.

Scripture quote for the day

\”Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.\”
Joshua 1:9

Please add \”your\” three gratitude moments in the comments. It\’s a great way to pick up your day and it\’s fun for the rest of us to read!

1. Rainy day Sunday but we got our walk in. We did shorten it a bit.
2. Buddy has a new place to sleep. Under my bedside table I had put an extra blanket for cold nights. Buddy has taken over the spot.
3. I am reading the book, Topper by Thorne Smith. So funny, funny, funny. Published I think in 1924 but still hilarious.

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