Potholes

 

Have you ever been in the midst of your spiritual life where the tension was so much that you felt paralyzed with indecision? It is easy to see this in ourselves or others when trying to make major life decisions or vocational choices. Sometimes the focus becomes only on the hang-ups, pitfalls, and unknowns rather than the very obvious intention to go forward in freedom. 

So what is the solution? Make impulsive decisions without worrying about the rest? Run into a burning building? Go with your gut? Nope, it has nothing to do with all that. You can swerve around the potholes all you like, stop in the middle of the road and avoid them, or plow through them and ruin your tire. But then you are missing the whole point of the journey. It isn't about you.

What does Our Lord ask? Fidelity. 

There will be hard days. There will be sufferings. There will be joys. There will be triumphs. But they are all His. We share in His divine life every time we choose to correspond with grace. The best way of dealing with potholes is filling them in. When the road gets rough, let Him fill you with Himself. The more we are empty of ourselves, the more He can work in our souls and transform us toward holiness.

This quote of Fr. Willie Doyle says it all:

"I think it is evident that, in these days of awful sin and hatred of God, our Blessed Lord wants to gather round Him a legion of chosen souls who will be devoted, heart and soul, to Him and His interests, and upon whom He may always count for help and consolation. Souls who will not ask “How much must I do?” but rather “How much can I do for His love?” A legion of souls who will give and not count the cost, whose only pain will be that they cannot do more and give more and suffer more for Him who has done so much for them. In a word souls who are not as the rest of men, fools perhaps in the eyes of the world, for their watchword is sacrifice and not self-comfort."

Let's say to Him today and every day, "How much can I do for Thy Love?"