Discrening with Hope

us One day I was talking to one of my friends and I was freaking out about my future and she said to me "Betsy, some day we are both going to be where He wants us and we will look in the mirror and think 'why was I so worried, of course it all worked out!' and everything will be fine. But most convents don't have mirrors so I guess you will have to use a really shiny spoon."
That was the inspiration for this poem.

What is my future going to be, where is He leading me?
Will it be marriage or religious life?
If it is religious life will it be somewhere else, or here with the SMME?

Will I ever know where this is leading? Will I ever figure this out?
How can I know what He wants of me?
What is my life all about?

I guess I just have to trust to Him everything, in and out of sight.
To offer it all to Him in the hands of my Lady.
To believe with all my heart that He will tell me when the time is proper and right.

Some day I will know what He wants of me. Looking in the mirror, or a really shiny spoon, I will realize how silly this worrying is. I will realize that He has always had me in His hands and why it was all meant to be.

So no matter how worried or confused you may be about His plans for your future, just remind yourself about shiny spoons and TRUST IN HIM!

Peace = Confusion + hope!

JMJ+

Totus tuus Maria! Let's see what the good God wills.

Thoughts on the Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples:

“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.

No one has greater love than this,

to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I no longer call you slaves,

because a slave does not know what his master is doing.

I have called you friends,

because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you

and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,

so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

This I command you: love one another.”

I had a lot of interesting things running through my head when I heard this reading today.

First the line "no greater love has a man then this, to lay down his life for a friend." When I heard that I thought instead of laying down my life, laying down my desire for religious life, my want to be understood and my strong desire for community. Mary has been speaking a lot to me about martyring my desire for religious life and letting Jesus kill it for a time so that I can focus on what He wants of me right now, namely to be in the world for a time so He can use me to reach souls. Instead of laying down my life, I need to lay down my hopes, wants, dreams and desires. Though the desire for religious life is a good thing in itself, it's not a good thing if it stops or hinders me from totally embracing His most holy and perfect will for me which is to wait.

Second the line "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you."
Of course I related this to my vocation first, but then it struck me that it's not only that He chose me for His bride, but He also chose me to be in the world for a while. This is something that I've really struggled with in the past year, but I've come to learn that it's just as important to think about your current vocation as it is to think about the one in the future. It's a thin line to find between thinking about it way to much and not thinking about it enough. I can't tell you how to find that line for yourself but keep looking and trying your best and most importantly, don't beat yourself up if you don't keep to the line.

As usual, you are all in my prayers. God bless you!

JMJ+

Totus tuus Maria! Let's see what the good God wills.

Butt Prints in the Sand

When I was on retreat with the Franciscan Sisters of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother Sister Therese read this poem. It's very funny but at the same time very convicting.

Butt Prints in the Sand

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.

But then some strange prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord, they are too big for feet."

"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you along.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."

"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know,
So I got tired, I got fed up,
And there I dropped you on your butt."

"Because in life, there comes a time,
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand."

So what are you doing with your life? We all need God to carry us at times, but there does come a time when we have to get down from Daddy's arms and start walking for ourselves. So what are you doing with your life? Are you jumping down from Daddy's arms and taking the leap of faith, or are you leaving your butt prints in the sand?

JMJ+

Totus tuus Maria! Let's see what the good God wills.

Wow! This really makes you think

This is a very amazing man!