Humanity of Mondays

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"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mk 2:17)

I constantly (at least every Monday) have to remind myself that this world is a journey, not a destination. That we will fall because we are human.  I have to keep Mondays and rainy days in perspective understanding that the struggle is real because of the reality of humanity. We are broken. We are not perfect. YET there's good news (the best news of all of eternity)... Jesus came so that we can finally achieve that perfection through complete and total union with Him ultimately. C.S. Lewis says it best when he states,“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” We desire this perfection, yet we cannot attain it. We are subject, rather destined to fallen brokenness. 

Oftentimes in my life I've come to fear this brokenness, to hate the vulnerability of being wrong or less than my expectations. Yet, it's intrinsic to our present state, completely unavoidable while we are still in our human form. Ironically enough avoiding this vulnerability at all costs could cost me everything simply because it is in our humble brokenness where we meet Jesus. Jesus did not turn first to the pharisees or the people who regarded themselves highly. He made himself present to the humble, the lowly, the people who knew they needed Him. If I live constantly thriving at my fullest potential then what need would I have of a savior? 

The kingdom of God is a place that begins in the hearts of those who let God in, the hearts of the poor and lowly that rely on their creator. We have to let Jesus fill in our "cracks" and meet us where we are in our brokenness while also imitating Him in the way he loves the ones who offer the least yet need it the most. sometimes we may not even realize that that person is indeed ourselves. 

Here's to a rockin Monday and a stellar week! Let's try to reach out to all those that might need Love and open our own hearts to Him (easier said than done.. .but that's the good thing, Jesus completes our brokenness hey hey!)

Jesus, I trust in You: a rambling of thoughts

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy comes in handy for those times when we are lacking in trust.

Our God is a God of many identities. He's the ultimate Father. The greatest Companion and Fulfiller of all of our deepest desires. The Lover of our souls. He is gracious, merciful, and Love itself.  Some have a skewed vision of our Lord, imagining Him as the supreme Punisher creating rigid rules for the sake of making rules. Others picture Him as Santa Claus, expecting Him to deliver everything on our "lists". Then there's the God that is fluffy, warm, and saved for church on Sunday mornings before a big brunch. The list goes on. As a person in the design field I love to imagine God as the Creator. I love picturing God in "studio" designing each and every life and its implications. But most recently, I've become acquainted with the side of God that loves surprises. 

God has been surprising me all of my life, but the most recent started happening last semester. As the story always goes in my life, I was spending an exorbitant amount of time in studio. For a period of about 3 weeks leading up to final review my daily life consisted of spending whatever time I wasn't in class or eating or (barely) sleeping in studio. I got there early in the morning and didn't leave until early into the next morning only to wake up after a few hours and do it all over again. It was during this time when I started to go to daily mass regularly. I started to long for the re-centering, peaceful time I spent in the little stone chapel off campus. Then God surprised me by laying His real presence in the Eucharist on my heart like a load of bricks. He had used my time of solitude and hard work to glorify Him and I am forever grateful. He had transformed my work into a prayer, and that time in my life felt like a renewing retreat from the fast pace of reality. For the first time I knew how it felt to have a personal relationship with Jesus. How could I have missed this for so long!?

God loves to keep us guessing. I arrive at a realization thinking I have it all figured out only to realize that I'm making claims on the whole puzzle while only holding one piece. God continues to surprise me, keeping me on my toes and making certain my heart is focused on Him. This has been the case in my present life as the future stands right in front of me in all of its uncertainty. Now more than ever, God is calling me to trust Him, as He calls every single one of us everyday. It's hard to remember, but God knows us all better than we know ourselves, and He loves us better than we love ourselves. So why do we feel anxiety or fear creeping into the back of our minds when we have a God who wants and wills the best of the best for us?

I just need to tell this to my own heart. Courage, trust, faith, dear heart! Real life is scary. But somehow I think that means I'm doing it right. And above all, it's important to remember that God is faithful, and His love and mercy are infinite even if we cannot see it with our humanly vision. We can trust in Him and all of His surprises.

Jesus,  I trust in you!