(Click Here for Readings)
Gospel of Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus said:“Come to me, all
you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn from me, for I am meek and
humble of heart; and you will find
rest for yourselves. For my yoke is
easy, and my burden light.”
When lightning strikes to This morning I drove to work as lightning illuminated a sky filled with large black clouds. Total and complete darkness overshadowed the sunrise. How eery and unrestful!
This summer we've experienced unusual weather patterns - little pockets of thunderstorms hitting one area of the Metroplex while another remains hot and dry. We need as much rain as we can get. Living a few miles from the lake, areas of the once beautiful water have transformed into a low-lying forest. I find this sad because I've always found water to be relaxing and soothing. However, when lightning strikes and thunder roars, the outpouring deluge of rain shifts into something more threatening.
My thoughts turn to the Lord every time I see changes in the weather. A sudden thunderstorm causes me to run for cover. An unpredicted ice storm warns me to stay off the streets. A long-ending heat wave prompts me to stay hydrated and in cool air conditioning.
The Lord provides us with the intellect to decide the right thing to do when we face irregularity in our lives.
Like the weather Our life can suddenly change like the weather. One day we're enjoying the bright sunshine as we picnic with family at a nice park. The next day we're shedding tears when we discover a loved one has passed away. Along with these tears of mourning, we face the burden of planning a funeral and making sure all of deceased's affairs are in order. We may turn to the Lord and ask: "Why did this happen? Everything was going so great in life. Now this? I don't know if I can handle everything!"
Life with all its moodiness and unpredictability allows us to grow wiser. We begin to learn from the best of days and worst of days. When lightning strikes, causing us to worry about our burdens and struggles, our remedy is turning over the reigns to Christ. Jesus provides us with the rubber soles and lightning rod so we can secure and protect ourselves from life striking us in ways that leave us hopeless and disillusioned.
When we become meek and humble of heart like Christ, we don't carry on and on about how horrible our lives are. We don't over-dramatize the bad in our lives or think everything will always be so wretched. In fact, we begin to understand that life's ups and downs show that we can manage circumstances much easier with Christ by our side.
Praying, meditating, and regularly partaking in the Eucharist gives us the strength to keep trekking along that narrow path to holiness. The journey is a difficult one. Thunderstorms, ice storms, and periods of drought will convince us that we should give up. Our burdens are just too much to handle. Yet, we know circumstances will change. Darkness will always return to light.
Find rest in the loving hands of Christ. Lift up your burdens and struggles to him, and he will provide needed relief. Remember Christ loves us unconditionally and is always ready to help!
-J.
When lightning strikes to This morning I drove to work as lightning illuminated a sky filled with large black clouds. Total and complete darkness overshadowed the sunrise. How eery and unrestful!
This summer we've experienced unusual weather patterns - little pockets of thunderstorms hitting one area of the Metroplex while another remains hot and dry. We need as much rain as we can get. Living a few miles from the lake, areas of the once beautiful water have transformed into a low-lying forest. I find this sad because I've always found water to be relaxing and soothing. However, when lightning strikes and thunder roars, the outpouring deluge of rain shifts into something more threatening.
My thoughts turn to the Lord every time I see changes in the weather. A sudden thunderstorm causes me to run for cover. An unpredicted ice storm warns me to stay off the streets. A long-ending heat wave prompts me to stay hydrated and in cool air conditioning.
The Lord provides us with the intellect to decide the right thing to do when we face irregularity in our lives.
Like the weather Our life can suddenly change like the weather. One day we're enjoying the bright sunshine as we picnic with family at a nice park. The next day we're shedding tears when we discover a loved one has passed away. Along with these tears of mourning, we face the burden of planning a funeral and making sure all of deceased's affairs are in order. We may turn to the Lord and ask: "Why did this happen? Everything was going so great in life. Now this? I don't know if I can handle everything!"
Life with all its moodiness and unpredictability allows us to grow wiser. We begin to learn from the best of days and worst of days. When lightning strikes, causing us to worry about our burdens and struggles, our remedy is turning over the reigns to Christ. Jesus provides us with the rubber soles and lightning rod so we can secure and protect ourselves from life striking us in ways that leave us hopeless and disillusioned.
When we become meek and humble of heart like Christ, we don't carry on and on about how horrible our lives are. We don't over-dramatize the bad in our lives or think everything will always be so wretched. In fact, we begin to understand that life's ups and downs show that we can manage circumstances much easier with Christ by our side.
Praying, meditating, and regularly partaking in the Eucharist gives us the strength to keep trekking along that narrow path to holiness. The journey is a difficult one. Thunderstorms, ice storms, and periods of drought will convince us that we should give up. Our burdens are just too much to handle. Yet, we know circumstances will change. Darkness will always return to light.
Find rest in the loving hands of Christ. Lift up your burdens and struggles to him, and he will provide needed relief. Remember Christ loves us unconditionally and is always ready to help!
-J.
No comments:
Post a Comment