God has a better plan for you

I was at mass yesterday, with many distractions on my mind. Sitting there among the parishioners, I was in my own world. I must admit that I was just following the motions of mass, standing, sitting and kneeling where required.

As Father was delivering the homily, his words were whizzing past me, travelling in and out of my ears, without finding a resting place in my mind. It was not until he mentioned a phrase that found residence in my overcrowded brain. He said that If God did not answer your prayers, He has a better plan in store for you.

I have definitely heard these words before but have struggled to live by them. Deep down within my heart, I believe that this is true, but in the recesses of my brain, the electrical pulses that create my thoughts tell me differently. It is really by faith that I hold firm to that belief. I know that God has great plans for us, plans that we cannot comprehend at the present moment but with eyes of faith, will be slowly revealed to us.

It is with this anticipation and what remains from my exhausted brain, that I left church with a lighter heart and a silent prayer to be patient and faithful. I pray the same for you who may be in a similar situation. God has a better plan for you.

Being missionary

It was Mission Sunday last weekend and the Catholic Mission Office was asking for donations to help the Catholic Church in Mongolia. I found out then that Mongolia is the youngest church, a mere 20 years old.

A video clip was shown and it highlighted the situation in Mongolia and more strikingly, the story of a middle-aged man and his family who were left homeless after a natural disaster. He and his family were taken in by the Church. He shared a phrase that is still echoing in my heart and mind, that he is at peace with God in his life.

I could not help but find myself humbled by his attitude, as I am struggling to find peace in the midst of my current situation. I seem to search for things that will grant me this peace but God is the only person that can provide the peace that will satisfy.

As I part with a small donation that day, I am thankful that this person from Mongolia has reached out to me through that video. I continue to seek God in all things and hopefully learn to appreciate the peace that only He can give.

Choose Love

It has been quite tough going for me. Not sure where God is leading me. Some days I wake feeling disorientated and other days I feel confident that God has many wonderful things in store for me.

One thing I did not count on were the constant opportunities to choose love over indifference. People are constantly in and out of our lives and it is very seldom that they stay with us for an extended period of time. It is precisely those that stay longer that we have some expectation of them. Though we do not consciously want to, but it creeps up unawares.

I find myself easily disturbed and irritable on the days when I wake feeling not so good about myself. The smallest and insignificant issue can cloud my brain and obscure the simplest and most loving approach to resolve the issue. It is times like these that really test my resolve to choose love. I know that relying on my own strength will get me nowhere near that, so I pray to God that He will grant me the daily grace to live in His Light and choose love every time.

Gratitude

Time flies and it is fast approaching the end of the year. Things have been alittle quiet for me recently. I have now completed my training and am officially a qualified tutor. The other opportunity did not materialise for me. The one I assumed was God's assurance for my current situation. Deep down I know that He has something better for me, though I felt really disappointed when I received the news. I was questioning God, which I felt was me not being faithful in Him.

The first reading on sunday from the prophet Habakkuk gave me some sense of "It's ok to question sometimes...". Habakkuk was lamenting to God for the situation He was in. When the passage was read, it seemed that I was lamenting. It certainly gave me a sense of comfort. I was always going to write about being grateful and thankful to God once I secured that opportunity but now that it is not in my hands, am I to delay gratitude to the Almighty? I still thank you Lord for all that you have done for me, for all that you have blessed me with. I know that you have great and better plans for me and that I should continue to have faith and trust in you.

Thank you Lord for everything, what you have given me, what you are now giving me and what you have in store for me.