Ladies: Don't settle

"A woman's heart should be so hidden in God that a man 

has to seek Him just to find her." 

- Max Lucado -

A musical analogy for the missionary

Have you ever read something that sticks out to you in the bible once, and then twice, and then like 20 more times within a month!? This keeps happening to me, and I think it must be the answer to a prayer that I say all too often asking God to be "ridiculously clear" when He's trying to tell me something because it takes me a while to actually catch on to the message that He's trying to get through to me.  Well here's the scripture verse that keeps coming up for me...maybe it's just me who needs to hear this message, but I hope you find it encouraging as well...


"and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28


So what does this mean?  It means that when we are doing God's work...He's going to take care of us!  That's all there is to it.  God will provide.  This is truth, when we lay down our will, our desires, and our entire lives for the sake of doing the work of the Lord...He. will. provide.  We all "have been called according to His purpose."  The fact that He created you means that He has a plan and a purpose for your life, and that purpose is to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him (yes...that was a reference to the Baltimore Catechism haha). Doing God's work takes a lot of trust that He is going to provide the means for us to do this.  Think about it, why would He send us on a mission without any supplies or instruction.  If He didn't provide what we needed, His work would not get done.

So here's the analogy: It would be like a piano teacher telling his students that they are going to have a concert for the whole town and that he wants them to play thirty songs that he couldn't remember the names of, and of which he lost the sheet music to.  He doesn't even tell them where the concert is, or what day or time they should show up.  But he keeps stressing the importance of the concert and the number of people who are counting on them to show up and perform for them...

...anybody else have a feeling that this concert has no chance of happening?

You see, God has not given us a mission and left us without any instruction like this piano teacher did. We don't always know the whole plan, but when the time is right, He gradually gives us the tools, or the "sheet music" along the way that we need for the mission in which He has called us. God is a good teacher, He knows exactly when we are ready for what He is going to put in front of us.  But in order for us to be able to handle whatever He puts in front of us...we need to be good "sight-readers." And to be a good sight-reader, we need the help of our model and teacher - Christ.  God wrote us a whole book (the bible) on how to live out the mission to which He has called us.  He has given us the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and confession, to give us strength for our journey and mercy for when we take the wrong path.  God is always intervening and guiding us by the work of the Holy Spirit so that He can give us what we need to do His work.  Trust that He will take you note by note, and page by page as he writes the song of your life! Trust that the Lord will provide exactly what you need, exactly when you need it, and don't forget to have fun while you do it!  Living a life dedicated to the work of the Lord is exciting and brings joy that can only be found in serving Him.  Don't forget to smile :)