The first time I saw the Staples commercial with the "Easy" button, I wanted to be the first in line to purchase it as a reminder to remove the congestion in my life! Who doesn't want an Easy button? Kids giving you a problem . . . hit the EASY button. Feeling unappreciated . . . EASY button is right there! Wanting to escape from COVID and chaos? Boom! Easy button! As time has passed, I realize there actually is an Easy button . . . it's Jesus Christ! Not that we won't suffer as Christians on our path to eternity. But without Him, the suffering is far worse. I will never forget the sage words of a hospice physician when my dad was at end of life. She and I knew each other from the pharmaceutical world and we met for lunch one day. She looked like she had a rough morning and I mentioned she looked burdened. She said she just got through end of life with an atheist. She said it is the most difficult patient at end of life as they don't know where they are going and hang on miserably until their last breath. I am so grateful my parents gave me strong faith. Choose Him always. And remember, He knows what is best for us. He has the bigger picture and will pass you the Easy button once you get to heaven!
Today's Gospel (Matthew 11:25-30) teaches us that relying on Jesus is all the comfort we need:
At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
"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."
In Volume One, Anne a lay apostle shares with us the importance of service to Christ on days we just don't feel like serving:
"This day is beginning with sickness and pain, but a light spirit. How joyful is the service of our God. Truly, His yoke is easy and His burden is light in that the closer you get, the greater your desire to serve. Indeed, the lightness of spirit is present in our Lord’s service and prayer restores the buoyancy of the soul so that one proceeds joyfully. I am not cut out for martyrdom. I don’t mind complaining when necessary. But Jesus makes you smile. So it would be fakery to have a sad face because you are sick. Such courage is required to begin a day at times, when you feel sick. But when you have practiced depending on Jesus, you get better at it. You then have the courage to begin difficult days or tasks because your experience assures you that Jesus will be not only walking with you, but sharing and sometimes completely shouldering the weight of your cross. Every morning you must wake and think, God has work for me. There is something terribly important I must do today for Him. I have been placed here particularly for this day and these tasks. This morning, feeling cheerfully ill, I said, “Lord, I might not get much accomplished today.” He replied: “Slow down. Work steadily. Yesterday you accomplished a great deal, but today you will accomplish much more important work. Sometimes your tasks have to do more with loving. You could remain in bed all day but have loved much and achieved greater things than on a day when you ran from one task to another with a rapidly beating heart. My creatures were meant to move steadily. The world seems to be demanding that you move quickly. Refuse this gambit by the evil one. If you are forced to move frantically through your days, that is a sign that I want your life to change. This is important, dear souls. Be advised. I want your life to move more slowly. I want you to be recollected with Me through your day. Every day, always."
Lay apostles, let's all try to make life easy today . . . no matter your situation, take a minute to include Jesus in our frustration, difficulty or pain. Let Him comfort us. Read from the Bible or Volumes. He has so much wisdom and solace to give!
Thank you, Lord, for taking my life and making it easier. If I would have known relying on You would be this blessed, I would have been more focused a long time ago!
God bless,
Bonnie
No comments:
Post a Comment