Listen To Him

Raise your hand if you've ever made a poor decision?  Go ahead . . . raise it high! If you aren't raising your hand, then you have some work to do. I can tell you, mine is raised. So many times I made decisions based on what would make me feel better instead of listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. If only the 53 year old Bonnie could have alerted the 18 year old Bonnie! But as I reflect on what I would have told the younger me, I realize my journey thus far has made me who I am today. Without all the mistakes, I could have ended up like a Pharisee, rigid and judgmental.  Instead, I have become more compassionate as I age. I see good people suffering rebukes and taking it on the chin instead of lashing out. I see good people making poor choices and making the best out of difficult situations. Because of my flaws and mistakes, I see others in a different light. I can identify with the poor choices of others because I've made them too. I understand the frame of mind when choosing darkness for its fleeting comfort. Now, I listen to Him. At times my listening capabilities can cause Him to speak a little louder, but I hear His loving call to holiness . . . and pray I make my Father in heaven proud.

In todays Gospel (John 6:44-51), Jesus is asking the crowd to listen and believe:

Jesus said to the crowds: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets:

They shall all be taught by God.

Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.  Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.  I am the bread of life.  Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.  I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.”

In the Monthly Message from April 2010, Jesus provides His lay apostles with comfort and a way to draw closer to Him:

"My plan is perfect and if you are serving Me, listening to My voice, there are no problems. If you are not serving Me and you are not listening to My voice, then there are many problems for you and there will continue to be many problems for you. ‘Ah’, you say, ‘Jesus, I am listening to you and still I have these problems’. We must differentiate small problems from big problems. Small problems are the sufferings you bear for the sake of the divine will. Big problems are the problems you face when you abandon My will and insert your own will. Are you praying? Are you in steady communication with Me? Do you ask Me what I want you to do in situations where you are unsure? Do you spend time in silence, considering heaven and heaven’s plan for you in the day? Answer yes to these questions and I assure you, your problems will be manageable. Do not believe I ignore your sighs or turn away from your fears. I am with you. I will never abandon you. My plan will be realised through your perseverance and through the perseverance of many apostles like you. I am so pleased when you pray for each other because this is how you experience, in advance, My gratitude. You see My gratitude in the graces received by others through your intercession. Rejoice. I am responding to your pain and answering your prayers. Truly, I am with you."

Lay apostles, how well are you listening to His promptings? I know it's easier to ignore or make excuses for poor choices. But don't you think it's time to take His heavenly advice? Life is short and any one of us could be called home in the next minute, hour, day or year. Personally, I want our first Face to face meeting to be joyous . . . and hearing the words, "Well done, My child."

Thank you Lord for all Your promptings. And most importantly, guiding me to the choice of following them!

God bless,

Bonnie

Uncovering your truth

I have made some pretty poor decisions in my life. Things I pushed away into a small compartment in my brain, never to be thought of again. But Jesus has a way of bringing these truths out into the open. Admitting to yourself that you did those things is hard enough. But what about admitting it to others? No way, right? Too much pain and suffering for me to deal with on top of all I struggle with now. Does that sound familiar? We convince ourselves the past is the past. But some hint of pain lingers in the back of our minds, nagging at us to admit our truths.

This morning I was reading from Anne a lay apostle's new book, Whispers from the Cross. I came upon the chapter called The Stripping. As Christians, we need to be ready to face our truths:

"Into the life of every follower of Christ will come an experience of stripping, when, through betrayal, humiliation, sorrow, suffering, loss, illness, or failure with consequences, we are forced to confront our selves.

. . . In this stripping we are laid bare in a way that compels us to observe ourselves in truth. This can be traumatic but this experience also can be a powerful vehicle for advancement and growth, spiritually, mentally and psychologically. Only through examination of our true self will we find ourselves able to identify in us what is good, what is the product of our wounds and where we need healing.

There we find Christ, patiently waiting, hoping and alert.

While possibly experiencing searing pain, the one searching for his or her personal truth will come closer and closer to union with Christ. We cannot take all of the truth at once, one suspects, so in His mercy, God may allow a series of these stripping experiences suited to our strength in the areas mentioned."

Thank you, Lord, for stripping away the false me and uncovering my truths. As painful as it can be, once it's done and my truth remains for all to see, I will finally be free.

God bless,

Bonnie