First Things First

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27
​

It amazes me how many times just the right words come at just the right time.  Last week I took my own advice and started making a list of things to focus on during this new church season.  I kept circling back to some habits and attitudes that I really wanted to root out of my life, so I took it to prayer asking for a plan of action.  What followed was truly the work of the fancy Father!

Maybe you’re like me and you have that pesky list of “things” you wish were different.  I can’t tell you how many times I go to confession with the same stinkin list as the time before.  As I was praying about all of this, I got a little attitude and actually had the nerve to say something like, really God, I’ve been asking you for help with this for such a long time, when are you going to help me root this out of my life? I know…how sassy of me!
The very next day, I was listening to Fr. Dave Pivonka on the Hallow app and he told a story that left me speechless.  It was a story about a young Friar with a bad habit.  This Friar was a smoker and he realized it was terrible for his health and didn’t make him a very positive example for the young people he worked with on campus, so he asked the Lord for the grace to stop.  Weeks passed and he still hadn’t made any progress at kicking the bad habit.  He told Fr. Dave he wasn’t sure God was hearing his plea.  Fr. Dave advised him to take his request to Adoration and present it and then just sit and listen.  The young Friar did just that and he was astonished when a few minutes later he felt the Lord say to him, just quit and I’ll give you the grace to keep going. 

I realized that I am the young Friar!  I keep asking God to “do it” for me!  Lord, give me the grace, the strength the discipline and I’ll get it tackled…it’s as if I’m depending on him to do the work…like inviting him in is all that is required of me.  No wonder I get so frustrated, I’ve got it all wrong!  The Lord made it clear to the Friar that the first step was his…and the first step is mine.  Once the steps are taken, the commitments and sacrifices are underway that’s when God slathers us with every single grace we need!  Over and over, I’ve asked for help but I really think I was just saying, Lord, I’ll let you go ahead and do it for me and please don’t make it too hard or make me have to change too much and let me know when we’re finished…ok!

As I’ve prayed and thought about this a lot the past several days I realize that these “things” that need to be rooted out are my crosses to bear and he’s absolutely going to help me carry them but I have to pick it up and begin…he can’t help me if I don’t  get started.  Our crosses are what refine and strengthen our holiness and they are for us…God is already perfect and holy, he doesn’t need any crosses, those are for us!  My prayer has taken a big shift…I’m no longer asking him to swoop in and give me the grace but rather give me the desire to get started doing the work and the reminder to keep an eye out for all the ways he’s helping me with his grace along the way.
​
A Seed To Plant: Where do you need to get started?  Pray about a plan to begin!
Blessings on your day!