Once Upon a Time...

I don't know about you, but I can get very fixated on one thing. When I like something and I'm in my groove it's all about that. I stay focused. Which can be a really good thing or a bad thing depending on the circumstances. 

When everything was OK physically, even though life was particularly stressful, I was still kind of 'in my groove" so to speak. And I held on tightly to that. Maybe too tightly. I was independent. I could do things myself.  It's easy to think we know what is best for us. It's easier to hold on to things that are steady, comfortable. But when that's taken away from us, whether it be for a brief moment, or forever, we can stay fixated on it still--looking back, lamenting. And in that process we miss something really awesome and beautiful that the Lord wants to give to us.  

The day before my surgery I went to Mass and Father told a story in his homily. It was one of those moments when I knew it was directly the Lord talking to me through this story. Do you ever have those moments? Where you KNOW it's God talking directly to you but you don't want to hear it? Yeah, I kinda love-hate them. Where you want to just tell Him to shut up cause you can't hear it right now? And yet, you know you need to? Ahh..the patience of God with us His stubborn children. Lol I want to share this story with you. I fought it for a while. But after a little bit all you can do is breathe. Surrender. Open your arms and heart wide open to let Him give us beautiful things in the ways He wants...Maybe this story is for you today. I pray it is. I pray it gives you hope. God wants to give us beautiful things, truly He does. Even when it doesn't look beautiful to us. 

I feel like this is a fitting song to listen to as you read...enjoy! Beautiful Things

"There is a story about a poor carpenter named  Pete. Pete met the King who was having a party and the king invited him to his party. Pete was grateful, but told the king no thank you, he hadn't proper clothes to wear to the party. So the king said no worries, I have a whole wardrobe you may choose from! One of his servants came to take Pete to the wardrobe to change. He took off his old patched up clothes and the servant took them to throw them away. Pete immediately said “no no! I might need those again; what if the clothes I'm wearing get soiled, or I spill something on them?” Servant: "well, then you can come up here and put some new clothes on from the King's wardrobe, he has given you full access to them!” But Pete couldn't let go of his old clothes, so the servant took Pete's old clothes, folded them and handed them back to Pete who was decked out in the new ones. Down to the party he went. 

There was delicious food, dancing, wonderful engaging people, but Pete wasn't able to join in on any of it. It's really hard to to get food with one hand and eat while trying to hold on to his old clothes with the other hand. Same with the dancing and the conversations—It was hard to concentrate or to just let go while he was trying to hold on and remember to hold tightly to the old clothes underneath his arm. After the party, everyone went home laughing and talking about what a wonderful time they had. Everyone had had fun except for Pete. He had spent so much time holding on and worrying about taking care of his old clothes, he wasn't able to enjoy all the new amazing gifts he could have had in the new clothes, good food, new friends, great music and dancing. 

And so it is with us; God wants to give us new beautiful awesome gifts. But sometimes we are holding so tightly to all the old stuff, or old wounds, injuries, or whatever, that we are missing the beautiful things the Lord wants to give us. So today, let go of the old. Open up our hearts and hands to the new, the beautiful, the good that God wants to give us. He makes beautiful things out of dust. Beautiful things out of us...