Mark Dohle
Well-Known Member
I see your life in the light of My providence
Take heart! Trust in My love for you. I will not abandon you. I will never forsake you, because you are Mine and I have set My Heart upon you. Do you think that I am fickle and unfaithful? I am unchanging and nothing can change My will,1 for My will is the expression of My love, and My love is everlasting.2 There is no detail of your life that is unknown to Me, and I see your life in the light of My providence. It is I who lead you, correct you, and keep you in the path that I have prepared for you. Be humble and trust in Me, and I will guard you. I will provide for you. I will show you the light that you need to take the next step in obedience, in trust, and in abandonment to My Heart.
A Benedictine Monk. In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to Heart--The Journal of a Priest at Prayer (pp. 246-247). Angelico Press. Kindle Edition.
Christianity is not a religion that leads to being judgmental. It is a faith path that is based on the revelation of God’s Infinite-Love as revealed in Christ Jesus. A revelation is not about something new, it brings to light what always was, and will always be.
We are in our essence ‘relationship’, we exist because God sees us, upholds us. The Universe is created anew every second. When out of a relationship with the Infinite, we will look for something else to have relationship with, but only the “Infinite” can fill the human heart. Anything else leads to frustration and in the end rage.
Trust is not easy, it is a choice. As we mature in our faith, we will be called to make deeper affirmations of our trust in God. We are complex creatures, we have many moods, we can also become bitter and cynical. It is easier to become negative in our relationship with God, it seems almost natural to us. One reason, I believe, is that we have ideas about God that are childish, and over time, as we simply experience life in this realm, we began to understand that the term “God with us”, means something different than was hoped for at the beginning of our journey. God's love falls on the thankful as well as the unthankful, the just as well as the unjust. In other words, what happens in our lives is not something personal sent from God. It is just life, but yet, Christ with us is a reality that is slowly learned to be true at its deepest meaning. To be rooted in Christ Jesus, for a Christian is a necessity, and we do that by prayer, trust, and yes study to gain deeper insight. If we do not mature, we will stay at a childish level of faith, and actually push people away from seeking.
Yes, we can judge actions, but the soul of another, never! To speak ‘truth’ is not about attacking, but it also implies listening to what others have to say. Not all are preachers or teachers, but we are all called to allow others to see Christ Jesus at work in our hearts, and we are called to see the Lord in all that we meet, no matter who they are…….a lifelong task.—Br.MD