God's Offer of Mercy
A personal reflection on Isaiah 55 which announces God's offer of Mercy:The Lord says, "Come everyone who is thirsty - here is water! Come you that have no money - buy grain and eat! Come! But wine and milk - it will cost you nothing! - Why spend money on what does not satisfy? Why spend your wages and still be hungry? Listen to me and do what I say, and you will enjoy the best food of all. (Verse 1)
I met a good friend of mine 2 evenings ago for a personal favour. She was kind in setting aside time for me even when her elderly parents were in town. We talked a little about how we have been doing of recent and I had the opportunity to share with her how busy Ive made my life to be and hardly spending enough quiet time with our Lord.
Apart from my daily job, many of the commitments that kept me busy are just as genuine as anybody else. Even the desire to do something for God over the years resulted me in getting anxious with the doing - ie. what can I do, how its to be done and when to do it.
Some call this the "Martha Syndrome". Did it really happen to me? If it did, have I gotten out of it?
Perhaps. Maybe. I dont really know.
As I listened to my friend's sharings, I realised how much she had been determined to make a decision to start her day right with attending daily Mass. Participating in the Eucharistic celebration each day was important to her and she would feel that the day will not be well if she hadn't gone for Mass.
"Listen now, my people, and come to me; come to me and you will have life! I will make a lasting covenant with you and give you the blessings I promised to David... I, the Lord your God, the holy God of Israel, will give you honor and glory." (Versus 3-5)
The Eucharist never fails to draw the faithful to God. God offering himself to us. God invites. He initiates the calling. At times I have allowed myself to be pre-occupied with completing other things and accepting God's unconditional invitation only when I could really afford the time.
Besides her busy schedule each day within the family, my friend works as a Counsellor for anyone who consider going for abortions. "I am really glad when no one comes to see me, cos it will mean that there are no patients going to the clinic that day for an abortion," she cheerfully said.
After our meeting, I began an interior reflection on how much my priorities have missed the mark by my busy-ness. If God gave me 1 additional hour each day, there are high chances of me using that hour for something else apart from spending quiet moment with Him.
"My thoughts" says the Lord, "are not like yours, and my ways are different from yours. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours." (Verse 9)
Trusting the Lord each day is a personal choice. The Lord encourages me to make quiet time with him each day a priority. But giving him the needed time requires an equal amount of commitment from me to learn to take that first step out of the schedule I made to keep myself occupied. Jesus once commented about our hearts being exactly where our treasures are.
"My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the crops grow and provide seed for planting and food to eat. So also will be the word that I speak - it will not fail to do what I plan for it: it will do everything I send it to do." (Verse 11)
Yes, God's word is readily available to me for my quiet moment with Him. Its about time I let him steer my life's priorities back into the right perspectives.
Neil
posted by Neil @ 11:46 PM
1 Comments:
Your reflection touched me!
I have also been busy with my work and it seems that I am back to the question of what is life all about? We are nothing if we do not have Him..
Thank God, I managed to set aside time to go for evening mass today..
He gave me quite a manageable day and provided me with the means to go visit Him.
Praise God.
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