Nativity Eres-blog

They think in their heart, ‘We shall not be moved; throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity’. Psalm 10:6

We really are not in control of everything in life. We would like to think we can put up a force field around our lives that makes it impossible for bad things to push their way in and thwart the regular, routine patterns and peace of life, but it is only arrogance that makes us think we have that kind of power. Yet, in our hearts we can still hear that tickling voice telling us that we are invincible, that we can beat the odds, that we can manipulate circumstances and not be brought low by the ugly vagaries that life can deal out.

Just when we think we are safe from misfortune something happens that reminds us how little control we really have. The world begins to crash in around us. Our breath shortens to a pant, our body shakes and trembles, our throat feels as dry as sand, and our mind races to make sense of what is happening. While we are surprised and stunned that our power is so limited that it could not prevent the adversity, if we quiet ourselves and move through the difficulty as faithfully as we move through the glory of life, we will find an even greater surprise. We will come to see that both the bad and the good have their place in creating and sustaining our human life. When we recognize this truth, we can drop our arrogance, and open like a flower to the immensity of life and find ourselves thrilled by the adventure.

O God, when understanding eludes me, and trouble overwhelms me, give me the grace to move forward with faith.