Uncomfortable? Good.
"You weren't made for comfort; you were made for
greatness." Pope Benedict XVI
(As you read, remember that I am no expert. I write as someone
in the midst of trials, and I pray that Christ uses the insight He gives me to
work in you).
At a young age, you were taught to stay in school, do
exceedingly well in high school, go to college, and study until you receive a
degree for a well-paid job. Who cares if it’s something you love doing or not!
You’ll get paid well…
It’s
something that our whole nation strives for: “comfort.” Goals and dreams are wonderful,
but it’s prominent for you to ask yourself a few questions. “What is at the
root of this dream of mine?” “Why do I have such goals that I cannot imagine falling
short of?” “Is it because I want to make sure that I hold the reigns in my
life, that I remain in control, that I never lose comfort?”
I don’t know about you, but quite often in my life, the
answer to that third question is yes. If that’s the case, it is important to
remember where we come from and Who is actually in control. Jesus didn’t walk
through life looking for ways to make His next day a little easier. The sole
purpose of His mission was to be united to God through prayer and bring lost
souls to His Father. He woke up each day knowing what His future was: The
Cross. Comfortable? Far from it.
We must have the same mission, and more often than not, it
won’t bring warm and fuzzy feelings, but indeed it will bring us truth,
freedom, and salvation.
Sometimes I put aside what God is really asking me to do
so that I can do something a little more comfortable. One day in prayer, as I
was trying to rationalize with God, I had many excuses. He spoke to my little, restless heart,
“Take up your cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) .BAM. Open ears. Scripture
makes it a little harder to continue giving God “buts” and “what ifs.”
(Life isn’t easy)
It isn't comfortable to simply say grace at a table with
your friends that haven't seen this side of you before. Christ said, “Whoever
disowns me before others, I will deny before my Father.” Matthew 10:33. Bold,
yes, but He will give you strength.
It's hard to politely ask your coworkers or peers to stop gossiping
about one another, no matter how simple the comment may be. It would have been
easier to participate in the conversation. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for
they shall be called the children of God.”
It isn't comfortable to break up with your boyfriend/girlfriend
because you've come to realize that he/she isn't defending your purity. There
are still virtuous men and women of God who will fight to defend your soul.
Don’t settle because it would be easier than a breakup. Seek Sainthood. “Jesus
came to restore creation to the purity of its origins” (CCC 2336).
Forgiving someone over and over again is painful. It will
make you feel quite low to continue loving through the pain. “Jesus, grant me
the grace to desire that others may be loved more than I.”
You had a heck of a long day. Praying Night Prayer is the
last thing you feel like doing, but you do it anyway. It isn't easy or
comfortable, but it’s love. “From the love of my own comfort…
Deliver me, O God.” –Audrey Assad
It's uncomfortable to recognize the areas that satan has a
hold of in your life and to bring these into the light. It will bring about
true humility, vulnerability, and freedom.
It is hard. Hard to let your heart break over and over
again, but your heart must break to allow Christ in. Your heart must open to
release your old habits. You must be vulnerable with the people you love and
the people you hurt, with tears in front of a crowd, with the actions you just
committed- if bad, seeking forgiveness. Vulnerability is self-surrendering. Remember… “When you pray ‘Thy Kingdom Come,’ that means that your
kingdom has to go.” –Mark Hart
Suffering is far from comfortable. I pray that you would
be able to lay your suffering at the foot of the Cross and ask Christ to use it
to atone for the souls in purgatory.
Suffering is the closest you'll ever be to the embrace of
Christ crucified. Embrace of a Savior who wants to remove your faults, fears,
and unclean desires. Surrender your reigns to Our Father. It's your only choice
to find truth and freedom. It's your only option to find Love, Himself.
It's easy to conform to society and peers. It's comfortable,
but it isn’t what you were made for. You’re capable of greatness because (and
only because) of His grace.
Know that the closer you become to Jesus, the less hard
these things become because your heart will start to mend to Jesus' heart. Jesus
commands that you pray unceasingly. You’ll start to experience the Love that
you were created for, before the Fall. His Cross is your Redemption to
experiencing His Love and giving it to the world. The two most important
commandments will start to seem much easier. 1. Love God above all. 2. Love
your neighbor above yourself.
It takes sacrifice. It takes commitment, dedication, and a
dying of self.
If anything on this Earth can give you the strength
needed, it is Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist. He wants to mend His flesh to
our own. He is our Savior, and we are His Body.
It’s all about LOVE.
Never stop seeking Sainthood. I can’t promise that it will
be easy, but I can promise that it is worth it. I find more things that I need
to work on everyday, but Christ is so good. He forgives, He gifts, and He calms
my heart. Love will take you out of “self” and bring you to Other. May Christ
always be the “Other” to your love; you will always be His “other.” In the
beauty of this Divine Romance, Christ calls us to greatness. "Fall in
love; stay in love, and it will decide everything." –Fr. Pedro Arrupe
