Yesterday I received the following from someone who has spent time trying to live "through the grille." I think this makes such an important point that I asked permission to share it with you.... "Some sections of my grille seem to be growing stronger. These sections are those that deal with world issues, politics, even criticisms and crises in the Church. It used to be that such issues as these reached through my grille and almost strangled me. I do not ignore these situations but now I seem to be better able to turn them over to God. If there is an action to take, I take that action with prayer. Otherwise, I pray for Gods mercy and then I surrender it to God's will...
"The area of my grille that seems weakest is the section dealing with the world closest to me, that is, my family. There is always someone or some situation reaching through my grille. My grille is worn thin. Some bars are splintered. My grille often seems to be stretched and misshapen so that I no longer recognize those little crosses that are supposed to be holding my grille together. It feels like hands, arms and legs are reaching through the grille tangling with each other while trying to entrap me...
"The point is: it is easier for me to surrender to God the earth-shaking issues of the world than it is for me to surrender the simple, everyday issues of my family life..."
All I can say to my friend, and to anyone reading this, is: OH, HOW I IDENTIFY. I have faced some fierce challenges in my life, and while those have been tough to deal with, I've generally recognized and accepted the graces supplied to meet them.
But let me have an allergy attack? Car trouble? A kink in one of my well-ordered plans? I can be found grumbling and grrring with the worst of them....
May we recognize and accept God's graces to live our everyday lives "through the grille."
"Lifting our hearts up to God is sufficient. Remembering Him briefly or praising Him even in the midst of battle is very pleasing to God." (Brother Lawrence)
"Count it pure joy when you are involved in every sort of trial. Realize that when your faith is tested, this makes for endurance. Let endurance come to its perfection so that you may be fully mature and lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)
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