“Jesus, I trust in You”
We walk through life planning an end goal. We walk the Road of Faith with that end goal being to “love God with our whole heart, mind, body and soul”, to reside ever and ever at God’s side.
Someone recently posed a question to me – “do you ever wonder if God had guided your life?” Of course I have. Not only that but, I’ve asked God to reveal to me those times which He guided things
To start, I was born, baptized and catechized in the One True Church as a Roman Catholic. Early on, I believed and had faith – as any child does. But, as a teen, I fell away. I was a very introverted young man – never having more than a couple real friends (easy to list to this day – Donny, Al, Fran and Thomas). I didn’t list God as a friend. I did many things of which I am ashamed now. But, through all those times of sin and temptations, God never let His hand off my shoulder. He didn’t stop me from making those bad choices, but, He most certainly kept them more superficial, not allowing the more horrible, darker road.
I look back with God’s guidance and see all the times He placed someone in my path to turn me from further fall. Or, that some circumstance just happened to arise to refocus my thoughts just long enough (and unrealized) to not take those dark steps.
“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you” Job 42:5
Then, I finally opened my eyes. I finally saw God. And, more so, wanted to get close to Him, to know Him and have God know me.
Things progressed and step by step God led me down this Road of Faith. Through my new bride and Godly wife, into Emmaus, Catholic Men’s Fellowship, Praise Nation and more. Step by step, little yes by little yes, I have served God. Most times, doing only the little thing before me, taking one small step forward, to find some greater joy than could be imagined. Again, each of these events above weigh heavily in those steps.
Until, I remember one day, sitting in my car staring at the bright, blue sky, asking God, “how did I get here? This isn’t what I wanted, certainly not the path I’d have chosen. I just want to know You better.” I had just ‘interviewed for and been selected (somewhat against my will haha) to be the ministry head of Emmaus in Pittsburgh. The days in Emmaus were turbulent with infrastructure and growth issues as well as debates on the future of Emmaus. How did this introverted teenager end up the head of hundreds of men across several ministry locations?
God answered simply, “My son, you said yes.”
As I sit here this morning, I realize what God was saying then, and now, is “you trusted Me to lead.”
Are you the planner? Needs to be in charge of the course of life? Yea, a failing of our free will, I guess.
Stop looking down the road at what the outcome might be if you do this of that. Don’t worry over the fork in the road. Stop and ask God to guide your steps forward. Then, pretty much any fork you choose will lead to God. Surrender and simply say, “Yes, Jesus, I trust in You.”
Holy Week, Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday lies ahead, now is the time to choose to say ‘not my will, but Yours be done – I trust You.”
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Romans 8:28-40