Well, the winter Olympics are well underway and it's that time when we marvel at the athletic ability of these deeply committed teenagers and young adults. Everything from the adrenalin rush of downhill skiing to the beautiful twists, turns (ouch!) and ballet contortions of the figure skaters who seem to make these impossible, unnatural positions effortless. Arm chair athletes like myself stand in awe at their achievements. My sport has become bowling but I've certainly dabbled, not seriously but for fun and exercise, in downhill skiing, handball and racquetball. Arent' you impressed!
We ask the question, "How do they do it?" I've asked the question, "Why do they do it?" There is no doubt about a certain enourmous sense of accomplishment - you are among a very small but elite crowd of over achievers and if you've won any of the three medals, well you're at the top.
Lent strikes me as that yearly season for all of us to do a little "over achieving." I'm not recommending you undertake a rigorous schedule of six hours a day on the skating rink but it is a great opportunity for all of us to fine tune our prayer life.
Today's Gospel from Matthew has Jesus inviting us, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you . . ." All right, I'm ready with my list! But, I don't think this is an open invitation to "ask away."
When I've recognized selfishness in my prayer or gotten angry at God - I once really gave it to him and felt foolish afterwards - I know that I need that come to Jesus meeting big time. Likewise, if you're a parent, imagine your children never speaking to you unless they want something. This is more about Jesus' closing statement today: ". . .how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him." Among the good things we give to God are thanksgiving, a humble spirit, a desire for holiness, a generous heart. Believe me, I'm preaching to myself as well.
To have the grace to discern what are the "good" things I should be asking for strikes me as the spirit of a healthy prayer life: the healing of a loved one who is seriously ill or facing some daunting medical problems; good employment so that one may find dignified work and provide for one's family; a good spirit of reconciliation between myself and someone I have offended or who has offended me; a good spirit of generosity to think more of others rather than only of what I think I need all the time. You probably get the point.
God is generous, far more than we realize, and he wants us to ask for "our daily bread." These are among the good things, the spiritual exercises that will make us strong athletes. So, stand up and let's get ourselves in shape this Lent.
1 comment:
My name is Elizabeth Arias I was browsing internet and found your blog. The author did a great job. I will subscribe to your RSS feeds. Thank you for your contribution. I am a web designer myself. And here some examples of the websites that I designed for payday loan payday loans online company.
Post a Comment