By ANDREA GOEBEL
GOD’S WAY
“Have a good day! I love you!”
As I said goodbye to my children and drove my husband’s truck out of the school’s drop-off line, my mind shifted to the tasks ahead of me. Pick up our family car from the repair shop, go to the grocery store and write my column were just a few of the items on my to-do list. I wondered how I would complete everything by the end of the day.
As I pulled onto the road, I passed by church. A few cars sat in the parking lot, and I remembered that there was morning Mass today. Should I attend? I pushed the thought down as quickly as it came; my day was too full to spare any extra time. I drove down the hill toward home, and I felt a nudge in my spirit again. I pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant at the bottom of the hill.
“What do you want me to do, God?”
As someone who struggles to set practical timelines for completing tasks and feels overwhelmed when my unrealistic expectations add up, I have learned that I need to stop whatever I am doing and still my mind and body. I focus on my heart and listen for God’s voice speaking to me through it. I remember that this day is His, not mine, and His plans for it are greater than any I can create.
Psalm 118:24 reminds us, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.”
What happens when we give our day to God instead of relying on our own plans?
When God nudged me to attend Mass, I realized I really could let go of my personal agenda and delight in His blessings. As I accepted the gift of the sacred body of our Lord, I realized what a miracle the presence of Jesus was in the Eucharist. It’s a miracle I would have missed if I had let my own mission dictate my day.
It's easy to become sidetracked by the world’s message that productivity equals progress. But our God knows better. His goal is for us to grow closer to Him; and if we listen to the worries of the world in our heads, we will miss His whispers in our hearts.
As I got back into the truck after Mass, I lingered for a few minutes before returning home. Time didn’t seem so important anymore. God had met me in my need for guidance and purpose, and He filled my soul as nothing else can.