Look up

Something I wrote a while ago but still true…

I have been doing daily advent reflections with Dynamic Catholic. The theme they chose has given me so many revelations into my life that I must share. Dynamic Catholic chose hope as the focus of their stories and meditations that they send out daily to everyone. I had been following along, not everyday, but I catch up when I can. One day my cousin Mo, who introduced me to Dynamic Catholic, sent me the advent reflection for one particular day and said “I saw this and I thought of you.” I had not seen that day’s reflection yet and my cousin being the intuitive and wise person that she is, made me watch this video more carefully. She was right. I needed to hear every word said. The first time I watched it, like any other prideful human being, when someone says “you need to do this” there was automatically a barrier or wall that was up to make sure I couldn’t be caught off guard and be too effected by what was said. I could tell this was happening so I let it sink in. I chipped away at the wall and kept asking the question, does this need to change my life in a deeper way? It did change my life. These pages are the result.

The video was called, “A God of miracles”. It talked about the fact that we try to make God small. We try to fit Him into an idea of who we think He is, partly because we seek a relationship with Him, but in doing so we forget how big God is. He took on a human nature. But sometimes we forget that He is not a mere human, He is God. He is so much greater than our entire universe. We know so little about our own galaxy, never mind the universe. The cosmos is so great and yet nothing in comparison to God. It’s His creation.

So come back down to earth. It can be overwhelming travelling the stars thinking about God. So realize in fact He did walk our earth. He ate, He drank, He slept. He already knew about all of these things, but we were allowed to watch Him do all of these things, to witness Him endure our struggles.

Our God is a God of miracles. We are so like little children. In my day to day life I see myself struggling, pushing hard at the obstacle in my way and sometimes in frustration I will yell out “HELLLP!” mostly because I am at my own wits end and need God to help me. But I believe I have been looking to God only through my own narrow field of vision. I need help with this one tiny thing that is frustrating me and that is all.

Most times I think about my life, I doubt I can do anything special while I live this single life that God has allowed right now. I see others in relationships, starting families, growing something. Is this my path of “self discovery” and what does that even mean? I can only focus on me, me, me for so long before I get discouraged or bored. The fact is, the person I should be focusing on is God. Not just my personal relationship with God, because again, I tend to make Him smaller to fit into my vision. What happens when I look up?

Miracles are not hard for God. I say again, miracles are not hard for God. What is a miracle? Something inexplicable, outside of the natural realm occurring in nature? What kind of miracle are you praying for? Are they big miracles? Why not? Do you think God cannot do a big miracle? When was the last time you asked God to work a miracle in your heart? That one sin, that one habitual fault that you have and that you confess every time you go to Him, did you ask Him to cure you? Look at Mary Magdalene when He forgave her sins. Her life was never the same again. Do you think she changed her habits and her ways all by herself? Or was there huge amounts of grace given to her to aid her in changing her life forever. Is there still effort needed on your part? Of course. God will never infringe on your free will. But have you asked Him to heal you? Reach out and touch the hem of his cloak.  When you ask, remember how great and powerful is our God.

Ask for the big miracles. I have often struggled with the fact that I don’t have a voice. With all the noise on the internet and the 24 hour news cycle and everything that goes on in the world the chance of my making a change at all is so miniscule even if something I said was “liked” by a hundred people, what have I changed? There is where hope comes in.

I know I can speak to a Being who is so much more powerful than any internet. He can whisper to a person’s heart, He can create a galaxy, He can create life or destroy it. He can do anything. He oversees everything. He can wield His power or not. He can do all but force us to choose Him. But He can also do a lot of things to be quite convincing.

The fact is if we step back from our downwards plodding view of life, we can see His majesty. He is like the parent that if we reach out for him can lift us up and over that stumbling block that looks so huge from our view on the ground. Once we are in His arms we can see that stumbling block looks so much smaller from above. Stay in His arms for a moment. See your struggles from above for a moment. They look much smaller and easily moved. We can see ways around obstacles, or the road beyond once we go through those obstacles. It all seems much easier if we rest in His arms for a moment. But go higher.

Look up. The ruler of the universe can see your planet from above. He sees the ocean raging. The bombs exploding, the tiny child being killed in the womb. How could my voice reach that? Through God. If you come out of your own tunnel vision of the obstacles around you and look up, you can send your prayers, you can ask Him for a miracle. He does not find it hard. You can look upon a realm outside of time and beg Him for an intervention. No internet post can rival that. So be a prayer warrior. While you’re enduring the daily life struggles and cannot see the next day in front of you or where you are going, know that you can always stop and ask for help from a God that is above it all, but Who has also walked in human feet. Lift up your hearts to Him. Reach for Him when you are struggling against that wall in your life. Ask Him for a miracle. He will not act against free will, but you can ask Him to be more convincing. You can ask Him for just about anything. Like a good Father, He may, or may not remove that obstacle. He may let it remain. Take comfort in the fact that if you place your hope and trust in Him, He will do what is best for you.

This life can be frustrating and there will be a lot of times we wish He didn’t think it was necessary for us to endure these trials. But His imagination for creating good, is much greater than ours. So know that your voice may, or may not make a difference to the masses, but there is a Being who is always listening, and who is much more powerful than any internet article ever could be. Look up, have hope, and speak to Him.