09/04/2026
Following The Approach of Christ That Can Change Our Lives (and others).
Saint Mother Teresa gave wisdom to others on how to truly give to others when she instructed:
See how nature—trees, flowers, grass---grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence…The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life.
Life is often not silent.
Life if often busy.
However, in order to truly be in communion with God, we must be in constant state of asking and receiving from the Creator in the silent moments we have been gifted, but also in the noisy moments of life. It is rather difficult to find time and space as one is raising kids or working. There must be a way that in this busy thing called life we can rest in and be with God while we feel like we are the little ball stuck inside a pinball machine. Driving kids around town, providing dinner for the family or trying to make deadlines keeps us busy and can suppress the practice of silent prayer. You likely have daily things in your job you have to do faithfully and then special projects where you have been given a date to complete. With all the stresses that life brings, it is no wonder at the end of day we can be exhausted. But how can I have silent prayer with God in the midst of this busy life? Or when I am exhausted. We know that prayer makes a difference.
We all have likely experienced the difference of how being in communion with God makes our lives more present. We are more present in the good times and in the difficult. We are more patient when things do not go our way and we are able to take time to hear and see the perspective from others when conflict arises. Prayer truly changes our hearts, our minds, and our souls, but life is so dang busy.
As I have studied for recent sermons, I noticed a pattern of how Christ approached every feeding of the masses—Christ stopped and gave thanks to God for being with him and then He acted. Jesus also did this before He raised Lazarus from the grave. Again, before Christ did an action, Christ first thanked God. What would happen if we followed Christ example and stopped and gave thanks to God before we did an activity. Before we enter a meeting or classroom, stop and thank God. Before we prepare a meal for others, stop and thank God. Before we write something, stop and thank God. Before we do “whatever,” stop and thank God. Taking time to stop and thank God takes a few seconds, but these few seconds can transform our lives, which in turn blesses others.
Embrace moments of silence in the busy.
Invite God to be with us before we do the busy.
A scripture that is often on repeat in my heart is Jesus declaring how He wants to bless our lives, “The thief comes to steal and destroy, but I have come to give you life and life abundantly.” Yet, we must be intentional to invite God to be with us.
It has been said that if the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy. Well, Jesus gives us an example of how we can grow in God in the midst of the busy by stopping and thanking God.
So, my fellow neighbors, let's have moments throughout our days where we are intentional in stopping to say thank you to God for being with us, for us, for loving us, and working through us. Thank you, God, and please now work through us to do what is next to bring more kindness into the world.
As always, "Be Kind! Be Kind! Be Kind!"
