I was thinking earlier about how hard it’s been to get people to turn up to the youth group that I’m running in my church. It’s hard to get them to commit to a once per-week meeting. I get very disheartened when they tell me things, “once a week is too much! I don’t have the time!” …I just want to cry out and tell them…
“God should NOT be your side salad in a main meal!!!!!”
These days, I fit my other commitments around a God-framed day! How can you ever manage to keep clinging to Christ if you don’t involve Him in every aspect of your life!?
The sun is beginning to shine upon me again, my season of suffering is starting to drift away slowly and the cloud of unsettlement that covered me is actually starting to break apart… I am thankful for the season of dryness in my life because it made me realize something very important. My heart is still a bit raw with hurt, but I know I had to go through it to get to where I’m at now. I’ve never had my heartbroken before, but this was it…. and now it’s okay…. I’m getting there, I’m coping. My heartbreak was due mostly to what I thought was the loss of a very good friendship, but in hindsight, we both needed some space — but now it’s fine. I have learned from this to always be brave and courageous — God gave me a big lesson in humility… it was a lesson needed. And on the other side of it? I’m essentially okay with everything.
My message to you reading is to make God your #1, every single day of your life. Pray to Him! Even when you don’t have words, force it. FIND THE TIME. If you are reading this, thinking, “I don’t have the time to pray”, then I say, stop reading my blog, stop surfing the internet and instead turn your heart to prayer for a few short moments and if nothing else, thank Jesus for the peace that he promised you!!!
God bless,
J.
4 responses so far ↓
Magda // May 9, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Jess! You don’t know how God has talked through you to me. It’s strange cuz I’ve been noticing it since Sunday. How He want me to stay with Him. But His Word is not pushy. The temptation is.
I wanted to thank you for everything you write. You’re lovely
And I’m glad it’s getting better in your life.
God bless you!
Mibsy // May 19, 2009 at 11:04 pm
Recently I moved my computer to my husband’s office, and now I have created a little reading nook where my computer used to be…every morning I spend an hour in prayer and thoughtful reading INSTEAD of blogging and surfing the net…a sweet release! Also, I sleep with rosary beads, a sweet solace and reminder.
japs // May 25, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Yes, you’re right, God should not be the side salad, nor be the no.2 of our life! But, we should not ‘mass-produce’ prayers, the group will be strong if those left behind have the call. But we must help each youth-members to feel the call, for sometimes they don’t listen to God, who in fact is always calling us.
We are called to pray everyday. As 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, pray without ceasing. Hows that? Are we supposed to pray (speaking to God) for the whole day. That’s tiring, isn’t it? Prayer is our encounter with the Lord. To be in the presence of God, that is already contemplation, that is prayer. Wile we are working, while we are studying, while we are doing something, but recognizing the presence of God in every minute of our life, that is already a prayer.
But I encourage everyone to set a time (especially in the morning), in prayer and reflection (reading the scriptures, studying the Catechism, saying the rosary). And after that, always seek the presence of God wherever we are.
japs // May 25, 2009 at 7:39 pm
PS: Prayer is a two communication, speaking and listening..Listen to God always!