May 23, 2007

May the Lord grant you His peace:

Do you ever feel frustrated with yourself? Do you ever wish you were different? Maybe you wish you were taller, thinner, smarter, richer, more patient, more generous, less sensitive. Do you ever feel that you just don’t want to be who you are? Do you ever feel that you don’t want to be what you are or where you are? If we are honest with ourselves, I think that we all feel like that sometimes.

Believe it or not, who you are right now, what you are and where you are right now, is exactly where the Almighty God wants you. Where you are right now is the best place, in fact, it is the only place where God can make a difference in your life. God is not an abstraction. He is real and He wants to work in the realness of your life. He is not a Hollywood story that is entertaining but leaves you longing for what you don’t have and what is impossible to have because it isn’t real. He isn’t a famous person trying to sell you an ideal which cannot be obtained. That simply isn’t real. These illusions can only lead to frustration.

God, on the other hand, knows the intimate and detailed realities of your personal situation. He knows everything about you. Nothing is concealed from Him. He wants to pour out His love upon you exactly as you are (not as you are not). He wants to fill you with His transforming power. He wants to set you free from those destructive illusions. He wants you to know how important you are to Him and how wonderful He has made you. But this can only happen where and with what and who you are right now. If it is a good enough starting point for God, shouldn’t it be good enough for you as well?

I pray that God will give you the grace to accept yourself as you really are, knowing that He accepts you. I also pray that you be given the grace to become a better person—something that can only be started where you are. Don’t wait for things to be better. Start making them better by accepting God’s love for you now. He is waiting for you with a warm embrace.

Peace and Blessings,

Br. Giuseppe Maria Siniscalchi, CFR

St. Joseph Friary, New York, NY

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