Did you every look up to heaven with a heartfelt cry, “What are you doing up there?” Sometimes life doesn’t seem to make sense. To explain this predicament, Saint Padre Pio offered the following example: Imagine that you are a child sitting at the feet of your mother as she works away at some stitching project. From your perspective below, you only see a mess of threads. From her perspective above a beautiful picture is developing. Yes, from our limited perspective during this life, we look up to heaven, trying to make sense out of the jumbled threads of life. When we get there, we will look down from the other side and see the beautiful picture that the Lord has made. He can certainly write straight with crooked lines.

My family moved when I was 13 years old. I was angry, miserable and hurt. I resented that move until one fateful day when I was 16 years old. I visited my old town only to discover many of my old friends had become “a bad crowd” (and they were into country music-yuck!). I remember being thankful that I had moved after all. Life is strange.

Now I try to withhold judgment in any situation until all of the pertinent facts and information are considered. If you find yourself looking up to heaven with a heartfelt cry, “What are you doing up there?” make an act of trust in Him. He has an answer that is more wonderful than anything we could comprehend on this side of heaven. It will take all of eternity to wonder at the wisdom of the Most High.

Pray, pray, pray

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR