Trust in God (Acts 13:25) by Kevin McNicholas

15 May Trust in God (Acts 13:25) by Kevin McNicholas

“And as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'” ~ Acts 13:25 (full readings)
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Kevin’s Reflection:  I often wonder if St. John the Baptist knew that his life was going to end while he was still a young man.  I wonder if, even in his own vast Faith, he ever gave in to his human nature to worry about his death.  He had to realize that he would not be well liked by the government officials of the time, and that his message was extremely counter-cultural.  Advocating for Life and for Christian values in society today is also very counter-cultural.  It can be difficult to proclaim these values in the face of those who would like to tell us how outdated they are, how they have no place in the world anymore.  Does this worry us?  In my own life, I have sometimes struggled with worry, and have sometimes had difficulty trusting that God is in control.  This has been a process, one that I have by no means perfected.  I have learned to pray more, and to simply say, “God, please lead me!”  I can do so little by myself, and I think that oftentimes the emotion of worry is us trying to control a situation that we have no control over.  I have learned to make a more concerted effort to allow God to take over, though it is so obvious that God doesn’t need to be allowed to guide me!  I have learned that since I control nothing, and He controls everything, I need to worry less and trust Him more!  Jesus was troubled in the Garden of Gethsemane, as His very human nature led Him to worry about what His very Divine nature realized was His destiny.  He said “yes,” and by His Cross and Resurrection He redeemed the world. I think Jesus, in choosing to fulfill what was ordained for Him, the salvation of humankind, taught us with His actions the role that trust in God should play in each of our lives.  Today, I am going to pray for an even deeper Faith in God, and the ability to trust in Him more completely.
* Kevin is a School Social Worker in Southern Illinois. He and his wife Laura have been blessed with two miracles: a 19 month old daughter named Elliana (“the Lord Answers”) and a 3 week old son named Jeremiah (“God is Exalted”). They have been blessed during the 8 years of their marriage to travel to Catholic pilgrimage sites worldwide, as well as to serve as Catholic Engaged Encounter retreat leaders.
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Faith Challenge:  Identify a place in your life that you tend to worry about.  Give it to God, and choose to allow Him to rule your life.  Remember, he leads, we follow!
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Counter-Culture News:  LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers:  Pray LIFE Runners Creed to end abortion.  Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, unceasingly. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day:  Saint Isidore the Farmer.
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Faith Quote:  “Be not afraid.” ~ Saint John Paul II
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Through Christ Our Lord,
Kevin
Luke 1:37