Parishioner responses to: How might choosing to follow Christ change your life?

Jesus knows well the experiences of anger and frustration, of joy and hope, of excitement and disappointment, of love and heartbreak. He knows all that we experience--not as an outsider looking in, but precisely as one of us. God sent Jesus to bring his saving love into every area of human life, and to show us a better way: what it really means to be fully human, fully alive. This week, four parishioners share their reflections on the questions: What areas of your life need God’s saving love? How might choosing to follow Christ change your life? 

Humbly and honestly, I need God’s love and warm embrace in all facets and relationships in my life. Each day has its challenges. I encounter them as either a son, husband, father, brother, uncle, friend, neighbor, co-worker, instructor, or mentor. The Lord has given me many blessings and challenges along the way, and has given me a free will to make good, not-so-good, and simply bad decisions. I need God’s saving love in my heart, his guidance towards a right path, and the willingness to accept my mistakes, errors, and frailties. I believe choosing to follow Christ can, and does, have a dramatic effect on my life. Jesus provided the ultimate example of selfless, caring, and boundless love. He provided a timeless example of meeting people where they are on the road by extending a warm word, handshake, or embrace with open eyes, mind, and heart. I strive to emulate Christ in lending this assistance without judgment, but with love and concern for those I encounter. “Let he without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7). I often recall how my parents reinforced this faith principle to me and my five siblings: “Lend a hand and comfort in thanksgiving for your blessings and riches, and leave the judging to the Almighty.”

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“Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, ‘See, how he loved him!’” (John 11:35-36). Love is the most basic of human emotions, and sorrow on the death of a loved one is the most natural response. Even Jesus, confronted with the death of his friend Lazarus, wept. As we age, loss visits us more often. In less than four years I experienced the death of my husband, parents, two in-laws, a dear friend, and the spouses of good friends. I felt that death would never leave my doorstep. For me, discipleship is not a moment, it is a lifelong journey that a loved one’s death could interrupt or completely derail. Inspired by my late husband’s raw fortitude, I decided to put discipleship into action. The haze of sadness inspired a shift in ministry, to bereavement work. Others needed comfort that, with a bit more education, I was now uniquely qualified to give. Mary Oliver’s poem resonates with this new chapter in my life: "Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift.” Jesus wept, but he also comforted Martha and Mary.

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Until recently, I have always overlooked the power of God’s choice to bear the struggles of being human. My recent reflections on Christ’s humanity and his struggle to trust in God’s plan amidst ridicule and persecution have forced me to question my need for control in my life. I have always had an eye on the future, planning two or even three steps ahead. The future has often consumed me, and in the unhealthiest of ways, I have often defaulted to going it alone in an attempt to carve my own path independently. I am just now realizing the flaws in this methodology as I have begun to question these seemingly stable plans I had formed for myself. As the foundations I had built for my future began to crumble right in front of me, I began to realize that I was building my plans on unstable ground. I believe this was God’s way of telling me to loosen the grip of control and hand it over to him. Just as Jesus trusted in God to carry him through the struggles of being human to the point of death, I, too, should trust that God will not forsake me, but will take the reins and will build for me a solid foundation for a satisfying and fulfilling future.

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The thought of Jesus being sent to save human nature intrigues me. Anger and frustration, joy and hope, excitement and disappointment, love and heartbreak. Why would God want to save our ability to be angry, frustrated, disappointed, or heartbroken? I often wonder about this, and the best answer I can imagine is that without these “negative” feelings, we cannot truly understand the “positive” feelings of joy, hope, excitement, and love. These emotions are a challenge to control and balance on a daily basis; however, believing that Jesus understands that we feel them gives me great comfort and hope that anger, frustration, disappointment, and heartbreak will be overcome and ultimately conquered by joy, hope, excitement, and love. Following Christ helps me accept that there are times when my feelings are not where I (or Christ) want them to be, but if I continue to follow Christ, I will be led to a better place.

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Are you interested in offering one of these responses in the coming weeks? We’d love to include you! Please e-mail Kathy O’Leary for details on how to participate.

Take your next step: Each week of Lent, we are suggesting a journaling question to respond to. Find 15 minutes when you can be uninterrupted, and grab a pen, mobile phone, or computer. At the top of the page, note, or e-mail, write: “God sent Jesus to bring his saving love into every area of my life. What areas of my life need that love right now?” Write whatever comes from your heart. Take a few more minutes to talk to God about what you have written, and listen to God talk to you.