{"id":27882,"date":"2023-05-17T16:34:26","date_gmt":"2023-05-17T20:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/?p=27882"},"modified":"2023-05-19T06:33:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-19T10:33:00","slug":"gods-will-is-straight-ahead-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/gods-will-is-straight-ahead-3\/","title":{"rendered":"God\u2019s Will is Straight Ahead."},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Please enjoy this previous article by Fr. Tim, first published here February 7, 2016)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to try to share with you a bit of unfailing advice that was given to me some years ago by a holy and beloved priest friend. Like any truly helpful bit of wisdom it\u2019s very simple . . . God\u2019s will is straight ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s something in the way we live our lives that makes us feel like we\u2019re in charge. That\u2019s one of the pleasures of a Saturday morning; free from our jobs, we can pick and choose what our day will be. \u201cI\u2019m in charge. This is my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s nothing wrong with living like this. God gave us a \u201cbrain\u201d, we are free to choose our actions. Unlike the animals driven by instinct, we humans \u201cdecide\u201d how we will live our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However . . . . There\u2019s a problem. When our choices are formed by nothing other than \u201cwhat I want\u201d we can start to think that our choices have TOTAL freedom in directing our lives. And guess what happens? We get lost. There has to be a guiding point outside ourselves that organizes and focuses our actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of the ancient sailors out on the ocean. How does a wooden boat get from Spain to the New World when all you can see is water? They had to find a point outside the boat that would tell them where they were . . . the North Star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So freedom is best exercised when it is done in \u201cpartnership\u201d with the One who gave us the gift in the first place . . . God of course. What does this partnership look and feel like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprisingly it\u2019s called THE PRESENT MOMENT<\/strong>. God\u2019s will is in the right here, right now of our life. God\u2019s will is right in front of you, not where you\u2019ll be 6 months from now. And oh, don\u2019t we try to go under or skip over what is staring us right in the face?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wait till \u201cI\u2019m ready\u201d or \u201cthings are just right\u201d or \u201cit goes away.\u201d I\u2019ll do God\u2019s will \u201cwhen I get \u2018over there\u2019\u201d. If something is good, and true, helpful, and prudent . . . why wait?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good practice to get into is to look at what lies straight ahead. A few examples might help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common Sense gives God\u2019s will:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0016\u0016 It\u2019s late at night. You have a busy day tomorrow. God\u2019s will? Go to bed.
\u0016\u0016 You\u2019ve had two beers at the party. You\u2019re driving. God\u2019s will? No more beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0016\u0016 Feel a painful lump? God\u2019s will? See a doctor. \u0016\u0016 Big test tomorrow. God\u2019s will? Study!
\u0016\u0016 Mom\u2019s birthday. God\u2019s will? Call her!
\u0016\u0016 Feel like running away? God\u2019s will? Face it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goodness shows God\u2019s will:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0016\u0016Thinking of changing something important in your life? Unless it\u2019s an instance of some kind of abuse, God\u2019s will is more often to stay where you are. To persevere in one\u2019s duty. To embrace the daily grind. Persevere in doing good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0016\u0016 Sometimes God\u2019s will is to change. But change to what? What school? Should I marry? Have a child? Change jobs? Here is where God has given us right rea- son. Is the choice good in most every way? What would you advise a friend to do with that same decision? What have trusted friends said to you? (God often uses other people to reveal His will.) Choosing Life is always God\u2019s will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what are the signs that happen in us when we\u2019ve done God\u2019s will? St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Gala- tians. \u201cBut the Spirit (God\u2019s will for us), produces, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, humility, and self\u0016control.\u201d Gal. 5:22<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s be ready for God\u2019s will here and now. How? Go straight ahead!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Fr.<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Dear friends in Christ,
Several of you have mentioned to me that I have been looking unwell lately: thin and weary. It turns out that you were right: late last month I was diagnosed with a serious liver cancer that has left me extremely tired and weak. It\u2019s a rare cancer that is impervious to the familiar treatments of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Thank God there is an immunotherapy treatment to address my diagnosis, and I started those treatments earlier this month. I want you all to know how much you mean to me and that I hold you in my heart during this difficult period in my life. Please understand that I am not healthy enough for visits at this time, but if you wish… send me a card, and more importantly, remember me in your prayers. You know I remember you in mine! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peace of Christ to you all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fr. Tim.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"linkedin\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Please enjoy this previous article by Fr. Tim, first published here February 7, 2016) I want to try to share with you a bit of unfailing advice that was given to me some years ago by a holy and beloved priest friend. Like any truly helpful bit of wisdom it\u2019s very simple . . . […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weekly-column"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27882"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27911,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27882\/revisions\/27911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}