The Little Flower’s Little Way

“Prayer is, for me, an outburst from the heart; it is a simple glance darted upwards to Heaven; it is a cry of gratitude and of love in the midst of trial as in the midst of joy! In a word, it is something exalted, supernatural, which dilates the soul and unites it to God.”  – St. Therese of Lisieux, The Little Flower (Story of a Soul, Chapter X)

October 1st is the Feast Day of St. Therese of Lisieux.   Her “little way” inspires me to find the little things in my own life that can be used to grow closer to God.  Whether it be little actions I can take, little words I can speak, little prayers I can offer, little songs I may sing, or the little things that surround us as evidence of God’s love for us.  I pray that I might find my own little way to Christ and to help others along the way.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”   Matthew 19:14

 

 

To learn more about St. Therese, visit the Society of the Little Flower.

A Greater Goal

With the Olympics in full swing, everyone  is watching as elite athletes from all around the world compete.  These athletes have trained, hoped, and dreamed of this day for most of their lives.  It is everything they have wished for.  Some athletes become so obsessed with their Olympic goals, that once the games have come and gone, they find themselves at a loss.  What now?  Where do you go once your ultimate goal has been realized?  And what do you do if you find that you failed?

The answer to that question applies to all of us.  Any time we place an earthly goal ahead of our Heavenly goal, we will be disappointed.  We can work our whole lives towards a gold medal, that perfect house, or our dream jobs.  But if we place those dreams and goals ahead of the most important goal, what is it really all about?

 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

Our ultimate goal in life should be to live as Christ lived.  To follow God’s will wherever it takes us.  To spread the love of Jesus to everyone.  To one day see our God face to face in Heaven and to spend our eternity with our loving Father.  That is a treasure far more important than any gold medal, fancy new car, or promotion at work.  Jesus Christ is the goal that we seek.  When we seek Him first, everything else falls into place.

“But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

When Christ is our focus and His kingdom is our primary goal in life, we do not need to worry about what will happen next.  When we reach our earthly goals, we should first praise Him who enabled us to do so!  And when we find that we have fallen short of a promotion at work or that coveted gold medal, we only need to go to Him who gives us strength and know that we have a higher purpose and a greater goal.

“Let us go forward in peace, our eyes upon heaven, the only one goal of our labors.” St. Therese of Lisieux

**Speaking of athletes and goals…my sister is a professional runner who dedicates her life to running for more than just a win.  Read about her journey to run for Christ on her blog notrunning4awin

Every Little Thing

Do you ever have moments where you wonder what in the world you are doing?  Do you have times where you look back at the tasks you completed that day and think, “What did it even matter?” I know I do. I think that most of us do.

Not every day is filled with life changing adventures.  Not every task is monumental.  And sometimes we simply can’t see past the dull moments of our day to the bigger purpose behind it all.  Sometimes the paperwork in the office, the cleaning up after the kids, the studying for exams, seems almost like a waste of time.  We look back at our day and wonder what we really accomplished.  So some paperwork got filed, the living room is a bit cleaner, I may get an A instead of a B on that test…but in the grand scheme of things, does it even make a difference?

The danger in this way of thinking is that we forget that God placed us where we are.  He gave us the abilities to perform the tasks we dread or that seem so insignificant.  He has us right where we are in life for a reason!

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

Every little thing that we do matters.  Whether we realize it now or not.    Even if no one else sees the little things we do, our God does.  He knows the effort we put into our daily work.   He gave us the physical ability to clean the house, the mental capacity to study and learn more.  He blessed us with the jobs we have, even when they seem small.

 ^“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

As Christians we are called to do everything for God’s glory.  He has a plan far greater than we can fathom and if a part of that plan involves us doing the dishes, responding to endless emails, or sitting through lectures at school, who are we to question the plan of God?

In being thankful for every moment of every day and giving all the glory to God, our perspective changes.  We see the possibilities around us rather than feeling trapped where we are.  We find ways to shine the light of Christ through even the smallest ways.  We become more in tune with the person God is calling us to be and are better able to hear His voice when He calls to us. 

As we go about our daily tasks, let us all work to remember that God made us and has placed us where we are in life for a reason.  Let us remember to give thanks for our abilities and accomplishments, no matter how small they seem.  And let all that we do be done in love and for God’s glory so that we might bring other close to Him and may become more and more like Christ.

“Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love.” St. Therese of Lisieux