Do Not Be Caught By Surprise

17 May

“I have seen many storms in my life. Most storms have caught me by surprise, so I had to learn very quickly to look further and understand that I am not capable of controlling the weather, to exercise the art of patience and to respect the fury of nature.”  ~ Paulo Coelho

Okay, this Paulo guy really hits a nerve in me!  After all, who worries about weather more perfectly than I do?  Who frets up a storm (no pun intended) every year as festival draws near.  Who gets worried that weather will ruin Confirmation or First Communion weekends?  Me.  That’s who.  And yet, worrying about the weather does absolutely no good.  I can worry, worry, worry until I form an ulcer and it will not change the outcome of the weather one iota.

No.  I am not capable of changing the weather.  All I can hope to change is my attitude toward the weather.  All I can do is develop a deeper trust in God.  All I can do is ask God for the grace to accept what comes my way — for good or ill — because I can do nothing about it.

When we live in a cloud of negativity, it tends to affect everything and everyone else around us.  We can be so upset about what “might” happen that we do not focus on all that is indeed happening around us.  Doing so, we will most likely miss the most important thing around us: the presence of God.

Bad things happen.  Good things happen.  Mediocre things happen.  Wonderful things happen.  Wretched things happen.  Pleasurable things happen.  All sort of things happen in our lives and we need to be ready for each and every one of them.

As I think about this, I remember the Franciscan Sisters who taught us in grade school.  They were good for the “old quotes” in the church.  One of the sisters used to tell us all the time the same thing that St. Paul told his early Church:  put on Christ, wear the armor of salvation, and nothing will be able to assail us because we will never be caught unaware.

FAITH ACTION:  Ask God to grant you a heaping portion of patience for whatever comes your way today.