“As Lent is the time for greater love, listen to Jesus’ thirst. ‘Repent and believe,’ Jesus tells us. What are we to repent? Our indifference, our hardness of heart. What are we to believe? Jesus thirsts even now, in your heart and in the poor — He knows your weakness. He wants only your love, wants only the chance to love you.” ~ Saint Teresa of Calcutta
Deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up was incredibly difficult to consider. While I was never given any instructions or expectations about what to be, it was clear that some choices appeared to be better than others in some people’s minds. Our teachers, for example, would never tell us what we should be (except for the nuns who thought each and every one of us should be either priests or sisters); however, they had no problem telling us what we should not be.
We often wonder what we should be and what we should do with our lives. We often wonder what God wants of us as well. What would make Him more happy with us? What are His expectations? What does He want us to do or not to do?
Mother Teresa of Calcutta knew the answer to this question. God wants us, pure and simple. He does not necessarily want us to be anything. He just wants us to be ourselves, the people that He created. He wants us to delight in the people He has made us to be. And He wants us to give ourselves completely to Him.
Some people do not feel that they have anything to offer the Lord, though. Too many people do not love themselves or, even, for that matter, like themselves. They have fallen into the trap of thinking that they are supposed to be something or someone that they are not. Failing to meet the expectations of others, their thoughts become extremely self-critical. Because of that, they often soften the pain by accepting what the world has to offer. That sends them on a continuing downward spiral.
God does not want that for us. He does not want us to feel bad about ourselves. He does not want us to dislike ourselves. He wants us to see ourselves as He sees us: as perfect creations of love. When was the last time you looked in a mirror in the morning and said, “Hello, there, you perfect creation of God’s love!” Yet, that is what He wants us to see: our beauty and our worth.
We are worth everything. God proved that by becoming one of us and dying for us. Think of that throughout Lent.
FAITH ACTION: Do something good for yourself today and remind yourself of how much God loves you and wants nothing but the best for you.