[And Also With You] Eyes On One's Own Paper

[Fr. Scott]

Over the last several months I have had questions. I have watched businesses in Michigan stake huge hits and simmer under great fear. I heard the Govenor of California announce that their state government was running $40,000,000 in the red each day and was facing an economic armageden. I hear about the pain and cold in the "rust belt" of the Northeast, and then I think how blessed we are in this Goshen area. It is warm in winter. It is beautiful. One national search engine listed Baldwin County as the 4th best county to live in during recession. Etc.

My compassionate side wants answers. I find myself quickly putting God on trial with the quesiton, "Why them and not us?" Survivor guilt I think.

The answer the Lord rekindled in my heart was, "Keep your eyes on your own paper." If you start looking at other situations and the pain that those outside yourself are experiencing, it will only harm your faith in Me. If you keep your eyes on your own paper then you will accomplish what I want you to accomplish and you will follow My Spirit with aptness. If you let your eyes wander to sitations that you have no control over, you will put false values on them. You do not know their story or their heart. The Lord reminded me that He has a plan that is in motion for others as well as myself. Their story is none of my affair. Just my sitatuation is what He wants me to focus on.

So as we enter 2009, let's focus on our own stuff. If we are honest, I think we can all admit that dealing with just our stuff is a full time job! If we are honest, we let our eyes drift when we do not want to deal with the hard issues in our own sitations. It can be both diversionary and numbing to look elsewhere so that we don't have to feel or deal our own pain.

Blessings and Love in Christ this new year,
Father Scott +

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Posted By Fr. Scott to And Also With You at 12/29/2008 09:49:00 AM