Have you ever heard the song “Blessings” by Laura Story? It talks about blessings coming amid the storms and healing being granted through pain. These types of contradictions sometimes happen during the four seasons as well. Last winter it was 55 degrees on Christmas and some Easters we have had snow. We may even experience some seasons of our lives when things are so topsy turvy that we don’t know which way is up and which way is down.
Those of us who have lived a few decades understand that that’s just the way life is. We have good times and bad times, moments of plenty and moments of scarcity, laughter and tears. For those who are a bit younger, it may be difficult to understand why life has to be so hard or why things don’t go their way just a little bit more often.
Although I’ve been around the block a few times, I still have a lot to learn, and like it or not, much of that learning comes during times of difficulty. When my mind and my heart are stretched to function beyond their normal capacity, when I am called to make changes in the way I act and react in order to become a better person, when I am asked to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns his followers about a case of opposites as well. “The hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. (John 16: 2-3) Imagine thinking that you are offering worship to God by killing someone! It is hard for us to fathom.
But if we take a long and honest look at our interior, we may find that we have a few areas for growth as well. They may come in different shapes and sizes. They may be mountains or molehills. They may be complicated or simple. But all of them can be refined and healed at the hand of our loving Savior. All of them can truly be transformed into blessings.
I pray that you are able to find a few of those hidden blessings today.
¿Alguna vez has escuchado la canción “Blessings” (Bendiciones) de Laura Story? Habla de las bendiciones que llegan en medio de las tormentas y de la curación que se otorga a través del dolor. También suceden esas contradicciones durante las cuatro estaciones. El invierno pasado hacía 55 grados durante las Navidades y a veces durante la Pascua hemos tenido nieve. Incluso podemos experimentar algunas temporadas de la vida cuando las cosas están tan revueltas que no sabemos qué cosa está arriba y qué cosa está abajo.
Aquellos de nosotros que hemos vivido unas cuantas décadas entendemos que así es la vida. Tenemos buenos y malos momentos, momentos de abundancia y momentos de escasez, risas y lágrimas. Para aquellos que son un poco más jóvenes, puede resultar un poco más difícil entender por qué la vida tiene que ser tan dura o por qué las cosas no salen como quisieran un poco más frecuentemente.
Aunque he dado la vuelta al sol unas cuantas veces, todavía tengo mucho que aprender y, nos guste o no, gran parte de ese aprendizaje se produce en momentos de dificultad. Cuando mi mente y mi corazón se ven obligados a funcionar más allá de su capacidad normal, cuando soy llamada a hacer cambios en la forma en que actúo y reacciono para convertirme en una persona mejor, cuando me piden que ponga en práctica lo que mi boca habla.
En el evangelio de hoy, Jesús advierte a sus seguidores sobre un caso de opuestos también. “[L]legará un tiempo, cuando el que les dé muerte creerá dar culto a Dios. Esto lo harán, porque no nos han conocido ni al Padre ni a mí. (Juan 16, 2-3) ¡Imagínate pensar que estás ofreciendo adoración a Dios al matar a alguien! Nos resulta difícil comprenderlo.
Pero si echamos un vistazo profundo y honesto a nuestro interior, podemos encontrar que también tenemos algunas áreas para crecer. Pueden venir en diferentes formas y tamaños. Pueden ser montañas o granos de arena. Pueden ser complicados o simples. Pero todos ellos pueden ser refinados y sanados por la mano de nuestro amoroso Salvador. Todos ellos pueden verdaderamente transformarse en bendiciones.
Le pido a Dios que puedas encontrar unas cuantas de esas bendiciones ocultas hoy día.
Feature Image Credit: Mike Kotsch, unsplash.com/photos/green-plant-HNx4QLRgy2k
Tami Urcia grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling projects, finding fun ways to keep her little ones occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works full time, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for over 20 years.
Dr. Alexis Dallara-Marsh is a board-certified neurologist who practices in Bergen County, NJ. She is a wife to her best friend, Akeem, and a mother of two little ones on Earth and two others in heaven above.
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