The Nativity of John the Baptist / La Natividad de Juan el Bautista

Have you ever questioned God’s will, and been struck mute because of it? I would guess your answer is no. Sometimes it is difficult for me to believe that such extraordinary things happened to the people in the Bible, and to saints. I’ve questioned what God asks of me millions of times in my life and have never been left mute, blind, deaf, or anything else.

 Zechariah questioned God’s will and experienced a radical consequence. For us, the consequences of our doubts may not show on the outside, but to us they are just as real as a sleepless night. When we are faced with those doubts, we have two choices: we can dwell in them and let them take over, slowly destroying our faith altogether OR we can acknowledge our struggles and rely on God to bring us through them.

Growing up I had a sign in my bedroom that said “The will of God will not take you where the grace of God will not protect you.” This saying got me through many situations that brought a lot of doubt. Faith is an incredible gift from God, and perseverance through the darkest times often leads us to the biggest breakthroughs. “Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,

and he spoke blessing God.” As dark as our doubt can be, our faith can be just as bright on the other side if we persevere and allow God to do the rest. 

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¿Alguna vez has cuestionado la voluntad de Dios y te has quedado mudo por ello? Supongo que tu respuesta sea no. A veces me resulta difícil creer que cosas tan extraordinarias les hayan sucedido a las personas de la Biblia y a los santos. He cuestionado lo que Dios me pide millones de veces en mi vida y nunca me he quedado muda, ciega, sorda ni nada por el estilo.

Zacarías cuestionó la voluntad de Dios y experimentó una consecuencia radical. Para nosotros, las consecuencias de nuestras dudas pueden no mostrarse en el exterior, pero para nosotros son tan reales como una noche de insomnio. Cuando nos enfrentamos a esas dudas, tenemos dos opciones: podemos permanecer en ellas y dejar que se apoderen de nosotros, destruyendo lentamente nuestra fe por completo o podemos reconocer nuestras batallas y confiar que Dios nos ayude a superarlas.

Durante mi niñez, tenía un letrero en mi dormitorio que decía: “La voluntad de Dios no te llevará a donde la gracia de Dios no te protegerá”. Este dicho me ayudó a superar muchas situaciones que me trajeron muchas dudas. La fe es un regalo increíble de Dios, y la perseverancia en los momentos más oscuros a menudo nos lleva a los mayores avances. “En ese momento a Zacarías se le soltó la lengua, recobró el habla y empezó a bendecir a Dios”. Por más oscuras que puedan ser nuestras dudas, nuestra fe puede ser igual de brillante al otro lado si perseveramos y permitimos que Dios haga lo demás.

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Lily is a Michigan native and cradle Catholic who has spent most of her life exploring her own reasons to embrace her faith fully. She attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she discovered the beauty of her personal relationship with Christ and the Church. After college, she worked in Montessori Education for three years and recently transitioned to nannying. She was recently married and spends most of her time reading, and enjoying her dog and family!

Feature Image Credit: eberhard grossgasteiger, pexels.com/photo/down-angle-photography-of-red-clouds-and-blue-sky-844297/

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

The Greatest of These / El mayor de ellos

When I was little I had a sign hanging in my bedroom that read: “The will of God will not take you where the grace of God cannot protect you.” That saying has stayed with me into adulthood and has gotten me through some tough times. Most of us could say that we have experienced events in our lives where we have felt abandoned by God and alone. Sometimes it is hard to believe Jesus when He says “I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.” At least for me, most of the time I have no idea what God is doing, but that’s where love comes in. 

Faith, Hope and Love. And the greatest of these is Love…but why? 

Love, true love, demands trust. Imagine a marriage or friendship without trust, it might be ok at first but eventually it will fall apart. I believe this is where a lot of Christians get lost in their walk with Christ. It reminds me of The Proof of Your Love (The Monologue Mix) by For King + Country. The song includes a spoken bridge about how you can know the ins and outs of religion and repeat Scripture until you’re blue in the face, but if you have not fallen truly and deeply in love with Christ, your knowledge and memory will never be enough to aid you through difficult times in the journey. 

The Lord asks us to trust completely, and through that trust we can experience the deepest and truest love that our hearts were created for. When we reach that point of falling deeply in love with Christ, we will also trust Him to show us His will, knowing that His love will guide us wherever His will may lead us. 

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Cuando era pequeña tenía un cartel colgado en mi habitación que decía: “La voluntad de Dios no te llevará a donde la gracia de Dios no te pueda proteger”. Ese dicho se ha quedado conmigo hasta la edad adulta y me ha ayudado a superar algunos momentos difíciles. La mayoría de nosotros podríamos decir que hemos experimentado eventos en nuestras vidas en los que nos hemos sentido abandonados por Dios y solos. A veces es difícil creer a Jesús cuando dice: “a ustedes los llamo amigos, porque les he dado a conocer todo lo que le he oído a mi Padre”. Al menos para mí, la mayor parte del tiempo no tengo idea de lo que Dios está haciendo, pero ahí es donde entra el amor.

Fe, esperanza y amor. Y el mayor de ellos es el amor… pero ¿por qué?

El amor, el amor verdadero, exige confianza. Imagínate un matrimonio o una amistad sin confianza, puede que esté bien al principio, pero con el tiempo se desmoronará. Creo que aquí es donde muchos cristianos se pierden en su caminar con Cristo. Me hace acordar de The Proof of Your Love (The Monologue Mix) por For King + Country. La canción incluye un puente hablado sobre cómo puedes saber todo lo referente a la religión y recitar las Escrituras hasta que te canses, pero si no te has enamorado verdadera y profundamente de Cristo, tu conocimiento y tu memoria nunca serán suficientes para ayudarte en los momentos difíciles del camino.

El Señor nos pide que confiemos completamente, y a través de esa confianza podemos experimentar el amor más profundo y verdadero para el que fueron creados nuestros corazones. Cuando lleguemos a ese punto de enamorarnos profundamente de Cristo, también confiaremos en que Él nos mostrará Su voluntad, sabiendo que Su amor nos guiará a donde Su voluntad nos lleve.

Comunicarse con la autora

Lily is a Michigan native and cradle Catholic who has spent most of her life exploring her own reasons to embrace her faith fully. She attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she discovered the beauty of her personal relationship with Christ and the Church. After college, she worked in Montessori Education for three years and recently transitioned to nannying. She was recently married and spends most of her time reading, and enjoying her dog and family!

Feature Image Credit: Pixabay, pexels.com/photo/pink-rose-236235/

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.