Last night we set our clocks ahead one hour. This morning I woke up tired and, to be honest, feeling a little miserable. As I sat down to eat breakfast with my family before Mass, however, something popped into my head. The fact that I was alive means that the Lord gave me another day to know, love and serve Him. Although I didn’t feel like it, I grabbed my phone, opened my Twitter app and tweeted the following:
I’m still working on it, but I am gradually learning that my relationship with God shouldn’t be based on how I feel. Lent is a good time to work on focusing less on myself and more on my relationship with the Lord. Even though I’m not feeling too chipper this morning, I shouldn’t take it out on God. My message to you on this First Sunday of Lent is this – Don’t feel bad about feeling bad. Feelings are neither right nor wrong. It doesn’t matter how you feel, it matters what you say and do.
Being nice to someone who you can’t stand or thanking God for the problems in your life is a great way to express your love for Him. It gives us a chance to truly put Him first in our lives. And you know what? Sending up that prayer this morning also allowed me to have a personal encounter with the Lord, which always bears fruit. Even though I’m still tired, I am feeling the peace that comes from being close to Him. How cool is that?
God is good!
Thank you Gary! Too often, I have the ‘tired feeling’ and want to base what I do and don’t do on that. I have to fight the tendency to withdraw, even from good friends and family, when my feelings aren’t just so! We need these holy reminders, to praise and ‘thank God for our problems’ knowing He is good and faithful, to bring good from them. Praise the Lord!!