A Ball of Wax in God’s Hands
Byline: Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan
“The indifferent heart is like a ball of wax in God’s hands, ready to accept all the impressions of his eternal good pleasure. It does not place its love in the things God wills, but in the will of God who wills them.”
“A truly loving heart loves God’s good pleasure, not only in consolations, but also in afflictions….”
These words of St. Francis de Sales describe God’s will as “God’s good pleasure.” As we move through life we often find that God’s good pleasure is not always our personal good pleasure.
This is where the rubber hits the road in terms of our fidelity.
With the eyes of faith we strive to accept the circumstances of our lives as God’s will for us in the here and now.
We know that God is all good, all-knowing, all powerful and he loves us.
This knowledge is the root base of our faith in accepting God’s will as it unfolds in our lives.
During the past week, I was at the bedside of our Sister Immaculata as she ended her life’s pilgrimage. For six days we prayerfully supported our Sister, frequently believing she was ready to slip away at any moment. I believe we said the Prayers for the Dying at least six or seven times, but in her gentle way, Sister kept fooling us.
I have to admit that more than once I had to strain to find God’s good pleasure as I accompanied her in her long journey home. But it is not for me to ask “why”?
So perhaps another helpful Lenten resolution might be for us to accept the difficult moments in our lives as an unfolding of God’s will, of God’s good pleasure. These events can be raw material for our spiritual growth, not always pleasant, but with the eyes of faith, life-giving.
Sr. Mary Berchmans Hannan ’48, ’50
Source: Visitation Voices:
http://www.visi.org/gate/school-blog/index.aspx