trust like Joseph

"We are confronted daily with choices to trust the goodness of God or doubt Him and His plan. We are tempted to see things through the lens of our own perspective, limited here in space and time. We may know God's way in our hearts but think, "My way will be better this time."

No matter how many times we are wrong, our pride and egotism bring us back to this over and over again. We can choose to doubt like Lucifer or trust like Joseph."

(Consecration to Jesus Through Saint Joseph: An Integrated Look At The Holy Family, Dr. Bottaro & Jennifer Settle, p.21)

The interesting and most fascinating thing is this; there is not a single person in this world - no matter the age - who is not grieving the loss of something right now. A vacation, job, prom, class trip, birthday party, reunion, conference, retreat, senior year, nursery school routine, wedding, bridal shower, baby shower, funeral, support group meeting, bible study, Mass, the Eucharist, playdates, youth group, business trips, nursing home visits, therapy, health club work out, school....the list can go and on and there is no thing more important than the other because to each of our hearts, what we planned and dreamed of is its own small or large death, and death is death, and letting go hurts. We are all equal in our loss. And it's no small matter.

At the onset of my own personal let go and let down, I was fixated on the fact that GOD KNEW. As I planned and wrote and worked, God looked on at what I was doing, and while He was pleased and smiled upon me...He knew. HE HAD ANOTHER PLAN. MY PLAN WAS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. At least not right now. And this bothered me.

But not anymore.

On this Feast Day of Saint Joseph I am encouraged with fresh hope. It is a reminder and a wake up call, perhaps...that when we are obedient to God's plan, even when...especially when...it means throwing away our own and it makes zero sense...GOD KNOWS BEST. Hard to swallow, I know, when you are cancelling your dream wedding, or staring at your never worn prom dress, or wondering how you can help your struggling child, stuck in the darkness, because there is no place to go. But isn't this precisely why we have faith? Why we cling to believing agains all odds and hoping against all hope? This is the time to reach for all that we proclaim when things feel good, when we are under the false belief that we have it all under control. We do not hope for what we have and can see...our hope is firm in things unseen...because we do not hope in ourselves, but in the unwavering confidence that this God we cling to will fulfill His promises.

Our plans are never better than God's plans. Easier, perhaps. More comfortable, for sure. But never better.

And He has pulled the plug and grabbed our attention and He is right in our midst asking, "Do you trust me or not?"

Oh, Saint Joesph, our protector and patron of every need, obtain for us from Jesus and Mary, the grace of surmounting all anxiety. Win for us from the Adorable Heart of Jesus the unspeakable peace of which He is the Eternal Source.

God, who in your ineffable Providence has chosen Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beseech you, that we may deserve to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our holy protector. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

(Consecration to Jesus Through Saint Joseph: An Integrated Look At The Holy Family, Dr. Bottaro & Jennifer Settle, p.161-162)