From My Heart
It’s 1:36 am and I’m doing some layout planning for my manuscript. Our house is still, my roommates are asleep and all I can hear is the gentle music playing softly from my itunes. My alarm is going to go off at 5 am and I need to get some sleep, but before I do I want to share something with you.
Yesterday I wrote another chapter of my manuscript. As I was writing I pondered many things. The first of which, Wow, I can’t believe I’m going to hand this over to a stranger to read. And once it’s published everybody and their mother can read it. Oh my goodness!! This is really personal information.
I took a break midmorning to go to noon Mass. While there, I prayed and asked for the grace to continue to be vulnerable as I write this manuscript. Then, I read this, “When you think of all the things in your life which remain worthless for not having been offered to God, you should act like a miser, anxious to get hold of every opportunity you can and to make use of each and every suffering. For if suffering is always there for us poor creatures, what can it be but stupidity to waste it.” – St. Josemaria Escriva
How beautiful and true! Thank you Father, that is just what I needed to hear.Instantaneously, God blessed me with peace and purpose. I thought about all the ways in which He has blessed Made in His Image and was moved to tears.
Matthew Kelly has a brilliant saying – In a land where there are no musicians; in a land where there are no storytellers, teachers, & poets; in a land where there are no men and women of vision & leadership; in a land where there are no legends, saints, & champions; in a land where there are no dreamers – the people of that land will most certainly perish.
But, you and I, we are the music makers; we are the storytellers, teachers, & poets; we are the men and women of vision & leadership; we are the legends, the saints, & the champions; & we are the dreamers of the dreams.
And you know what? You don’t need to start a non-profit to have vision and purpose. God is calling you, right now, right where He has placed you in your life to make a difference. He desires you to shine His light and truth to the world. And that looks different for everyone, because we are each at a different stage in life. But wherever you are today, make a commitment and ask for the grace to be that music maker, storyteller, teacher, poet, man of vision, woman of leadership, a saint and a champion. How different our world would be if we each embodied those characteristics. So let’s do it together – you and I. Let’s spread the love of the Father. Let’s show mercy and offer forgiveness. Let’s love one another. Let’s smile. Let’s suffer with courage. Let’s be saints.
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, ‘Who are these wearing white robes and where did they come from?’ I said to Him, ‘My Lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, ‘These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. – Revelation 7:13-14.
Exciting news! Made in His Image is getting its EIN (social security number) today!!! We are almost there! How amazing is our Father?
And tomorrow I get to see these two beautiful friends!! I’m so excited!! My sister Clare, and Elizabeth!
