the master's-piece
"But how narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!" —Matthew 7:14
God has a plan for your life. He knows exactly how many children He wants you to have. He's got a house picked out for you. He knows the day, hour, minute, and second of your death. The Lord is orchestrating the details of your life to create an unprecedented and unrepeatable symphony of praise to the Father through the Son and in the Spirit. The Master is painting a Master-piece, using the little pieces of your life as His brush-strokes.
All we have to do is obey Him, "not turning aside to the right or to the left, but following exactly the way prescribed" for us (Dt 5:32-33). We should get out of God's way, lose our lives (Lk 9:24), choose the narrow way (Mt 7:13), let God do His thing, have His way, and be Lord of our lives. He knows what He's doing, even if we don't. We should trust Him rather than trust ourselves. He died for us and rose from the dead. His love and power are proven. To run our own lives would be the height of foolishness. We are privileged to have the opportunity to surrender our lives to Jesus.
Prayer: Jesus, I repent of my sins. Take over my whole life now and forever.
Promise: "Look about you, and from where you are, gaze to the north and south, east and west; all the land that you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth." —Gn 13:14-16
Praise: St. Paulinus sold his estates and gave the proceeds to the poor.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, November 28, 1998
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 1, 1998