The Joy And Confidence Of God Ruling My Life

I attended a retreat at the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia motherhouse in Nashville, Tennessee, about a month ago. I'm always struck by the joy that exudes from the sisters; and during this retreat especially, I found myself thinking, “They're pretty fortunate, being able to have such a happy confidence that they're where they're meant to be.”  I had an envy—holy envy, I should say—of this confidence. I do, however, have peace that I am living and working where the Lord wants, and He's made that clear to me in many ways. Nonetheless, there are still many unknowns in my future, and I know I sometimes worry too much.

I thought, those in religious life who take a vow of obedience have it both easy and difficult at the same time. Difficult because (of course) they are told where to go and how they will serve God in their vocation; it can be a sacrifice to forego one’s own choices for this vow.  On the other hand, how freeing this would be! Knowing that the Holy Spirit guides their various calls and that God will shower his graces for the specific tasks they are assigned must bring peace. Although I do not have this kind of vow of obedience, I realized that I can have the same joy and confidence as those who do. Because one has discerned religious life and another marriage does not change the fact that God has a plan for every moment, and why not rejoice in that?

This may seem simple and a small detail, but it is one of my biggest takeaways from the retreat this year. There is no reason why I should not be joyful and confident that the Lord is in charge of my life. I am where I am supposed to be right now, this day, meeting certain people, completing certain tasks, serving the Lord exactly how he leads.

God, after all, wants the very best for us.  As Cardinal Timothy Dolan says in his book “Called to be Holy,”“If we not only believe that God loves us passionately, but actually dwells in our soul, you tell me how we can be anything but joyful.”

I will continue on my goal of having total surrender to the Lord, and to pay attention to the people and opportunities around me – trusting and remaining open to open doors. There are definitely unknowns throughout each day and looking into the future, but I will do my best to walk each day in peace, confidence, and joy.