Surely we can, for one day, do the necessary work that seems impossible for one lifetime.
In other words, it’s the process of taking one day at a time. It’s certainly not easy, but it is often necessary.
It’s a sad fact, but it seems that high stress and countless anxieties, whether they come from work or from our home lives … well, it seems often to be the modern way of life.
And most of us desire a greater sense of peace and ease in our lives — life can be stressful, chaotic, overwhelming, full of distractions.
Finding our sense of peace and calm seems to be something we have to strive for. And often the sense of peace and calm we hope for simply doesn’t happen.
At least not on its own. Peace and calm always need to start from the inside. Within our soul.
And only God can help us to truly achieve it.
Sure, we can find peace and quiet while sitting on a beach, taking a hike in the wood,s or relaxing with a cup of coffee. But it’s how we deal with our day-to-day life (stress!) that helps us to find interior peace. Even in difficult situations.
In life we bear many crosses and when we bear them unwillingly, it’s then that we find them to be greater burdens than they already are. And yet we still have to bear them. A person who runs from their cross is only running toward another cross – usually even a heavier one.
In life we should try our hardest not to avoid our problems or find ways to run from them.
Often to escape the chaos, we try to get our world in order by trying to control everything. I stress “try” here.
We distract ourselves. We seek peace by comforting ourselves with TV, food, drink, social media. We try to hide from all the things we have to do by trying our best not to think about it.
We complain about it…the burden of it all.
We end relationships and commitments because we simply don’t want to feel exhausted anymore.
We just desperately want some peace back in our lives.
But instead of all of this avoidance, what if we tried something else?
What if we stopped running from everything, and instead, we pray to God for help to strengthen us, and to help us stop avoiding the trials and tribulations? What if we pray to God to help us find true interior peace in the midst of our stress and anxieties?
We can never truly know what our tomorrow will bring. But on this day, if we find it to be hard, we just have to get through it. With God’s help and support, of course.
And the more and more we rely on God to help us through life’s difficulties, the more and more we find ourselves growing even closer to Him. Because we learn that we need to turn to Him more to get through life’s bumpy roads.
I don’t know about you, but personally when I try to rely only on myself to solve my daily problems and remedy my troubles, I only end up frustrated, angry … and complaining a lot.
I fail.
But it’s when we learn to embrace our cross, our burdens and our sufferings, we find God standing with us in the midst of it, waiting to help us. And it’s then we realize – I don’t have to carry this weight on my shoulders alone.
And with God’s help, through all of life’s many difficulties, we are given a gift that is very important:
Our self-control.
Our patience.
Our peace.
And we also find that we will naturally begin to rebel less and less against God’s Will.
The, “I want to figure it out my way!” syndrome.
We just have to stop relying on ourselves for all of the answers. And instead allow God to help us find true peace…within our souls.
Do what’s needed next — start writing that long or difficult email. Have that conversation you’re dreading. Stop procrastinating and get moving on the project you’ve been assigned. Make a list. Tackle it slowly but surely.
But do it all with a sense of peace. Asking God for help every step of the way.
Yes, it’s a change from the way we often do things – approaching life with a sense of tension, rushing and tightness. But instead, doing it with a relaxed sense of peace.
Because God is right beside you, “doing” it with you.
It’s a growing process, learning to fight the desire to avoid the stresses and trials that come our way.
But with God’s help, you will better deal with your hectic schedule. Because with God’s help, you can do anything.
When we can begin to simply desire nothing more or less than God’s Will, peace will come.
Resentment against the circumstances in your life will only rob you of peace of soul.
But by learning to live with what you cannot control or eliminate, God will help you to rise above such things.
Distractions will only provide us, at best, temporary solace. But with God you will find a true, residing peace within your soul.
Give Him the chance to share your life … with Him.
Surely we can do, for one day, that which seems impossible for a lifetime.
(With God’s help of course).
Now’s the time to find true peace within your soul.
✠
Photo by Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash
Alan Scott is a writer and graphic designer residing in Virginia. A former Agnostic, he converted to the Catholic faith in 2004. In 2014 he started his blog GrowInVirtue.com, and is the author of The Quest for Virtue, both which focus on growing in holiness, by attempting to live a life more simple and virtuous, a life that is lived for God. When he’s not writing or designing, you’ll find him, hands dirty, in his garden. You can find him on Facebook, too.