Several readings and snippets of conversation have come together over the past few days.  I tend to mark it down when this happens because surely it is for good reason.  Yesterday's gradual reading was from Ps 117:

"It is good to confide in the Lord, rather than to have confidence in man. It is good to trust in the Lord, rather than trust in princes."

Husband and I talked about this around the table last night.  How much sadness follows from failure to consider this direction?   Too often we look to each other for answers only God can give.  Misplaced confidences burden the one confiding as well as the one in whom we confide. The one is following counsel given by man, not God.  The other is led to hold his own counsel in perilously high esteem. That is, in part, our fault too, since we have favored their opinions over God's. 

The counter to this error is found in Mt 6:

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things will be added onto you."

Then and only then. Yet we are so surprised when we circumvent this flow and all those "things" we are so desperate for elude us. Perhaps because what we really seek is the notice and approval of others. We need them to affirm our choices, validate our frustration, justify our decisions, take up our case before others. We stir ourselves up and seek out another to help calm the storm brewing inside. But, there is only One who calms storms – and there would be fewer storms to calm if we rested more quietly in Him, if we sought His direction before others'. 

When I opened Msgr. Landriot's words this morning they not surprisingly echoed this same counsel. He reminds us 

"Men will take no account of your sufferings, nor of the drops of blood running from your heart and falling upon the pavement of your hidden life; but God counts them, every one, and angels will gather them up. Each unseen tear thus falling from your heart is changed into a pearl of great price."

He goes on to say those pearls will adorn our brows in heaven and the crown will be 

"all the more beautiful and glorious, the weaker has been the nature of her who has thus gloriously conquered."

Where does he suggest we find the means to conquer these temptations? To remain steadfast while the waves of trial and upset rush at us?  

"I know none better than confidence in God." says he. 

Of course. There are no coincidences, of that I am certain. So I take note of this message sent from many directions over a few days. 

Is your heart heavy today? There is One waiting to hear your secrets and bear your burdens, to direct your steps. One who never fails. I am trying to step back more now and remind myself to place my confidence there. Life is not necessarily 'bad' because of others. It is often a trial because we neglect the very simple path leading straight to God.

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