Eccl 3: 1-11; Ps 144; 1b; 2abc, 3-4; Lk. 9: 18-22
Who do you say that I am for you is the question of Jesus for each of us today. There is a book titled, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and It’s all Small Stuff”. Today’s first reading is a reminder “There is an appointed time for everything,” don’t sweat the small stuff it is in God’s hands. Why do we sweat the small stuff? We don’t know how to “let go and let God”. There is this underlying fear that “Man is like a breath; his days, like a passing shadow” and we have to take control to be masters of our world before we perish into obscurity. Does God take notice? Who am I that God takes notice of all the small stuff in my life surely there are bigger problems in the world than mine.
Our sinfulness is in denying God access to putting “timeless” into our hearts where we may abide in his love as “my Rock”. Jesus is the “Christ of God” who came into the world to be our rock, our mercy, our fortress our stronghold, our deliverer and our shield but we must trust. Here lies the battle of egocentricity against the gift of his sacrifice. We are the work which God has done and yet we cannot discover from beginning to end ourselves. There is a test that measures your telomeres. Telomeres are a determinant in your longevity and can predict when you will die. How would our daily life change if we knew that timeclock? Do our priorities in life change, our attention to others, our temperance in how we manage our health, work, family, and free time only to die in an accident tomorrow. How foolish to believe we can take control of time. Time is not ours we cooperate with God’s appointed time in his plan of salvation for each of us.
We are to trust in the appointed time for the revelation from birth to death of who we are as children of the Most High. “He has made everything appropriate to its time” including our being into existence at this time. We have a purpose for our time and we are to embrace the purpose not the time. The purpose is to contribute to the salvific plan of the Son of Man. He suffered greatly, was rejected and killed thus we embrace the plan when it requires our suffering our denial of self even our martyrdom. Each day we live and we put that day to rest. If we suffer in any small way for living our faith then we can offer our suffering of a thousand deaths for the Lord until he calls us to himself. Our faith, hope and love are in the Lord who rose on the third day as we await the time of our resurrection.
The work which God has done in us is to experience planting, uprooting, killing, healing, tearing down, building up, weeping, laughing, mourning, dancing, and every other gift from above. Don’t sweat the small stuff rejoice in the gift of discovery where he may lead. This week I had a frustrating day at work and as frustrating as it was while I was dealing with some difficult individuals and situations I was also asking myself, “I wonder what purpose God has intended for this to happen?” It was not a time to be silent but a time to speak but I was allowing myself to sweat the small stuff of dealing with difficult people. It is easier said than done in our imperfection. In the moment of time it was happening I was asking, “Jesus what is the outcome you desire from this?” In that moment I say Jesus was my deliverer and my shield, the Rock in whom I trust. Who do you say that Jesus is for you today?
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