Last week my girls had a friend over for lunch. Lingering around my kitchen table, they were discussing the life of preteens. The sweet girl declared,” I am not sure about the you, but I am in the green on the perfect meter.” The adolescents all giggled, knowing this was not the case for any of them. However, the preteens jested that they were all in the green, of course! Quiet until this moment, my 6-year-old wisely chimed in. “Girls!” she stated, “No one is perfect but, we are all special in our own way.” Amen, little sister! Wisdom from the mouth of a babe.
We all have days that we feel far from perfect, defeated even. Gazing around us we see a great deal of shimmer and shine. All the posts on Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat, and the like, showcasing the ‘perfect’ moments from our thousand closest friends’ lives. We shrink, we hide, and we die a little.
It is in these situations that we need to be reminded that Our God is planted deep within each of us. He shines in the distinct strengths that He has bestowed uniquely on us. When we dig deep and unearth the gifts, our souls are illuminated. The richest and most vivid part of us, that God laid his loving hands on to create, shines. Even when we are repulsed or frustrated with our humanness, we can cling to that piece of God buried in us, because God always rests there. By employing our God given gifts, we glorify Our Lord, causing His heart to sing. We make Him known by utilizing the assets He has given to us.
“But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body…Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:20, 27 reminds us. Together, we are Christ’s body, sister. Each member must act as Christ asks of him or her to bring unity and oneness. We each must realize and perform our unique roles in the world.
Arise from your rest, sister! Cry out from deep within, where the Lord touched you, planted your unique gifts and all He created you to be. Arise from your slumber! “Awake, my soul; awake…” Psalm 57:8
Call to Act: Where is the Lord asking you to dig? What gift has God uniquely bestowed upon you? Think about the things you consistently hear people praise you for doing well. Pray, asking Him to reveal an asset to you. If you are struggling or stumped, ask your spouse or a close friend to share with you. What can you do this week to put that attribute to work? It does not need to consume a great deal of time. Simply take a small step in putting the gift in action.
St. Helena, pray for us that we may have the courage to use our unique gifts to serve the Lord in the roles we are blessed to be in our lives. Ask the Lord to help us to see opportunities, as they arise, in order to put our gifts to use. Beg the Lord to help us to think outside of the norm to do as He asks of us. Beseech the graces we require to carry out His work in the world for His glory. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior, Amen.
Saint Helena
St. Helena was the mother of Constantine and the cast-off wife of Constantine Chlorus. She lived in Rome in one of the most dangerous times for Christians. When her son Constantine came to rule, he worked to unite Rome, declared Christianity legal, and decreed Helena empress. She used this pivotal time and her role as a means to convert many by her example and seeking the will of God. St. Helena decided, after a very gruesome act by her son, to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in an attempt to retrieve the True Cross of Christ. At the frail age of seventy to eighty, Helena managed to make the trip to the Holy Land, traveling for 2-4 years, to uncover the location of the True Cross, as well as several relics of Jesus. Helena carried portions of the True Cross to Rome to give the people something holy to focus on. She also had several churches built. While on her pilgrimage, she is said to have served the poor, saved many from unjust situations and conditions, and generally cared for the less fortunate with her generous love. Forever seeking the will of the Lord, she rose above the less-than-ideal circumstances in her life, Christianizing Rome. Read more about her here: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=123