Someday We’d Understand

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And it is the Lord, it is Jesus, Who is my judge. Therefore I will try always to think leniently of others, that He may judge me leniently, or rather not at all, since He says: “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.” – St. Therese of Lisieux

Someday

Someday,
We’ll understand each other, you and I,
When we finally discover the reason why
Why we seemed so different from the outside

Someday,
We will see,
That there’s a lot of similarity
Between you and me

We will know
That we have both tried our very best
But we were both wounded
We were lost and tired and weak

All the while
We were both just trying to find
The thing that’s missing
In our lives

We were both just trying to walk
Just trying to talk
Just trying to pray
When we couldn’t find our way

Someday,
We will finally come to see
We both just wanted to be loved
You and I.

Yes, I don’t judge my own self. For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God. – 1 Corinthians 4, WEB

Accepting Imperfections

Life isn’t perfect. But that doesn’t mean it could never be beautiful. – Jocelyn Soriano

Perfectionism has many levels. Sometimes we think we have already learned to accept life’s many imperfections and our own inability to accomplish a task. But once in a while, something happens beyond our worst nightmares. We are caught by surprise and our perfect world is shattered once again.

How do you deal with imperfections? You deal with it as you deal with earthquakes that come out of nowhere. You try your best to survive it and not blame anyone for not being able to control the movement of the earth.

Deep within our own minds, we already have a story that we want to be played. We have in it expectations of how our dreams can work out if only we do this and that. We tell ourselves how evil must never triumph and how good must always shine.

But that is not often how things really work. Sometimes we need to go through a storm before we could see the sun again. And many times, we must endure longer winters than we’ve ever expected until we see the flowers bloom again.

Let us try not to be disheartened when things don’t work out the way we wanted them to. Let us instead try to trust God, who is ultimately the one in control, the one who lovingly weaves all stories into something truly beautiful and far more wonderful than we could ever imagine on our own.

But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him.” – 1 Corinthians 2, WEB

The Courage to Smile

Let me deal with life as it comes,
not as how I wanted it to be
Let me have the courage to smile
when things don’t work out for me.

Let my heart be able to trust
that all can still be well,
for you are there my Lord and God
you can make things whole and fair.

No matter the storm that comes,
No matter the raging seas,
may I have the hope that never fails,
and faith that always trusts in Thee.

Your New Name

To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he who receives it. – Revelation 2, WEB

We take a lot of time and effort to make a name for ourselves, even to earn titles that will distinguish us from the rest of men. We take great pride in them and we feel offended whenever someone belittles our name, our ancestry or our title.

But what is an earthly title? It is but a vapor that quickly fades, a crown that is easily forgotten, stolen and thrown away.

Even earthly rulers lose their power and those with great names lose their reputation. Emperors have been overthrown and kings have been overcome by other kings.

It is not to such titles as frail as these that we should attach our souls into, but to eternal crowns that will never fade, to a name that cannot be taken away.

One day we shall have new names, ones that we have truly earned, ones that will forever be our reward from Him who knows what names we must bear in His heart.

I understood that true greatness is not found in a name but in the soul. The Prophet Isaias tells us: “The Lord shall call His servants by another name,”… In Heaven, therefore, we shall know our titles of nobility, and “then shall every man have praise from God,” and he who on earth chose to be poorest and least known for love of his Saviour, he will be the first, the noblest, and the richest. – St. Therese of Lisieux

Little Things Matter

Indeed, who despises the day of small things? – Zechariah 4, WEB

We often dream of great deeds that will make our name known throughout the world. We desire to make a big difference in the lives of others. We want to accomplish heroic tasks to prove our worth, and to be a witness that we have lived meaningful lives.

Many times however, it is the little things that can make a big difference. It is the simple lives that can truly count. And it is the small deeds done with great love that can change the world.

In truth, we avoid the little things because it is the little things that we fear. We know that it is the small things that are concrete and real in our daily lives. And it is the small sacrifices we make that can truly hurt.

To forego small offenses and forgive a hurting word, to give courtesy and respect where it is rare, to give attention to someone who is speaking, to do a tedious chore no one else wants to do, to wake up early so you can pray, to not brag about your accomplishment, to not spread false reports, to keep silent when there is nothing good to be said. These are small things, but may we have the courage to do them and thereby live heroic lives everyday.

Saints are rarely made in the spotlight and often made in the hidden martyrdom of daily sacrifice. – Christina Mead

Be Happy

My son… treat yourself well… Don’t defraud yourself of a good day. -Sirach 14

Sometimes, holiness is simply being happy. It is in being able to live your life with the heart of a child, not burdened by the past or worried about the future. It is being in the moment and being able to find joy where you are.

Many times, we tend to think only of suffering when we think about sanctity. And while it is true that love entails sacrifice, love also means much joy, true joy! The kind of joy the world today has almost forgotten. That happiness that lifts up the soul, that urges one to pray in thanksgiving, and that makes even the heaviest of burdens light and sweet.

Be happy. And let your happiness spread wherever you may go.

A great joy cannot be kept to oneself. It has to be passed on. – Pope Benedict XVI