I Take off the MASK!

Somewhere at the back of our minds, we want to know the future. We want to predict what would happen so we can finally breathe and wait for all the good things coming our way. We also want to be sure nothing really bad is going to happen, nothing overwhelming, nothing that would challenge all of our strength and all of our will.

But what if we do get to see everything that’s going to happen, both the good and the bad? Are we going to be more at peace today? Are we finally going to enjoy each morning that comes even if we know ‘exactly’ how each day is going to end?

Maybe the key is not to be able to predict the future. More than knowledge, maybe what we really need is faith, the kind that trusts the Father whose hands alone hold our future and whose heart desires only our greatest good.

“HOPE frees us from the need to predict the future and allows us to live in the present, with the deep trust that God will never leave us alone but will fulfill the deepest desires of our heart…” – Henri Nouwen

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

There is a time for everything. Now may not be the time to accomplish all that you have planned, but it may be the time to rest and to dream again. It may not be the time to be busy, for it may be the time to heal. Wait for the proper time, as it will certainly arrive and would not be too late.

“There is a time for everything.
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every purpose under heaven:
…a time to break down,
and a time to build up;
a time to weep,
and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn,
and a time to dance;
…He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
– Ecclesiastes 3, WEB

You may also want to read:
A Time for Joy
What is the Meaning of Your Life Right Now?
Meanwhile

The demands of daily life can be quite overwhelming. Out of the many things we are being called upon to do, what do we do first? And how do we accept the reality that we can’t possibly do everything?

Try to sort out which is most valuable. Then see what can possibly be done at the moment. If you can plan, then plan. If you need rest, then rest first and find healing. Take it one step at a time, one task at a time. Do what you can and God, who sees all and watches over you, will do the rest!

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – St. Francis of Assisi

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you.” – Luke 6:38, WEB

Love is that something which is multiplied when you give it away. Instead of having less, you will have more. Instead of being afraid to have none left, you will leap with joy because you will have the fullness of life.

It is true; there are some people who seem unable to receive love. But that doesn’t mean the love we have given them is wasted. Love always returns and blesses those who give it away. So give it away, and then receive every good that God will send your way.

“Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger or higher or wider; nothing is more pleasant, nothing fuller, and nothing better in heaven or on earth, for love is born of God and cannot rest except in God, Who is above all created things. One who is in love flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free, not bound. He gives all for all and possesses all in all, because he rests in the one sovereign Good, Who is above all things, and from Whom every good flows and proceeds.” – Thomas Kempis

You may also want to read:
Favorite Quotes on Love
Is It Ever a Waste of Time to Love Someone?
Inspiring Quotes From Leo Buscaglia
Must You Give Up Everything in the Name of Love?
What is the Meaning of a Heartbreak?

Some people seem to love us only when we are strong and beautiful and pleasant. When we start to make mistakes, we feel that we are easily cast aside and rejected from their lives. But can anyone really be perfect in this life? Do we need to be perfect so we can be loved?

“God loves me even in my imperfections, even when I’m weak in the midst of trials. His love for me is beyond all my mistakes for He has loved me even before I tried to be good, and even after I tried to be good and failed.” (Excerpt from “Things to Remember in Difficult Times”)

You may also want to read:
Could You Really Be Loved at Your Very Worst?
Will You Still Love Me Even If I’m Not Perfect?