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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

When God puts people in our way . . .

A couple of years ago I went on a mission trip with some people from my old church the spring before I enrolled in RCIA. During the trip we met this one lady who when I asked her how she was doing she responded, "I'm blessed." It struck me then that in reality I too was blessed. Regardless of what troubles I thought I might have, God was right beside me. He just had to put this lady in my way to help me realize it.

A few weeks ago, I was at work at a basketball game for the university that I work for now. I wasn't having the best day and evidentially it showed. I happened to walk through an area that I never walk through and an older gentleman who works as an usher said to me, "You have to smile to walk through here" and wouldn't let me pass until I had. Instantly the day was better.

Tonight I was working another game and happened to walk through that same area. I saw the same usher and slowed down to ask him how he was doing. His response stopped me dead in my track. He said, "I am blessed and favored and so are you."

I can't help but to think of the lady from the first story. If you've read the few posts on this blog lately you probably know that I've been struggling with my faith lately. I guess God decided it was time to put somebody else in my way.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What an awesome blessing that you passed through that space at that exact point in time!

It IS hard to forget your blessing while you're smiling!

Keep the faith :)

Moonshadow said...

I hope you dropped to your knees then and there because it doesn't get any better than that!

Blessed to be a blessing, Chris! Thanks for sharing that story.

Katie said...

All Glory and Honor to He who does "exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ask or think"

Anonymous said...

Dear Chris,
I'm a lifelong Catholic and my husband is a convert of 12 years. I don't know whether God is putting me in your way, or you in mine, but I just read your post and was really moved by it.
I hope you will come and visit me at my blog, Catholic Me and drop me a line.
Peace!
Beatasum(I am blessed)

Anonymous said...

I think this can help you at least a little:

"...asked him how he could possibly learn to believe, expecting, I suppose, a metaphysical answer. Hopkins only said, 'Give alms.'"

http://www.gerardmanleyhopkins.org/lectures_2003/flannery_oconnor.html

Mike said...

Chris -

If the two people you mention in this thread do not believe the Catholic Dogma whole and entire, they are not "blessed" but are simply laboring under a satanic deception ... the Dogma on this:

Council of Florence, Session 8, Pope Eugene IV, 22 Nov 1439 -- Ex-Cathedra Dogma >
"Whoever wishes to be saved, needs above all to hold the Catholic faith; unless each one preserves this whole and inviolate, he will without a doubt perish in eternity."

Council of Trent, Pope Pius IV, Iniunctum nobis, 13 Nov 1565 -- Ex-Cathedra Dogma >
"This true Catholic faith, outside of which no one can be saved ... I now profess and truly hold ..."

Vatican Council of 1870, Session 2, Profession of Faith, Summary following Paragraph 14, Pope Pius IX -- Ex-Cathedra Dogma >
"This true Catholic Faith, outside of which none can be saved, which I now freely profess and truly hold, is what I shall steadfastly maintain and confess, by the help of God, in all its completeness and purity until my dying breath."

Vatican Council of 1870, Session 3, Chapter 3 On Faith, Paragraphs 8-9, Pope Pius IX -- Ex-Cathedra Dogma >
"Wherefore, by Divine and Catholic Faith all those things are to be believed which are contained in the word of God as found in scripture and tradition, and which are proposed by the Church as matters to be believed as Divinely revealed (...) Since, then, without Faith it is impossible to please God and reach the fellowship of His sons and daughters, it follows that no one can ever achieve justification without it, neither can anyone attain eternal life unless he or she perseveres in it to the end."

Vatican Council of 1870, Pope Pius IX, Session 3, Chapter 3, Paragraph 1 -- Ex-Cathedra Dogma >
"Since human beings are totally dependent on God as their Creator and Lord, and created reason is completely subject to uncreated truth, we are obliged to yield to God the Revealer full submission of intellect and will by faith."

You see Chris, that God, through the above Catholic Dogma, states that we are not "blessed" unless believe the Catholic Dogma whole and entire.

Mike