Who am I without God's graces and blessings?
About a month ago I read something in a book that I have been using as a basis of some of my daily meditation and prayer time: ( - Let us be What We Are by Clarence J. Enzler, p100)
“We are too preoccupied with doing, rather than with being. ‘We flatter ourselves that we are doing what God desires of us,’ writes Father Leen in In the Likeness of Christ. ‘If only we fling ourselves with earnestness and zeal into the accomplishment of the duties that the state of life we have embraced imposes on us.’ But then we become so caught up in the work that we make our goal the perfection of the work rather than the perfection of ourselves. What may have truly begun as a work for God ends as something done out of ambition, vainglory, or the desire for praise. We begin by seeking God in our work. We end by seeking ourselves.”
This gave great food for thought and meditation, especially in our current career subculture. Having clear goals and the fortitude to discipline ourselves and delay gratification in their pursuit are great virtues. (In some segments of our culture they need additional cultivation and growth.) But often, these goals focus too much on what we want to do, have or accomplish, as opposed to whom we are called to be.
Just maybe I need to be daily scrutinizing everything about myself to determine and strive to be the best “Me” that I was created to be. In fact, as saturated in our current culture as I am, I find that if I do not apply constant attention and awareness to this, I quite readily switch back to “Do, have or accomplish.”
I truly believe that each of us is created, crafted.. for a mission that no one else can do as well as can, in our current state of life and circumstances. And this can only be well accomplished by cooperating with our Lord to become the person whom we are beaconed to be by the better angels of our mercy.
It is well and good to do what we believe we should do. But the only way I have a clue as to whether what I think that is is anywhere near correct, is to first focus on being and becoming the best Alan that I created to be.
I remember a story told by DR. James Dobson, where he described workaholisim, to be likened to a person who does all they can, working, fighting and striving to climb the ladder of success, hand-over-hand with all their might; only to find as they approach the top that it is leaning against the wrong wall.
It is in the daily striving to be our best selves that we can mitigate some of the risk of making a similar error.
After meditating a bit and old song written by “Paul” of Peter, Paul and Mary kept running through my mind. I don’t think it was a coincidence:
The Means Are The End
Band & Bodyworks
Noel Stookey and Starplex
©1979 Public Domain Foundation, Inc.
The shortest distance between two points
Is a straight line
I used to play the angles, and wasted so much time
But, you shall know the truth
And the truth shall set you free
And now the shortest distance between two points
Is a way of life for me
Chorus:
The means are the end is
The means are the end
And the common denominator is Love
I'll sing it again
(and he does)
Form follows function
As every architect knows
What you are is what you do
And it's what you do that shows
Somebody walked on the water
Somebody walked in the air
Somebody goes to meet the Maker
Somebody's already there, because
(chorus)
You can separate the people by hunger
Separate the people by war
Try to heal the people by money
Only seems to separate more
(chorus)
“We are too preoccupied with doing, rather than with being. ‘We flatter ourselves that we are doing what God desires of us,’ writes Father Leen in In the Likeness of Christ. ‘If only we fling ourselves with earnestness and zeal into the accomplishment of the duties that the state of life we have embraced imposes on us.’ But then we become so caught up in the work that we make our goal the perfection of the work rather than the perfection of ourselves. What may have truly begun as a work for God ends as something done out of ambition, vainglory, or the desire for praise. We begin by seeking God in our work. We end by seeking ourselves.”
This gave great food for thought and meditation, especially in our current career subculture. Having clear goals and the fortitude to discipline ourselves and delay gratification in their pursuit are great virtues. (In some segments of our culture they need additional cultivation and growth.) But often, these goals focus too much on what we want to do, have or accomplish, as opposed to whom we are called to be.
Just maybe I need to be daily scrutinizing everything about myself to determine and strive to be the best “Me” that I was created to be. In fact, as saturated in our current culture as I am, I find that if I do not apply constant attention and awareness to this, I quite readily switch back to “Do, have or accomplish.”
I truly believe that each of us is created, crafted.. for a mission that no one else can do as well as can, in our current state of life and circumstances. And this can only be well accomplished by cooperating with our Lord to become the person whom we are beaconed to be by the better angels of our mercy.
It is well and good to do what we believe we should do. But the only way I have a clue as to whether what I think that is is anywhere near correct, is to first focus on being and becoming the best Alan that I created to be.
I remember a story told by DR. James Dobson, where he described workaholisim, to be likened to a person who does all they can, working, fighting and striving to climb the ladder of success, hand-over-hand with all their might; only to find as they approach the top that it is leaning against the wrong wall.
It is in the daily striving to be our best selves that we can mitigate some of the risk of making a similar error.
After meditating a bit and old song written by “Paul” of Peter, Paul and Mary kept running through my mind. I don’t think it was a coincidence:
The Means Are The End
Band & Bodyworks
Noel Stookey and Starplex
©1979 Public Domain Foundation, Inc.
The shortest distance between two points
Is a straight line
I used to play the angles, and wasted so much time
But, you shall know the truth
And the truth shall set you free
And now the shortest distance between two points
Is a way of life for me
Chorus:
The means are the end is
The means are the end
And the common denominator is Love
I'll sing it again
(and he does)
Form follows function
As every architect knows
What you are is what you do
And it's what you do that shows
Somebody walked on the water
Somebody walked in the air
Somebody goes to meet the Maker
Somebody's already there, because
(chorus)
You can separate the people by hunger
Separate the people by war
Try to heal the people by money
Only seems to separate more
(chorus)