"Little Deaths" and the power of The Cross

This cross sits over the fireplace in our home. A gift brought from Spain by a friend of my husbands. It is here I glance to in the daily ins and outs of life- a constant reminder to me of what this life really is all about-The Cross.

As I meditate on The Cross, I see love and sacrifice mingled together, flowing down onto me, onto all of humanity. The greatest act of love-the greatest act of sacrifice and the mysterious interconnectedness of both. The cross is anything but a comfortable image. It is gruesome, it is unsettling. In a life where we like our comforts we cannot view the cross without our souls being ruffled. This act of death brought us eternal life. Jesus conquered death by dying-A mystifying paradox which defies all worldly logic.

How can this powerful and beautiful cross allow me to taste the eternal life that Jesus has given to us through his death and resurrection? How can I truly make Jesus's sacrifice on the cross for us a very real part of me? There are so many "little deaths" in my life which prevent me from experiencing the eternal life God so willingly wants to give me. These come in so many shapes and forms-Sometimes its a bad attitude to others, judgements or an unwillingness to forgive.  Sometimes its failing to serve a friend or family member with a need because I think I have too many problems of my own. Sometimes its watching too much TV or spending more time on facebook when I'm neglecting my prayer life or not listening attentively to my husband when he needs my attention. The list goes on and on. Sometimes its failing to accept Gods plan for me or just refusing to be inconvenienced. All of these "little deaths' place a barrier between me and God-When my focus is on myself and my persuit of my happiness I will be miserable and tied in the chains of these "little deaths" I describe.

Just as Jesus conquered death by giving up his life and dying for us, I too can overcome alot of these "little deaths" by dying to this often very insistent ME. By dying to my will, and the numerous parts of me that I am stubborn to part with, God can free me from the chains of death and in doing so can draw my heart to new place of life. By "loosing my life for the sake of Christ"- a concept we hear so frequently in the gospels I can be filled with a steadfast joy-A Christ filled joy which brings a liberating peace that transcends any of that which the world can offer us. 

The next few days bring us right through Eastertide. As I focus on The Cross, I will reflect on Our Lords sacrifice to His holy church. May the death and resurrection of Christ stir a growth of new life in me-and in you! Happy Easter Friends!

This blog post is part of a link up with Blessed Is She weekly link up. If you are looking for a great community of Catholic women, daily devotions and useful resources for growing in faith check out www.blessedisshe.net.

Obedience

This is my first time participating in the Blessed Is She Blog Link Up, and as my first blog post-being new to blogging this seems like a great way to start. As I read through many of the posts last week on the theme of Trust I found myself examining where I need to trust God more in my life and I found the fruit of trusting God is obedience. This week in the church we celebrated The Feast of the Annunciation and this is the most important and perfect example of obedience that I can ponder upon. In this crucial moment to the whole history of salvation, Mary chose obedience, without understanding why, and without knowing Gods complete purpose .."Let it be according to thy word". What I find to be so powerful about this moment is Mary chose to say Yes. The angel messenger was not simply informing her of her destiny, It was Mary's free will in this moment to say Yes to Gods Plan for her life which allowed the Lords Plan for Salvation to unfold.

Last August, one of my greatest dreams came through when I married my wonderful husband. This was a day I was thankful for, it was an answer to years of prayer, and often impatient waiting as I strived to trust God. It was a witness to Gods perfect faithfulness in my life. I however had a plan all set up in my mind as to how our first year of marriage would look like, I had many plans and goals to achieve as we set out on our newly married life. I had many desires, musts, shoulds-In fact I had a schedule in mind too as to when everything should happen exactly. Our newly married life is rich in love, joy and blessings in ways beyond what I would ever have imagined, but the last few months have brought many trials, uncertainties and anxieties and life hasn't worked out quite according to MY plan-everything from finances, to buying a home, to finding suitable and stable employment in the midst of a move to a new town have all worked out differently than MY plan. Right now life cannot be exactly according to "MY plan", but for whatever reason God has me exactly where I am for a particular purpose at this time. With many in vain attempts to try and arrange life according to my plans, I am so hopelessly not in control. This life is so much bigger than my weak attempts to control it all. Until such time as God shows me the paths Im waiting for or directs my steps I choose to trust in his sovereignty..God is strong where I am weak, where I am faithless, He is faithful.Inspired by Mary's "Yes" I will strive to choose obedience-To enter fully into my current circumstances and embrace the very life he has given me now in its fullest. Perhaps with humble obedience, even when I don't completely understand-I can allow Gods plan to unfold in my life in His way and in His timing. Let it be according to thy word.

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