I have been busy settling in for my new assignment at Our Lady of Lourdes in Decatur. Last week, the rector of Kenrick Seminary, which I attended, paid me a visit since he had been unable to attend my ordination.
We celebrated Mass together and went out for coffee to talk. As we were conversing at the coffee shop, it started to pour down rain. Wisely, the rector brought an umbrella. So when we headed to our cars after our visit, he offered an opportunity for me to walk under his umbrella. Maybe it was my youth, my stupidity, or simply the fact that I am a typical man, but I refused and told him that I would be fine. But he strongly insisted so I complied with his offer to share under his umbrella. Afterwards, I began to realize how analogous this situation is with our faith life.
An umbrella is like our faith and trust in God. The rain is the hardships, stresses, and burdens of everyday life.
In my life, I have known many Christians who trust God and put their lives and situations in his hands. Sadly, a common misconception about this faith and trust in God is that somehow God will protect us from harm or hardship. This is simply not true.
Faith and trust in God do not eliminate our problems in life. Rather, our faith gives us the ability to not only withstand troubles but thrive through them. If faith and trust in God is the umbrella, then having the umbrella does not make the rain cease from falling. But an umbrella helps us go through the rain without feeling its effects.
Many of us have an umbrella. We go to church, we pray, we volunteer at our parishes, and we may even do things to learn more about our faith. But this only means that we have an umbrella. All too often, like when I was with the rector, we just refuse to use it - we decline to open it up. Some of us would rather get wet and try to tough it out than to somehow look weak and share an umbrella.
Seriously, how stupid is that! Just use the umbrella!
The same is true with our faith in God. Just because we have faith does not mean that we will always be dry. We must use it; we must open it up and let God surround us and protect us. During times of hardship and stress, we need to say, "God, I am going to let you worry about this, I am just going to worry about honoring you and following you. Jesus, I trust in you."
Do you feel like you are being rained upon in your life? Do you feel like your life is being drenched by stress and hardship? Well, you do not have to tough it out and you do not have to go through it alone. Jesus is always with you through it all.
All you need to do is open your umbrella and let him protect you. Let him have your problems; trust in Jesus and he will see you through the storm.