Blog # 29 Our Father

Blog # 27 Our Father With the image of God as Father before us, how much easier it is to trust God, to feel at home before Him as we try to do our best, to lie down at the end of a day thankful rather than anxious. And how much easier it is to accept confidently God's forgiveness for our faults, and to realize how in all we do our emphasis is not so much to be upon our works as upon our relationship to God, our growth in love for Him, and our joy in knowing Him as our Father. Then motivated in all things by this relationship, our quest is faithfully to carry out His will in our everyday experience of life. Years ago as I was standing in my garden out in Crossett,Arkansas I noticed, as is the case with most gardens, some insects were eatilng the plants. The insects were obviously enemies of the plants. They were as real as I was in the garden. I thought it is not worth it to have a garden. The insects come and destroy your garden. It might be better to do something else and buy your vegetables in the store. Then it occurred to me to wonder if we could not appreciate God's mercy and love more perfectly if we applied this thought to God's relationship with us when we sin. Sin is our enemy and tends to destroy us the same as insects are the enemy of a garden and tend to destoy it. In taking measures to destroy the insects in my garden I saw myself somwhat like God in His attitude toward our sins. He wants to rid us of them because He loves us. He comes to our aid in overcoming our sins much the same as I came to the aid of the vegetables in ridding them of insects. I always went after the insects rather than the plants. And God never says I will abandon my garden to the insects, the garden is not worth my efort to rid it of its enemies. Rather God send His son, the Lord Jesus, to win for us through His love and suffering the power to overcome our sins, to conquer the enemies of our soul, and to live in holiness and peace. I was happy as I walked in from my garden, having learned from it to understand and appreciate more perfectly the meaning and beauty of the revelation of Jesus that God is our Father and the joy it was to know that through faith and Baptism we are actually priviledged to share personally and officially the love of Jesus for our Father. Father, help us to see Your love in all that happens in our lives, to trust You as our Father, and to come to You lovingly thankful and unfraid,through Jesus Your Son whom You sent to be our Brother and to teach us of Your goodnes and your love. Amen!