A Day in the Life: More than These

"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"

At the end of the day, it all comes down to this question, doesn't it? "Do you love Me more than these? These people, these places, these things? More than your earthly desires? More than your personal aspirations? More than your plans? More than your career? More than your family? More than your time and talents? More than your very life?" Jesus isn't only asking Peter, He's asking us as well. It's a great examination of conscience to take a moment and ask yourself if there is anything in your life that would prevent you from answering, "Lord, You know that I love You." It's helped me to put my life into perspective on many occasions.

When you think about it, the Lord is really telling us, "Trust Me to take care of all these other concerns in your life. You, feed My lambs. You, tend my sheep. Let Me be the one who manages your worries, your concerns, your fears, your weakness. Let Me tend to you. You, go into the world and seek the lost, heal the broken, forgive the repentant, love the lonely, show mercy to your enemies." How can we do anything other than trust a God Whose faithfulness and love for us impelled Him to die to save the very people who killed Him? 

In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, we've been granted an amazing opportunity to re-orient ourselves toward the Lord by placing our trust in Him and His providential care for us. We can never run so far from our Heavenly Father that He cannot find us and carry us home, if we just lift our arms like a child and ask Him for the grace to rise again. There is no situation in which we might find ourselves, no matter how painful or difficult it may be, that He is not there with us. Even if it doesn't feel that way at the time, He is always with us. "For to those who love God, all things work together unto good."