Wait for God to Lead 

   If I listen for God’s word, if I wait for Him to lead, and then follow, I will be on the right path.  If I follow my desires, well-intentioned though they may be, I may be going away from the path God wishes me to follow.

   At one point I had determined that I was called to be a Deacon in the Catholic Church.  I was convinced that this was the path I should follow to serve our Lord.  But it was the way I had chosen, not the way He would lead me on.  After three failed attempts to enter the Deaconate, it finally dawned on me that it was my path I was seeking, not His.  My intention was good, but I forgot who is in charge; I thought I was.  God very clearly told me otherwise.

   I’ve known many people who are “on fire” for the Lord.  They want to do great things for God, and their enthusiasm is a wonderful thing.  But many of them want to do it on their own terms.  They want to serve as they desire, perhaps never considering that God has other plans.  Then, when their chosen path is blocked, many simply quit trying rather than turning to God and offering everything to Him.  They want to lead, rather than follow.

   There is so much that can be done for our Lord, and I believe He has a plan for each of us.  It is up to us to renounce our own preferences and desires and turn to Him and wait for Him to lead.  If we are willing, and if we allow, He will lead us to greater things than we could ever find by following our own path.

   If we truly want to serve the Lord, we need to forget our own desires and go to Him and pray, “Make known to me your ways, Lord; teach me your paths. (Psalm 25: 4) 

Lord, sometimes we think we know best.

But Your ways are far beyond ours.

May we put our desires aside.

And seek to serve as You desire. 

Amen