Cycle A
Good News A32
Fourteenth Sunday in
Ordinary Time
Matthew
11:25-30 New American Bible
“Come
to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”
In the morning when the sun
comes up, you hear a voice saying, “It’s time to get up.” You sit up on the edge of your bed and say,
“What a glorious day! This is the day
the Lord has made!” Then you curl up
under the covers hoping that your parents will let you snooze longer.
If this is you, and you
don’t want to get up in the morning, you need a little one-on-one time with
God. It’s possible that things that are
happening in your life and the world that is causing you to be unhappy. This restlessness is choking the word of God
within you. You need more time to talk
with God and understand what his plans are for you.
Find yourself a comfortable
spot in your favorite corner, on the front porch swing, or on the bench in your
backyard. Decide to go there once or
twice a day to talk with God about your problems. Take a small box and decorate it. Label it, “Worries for God.” Write a word or draw a picture on a piece of
paper for each problem. Then place it in
the box.
Tell God your troubles. “I worry because my Grandma because she can’t
see well enough to cook my favorite cookies. I worry if I will make the soccer
team. I worry that I won’t be able to
pass Summer School. I worry about Americans who forget the many blessings of
freedom God has given them. I worry that my Uncle Ned might be killed while he
is in the army fighting terrorism.”
When you are tired and worried, Jesus will
lighten your burden. If your shoulders
are sore from carrying troubles, ask Jesus to carry some of the load for
you. If your legs are
tired from running to get this and that for your brother who is sick, ask Jesus
to give you energy. If your arms
are tired from helping to wash your family car, ask Jesus to help. If you are tired of picking up all the toys
you left all over the house, ask Jesus to give you strong arms and help you
remember to put things back where they belong.
Give God your problems. Have faith that He will create what is best
for you. When you do this, you will feel good energy coming back into your
body. God will erase all fears from your
mind. Happy thoughts will replace the
worries. God will fill you with faith, hope, and love. Then you can close your “Worry” box and put
it away. When new worries come up and
you are sad, sit with God again and give your new worries to God.
Counting or naming your
blessings is a good way to cheer yourself up.
It delights God to hear you thanking him for the many good things he has
given you. You can also make and decorate a “God’s Blessings” box. Then write or draw a picture of one of the
good things God has done for you and put it in the box.
In the “Our Father” you say,
“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread.” This means you are asking God to give you everything
you need each day of your life. This
includes everything you need to be at peace with yourself and others. It means
He will help carry your troubles for you so you can rest. All you have to do is
ask.
Having
one-on-one time with God will keep you going happily along the path to His
heavenly kingdom. Try it. You’ll like it.
Say the “Our Father” and
tell him thank you for carrying your load for you when it was too heavy for you
to carry. Tell God that you are so glad
that he helped you understand his word so that the weeds will not choke
you. You want your seed to grow to bloom
as God wants you to bloom.
“Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed
be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy
will be done,
On
earth as it is in heaven.
Give
us this day, our daily bread.
And
forgive us our trespasses,
As
we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”
Copyright ©2002, 2004 Joan Y. Edwards