Trust and Obedience

06-06-2020Weekly ReflectionJen Arnold, M.A. in Theology and Catechetics

This has been an incredibly tumultuous and challenging several months for the world, but also for our parish and our individual families and communities. With the rise in Covid-19 cases, we found ourselves in unprecedented circumstances where we could not lead our lives in a way we normally would or freely visit the places we normally did. Along with that came the closure of our churches. This was a devastating blow for most of us. Catholics do not attend church on Sunday just to hear the Word of God in Scripture followed by a sermon. Catholics attend Mass on Sunday to receive Jesus in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. The Eucharist is our sustenance and the very means by which we allow Jesus to enter into us and change us from the inside out by His grace. To lose our physical access to Jesus so abruptly let our community in a longing pain.

Then, just as we began to return to Mass again and slowly inch our way back into our normal lives, we learned that our beloved pastor was being reassigned to another parish, effective almost immediately. Again, this was shocking for our faithful community as we had grown to love Fr. Chad and all he had done for us. So many of us were deeply affected by the attention he gave to our ministries as well as the ongoing access to wonderful programs that formed us as Catholic disciples and fostered in us a deeper love for our Lord, Jesus Christ. Fr. Chad was a good shepherd for our little flock and we are understandably suffering from the loss of him. What’s more, we are asked to continue on in uncertainty as, at the time of this writing, we still do not know who our new pastor will be.

Of course, these are the things that have affected our parish community, but most certainly, you or your family have faced your own challenges over these past several months. Perhaps with the national shutdown came added burdens to your struggles at home. People have suffered from emotional and mental distress, added financial burdens or loss of jobs, and separation from people they love. I write these bulletin articles a few weeks in advance, so I have no idea what our circumstances will be by the time this one is published, but I do know what we are called to do, regardless of what happens: Trust and Obey.

Facing challenges in life is inevitable. Some of us face more than others and some of us face larger ones than others, but we cannot escape life without difficulty and suffering. For those who do not have a relationship with God, these challenges can be overwhelming, but for people of faith – people who know the goodness of their Father – these challenges can be used as opportunities to practice obedience to His will, trusting that it will bring about what is best for them.

In Scripture, it’s not hard to recall many of the times God has asked people to do things through seemingly insurmountable trials, only to have everything work out perfectly, as intended. God asked Noah to build an ark in the middle of a desert, which would have looked insane to anyone around him. Noah  trusted the Lord and did as he was told. As a result, his family was saved from the floods. God asked Moses to lead the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt. I would imagine Moses thought success would be impossible on his own, but knowing that God would be with him, he trusted and obeyed. Of course, Moses’ challenges got much worse before they got better as the Hebrews complained due to their lack of trust in God, but he persevered and they eventually got to the Holy Land. Abraham trusted God so much that he was willing to sacrifice his son for Him. I have heard it argued by biblical scholars that Isaac likely knew that he would be the sacrifice by the time they arrived at the destination and willingly got upon the altar because he was certainly young and strong enough to overpower his elderly father if he didn’t want to be sacrificed. If that is the case, then Isaac would be another example of perfect trust in the will of God. Not only was Isaac spared, but Abraham was promised descendants as numerous as the stars. Job was a man of great wealth and status who had great faith in God. God allowed Satan to take everything from him in order to test his faith. Like any human would, Job struggled a bit with all of the suffering that was sent his way and even experienced doubt, but God reminded him of who He was and Job repented saying, “I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). As a result, God restored everything to Job, not as it was before, but twofold. Obedience and trust in God can bring about more blessings and fruit then you could ever imagine.

None of the above scriptural examples were smooth sailing simply because there was trust and obedience. However, they demonstrate great measures of perseverance from individuals who continued to trust and obey. Likewise, just because we have faith in the goodness of our Father, it does not mean we will be free from further challenges. We are expected to maintain the faith while we navigate through them. God works through and with whatever circumstances surround  whether good or bad. For example, the absence of the Eucharist devastated us, but it also enabled us to long for it and treasure it more than ever, knowing that it can never be taken for granted. Additionally, perhaps you were able to discover some blessing in the midst of the state being locked down. I have spoken with people who have appreciated the extra time with their families, the slow-down of extracurricular activities, and the opportunity to catch up on projects around the house. Perhaps our new pastor will have specific gits that our parish needs in this moment that we don’t even realize yet. God’s plan is always better than our plan if we just allow Him to implement it with our trust and obedience. Reflect on your own life and its current challenges. Talk to God and ask Him what He wants of you in this moment. How can your current challenges encourage growth in specific virtues in obedience to God’s will for you? Let go of any anxiety or resistance and trust Him. Very often, when we do, the results are better than we could have imagined.