Moving Beyond Feelings

Weather really affects me.  I've always known this about myself, but for some reason that knowledge doesn't seem to make me feel any better when it's dreary outside for more than, say, a day at a time.  I start thinking silly things like, is it ever going to be nice outside again?  Ha.  Let's think about that for a minute...of course it will!  Hasn't time and history in general, shown me anything? Again, it's something I know, but I don't feel.

It seems like that is the case with so many things I know.  I know God is in control.  I know His timing is perfect and I know His love for me is beyond any human comprehension.  But those feelings?  Let's face it.  Sometimes those truths are really hard to feel. 

I even know what God wants from me.  He wants me to love Him and trust Him.  I know He doesn't want a half hearted trust, that He's asking for an unshakable, childlike trust.  And it's through that complete trust that we show our love.  St. Therese talks a lot about this.  Man, she has to be the master at a simple, childlike trust in our Lord.  The interesting thing is, oftentimes, she didn't feel His presence or feel her own confidence in His love for her, but she asserted it nonetheless. 

Thank goodness we don't need to feel something in order to do it.  Our will is in charge and we can choose to act a certain way even when it's the last thing we may feel we're capable of doing. There is real substance and merit when we follow our will towards the good that we know, especially when the feelings aren't there.

If we're feeling like we don't know how well we're trusting in God, that is the moment to assert our wills in a complete trust.  Blindly trust the Lord.  Make it known to Him that you have no feelings of trust, but that you're putting all your trust in Him anyway.  This simple act of humble love will prompt Jesus to treat us like the little child that we are.  And being His little child is great.  Our loving Father wants to give His little children everything their little hearts desire.  How could He refuse anything to one who trusts Him in this way?