I’ll Take the Driveway to God

              I knew I was going the wrong direction as soon as I veered left at the fork in the road and saw my GPS begin to recalculate. Not wanting to drive too far down the country road, I pulled into the first gravel driveway I came upon in hopes of making a quick turnaround. I immediately felt my car slump lopsided into a ditch and then heard my back tires spin as I attempted to put the car in reverse. Oops!

              I looked up to see a not-so-happy gentleman walking from his yard towards the car. Given my out-of-state license plate, I hoped he would soften a bit upon seeing my 90-year-old mother in the front seat and my daughter in the back. After I profusely apologized to him, the car was pushed out of the ditch and we were soon on our way to my nephew’s wedding. Fortunately, there was no damage to the tire, just to my ego.

              Fast forward 6 months later when during the course of a recent April week, a 20-year-old girl is killed when the car she was in pulled into the wrong driveway, a 16-year-old boy is shot because he went to the wrong house to pick up his siblings, a cheerleader is killed after mistakenly getting into the wrong car, and a 6-year-old girl and her parents were shot because their basketball rolled into a neighbor’s yard.

              I am saddened that these innocent mistakes could lead to such violent actions. I know that God encourages us to “…be not afraid…” (it’s written 365 times throughout the Bible!), but it’s hard not to become fearful when senseless crimes saturate the daily news. In an effort to ‘keep my faith’, I am trying to reflect on what God wants me to do in the midst of all this societal distress.

              I found some spiritual direction on this matter when I recently completed a nine-day novena to the Holy Spirit which ended on Pentecost Sunday. Each day of this Novena* highlighted a different fruit of the Holy Spirit (Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control, and Goodness). By reflecting on each virtue, I felt more aligned with what God desires of me as I face life’s challenges.

              The virtue of Charity reminds us to love others as God loves and accepts us. Many people are living in poverty, suffering from physical and mental conditions, have undergone abuse and trauma, or are experiencing a myriad of other realities.  Respect for life and being in service of others should be at the core of my thoughts and actions when I encounter those enduring such circumstances.

              The virtue of Joy shows the world that there is something different about someone who follows Christ. By exuding a deep, spiritual joy in times of trial, pain, and difficulty, we can live as a witness to God’s love and this can have a ripple effect on the people with whom we encounter in life.

              By living the virtue of Peace, we can confront the devil who tries to destroy that peace. Throughout his ministry, Jesus challenged injustice, but he also encouraged being a peacemaker. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matt 5:9).  I was delighted that Cardinal Sean’s Archdiocese response to the recent satanic conference held in Boston was to “storm the Heavens with prayer” instead of mounting a public protest. What a peaceful and faith-filled response!

              The virtue of Patience helps us endure the circumstances of our life without getting angry or upset. Patience helps us to grow stronger in our faith during trials so that we aren’t unmerciful when dealing with others.

              When we live our lives by the virtue of Kindness, we are reminded how Jesus approached everyone, including sinners, with immense kindness and that we should do likewise. When we challenge the unjust actions of an enemy with our love and kindness, we can impact how they regard their life, other people, and God.

              Faithfulness reminds us that God is faithful until the end. When trying to make sense of the pain and loss we and others endure, we need only look at the cross and remember our Savior gave up everything so that we might have eternal life. Although we are tested when faced with violence in our world, we must pray regularly for the grace to be faithful to God. 

              Despite our sins, God treats us with Gentleness. We should treat others with the same virtue of gentleness that God shows to us. A kinder, gentler world is a good thing.

              The virtue of Self-Control helps us have command over our emotions and desires so that we may serve God more fully and treat others more compassionately. Challenging injustice in a kind way is not inconsistent with loving those who are responsible for that injustice.

              Goodness. We ask God to renew us with His goodness so that we may bring the Good News to the world. We should lead our lives in a way that helps people see God’s beauty in everything and we should recognize the image of God in each and every person. Jesus stated “...do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28).

              Ultimately, our faith in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, is the path to peace in our hearts, homes, and communities. We have God’s help in living these virtues because they are fruits of the Holy Spirit living in us. Love is the foundation for every command God has given us, and love and hope are always stronger than hate. When the circumstances of life take us off our course, it’s important to remember that the driveway to God is always the right direction to take.
* Praymorenovenas.com