Our family took special pleasure in Don’s occasional visits. Don Sampson, who lived around the corner, owned the construction company that had built our house the year before we moved in.
As an eight-year-old, I liked that he had built our house. I imagined that some of the love that this congenial man had put into making it would stay with the house and become ours, too. He looked proud and happy when he would glance at the life being lived under the roof and in those rooms he had built.
Inviting the builder in
Do we invest the time and attention needed to invite God, our Builder, into the chambers of our heart? And is he happy to see how we are living in this body and heart that he made just for us? Do we welcome him in with the reverence he deserves as the creator of our being?
Barring the door
Sometimes we don’t want to hear Jesus’ gentle knock. If he’s visiting us to heal a resentment of one who hurt us badly, it’s easy to tell him to come back later. We think we’re not ready yet to forgive, but we’re really just unwilling to invite him in to end the punishment we think we’re inflicting on the offender. But Jesus knows the resentment is wounding only our own hearts.
If we invite him in to weep with us, to let him console us and touch our wounds, if we’re ready to let his forgiveness take the place of our poverty, we’re on the path to wholeness of spirit. We’re on the path back to joy. Because only he can lead us there.
How to open the door
Attention is the way to fully listen, and listening attentively is the way to fully love. We cannot love God as we ought—we cannot pray as we ought—without giving him our attention to hear him speaking in our heart.
Because Jesus is a gentleman and won’t force himself on us, we need to set aside time for prayer and the Sacraments to focus on receiving the riches of healing and life he wants so much to give us.
Don Sampson never brought over a golden chandelier when he visited. But God, our builder, furnishes our souls with his richest gifts of forgiveness and patience if we just give him the time out of our day to do let him do it.
Love always,
Rose
P.S. Does your prayer life feel empty? If you’re not sure whether God’s even listening — or if you feel like your mind is in 49 places at once when you pray, grab a complimentary Spiritual Clarity Call with me. You’ll get crystal clear on where you are with God right now and what your next best step is to get closer to Him. Then we’ll look to see if and how I can help you receive the connection with God you’ve always wanted. Spaces are limited, so schedule a call today: https://calendly.com/vir2connection/chat-with-rose
Joyce Miles
Good Morning
I have to ponder this message.
Unpleasantness I have experience but I to let it go and ask God for peace and guidance.
Thanks for Sharing
Bless Sunday.
Marcia Dustin
Looking forward to your talk at St. Mary’s next Saturday! Thank you so much for all you do!
Elaine
Hello again Rose. Wonderful reflection. How often we admire things that we have put together
Hilda A. Soares
Thank you (((Rose)))
Hope the New Year is off to a wonderful start for you. ❤️
Rose Marie Galaviz
Thank Rose , it good to hear from you. I been busy getting my ready for Lend journey. I realize that I was trying to hard and yes I am always busy with too many projects. I need to let go trust total in Jesus. I need prayers.
Lourdes
Hi Rose, I always have my door open for God and I trust in Jesus. I believe we all have had some time in our lives where we have separated ourselves in some way from God’s teachings. But the beautiful thing is that his door is always open for us with his merciful heart. He forgives so that we can do the same. I’m making it a priority to pray and give thanks every day.
Mary Anderson
May God continue to bless you so tenderly Rose 🌹 ❤️
Lucy Edwards
Thank you Rose for all this wonderful prayers, I am seeing special doctors out of town for my vision. I pray so often for my eyesight as I do what is expected to continue my life.
God Bless you.
Tom Roberts
In short the best formula for defusing a resentment is to pray for that person to have all that I might want for myself: health, prosperity and happiness. Pray it for two weeks whether I want to or not. Seems to work.
Linda
The best thing to pray for your enemies is that they be converted and that Jesus will heal them and also heal the ones they have hurt including yourself. The very best thing you can pray for anyone is that they come to know our Lord Jesus and walk in His ways.