The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
What would you ask for if God was standing before you and offered to give you anything your heart desired? It is not an ordinary question, but it is one that is worth pondering.
If God asked me this question during the time in my life when my children were young, like Solomon I could honestly say I would have asked for God’s wisdom to be able to raise them to become the people God created them to be. I wanted the Holy Spirit to move my heart in such a way that God would help me make good decisions, especially when it came time to teach or correct my kids. I was fearful of making mistakes that could have permanent consequences, as if there was only one way that could be considered God’s way and all other decisions were either subpar or completely wrong.
As my children grew up and I matured in my spiritual life, I was relieved to realize that even when we make bad decisions, God can still use our decisions, however flawed, for a greater good. I’ve heard it said that God can make straight lines with crooked pieces. So as long as I keep Him in the center of my life and do my very best to live according to His commands and, as the psalmist writes, love those commands, I can confidently echo St. Paul’s words that “...all things work for good for those who love God.”
Even in today’s Gospel, Jesus gave very different parables to the disciples so He could reach everyone where they were to be able to make their way to heaven. All of the different parables lead to the same conclusion: heaven is where we are destined to be. God encourages us to use the gifts He freely gave each one of us to make our own paths to heaven. He always helps us along the way, using gentle nudges to keep us along the path to salvation.
God continues to ask each one of us every day what we want from Him. In my new phase of life as an “empty nester”, I think my answer is slowly, very slowly, beginning to change. Instead of wisdom or knowledge, I am leaning towards St. Thomas Aquinas’ response when God asked him what he wanted. St. Thomas responded, “Nothing but You, Lord.”
Carol McHale is embarking on an empty nesting journey with her husband of 30 years. Together they hope to focus on their marriage and growing closer to Our Lord.
