My college friend felt jealous that while she'd study for days and only get Bs and Cs, I, while being so seriously sick, would only be able to study for a fraction of that time, and still get As, even after not being well enough to attend most of the classes.
I called them “Jesus, I trust in You” tests. From the experience of being so limited in energy and strength from serious and chronic illness, I just had to surrender it all to God, show up, and trust that God would work a miracle, especially so I wouldn’t fail my courses.
It felt scary and discouraging to be a student who often didn't even have enough energy to study, or even sometimes be able to make it to class. I felt defeated, inadequate, incompetent, and utterly powerless.
But when I surrendered, prayed “Jesus, I trust in You,” and just showed up anyway, God showed up for me every time. And He showed up with abundance.
So many times I have wished that I had more to give and more to offer. I have felt that the little I had, my “five loaves and two fish,” couldn’t possibly be enough. But Catholicism is a “five loaves and two fish” kind of faith. We give God the little we have. He blesses it and brings abundance. Over and over and over again. And this is possible for us each day of our lives.
What are the “five loaves and two fish” of your life? Perhaps the limitation or weakness you are facing now is an opportunity for God to come with His power.
Today, can you show up, handing over what seems to you like hardly enough, and with a “Jesus, I trust in You” prayer in your heart, allow Him to transform what you have into abundance?
For me, because of serious illnesses, I almost didn’t graduate from college. But God showed up, and I not only graduated on time, but also with honors.
Sit with Him in prayer and bring your little offerings for His transformation today.
This priest shares about when we've got little offerings to give the Lord and how that's okay.
Mary Catherine Craige enjoys spending her time dancing, writing, playing the Irish harp and surfing the ocean waves of northeast Florida. As a transformational life coach, she supports brave women to create beauty out of challenging circumstances and to live a life of abundance, freedom and joy as the person God has created them to be. She is a contributing author to our children's devotional prayer book, Rise Up. You can find out more about her here.
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