The fullness of Presence

God clothes even the fields with wild flowers

It was just the ending of the Sunday sermon and it probably sounded good to most. But I found it troubling and fought with the words in my own heart and mind. The sermon ended with the words: it's not about us at all. It's all about God. It doesn't matter what you wear, or what kind of job you have. We must put all that aside. Because ultimately it is suppose to be all about God.

I know his point was, God should be first and the most important person of our life. The problem I had was, he was inferring that therefore, we don't matter. Only God does. And I find such thinking divides my life into either living for God or living for me, as if it has to be one way or the other. In reality, it should be both, together, in harmony and unity.

We read in the Gospel that even the hairs on your head are numbered...and no sparrow falls from the sky without God knowing it (Mt  10:30, 29). God would have us believe that not only do we matter; there is nothing about ourselves, our lives, or our work that is too small to be important to God.

I suppose my biggest problem with the words of Sunday's sermon is the dichotomy it promotes, making the choice of a life for God a choice against myself. I'm not speaking here of the restraint we need against our selfish and destructive habits and obsessions. I am speaking of the choices that make up our normal, daily lives. These are not unimportant to God. And life isn't about treating these choices as inconsequential in favor of some vague, esoteric God choice. Because it doesn't come down to either God or me, but should rather be God IN me.

Had I been preaching, I would have said: And so, remember that every little thing you do, be it the clothes you put on or the car you drive, can and should be done with the presence of God in mind. For he cares for you, so much so that nothing, no daily ritual, habit, or chore is unimportant to him. For you have a Divine Being who cares so much that even the smallest thing you do is noticed.

Make your choice one of awareness of God by bringing God into all of these daily things. And instead of dividing your life, you will enrich it with the fullness of presence.