I don’t know why, but I seem to have a short memory for all the things that have gone right after a time of worry and fret over health, work, finances or whatever concern was on my mind. I can even say that there have been at least two times that something extra-ordinary or miraculous has happened that, at the time, assured me of God’s presence and personal care. Yet, the past couple of weeks I have been anxious over circumstances in life.

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration. The three apostles, Peter, James, and John get a glimpse of Jesus’ divinity, they see the prophets Moses and Elijah, they hear the voice of God. Just before ascending to Mount Tabor, they learned Jesus was going to suffer and die, they were warned that the road ahead will be difficult, so you would think this glorious experience would sustain them, right? No, in a short time, they run and hide from the cross, their memories are short and they succumb to fear.

I can reflect back on the time that I had my little business here in town and even though it was the most wonderful experience of my life, it wasn’t as successful as I had hoped and I decided to “go back” to work. It was a time before internet and social media, I love imagining how I might have used those platforms to advertise! I had moved back “home” to Illinois after working for General Motors in the Detroit area. I remember telling the loan officer at the bank, when asked “what will you do if your business isn’t successful?” I replied, “I will go back to work and pay off my loan”. So I did! I worked part-time at JC Penney’s and within a short time was offered a manager position. I wasn’t sure it was the right role for me but I needed the job. While I was trying to decide, a manager role at Boise Cascade opened, for a new venture, I applied and got the position. Twenty-three years later I retired after working in many different roles and serving customers in many ways. One of those was a position in e-commerce that I visioned, recommended for my business unit and ultimately filled, it was my favorite of all.

Before I moved to Michigan I worked for a small software company in the Chicago suburbs and, because I had an account in Warren, I heard that EDS was hiring people for the GM account. I applied and got a position along with 14,000 other people, all of us looking for housing at the same time. I was put up in a hotel in the Detroit area, not the most favorable part, and spent time after work each day looking for an apartment. I felt as though I would never find a suitable living space, EDS would figure out I wasn’t one of the “eagles” they expected us all to be, as loyal workers for Ross Perot, and they would send me back to Illinois. I found a cute apartment in a community I loved and close to a parish that was an important part of my life during those five years.

I am sure that you, like me, can reflect back on circumstances in life that worked out differently than you might have imagined or hoped for. In most cases, the result was better than I could have envisioned. Even if it wasn’t better, it was a threshold space, an answer until the next step was revealed. Yet, this week, I have forgotten, and like the apostles, have run from the cross and hid in the arms of inquietude and melancholy.

Luke chapter 12, verses 22-34, reminds us that all of our needs will be attended to, that we don’t have to worry. Like the birds of the air or the lilies of the field, we need not be concerned about life. I don’t believe that it means that we are careless and don’t discern the best options for our lives. But, worrying doesn’t change the outcome, lessen the time it takes to resolve the situation and, in most cases, probably limits our ability to see solutions that might be right in front of us. So, this week, I invite us to get a glimpse of the love and personal care God has for us and, like Peter, James and John, respond with an open heart to the voice that says “listen to him”.

Create joy, Deena