Is your God too small....

Last Sunday I attended Mass at another parish and there was a visiting priest who's homily was very moving and still has me thinking 3 days later.  He started with a story of a women that he met at a bible study in the new parish he had been assigned to.  He learned that she had lost her husband some time ago, then more recently lost her son.  Not too long ago she had been diagnosed with cancer and just recently had lost her job.  He questioned her on how she could remain so happy, peaceful and strong and still be such a servant to others.  He couldn't imagine having the strength to get out of bed and facing the world after all she has gone through. 

Her response was suprising. "Your God is too small."

What the priest went on to talk about was how we try to limit God.  You see, a small God doesn't expect much.  A small God allows us to feel sorry for ourselves.  A small God let's us take the easy pasth.  We can comfortably go on about our lifes with out much challenge to our comfort.  We can keep our small God in a box and pull Him out on Sunday as we go to church and feel righteous that we have done our Christian duty.  We then come home and put that box away until next week and then go about trying not to cause a ripple in the stream of life.

The problem is that our God is not a small God, He is a BIG God.  And a Big God makes BIG demands.  He expects radical transformations in our hearts and in our lives.  He is large enough to freely give us the grace that we need to make those transformations, a grace that heals us, makes us stronger and allows us to serve him here on earth in the way that He expects. 

A small God would not have been able to be crucified and give us salvation.  A small God can not heal our wounded hearts.  A small God can not carry us through our trials and comfort the pain that this world can give us.  A small God can not to battle with the evil that this world holds. 

Our challenge this Lent is to allow God to get bigger.  To take a bigger place in our hearts and in our lives.  To radically sacrifice and step out  of our comfort zones.  To turn over our lives to God and to allow Him to do with us His will. 

Are you up for the challenge?

How big is your God?






Here is another resource that has a great article on fasting, and raises a very good question.
http://applecidermama.blogspot.com/2011/02/great-fast.html