God
Lazio
Faith
Finally something good in Lazio's season-- on to the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia! I was happy that Noslin scored, I like him a lot as a player, and he seems like a really good person.
I told my spiritual director yesterday how a lot of Lazio players understand the very thing it took me forty-four years to figure out: that all we do is only possible because God grants us the grace to do so. I also articulated to him my metaphor: "Can you pour more orange juice into a full glass or an empty glass?" Right on cue then, in today's news, I saw this article, where Noslin himself quoted 2 Corinthians, 12:9:
It's not just Noslin understanding that he only can play football, and only scored in the match, because of God's grace-- but the passage he picked is my orange juice metaphor, or what I call "potential grace", a play on the concept of "potential energy." Such funny timing!
When I came to these realizations that night a few weeks ago, God instructed me to write all I've learned into a prayer. During the meeting yesterday, my spiritual director said "I would encourage you to write what you told me in prayer form." Before, I would have found this "coincidence" to be astonishing-- but the infinite power of the Holy Spirit does not surprise me anymore.
O Lord, how you so lovingly and graciously direct us all-- somethings overtly, other times subtly through others or through our environment, and yet other times through little "coincidences", which are such blessings. You are incredible indeed!
Back to the prayer: God told me He would help me write it. I'm incredibly busy over the next several days: lector on Sunday, Pastoral Council on Tuesday night, leading Stations plus participating in the liturgy on Ash Wednesday night, not to mention myriad other things. But Saturday I'm carving out as a day to start on the prayer, God willing, plus catch up on other correspondence and obligations in which I've fallen behind.
I told my spiritual director yesterday how a lot of Lazio players understand the very thing it took me forty-four years to figure out: that all we do is only possible because God grants us the grace to do so. I also articulated to him my metaphor: "Can you pour more orange juice into a full glass or an empty glass?" Right on cue then, in today's news, I saw this article, where Noslin himself quoted 2 Corinthians, 12:9:
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
It's not just Noslin understanding that he only can play football, and only scored in the match, because of God's grace-- but the passage he picked is my orange juice metaphor, or what I call "potential grace", a play on the concept of "potential energy." Such funny timing!
When I came to these realizations that night a few weeks ago, God instructed me to write all I've learned into a prayer. During the meeting yesterday, my spiritual director said "I would encourage you to write what you told me in prayer form." Before, I would have found this "coincidence" to be astonishing-- but the infinite power of the Holy Spirit does not surprise me anymore.
O Lord, how you so lovingly and graciously direct us all-- somethings overtly, other times subtly through others or through our environment, and yet other times through little "coincidences", which are such blessings. You are incredible indeed!
Back to the prayer: God told me He would help me write it. I'm incredibly busy over the next several days: lector on Sunday, Pastoral Council on Tuesday night, leading Stations plus participating in the liturgy on Ash Wednesday night, not to mention myriad other things. But Saturday I'm carving out as a day to start on the prayer, God willing, plus catch up on other correspondence and obligations in which I've fallen behind.