Do you ever have those moments when you hear something that really makes you stop & think? Sure you do! It might be a poem, a quote, or a song. Maybe it's a scripture passage that keeps popping up. All of a sudden it hits you in a profound way...and it's usually at a point in your life when you REALLY need to hear it. God does that on purpose, ya know, just to shake things up a bit & get your attention.
That happened to me this past weekend.
Sunday morning, as I was getting ready for Mass, I was listening to the "Keep the Faith" radio show on our local contemporary Christian music station. In between the great Christian music they play, they share stories of faith & encouragement.
One of the on-air personalities said something about comparing our path to Heaven to an airplane. Nobody gets on an airplane & says, "Hey, I think I'll just stay on here." No, an airplane is meant to get us to a destination. (You could insert any vehicle in place of an airplane...car, train, boat, spaceship, etc.)
WOW!
Basically he was saying that our lives are like that airplane, the vehicle carrying us to our ultimate destination...Heaven. I didn't have time to finish listening to the rest of the program, but it did not leave my mind & I got to thinking.
Airplanes & other vehicles need fuel to power them. So do we...food for our physical bodies & the power of the Eucharist for our souls, Christ's own Body & Blood given for our sins.
Vehicles need regular maintenance to keep them safe for travel. They need oil changes, check-ups every so many miles, regular cleanings, & repairs. We also require regular maintenance...we go to the doctor for physicals & illnesses or the dentist for cleanings & dental work. Most importantly though, we have the power of the Sacraments for our souls, especially the Eucharist, Reconciliation, & Anointing of the Sick.
When you take a trip, you need to know how to get there & some information about your destination, right? You consult your GPS or maps for the best route, guide books &/or people you know for the best sights to see. If you get off track or take a wrong turn, your GPS will recalculate your route or you can always stop to ask for directions.
Guess what! We've got great resources to get us to Heaven, too! We've got the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, & MANY other great books by incredible, inspirational writers. (Have you ever heard what the letters in the word Bible stand for? Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.) We have our wonderful religious men & women to guide us...our pope, priests, bishops, deacons, brothers, & sisters. There are many groups to support us on our journey...small faith communities, online groups, Bible studies, & so much more. So, if you ever get off track, (Hey, we're human...so yes, we HAVE & WILL get off track MANY times along the journey!), all of these wonderful resources will help us find our way once again. And yes, even men can ask for these types of directions!
Does this all mean that we will never have any pain & suffering along the way? Absolutely not! God never promised that our lives would be easy, but as long as we focus on Him & ask for His help, we will be able to endure our trials.
Does this all mean that we can't enjoy our journey to Heaven? Absolutely not! So long as we are keeping our eyes & hearts on the ultimate "prize," we can have fun, too. We can laugh & celebrate, sing & dance. And if our joy happens to be contagious & we pick up a few travelers along the way, then our journey will be even more worthwhile!
