Recognize God in Your Ordinary Moments

by Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS  |  10/20/2024  |  Weekly Reflection

What’s in it for me?

I think we’ve all been guilty of looking at a situation and wondering what’s in it for us. It doesn’t matter if it’s a particular work assignment, someone at the parish asking for help with the mission trip bake sale, or your spouse asking if you’ll take over the grocery shopping this week. Often, our first reaction to one of these requests is a heavy sigh and the thought: “If I do this, what will I get?”

Sometimes it surprises us to realize that the Apostles were no different. We tend to idolize these contemporaries of Christ as giants who walked with the Savior. But in reality, these individuals were merely human beings struggling to commit to the task of everyday stewardship.

In the Gospels, we see glimpses of them longing for praise and affirmation. We see them jockeying for positions of power within the group of twelve. We see them expect earthly rewards like honor and admiration. We see them acting a lot like us.

But in the end, we see them transformed by the grace of God. Like all the saints, their holiness stems from their commitment to their call. They stumble through, and as they stumble, they keep trusting God. They keep turning to Him. They keep asking for help. They don’t give up just because they keep failing at it. We are defined by what we give when we have no hope of being reimbursed, rewarded, or recognized. The Apostles understood this, eventually, and they gave accordingly. Most of them gave their very lives.

Remember, they’re just like us. If they can do it, we can too.

--Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS