Are You Living Your Why?

Picture a pre-COVID time when we might be having a cup of coffee, or more likely a glass of wine together and catching up on life.  What would you say if I asked you what is your why?  Why do you think you were put on this earth during this moment in time? 

Close your eyes and take a deep breath. 

What is your answer? 

Be honest, would you say it is to be the person that God wants you to be? 

Truth be told, until a few years ago, that was not my answer!  Of course, I valued being a good, moral faithful and responsible person.  I was focused on raising children, tending to my family, building a career, cultivating friendships…all good things in themselves but the singular why, the fulcrum on which everything rested was hidden.  I am happy to report that I found my why which is to bring God’s love into the world, and I believe that is your why too!

By exploration, learning and grace, I came to understand deep in my bones that my life is not about me.  It is a gift from my Creator.  I am His Beloved; wonderfully made to bring the unique gifts He has assigned to me to the world.  His goodness calls me to be holy and to follow His will which is love. Bishop Barron provides a simple and powerful message describing how we are called to be saints here.

In the catholic tradition, the month of November is when we honor the saints known and unknown.  How cool is that!  I never knew much about the saints but became fascinated with them after a pilgrimage to Italy in 2017.  St. Francis’ message of simplicity and love of nature along with Padre Pio’s philosophy of “Pray, don’t worry” had a profound impact on me during our trip.  These saints continue to provide me with strength and inspiration for my life today.

A goal of Smitten with Goodness is to provide resources for curious hearts to explore and help guide our journey in goodness.  I am sometimes overwhelmed by the resources available and hope to simply and highlight relevant ones for you.  Blessed Is She has developed a guide which helps us think about how to go about Making Friends With The Saints.  They also suggest another practice to pick a Saint Buddy each year and do a deep dive into their life, writings, and teachings.  My Saint Buddy this year is Mary.  There is something about Mary for sure and she has been a life changer for me but more about that later.  Take a listen to this to learn more on how you might choose your buddy for the coming year. 

Rediscover the Saints, Twenty-Five Questions That Will Change Your Life by Matthew Kelly is a quick read that helped me see how God is constantly trying to open our eyes to the amazing possibilities he has for our lives and how the saints encourage us to collaborate with Him to reach our God-given potential. 

Blessed are the peacemakers

Focus on His truth: Matthew 5:9

God’s dream is for all of us to be saints.  Are you up for the challenge? 

P.S.  If you say YES! the Beatitudes Matthew 5:1-12 give us the guidebook on how to shape our hearts and live our lives to be Saints and live a happy life.