Each week I write a small reflection and share it in my school's weekly note. Below is the post for this week.
Last Sunday's Gospel has been on my mind for quite
some time. It seems that every time I get a free moment, the story of entering
through the "narrow gate" popped into my head. I have had pictures come to mind
showing a long line of people trying to get into a gate that has room enough for
only one person. The vision came very clear when I was stuck in a bottle neck
traffic jam, on my way home Wednesday.
As I was sitting in this traffic jam, and this
image came to my mind, it made me curious as to why the "line" was so long to
get through town. Surely there was a wreck or construction traffic, and as I
suspected a car stalled which led to a 4 car bumper tapping accident. Well, as
you can imagine, with emergency vehicles, and rubber-neckers, the line kept
getting longer and traffic was barely a crawl. Can you imagine the line to enter
into the "narrow gate of Heaven" looking something like this?
This led me to think, what are the traffic jams of
my life? What are the things that would put me in the long line to enter into
the narrow gate? Do I often place work ahead of my family? Do I forgo having a
family dinner so my children can participate in every possible afterschool
activity, just to keep them busy? I must say, the longer I waited in the traffic
jam, I was a little disappointed in how long my list was
getting.
It never ceases to amaze me how many times God
puts a thought in my head and how many times I ignore the thought, or say to
myself, I am too busy to do anything about it. If I ignore Him long enough, it
is amazing how He puts me into a situation, such as the traffic jam, to bring
the point home.
So, now it is time for me to assess things and
unclutter my traffic jam. If I want the straight path to the narrow gate, I have
to assess the things that control me and take me down the winding road, or
completely break me down on the side of the road, and learn how to straighten
them out. Am I working too many hours? Am I too tired when I get home to play
catch with my son? Am I creating balance between my family and doing the things
I like to do? My path needs a lot of work.
