We are the tools of God.
Think about that for a moment. The God
of infinite power; the God who created the smallest speck of dust and the
grandest galaxy; the God who graced us with hearts to love, minds to reason,
and hands to craft – that God needs each of us to complete some very important
work.
Now I’m not saying that God’s power is
limited, and we need to pick up the slack for him. Quite the contrary. We have
been given the gift of this planet and the blessings of being joined on this journey
by our fellow man – and it is up to us to care for this wondrous creation.
But doing so is difficult. Often the
challenges appear daunting; sometimes, in fact, we may think they are
impossible to overcome. How can we heal or care for the sick under our charge in
this place? How can we ensure that all the hungry are fed and all the homeless
housed? How can we end the violent acts man commits against man and nation
against nation? What must we do to protect our fragile environment and ensure
its survival for future generations?
Rather than stress over the enormity of
these challenges, however, we need to focus on one simple fact.
We do not have to do any of this alone.
Through God, all things are possible.
We already have been given all we need to
accomplish these tasks. Our reason; our intellect; our skill; our creativity;
our compassion; our love. Each of these is a tool in the toolbox with which God
has blessed us to do these things. But using them requires instruction –
careful guidance, a gentle hand showing us the way.
We do not have to walk that path by
ourselves. Through God, all things are possible.
The late Harvard University professor and chaplain Peter Gomes reminded us of what to do in difficult times. As he wrote, “What is
the response for calamity? Endurance. Don’t rush, don’t panic. What are we to
do in calamitous times? We are to slow down. We are to inquire. We are to
endure. Tribulation does not invite haste; it invites contemplation,
reflection, perseverance, endurance.” Writing further on the recollection by
ancient people of God’s work on their behalf, he continued, “They remember …
how the Lord delivered them out of these troubles and helped them to endure and
bear and eventually overcome them.”
So as you go out into your day, remember
you do not walk alone. The difficult medical situations, the families
experiencing fear and sadness, the stress and exhaustion of your individual
challenges – you will not deal with them in a vacuum.
The solutions may be hard to find, the
answers a challenge to see. But you have a companion, a guiding hand, an
inspiration, a cheerleader.
For through God, all things are possible.
