“Don’t worry about whether your life is worthwhile, about its anomalies, its disappointments, its somewhat obscure and sombre future. You are doing what God wills. In the midst of your anxieties and dissatisfactions you are offering Him the sacrifice of a humbled soul bowing, in spite of everything, to an austere Providence. You are deprived even of the joy of feeling that you are resigned, that you accept, that you love, and yet at the same time you want to be resigned to show that you are faithful. Don’t be afraid; al this toil is set to your credit and is a magnificent use of your time. It matters that others may do more good than you, and at less cost: the great thing is not to do good but to fill the place, even if it is more lowly, willed for you by God — It matters little that in your innermost self you feel, like the natural drag of a weight, a tendency to wrap yourself in your sorrows and shortcomings: there are plenty of other ‘natural’ ‘gravitational’ forces in us, what we call enjoyment, egoism, following the line of least resistance; but doesn’t truth consist of freeing oneself from these in spite of the compulsive attitude this temptation imposes on us? . . . If God for His part finds you a success, he would have you be.”
— Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Making of a Mind; Letters from a Soldier-Priest, 1914-1919 (pp. 66-67) (from letter dated August 22, 1915)
This happens to be just what I needed to hear today – thanks for posting! 🙂
Excellent my friend.
Thank you Michael and Robert. I hope both of you have a blessed day.
Peace,
W. Ockham
Having just returned from Israel and the West Bank, my heart is still there with the suffering people and I long to be able to do something tangible to help. This quote is exactly what I needed to remind me that I am where I am and that God will use me where I am until God decides that I need to be elsewhere. Blessings.
Lynda:
Welcome back from the Holy Land. A trip there is on my Bucket List although I do not know if have the courage to travel there in a period of increasing violence like you did. Hopefully you can share some of your experiences.
Peace,
W. Ockham
I needed to read this today as well. Thank you.
Thank you Claire. The quote hits home for me right now also. Wishing you a peaceful week.
W. Ockham