Are you a watcher or a doer?

It’s not a secret that I listen to mass on my way to work in the morning. I arrive at work after the homily and the prayers of the faithful if they happen to say them that day. What I like about it is that I can listen in the quiet morning and it usually leaves me with something to ponder that day.

Today, all the readings centered on hope in the Lord. So if the message was about hope, what is my question all about? Well, hoping in the Lord is not a passive activity. Yes, I listen to mass, I am not present in the church but I am actively listening. I have to do something in order to listen- I have to be in my car at the right time, tuned to the right channel.

We are absolutely supposed to listen to the word of God and ponder it sometimes, but we are also asked to do something about it. We live in a culture (and world) where we don’t think the rules apply to us. It’s the parable of the seed- the seed falls on all sorts of ground. I want to be the little seed that gets planted and springs up to bear fruit. I have to participate in the process. It doesn’t just happen.

The best things take time. It’s easy to hope in the Lord and believe the word when everything is going well. Do you also have hope when it’s not going well? Let me circle back to the original question. Are you watching to see how it turns out for others before you believe or are you actively seeking it out? Only you can answer that for yourself.

I can tell you that there were times where I did watch from afar and I thought I could get along just fine without dependance on God. That didn’t last because if you are watching and watching closely, the people who are the “doers” have something you may desire for yourself.

What they (or I) will tell you is that the road is not straight, it is windy. It will not be easy or fun sometimes, but you will eventually end up in the right spot, in a closer relationship to Jesus your Lord and Savoir. You always have a choice. Are you going to be a watcher or a do-er?