A Personal, Caring God

In today's first reading for Ordinary time, Ex 3: 11-20, God  says to Moses: "Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and tell them: ...I am concerned about you and about the way you are being treated in Egypt; so I have decided to lead you up out of the misery of Egypt."

God is a personal, caring God. He cares for each one of us as individuals. He sees what we are going through  in good times and bad times. God rejoices in our triumphs; weeps in our downfalls or when we are being mistreated and/or abused in any way.  Many times, the abuse or verbal put downs come from ourselves. Many times, we are harsher toward ourselves than anyone else is towards us.  Nothing is good enough. Nothing is perfect enough. "I could have done better, acted smarter, been more prudent, wiser, kinder, and on and on and on.  Many times, we can't say no to anything asked of us.  "I've got to do that; it is my responsibility," we reason to ourselves as we pile on demands as though we are super moms, super women,  superior organizers, a competent this or that or the other thing!   Letting up does not occur to us. When we even think of being good towards ourselves, taking time for ourselves, following a passion that would interrupt our regular routines and expectations of ourselves, we  often choose to remain on the tread mill of super-mom, super-community member, super coordinator. 

"I am concerned about you and about the way you are...[treating yourself] so I have decided to lead you up out of the misery of [your "Egypt"]," says the Lord, our God, our Savior. "I have made you for myself, to be all you can be for Me, Your Creator God. I did not create you to be everything for everyone nor did I create you to be the rock that keeps everything else from crumbling." That is my job!

God's Identity: Who Is God for you?

As I reflect upon today's first reading from Job 9: 1-12, 14-16, the question arises in me: Who is God and who am I? Job wrestles with the same questions.

Who is God for Job?  God:

•  Is wise in heart and mighty in strength
•  Removes the mountains before they know it
• Overturns them in his anger
• Shakes the earth out of its place...
• Commands the sun, and it rises not
• Seals up the stars
• Stretches out the heavens and treads the crests of the sea.....
•  Does great things past finding out, marvelous things beyond reckoning
• Comes near me, I see him not…..

Who is God for me? 

  

• God is wise in heart and mighty in strength in me and in you!
• God removes the mountains of pride and shame and hurt and fear in me, sometimes before         I know it. He does the same for you.
• In His anger, God overturns sin in me, in the world: in the structures of our society, our             church, our families, our workplaces, our legal systems;  yes, in all systems.
• God shakes all that is not of God out of its place in me, in you and in the world.
• God seals up the stars and leads me into the darkness that awakens me to the Son and He does so for everyone!
• God stretches out the things of heaven to penetrate the things of earth, to penetrate the              hardness of my heart and yours.
• God does great things in my life without me knowing His presence, His power, His mercy and love doing these things. He does the same for you.
• God comes near without me, or you,  seeing Him.

Who is God for you?