theROCK

What Time is Your Sunrise?

On April 1, 2019, the sun rose in Milwaukee at 6:34 AM. At the end of April, the sun is projected to rise at 5:47 AM. This simple fact made me stop and reflect in awe.

Now I certainly know that the sunrise and sunset are constantly changing (we all learned that at a very young age), but I was surprised as to how much it changed— that’s a difference of 47 minutes in one month. That’s how fast the world is spinning and changing.  

What about you? How much have you changed from the beginning of Lent on March 6 until this very moment? Do you feel different? Do you have a deeper understanding of who you are? How have the past few weeks influenced your daily faith practices? Is your personal sunrise happening earlier in the day? Or are you still 47 minutes behind?

We are all giving the gift of 1440 minutes in a day. What we choose to do with these minutes is a personal decision. We still have time until we celebrate Easter. We still have time for prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We can still make a commitment to change.

Time waits for no one, but that doesn’t mean we can’t embrace it and use it to help shape us into the best person we can possibly be.

Stewards of Words

In a recent homily, Bishop Haines said something quite thought provoking. He said that we are stewards of words.

When I was a classroom teacher, I would often remind my students to mean what they say and say what they mean. I would give them many examples from Scripture where Jesus very clearly says what he means and means what he says. Jesus is rather pointed. He needed to be. He doesn't tell people what they want to hear but what they need to hear.

I learned very quickly as a teacher and as a parent that words matter. I have gotten into my fair share of tangles because I didn't use the right word at the right time.

Now that I am the instructional leader of a school, I am even more aware of how words matter. My words have never mattered so much before. To be a steward of words reminds me to follow my father's rule of "measure twice-cut once" all the more intentionally.

Wisdom is in silence and listening, more than it is in talking. Isn't that why God gave us two ears and one mouth? We need to take care of our words; how we talk and the tone we take. We need to mark ourselves as disciples with how we communicate and interact.

Are our words reflecting who we are as followers of Christ?
Words matter.
Pray for me. I will pray for you.

Rough Road Ahead

Every morning as I drive to work, I make a left turn on to Center Street. I travel about fifty feet and then I see a big orange sign on the side of the road: Rough Road Ahead. Center Street is in bad shape, with lots of bumps and flaws in the asphalt. Drivers take the sign very seriously, and they are prepared to swerve or dodge the various obstacles. The sign doesn’t make the road easier to drive. But what it does it help prepare the cars for the journey ahead.

I think I need a big orange sign for Lent 2019: Rough Road Ahead. I always feel like I start strong. Ash Wednesday is filled with big plans and strategies for the best Lent ever. But then I hit a pothole or a bump in the road. Soon I’m driving on the wrong side of the street, and often times I’m taking a completely different route than I intended.

But my sign will help prepare me. I know that I will have good days and rough days over the next 40. I know that I will not accomplish everything that I set out to do. And that’s okay. I’m ready to swerve a bit, ready to slow down and adjust my speed. This Lent, I’ll lay out my course, but I’ll be ready to take a quick side street. I’ll set my Cruise Control, but I’ll be prepared to put my foot on the brake and slow things down. Ultimately, my sign will help me relax a bit and help me to be prepared for the ride. It will help relax and guide me to my destination without frustration.

I’m ready for my journey, rough roads and all.