Tag: God loves us

Being vulnerable in prayer – reach toward “saint in training”

September 14, 2026
Reflection

We humans are imperfect. In anyone questions our fallibility, just turn on the evening news and watch what humans are doing to each other. For those of us whose failings don’t make it on to the evening news (hopefully, most of us), we typically have friends and relatives who are familiar with our particular human failings.

I have an active prayer life. In recent months, I have surrendered in prayer yet again, “God fix my particular combination of failings. Do something to improve this mess.” Not that my mess is news-worthy (local TV journalists haven’t been called to my door!), but there are aspects of my life that “I wouldn’t have chosen” (I learned that phrase several years ago from a friend named Linda). I didn’t intentionally create this stuff that “I wouldn’t have chosen,” but I am also seeing that solving some of this just might require that I inch closer to sainthood (i.e., try being a saint in training).

I was taught long ago that I when I surrender to letting God fix something in my life (i.e., improve me rather than expecting my circumstances to be improved), it’s my job to not interfere in God’s plans. In other words, let God “do his thing” and be emotionally responsive to whatever promptings God initiates (and, if necessary, talk with a fellow human about this process to be sure I’m not mis-reading cues). Sometimes, that level of surrender is terrifying. “What’s God going to do in changing me or my life?” News flash: God doesn’t do anything bad. Just because we can’t see yet what the results are going to be doesn’t mean that the results are going to be something we will be dissatisfied with. The results are always good.

I am currently in the midst of that surrender-in-prayer and some subsequent emotional change. I’ve learned over time that these time periods are fruitful. The process, though, can be “discombobulating.” That’s okay. I’ve got to a point that I’ve learned to muddle through the discombobulation (i.e., “roll with it”). One of the “fruitful lessons” at present seems to be that I need to be freer and more conversationally open with the people around me. Yikes. For someone as introverted as me, that’s a challenge. A few times recently, though, being more communicative has had positive results.

Being vulnerable in prayer to letting God improve us is always a good thing. Have you given that a try lately? God loves us and will show up when invited! God wants us to be the people he created us to be.

Kim Burkhardt blogs about faith at The Hermitage Within. Thank you for reading this faith blog and for sharing it with your friends. While you are here, please feel welcome to provide support to sustain this blog ($$).

Salvation history, the universe

September 5, 2025
Sunset colors

I have lately been pondering how the grand scope of the universe – the many number of galaxies, etc. – factors into what God pays attention to.

When we think of God – with the finite perspective of people – we tend to think of God in terms of God’s relationship with us humans.  About  humanity’s “salvation history.”   We humans are created in God’s image – we are loved by God so much that God gave his only son for our salvation.   We humans are infinitely loved by God.

For much of Judeo-Christian history, humanity’s understanding of the universe – and the size of the universe – was much smaller than the understanding we have now. It was much simpler, in a sense, to think of God solely in terms of God’s relationship to our salvation history.

We now know so much more about the grandeur of the size of the universe.

To think of us now in terms of being made in God’s image and for us to be God’s children takes on a perspective of a very different scale.

God is infinite enough to love us and “know us by name” and “know the number of hairs on our head” AND simultaneously be engaged in the astro-physics/geology of a VERY LARGE universe.   Wow.   We now receive photos of galaxies far beyond anything people knew in previous centuries.  Amazing.   And, this makes God even more amazing to us – that God can “know the number of hairs on our head” and simultaneously know the full geographic scope of all the galaxies that exist.  Does God watch in wonder at the colors and contours of various galaxies?

Yet, we with our human limitations struggle with the comparatively finite question of how to do a better job of “love God and love our neighbor.”  Back to earth….. What can we do today to be good to our families, friends, neighbors?

Kim Burkhardt blogs about faith at The Hermitage Within. Thank you for reading this faith blog and for sharing it with your friends. While you are here, please feel welcome to provide support to sustain this blog ($$).

Argument in the Confessional (but, God loves us)

September 22, 2024
John the Baptist

I went to confession this weekend.

It seemed to get off to a bad start when I reported that “the last time I came to confession was during Lent…..” The priest replied, “Oh, it’s been awhile….” (“Geesh,” I thought, “it’s only been about six months….Yeah, I know, we should attend monthly or when we really make a mess of something – whichever comes first – but still…… And, what’s up at this parish? I’ve noticed that most of the people who come here for confession are men. Are men and I the only sinners who show up here? What”s up with the demographics?”).

I then verbally moved into “I’m here because….” I don’t know about you, but I tend to show up in the confessional with my story line prepared. Having a story line prepared happens – at least in part – because I don’t like going to confession. I dread it. I have confessed to other parishioners that I usually walk to confession – walking to confession gives me the opportunity to kick the sidewalk on my way there.

We’re not suppose to call it confession any more. We’re suppose to call it reconciliation. We get reconciled with God. I actually know that – both as a theological idea and from experience. And, I know from experience that going to confess….ciliation actually results in me growing in faith, getting closer to God. …….. Still, I usually walk to the church so that I can kick the sidewalk on my way there.

When I told the priest what I was there for, he responded with “God loves you very much. Etc.” (he provided some empathy). “But,” he said, “What you’ve told me isn’t actually a sin. Have you done anything that’s actually a sin [i.e., you are in a confessional]?”

My mind went a bit sideways for a moment……. I then told him, “What I’ve told you about has the very real potential to turn into # – which is very definitely a sin that the church frowns upon. I thought it would be better to come here before this turns into #.” The priest ended up agreeing with that. And, he ended by telling me again that “God loves you very, very much….and can you pray a Lord’s Prayer before you leave the church?”

“Yes, I can pray a Lord’s Prayer before leaving the church” – which I did. I then went home, rather with the feeling that I’d just had an argument about what I had confess…..ciled.

A couple of hours later, the the matter of “#” became reconciled in my life. I began to feel lighter and had an opportunity for the relevant circumstance to be improved upon. And, yes, God does love us very, very much.

Going to reconciliation really does grow us in faith (despite my continuing kicking of sidewalks).

Kim Burkhardt blogs at A Parish Catechist (and is a member of the Association of Catholic Publishers). Blogging is sustainable via blog readership (i.e. readers/subscribers). If you are a new visitor, it would be great to have you subscribe to follow this blog (thank you!). If you know someone who would like this blog, please share it with them and invite them to subscribe (thank you!).