7- Divine Providence.

For so many of us, the hardest part is accepting that Divine Providence requires us to depend on God.  He has a plan for us, and through that plan He will give us grace and care to fulfill our vocations.
“Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you.” Thus we may say with confidence:
The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

For marriage and our lives we must remember that God is good, He can be trusted.  The closer we draw to each other and to God, the closer we will be to feeling his presence.  In the Gospel, Jesus says, Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself... (Mat.6"33)

Probably the most important part of this is that we must trust in His care for everything – BIG and small.  He cares about our health, our jobs, world peace, and our splitting headache.  If we let God take the wheel (he won't demand it) we will not be disappointed, but probably surprised!  He rarely answers the way we imagine, yet it is always for the best. Here is a prayer from St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, that shows what all this means:

“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You gave it all to me; to you, Lord, I give it all back. All is yours, dispose of it entirely according to your will. Give me the grace to love you, for that is enough for me.”

As a couple once told us, "material things tend to consume us, we need to be consumed by each other!" Each other and God!  This should be our priority.

The Heart of Authentic Reform