Leaning Toward the Rock

 

Readings 091226 

Sometimes in the quiet work of spiritual direction,  

a tender question rises in the soul:  

Who are we mad at?

Mad at God?  

Mad at the Church?  

Mad at a priest…  

or maybe mad at ourselves.

And most folks will say,  

“I’m mad at God.”  

But when you listen deeper,  

when you sit still with the ache,  

you find the anger didn’t start with God at all.  

It came from a wound carried too long,  

a fear tucked away,  

a belief picked up somewhere along the road.  

Sometimes it’s a lie the enemy whispered—  

and the blame gets placed  

on the One who never stopped loving.

But God stays close.  

God keeps whispering.  

God keeps healing.  

Mercy moves like a soft river,  

but too many times,  

we don’t listen.

And Jesus asks us gently,  

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’  

and not do what I command?”  

He tells us the one who listens,  

the one who acts,  

is like a man who digs deep  

and lays his foundation on rock.  

And when the river rises,  

that house stands firm.

So today,  

let your heart lean toward the Rock.  

Let the anger loosen its grip.  

Let the listening begin.  

For God has never been against you—  

He has always been for you.

Prayer  

Lord Jesus Christ, 

Calm the storms 

that rise within my heart.  

Let Your mercy loosen 

every hidden anger.  

Teach me to listen 

when You whisper truth.  

Set my feet firmly upon 

Your holy rock.

Amen

Coaching for the Kingdom

Readings 091126 

I think of all those years on the ballfields,  

sitting on a bucket catching pitches,  

teaching how to drive a javelin,  

a discus, a shot through the air—  

strength, form, grit,  

and the quiet courage to try again.

Now my son‑in‑law steps  

into the same career field  

I’ve walked for forty years,  

and that old familiar joy rises—  

the joy of guiding someone forward,  

of passing on what was once passed to me.

And I see in him a witness—  

a man whose life coaches others  

toward Christ without even knowing it.

That is the coaching I hold closest  

coaching others toward Christ:  

my family, their families,  

the souls in CCD, OCIA, marriage prep—  

hearts I’ve nudged toward grace,  

toward truth, toward the One  

who runs beside us.

Saint Paul says all runners run,  

but only one wins the prize.  

Jesus says a disciple, fully trained,  

becomes like the Teacher.  

Every act of coaching  

is a quiet invitation  

to run the race that matters  

and grow into His likeness.

I pray that every word I write,  

every witness I offer,  

be gentle coaching—  

a pointing in the right direction,  

a whisper of encouragement  

for a tired heart.

May we all keep running,  

not to be the fastest,  

but to be faithful—  

becoming, day by day,  

a little more like the Teacher  

who leads us home.

Prayer 

Lord Jesus Christ, 

Guide my steps

to bring hearts toward You. 

Let my words be gentle

and my witness true. 

Strengthen those who run the race. 

Shape us into

the likeness of Your Son. 

And bless every soul

striving toward Your holy prize.

Amen