Are you letting 'good' get in the way of 'better'?

The act of faith is not easy to make. It demands, among other things, that we gamble real life on hope, that we give up what we already possess, see, and understand, for something that we do not yet possess, see, or understand. It is not easy, or natural, to make the leap of faith, to learn to live life and draw support from that which is beyond what we can experience naturally.”

- - from A Restless Heart

Would you be willing to leave a perfect, comfortable life with the security of a good salary, support system, social life, etc.?  Many would stay within their current lives, instead of starting something new, that we may not know perfectly how things would work. Either way is good… but one would be better.

A Franciscan nun offered me a thought during my decision-making process about moving from NYC to Panama. It was that the hardest decision is when we need to choose and differentiate between good and better. And the most important principle is to never let good get in the way of better.

Deciding between good and better is a difficult task because we could potentially continue doing what we are doing and be perfectly happy. The challenge is that we would never know if choosing the other option of life would get us to a better place. For this reason, it is important to understand the intention of our hearts in leaning towards one option versus another, as well as to dedicate time for discernment and reflection.

In my case, my current situation at that time was my life in NYC and ultimately the USA. I was doing pretty well at work, while having such an active life in the city. I had different groups of friends and was giving back to my Church community as never before. It was hard for me to think about being in a better place than the comfort I gained in the USA, where I knew how to find a job, how to make friends quickly, and had a support system from every city I have lived in.

Here is where the second thought made the difference for me: do not let good gets into the way of better. Being able to choose which option was good or better was tricky and required much reflection. I took time to visualize each one of my options and then write down pros/cons, feelings and concerns associated with the life I imagined. Reality is that I could not think of any other reason to stay in USA other than the security of work and money.  That had nothing to do with our mission as Christians, which is love.

Panama offered me the support and love of my family. It has been more than a decade since I left Panama, and there is a lot of fear involved in going there. My family does not really know how I have changed; my friends are not used to have me as part of their lives; I have never had the need to find a job there; and Panama is a society that moves with contacts and social status and I have none of those. However, Panama is my home, where my heart is along with all my loved ones.

… So I chose Panama, a country full of unknown to me. All I can do now is to be excited about this adventure, trusting that God did not put this desire in my heart for no good reason.

The Spiritual Side of NYC!

NYC makes you strong in many ways.  It teaches you to walk fast and walk everywhere, run to the subway or to get the taxi first, not to notice the homeless as they are so many, park your car fast as people don’t have the time to wait, not to let others run you over or over you, tough it up while getting any public process done, hold a long night of party, and so much more.  But NYC, like any other city and place in the world, has a beautiful side… a soft side that builds your heart.

NYC taught me about love, patience and faith. I only lived there for about 20 months, and my community and friends made me fall in love with the city. From the corner bakery servers to Don Pedro & Beto in the parking garage and my Panamanian dancing group in Brooklyn… everyone offered me a kind heart, a candid hello, a warm welcome and farewell. The best was the Ascension Church, and everything I got to learn in the Charismatic Movement.

Using the talents and gifts God has given me for the benefit of His Church is how I started learning about love.  The greatest example was the strong desire I felt to leave all my belongings within the Church community. I still have a long journey towards love, but NYC gave me the opportunity to discover how I can go about this. I am confident that God will also guide me in the next few months on loving!

Working with the young adults group at Church gave me the initial steps towards practicing patience. It requires time to let God work in the hearts and minds of a team. Even if I knew how to get the outcome, I needed to teach the team how to get things done so that they could get inspired and learn about their own potential. It is now so fulfilling to see how the group has defined its vision and a strong plan to conquer the hearts of the youth in NYC.

Faith continues to be a work in progress.  It was in a Healing Retreat where I had the vision of returning home. And the process to make the decision final took patience but much more faith.  Leaving the known and the comfort of my life in the USA to come to the unknown but familiar home in Panama was a challenge that taught me about putting my trust on that vision that I had and knowing with confidence that God put that in my heart for a very good reason: because He will give me abundantly! However, I didn’t know what that abundance would be… and I confess I am still on that journey.

NYC is a wonderful city, a city where you could find any experience you can imagine. And I am so happy that I got to practice love, patience and faith in that beautiful, exhilarating city.

Take a Leap of Faith

I have a few friends going through significant transitions: losing jobs, facing moral issues that requires them to stand up against power and authority, getting a divorce or out of an unhealthy relationship, deciding whether to change career paths, etc. What is evident and consistent in all these conversations is how difficult it is for us humans to take a leap of faith towards the unknown.

We resist and resist, even when everything else tells us it is time to move on to the next thing. We want to have everything planned and figured out, forgetting that God works in different ways and with different timing. God reveals to us step by step. But we don’t want to make a mistake; we want to make sure we are doing what God really wants us to do (being cautious); or we cannot believe the work is done in that part of your life.

The Bible says that God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not ours (Isaiah 55:8–9). This is mainly because He has a bigger/higher perspective on everything; He knows what is best for us and has visibility of the full plan. But He guides us one step at a time.

By being faithful, we need to take action and the first step, even when darkness is all we can see. God will then reveal to us in the next move (even if it is to change route again). We need to move being confident that God wants and has the best for us. He will never give us a snake when we asked for fish (Luke 11:11)…. We might still not get the egg, but something even better!

So yes, I understand it is hard to let go of one rope without even seeing the next rope to grab. Sometimes it doesn’t seem rational or logical the way where we are headed. Everyone may think it is the craziest thing to do. But if in your heart, you feel it is right, go for it! God will be there in the next step or other side to catch you and guide you to your place of peace and inner happiness… one step at a time!

Through Suffering, We Meet Faith & God's Grace

It’s just amazing and almost miraculous when I have felt I cannot keep going any longer, and all of the sudden, something happens that clears everything. It may come as an additional push of strength, or someone’s timely advice, or a movie you watch, or on the clarity of a solution, but it always comes.

Thomas Merton, in his book “No Man Is An Island,” says: “To believe in suffering is pride: but to suffer, believing in God, is humility.” This is mainly because pride tells us that we are strong enough to go through life and problems on our own; we can power through them with need of no one but ourselves because we are that good. However, humility tells us that even though suffering is an evil thing, it gives us the opportunity to experience the mercy of God, whose grace allows us to overcome evil with good.

Put this way, suffering is good. It allows us to receive abundantly from God and make us better and stronger. The Letter of St. Paul to Titus says: “But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy. (Ti 3:4-5). However, suffering does not come from God; it is the result of the fall of men and our collective sins.

Suffering is also a good opportunity to practice endurance of our faith, especially in prolonged periods of suffering. Faith is not only to believe in what you cannot see. Its Greek translation corresponds to the “noun πίστις (pistis) or the verb πιστεύω (pisteuo), meaning to trust, to have confidence, faithfulness, to be reliable, to assure” (Source: Wikipedia). It is then an attitude of firm conviction (not a hope or idea) that God will provide for you and helps you coming through that suffering.

I still remember like yesterday those 11 months that I was pursuing my move to California. It was very hard at work… I had to practice patience, endurance and humility almost every week. And one week, when I thought I just cannot keep going, I was driving and started to talk with God. I said something like, “God, after this interview, I will take a couple of months off. If this desire is not aligned with Your Will, please take it away… but if it is aligned, send me a sign and make it stronger.” The very next day, I got a phone call with a job offer. This was not me… this was supernatural… this was the mysterious grace of God! This became a strong testimony in my life to trust the Lord and let Him work things on his timing.

Do you have similar examples? Please share. Let’s rejoice and inspire one another on the works of faith in our lives.

Keep Pressing Through... the Hard Times!

Every other day or so, I receive a "Vitamin" from a friend. It is mainly Bible based thoughts to help readers through difficult times... And we all certainly have those challenges every day. A few months ago, I got a powerful one that says:

"We all go through seasons of difficulty that can sometimes feel overwhelming. But during these times, we have to remember that Almighty God is greater than the struggle we face! He'll take those challenges and use them to strengthen us, but we have to do our part and get into agreement with Him. Think about the caterpillar before it becomes a butterfly. When it's wrapped in its cocoon in the dark on the backside of some tree, it doesn't look like it has many options. But after it becomes a butterfly, it doesn't just sit waiting for someone to come and drill a hole and let it out. No! That butterfly knows that it has to make a move if it's going to be set free to fly. In the same way, we have to do something to get out of the confining places we are in. We have to pray, we have to believe, and keep pressing through to victory. Today, no matter what you may be facing, remember His grace is sufficient for you. His strength is made perfect in you. Keep believing, keep praying, keep hoping, and keep pressing through. Before long, you'll break free and rise to the new levels of victory God has prepared for you." -By Joel & Victoria Osteen

I think we need that focused attention on our goals and dreams, not paying attention to obstacles. And start seeing obstacles as opportunities to discover a new, more exciting path toward that goal/intention we have. Of course, this entails that we are not fixed with our plan on how to get there... we have that goal/dream, but we are open on the different ways to achieve it, based on the different experiences that start coming to our lives.

Sometimes I feel I give up on my desires too quick. But when is it enough? When is it enough to keep trying to make a relationship work, or a job to be satisfying, or for a friend to be more compassionate towards us, or for a dream to come true? When do we know when to stop trying for something? How do you differentiate between obstacles and the universe or God telling us that that's not the way or what we need?

There's a fine line between keep pressing through and stubbornness, but I have learn that what matters is our capacity to keep the hard work with faith in God's will while letting go of our need to control the result of what we do. It took me 11 months to get a job in California and move. During that time, I had to put up with a lot at work... felt like humiliation at a certain point. But I kept praying every day asking God to make his will in my life, begging for patience and endurance. I kept applying to jobs, going to interviews, and trying to do my work the best I could. Eventually, after 10 months or so, I remember vividly that afternoon I was driving and I spoke to God saying something like, "God, I think it's time to stop trying for a bit... I will not apply to any jobs for 2 months so I can rest, and if it's not your will for me to go to California, please take this desire away"... I got a a job offer the next day. Unbelievable!

Have you had any similar experiences? Please share.