By Angela Koenig
“to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your hands, as we charged you; ” ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:11
I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of an ordinary life.
The journey towards this appreciation was filled with mountaintop experiences and barren desert valleys. For many years, I dreamed of doing something heroic, notable, and worthwhile. This desire became my motivation. I put success on a pedestal. But what is success?
Mind Your Own Affairs
I think this is a question we should all ask ourselves and bring to the feet of Jesus in prayer. My idea of success became an idol, and I needed to be freed of it. So, through prayer – nights spent in the Adoration chapel, Rosary after Rosary, novena after novena, and exhortations to the Lord for guidance – I felt Jesus asking me, “Do you trust Me?”
And by the gift of His grace, I said, “Yes.”
Work With Your Hands
It was then that He invited me to trust Him, make a big move, and trust Him again when that big move didn’t turn out the way I thought it would, and trust Him again and again and again. To trust Him with my safety and security, and to trust Him with my heart, soul, and wellbeing. And you know what I’ve done?
Just that, I have trusted Him.
Aspire to Live a Quiet Life
And therein lies the beauty of an ordinary life. Your everyday decisions and the unseen moments become the ingredients for a successful life. Following His call day in and day out, and not shying away from Him when you don’t do it perfectly. Every day is an opportunity to trust Jesus with everything, even your failures, weaknesses, and sins.
A quiet life lived for Jesus is now the heroic life I desire to live, and by His grace alone, that life will become the most worthwhile adventure I’ll undertake.
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for this extraordinary life. Guide me to always follow in the path of Your Goodness, Truth, and Beauty.
Call to Action
Spend some time reflecting on the lives of the Saints, both obscure and grand, and ask God to guide you in the way He calls you to live a life of heroic virtue.
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Beautiful reflection! Thank you!
Angela, thank you so much for this- it is just what I needed to hear. I’ve felt similarly for such a long time and now have a new prayer to bring to the Lord.